Barnes & Noble has finally decided to take down the wall fencing off its Nook ecosystem and is allowing Google Play onto Nook HD and Nook HD+ tablets. Nook and Nook color owners are unfortunately being left out.
Nook's closed ecosystem has been one of the largest criticisms levied against the tablet, and the addition of the Google Play store should help it better compete against tablets from Samsung, Apple and others.
With Google Play, the Nook HD and Nook HD+ will have access to the entirety of Play's 750,000 apps. The tablets will also begin shipping preloaded with Gmail, Maps, YouTube and Chrome.
"By adding Google Play to NOOK HD and NOOK HD+, we are offering our customers even more great entertainment on our award-winning tablets," said William Lynch, chief executive officer of Barnes & Noble. "Now with access to more than 700,000 apps and the best reading experience available, NOOK HD and NOOK HD+ are must-see products for entertainment lovers looking for high-quality tablets at incredibly low prices."
Going forward, apps purchased from Barnes & Noble will have an "n" label. Google Play apps will bear no special icon, but content purchased through them will need to be enjoyed through Google's app. While the intent here is clear — give users a reason to still download from Barnes & Noble's store — it does present the problem of a fragmented ecosystem, but we'll need to see how this plays out before rushing to any judgments.
The Nook HD retails for $199 and the Nook HD+ starts at $269.
