Nook Tablet not on par with Fire

The Nook Tablet is a better-looking device and has a few notable features that Kindle Fire lacks, just as a microphone and physical buttons. The features, even though, aren't worth the $50 premium you would pay over the $200 Kindle Fire.

The Tablet looks a lot like its predecessor

The Tablet looks a lot like its predecessor, the Nook Color. I actually liked that device when I reviewed it in January, calling it the best e-reader available on the market. I liked that Nook Color was more than an e-reader because it has a version of Android and can run applications — it was in essence a low-cost tablet.

Although the Nook Tablet is a more satisfying computing device than the Nook Color, it doesn't reach the level of Kindle Fire.

The Nook Tablet

The Nook Tablet and the Kindle Fire have a lot in common. Just like Amazon's device, the Tablet has a 7-inch screen. Like the Fire, it runs a heavily customized version of Google's Android operating system. And the Tablet's user interface is much like the Fire's.

You can get videos from Netflix or Hulu Plus on the Tablet. However both of those services require a subscription. Unlike the Kindle Fire, you won't find a service that offers you the option to buy or rent videos a la carte.

Similarly, you can get music from Rhapsody, Pandora or MOG on the Tablet. However Barnes & Noble doesn't offer — or give you access to — a service similar to Amazon's Cloud Player or Apple's iTunes Match that lets you store and access your music library from its servers.

Another shortcoming is that many games and other popular Android programs just aren't available for the Tablet. You can get "Angry Birds," however you won't find "Cut the Rope," "Plants vs. Zombies" or "Tetris," among other popular games that are available on Kindle Fire.

The Tablet's not a bad device

The Tablet's not a bad device. It's a then-built, relatively low-cost device that's much more user-friendly than many other similarly priced Android tablets. And with its color screen, Nook Tablet is a much nicer device than the lower-priced black-and-white e-readers.