A few days ago, I posted up comparison pics of the NOOK HD along side a few other current and interesting tablets, but Barnes and Noble also released something a bit larger than usual, the NOOK HD+.
The NOOK HD + is a bit of a strange duckling for Barnes and Noble, but overall, I am quite impressed with it.


The article with pics of the smaller NOOK HD can be found here:

NOOK HD comparison pics | Tools4Movies | DVD Catalyst 4


In it, I included a few comments in regards of comparing the NOOK HD with other tablets, and will continue to do so here as well. However, please understand that my own use for these tablets is likely different from what you will be using it for.
For me, the main purpose of having these tablets is for software development and testing. As of such, I don't use them to their maximum potential. I don't do much with games or apps on them, and things like rooting or custom roms are, since they affect development, also things I rarely do anything with.

As with all comparisons, if you put similar devices next to each other, one will be better than the other in some aspects, and this goes both ways. If you play with different ones at the store, you might find that one has a better screen than the other, but unless you pick up both of these, you will hardly ever realize these differences. If you put a super-fast Nexus 7 against a last-years Kindle Fire, of course you will notice a big difference in speed, but if you do end up picking the slower Kindle Fire and never see the Nexus 7 again, the speed difference isn't so important anymore.

On the web, you can find many reviews and comparisons of the different tablets, but in the end, all that matters is how it fits in your own usage situation.



The new Barnes and Noble NOOK HD+


With the NOOK HD, I opted for white to make it stand out a bit from my otherwise grey-ish collection of tablets, but with the HD+, there was no choice for colors. I did go for the larger 32GB model though.



The NOOK Family.


As mentioned in the NOOK HD article, I don't do much reading, so I only have the app/video capable NOOK's.

As you can tell in the picture, the new NOOK's stick out a bit from the previous NOOK color and NOOK tablet, but the NOOK HD+ is in a league of its own. Similar in color as the original NOOK color (I like that), but just quite a bit larger.

With the new NOOK's B&N also started with its own video service, and it seems that with the NOOK HD+ they opted for a "stay-at-home-tablet", rather than a more pocketable size to take along with you.



Another group shot. You can tell the NOOK HD+ is a bit longer and wider than the others.



NOOK color next to the NOOK HD+


The same bezel color, but of course the HD+ is a bit larger.

I love the NOOK color, even now nearing it's 2nd birthday, but the touch-screen part was one of my biggest gripes. Thankfully with the HD+ (and the HD) B&N changed that.



NOOK tablet next to NOOK HD+.


Size-wise (and screen-wise) there is no noticeable difference between the NOOK color and the NOOK tablet, but I figured I'd include a picture of the 2 for completeness.



NOOK HD next to the NOOK HD+


Performance-wise, both feel the same, but of course, the NOOK HD is more portable. The NOOK HD+ is great for if you intent to use it mainly at home, but can be a bit cumbersome to carry around.



NOOK tablet, NOOK HD, NOOK HD+



NOOK HD+ next to the Kindle Fire HD


Putting the NOOK HD+ directly next to the Amazon Kindle Fire HD is a bit of an unfair comparison, but the Fire HD 8.9 isn't available yet, so B&N beat them to the punch on this one a bit.



But, comparing the 2, and taking into account that the Fire HD 8.9 will feature similar specs as the Fire HD, my guess is that the NOOK HD+ will be a bit more responsive in normal use.



NOOK HD+ next to the Apple iPad3.


Of course this comparison will be made. Similar in size, similar in purpose, but of course with a price difference.

The NOOK HD+ is quite a bit cheaper ($269) than the recent iPad ($499) models, and one of the main differences between the 2 is that the NOOK HD+ has a nice wide-screen aspect ratio, and while the iPad3 (and iPad4) have a higher screen resolution, for movies, it just doesn't look right for me. Of course, with the NOOK HD+ having a memorycard slot gives it a big advantage as well.



You can only load up so much on an iPad, and to add more, you will need to clean up some space and use a computer or an internet connection in order to fill it up. If you use the price difference of $230 to pick up 32GB ($20) memorycards, you end up with a NOOK HD+ with 16GB+ 11x32GB = 368GB for the same price as an iPad with 16GB, or, just pick up another NOOK HD+ and you have 2 for almost the same price of only one iPad.



NOOK HD+ next to the Motorola Xoom.


A more fair comparison. The Xoom (refurbished) can be had for about the same price as a NOOK HD+, and while the NOOK HD+ has a higher screen resolution, the Xoom has similar specs and performance, and also includes a memorycardslot for expansion.



The Xoom benefits from the more widely stocked Google Play store, giving it a bit of an advantage here.



NOOK HD+ next to Microsoft Surface RT.


With all the advertising Microsoft is pushing through our TV's, the Surface is also something that might be worth considering.




While the Surface RT is even larger than the NOOK HD+, it is actually something you might want to carry around. Rather than being a tablet, it sort of bridges the gap between laptops/ultrabooks and tablets. Unfortunately, it's not all there yet in terms of apps and functionality, but if you are looking for something the size of a NOOK HD+, and are not in a hurry, it is worth thinking about.



iPad3, NOOK HD+ and Surface RT.



Group shot of all the tablets displayed above.


Other tablets to consider if you are looking into the NOOK HD+ are the newly released Google Nexus 10, which aims to be a true iPad Killer. Better specs in just about every way, which leaves Apple with mainly its ease of use and its (overly) stocked Music, Video and AppStore as its advantage. Google has a lot to offer though.

Then there is the smaller Nexus 7, which makes a nice alternative to the NOOK HD and the iPad Mini.


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Nice review, as usual.

On the nexus 10....I was considering it....while it does have a higher resolution, the gen 4 iPad beats it out in terms of speed and quality of screen. And it has no slots, which is one thing I expect from an android tablet. The screen resolution seems to be too much for that processor to handle. I don't think google need to make a 300 ppi screen for that device. This is a case of competing on specs alone and forgetting about the user experience.

I'm still in search of my next android.

Originally Posted by AQ_OC

Nice review, as usual.

On the nexus 10....I was considering it....while it does have a higher resolution, the gen 4 iPad beats it out in terms of speed
and quality of screen. And it has no slots, which is one thing I expect from an android tablet. The screen resolution seems to
be too much for that processor to handle. I don't think google need to make a 300 ppi screen for that device. This is a case
Of competing on specs alone and forgetting about the user experience.

I'm still in search of my next android.

Thanks AQ

The Nexus 10 is not on my list either. I was considering it as well, but it is mainly just specs and numbers that make it interesting. The processor is an odd choice for it. Most developers are now comfortable with the Tegra chips, and are able to push them to their limits and for newer Tegra GPU's most of the same tricks work as well, or with a small change make use of the new features. Using the Tegra 3 for the Nexus 7 was an obvious choice because of that. But with the Nexus 10, most of the Tegra stuff doesn't work, and while it might outperform the Tegra, I don't see developers spending a lot of time on something that would seem to be more of a one-off CPU/GPU at this point.

If it's between the N7 and the N10, I'd go for the N7.