Review: Nook Tablet

Expandable microSD storageResponsive touchscreen8GB and 16GB optionsBarren app marketplaceCumbersome UICheap-feeling buildNo media storefrontReleased in November 2011, the Nook Tablet is Barnes & Noble's entry in the 7-inch tablet market and the successor to the previous Nook Color. While similar in form and interface to that previous device, the Nook Tablet packs a dual-core processor for speedier use, along with additional storage space and a microphone, plus better battery life and a lighter device weight.
Originally only available in a version with 16GB of internal storage for $249 (the version reviewed here), an 8GB option was released earlier this year for $199, seemingly to put the device head-to-head with Amazon's Kindle Fire.

As of this writing, however, the 7-inch tablet market has become significantly more competitive via the introduction of the Nexus 7 from Google and Asus, which delivers a pure Android 4.1: Jelly Bean tablet experience at the same $199/8GB and $249/16GB price points.
Despite that recent development, the Nook Tablet remains Barnes & Noble's best available option, with no official word from the company on when to expect a potential successor, and the selling price remains the same.
But with the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire pulling a lot of the buzz in the smaller tablet market, does this established reader brand have what it takes to compete?
Or has this device become so quickly dated by the others' advances that only those already firmly entrenched in the Nook ecosystem should pay it any mind?

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