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Barnes & Noble’s New Tablet Will Have a BT Keyboard and a "For Dummies" Book

nookshd[1]Barnes & Noble has long said that they plan to release at least one new gadget this Fall and once again I have the inside info on what’s going to show up in the next few weeks.

It’s been just under a week since I last reported on B&N’s new hardware, and new evidence has come to light which suggests that the gadgets do exist and are going to be launched fairly soon.

A helpful reader has tipped me to a new product listing on the B&N website for a B&N-branded Bluetooth keyboard. There’s no photo or technical details, but the listing does say that the keyboard will be available next Tuesday. That’s the same release date as the other leaked product listings I uncovered in early August, so I would bet that the new cases and the keyboard probably all belong to the new tablet.

nook bluetooth keyboard

B&N doesn’t currently offer a BT keyboard for the Nook HD, though they do have headphones, a BT speaker, and a charging dock. The addition of a keyboard might be a sign that B&N is taking their hardware in another direction, but it could also simply mean that they found a design worth licensing.

In other news, I have also learned of a new how-to book for one of B&N’s devices. It has not been officially published or even announced, but Wiley is going to release a Nook X for Dummies book in late November.

I don’t have the correct title, only a placeholder, but the listing shows that the author will be Corey Sandler (he’s written previous Nook for Dummies books). Even the description is just a placeholder:

NOOK X Tablet For Dummies provides readers with all the information they need in order to get the most out of their NOOK X Tablet/e-reader. Key topics covered include:

  • Introducing the hybrid ebook/Android tablet concept.
  • Navigating the technical aspects of NOOK X Tablet, including touchscreen technology, wireless access, software updates
  • Downloading and shopping for e-books.
  • Using the built-in Web browser on the Internet

This For Dummies title had been listed on the B&N website, but after I asked B&N for a comment they removed it. Luckily for us that isn’t a hindrance; you can find the book elsewhere. It’s going to be available in both print and digital.

I still don’t have any firm details yet on a launch event or the release date nor have I found any new FCC paperwork, but all signs are pointing to a launch happening in the next couple weeks. If B&&N follows their past practices then they are probably going to hold an embargoed press event this week or next. I haven’t gotten an invite to that event, but that doesn’t mean it’s not happening.

Stay tuned. If any new information leaks I will probably be the first to post it.

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Comments


fjtorres September 22, 2013 um 12:19 pm

Dare we dream that "hybrid ebook/Android tablet" means an open eink device?

Nate Hoffelder September 22, 2013 um 1:13 pm

Maybe, but I’m not going to get my hopes up. I don’t want to be the cause of my own disappointment.

fjtorres September 22, 2013 um 5:50 pm

Me neither: I really think it’s hypespeak for "generic LCD android tablet with bundled reader software".
But it would be an uncharacteristically smart move (good for a decent price premium) if it were.


Thomas September 23, 2013 um 3:03 pm

Did B&N really crap up Android enough to require a "For Dummies" book?

Nate Hoffelder September 23, 2013 um 3:13 pm

The Nook Touch had a for Dummies, and so did the Nook Color and Nook Tablet. It might sound strange but it is not impossible. And anyway, I think the BT keyboard is the bigger surprise.


anynomous October 23, 2013 um 11:39 am

The idea of a nook branded bluetooth keyboard is nothing new. They have been tossing that idea around since last December (to go with the then new HDs). Unfortunately it never happened….


New Leaked Benchmark Confirms New BNTV800 Nook Tablet With Tegra 4 Chip – The Digital Reader November 25, 2013 um 12:18 pm

[…] by B&N but past leaks have given us a few hints. I know that B&N has commissioned a for Dummies book, and I know that a product listing for a BT keyboard showed up on the B&N website. I still […]


James March 18, 2014 um 4:57 pm

I don’t know if I will buy a nook or not, but I will never ever buy any amazon kindle nothing. I returned two kindles paperwhite with the free 3g. You couldn’t read the thing in low light. It should have been built with a backlight that would turn off in the sun. I shipped it back the same way they sent it to me in their packaging and they expected me to ship it in 2 seperate shipments and me pay for the 2nd one. I got everything in one shipment and sent it back that way. they tried to credit me with just one. Their customer service sucks worse than Ebay and they are all based in India. I was going to buy the most expensive kindle but since It took 3 weeks and a Better Business Bureau complaint lodged against Amazon in Seattle their headquaters and my bank involved I finally got my hard earned money back. My wife said screw it and we went to the Apple store at the mall and she bought the latest Ipad. I may do the same.


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