Get a Nook Tablet 16GB for $99.99

Originally $249, the Nook Tablet 16GB can now be yours for $99.99 (plus shipping).

(Credit: Barnes & Noble)
Got tablet?

Until tomorrow, and while supplies last, Fry's has the recertified Barnes & Noble Nook Tablet 16GB for $99.99, plus $6.99 for shipping. (Sales tax may also apply in some states.)

As you may recall, a short while ago I listed a refurbished Kindle Fire for around the same price. But the Nook Tablet has a few points in its favor, not the least of which are twice the storage and a microSD slot for memory expansion (and more -- read on).

I also prefer the Nook's rounded edges to the Kindle Fire's sharp angles. But what especially seals the deal for me is the plug-and-play Android option, meaning you can bypass (but not erase) the Nook OS in favor of Android proper. That frees you from the somewhat limited confines of Barnes & Noble's ecosystem and makes the Nook Tablet much more versatile as an e-reader and, well, a tablet.

That's accomplished via special microSD cards from sources like N2A Cards andRootMyNookTablet, both of which I've written about before. (I'm actually doing some head-to-head comparison as we speak to see which one delivers the best Android experience. Stay tuned.)

Of course, even if you don't elect to go that route, the Nook offers plenty of tablet-y goodness, especially for $99.99. And although it's refurbished, it comes with a one-year warranty, same as new Nooks.

On the flipside, you won't get amenities like Bluetooth, GPS, or cameras. If those features are important to you, you'll need a higher-end (and pricier) tablet.

But for things like reading, playing games, watching videos, running Android apps, and the like, the Nook Tablet offers everything you need -- for a price that's hard to beat.

Bonus deal: Another day, another software bundle. This one's for Mac users: Pay at least $1 to get two Mac apps (an adventure game and an image editor), or beat the average (currently $7.10) for a total of five. Some proceeds go to charity, and if the bundlers can raise at least $10,000, they'll unlock a sixth app.

by Rick Broida via CNET