Early ripples from the launch and welcome acceptance of Google Nexus 7 are forcing the hands of tablet majors. Barnes & Noble is not immune, but it’s good news for consumers and eBook lovers as Barnes & Noble has slashed the prices of its Android-based, seven-inch Nook Tablets across the board.

You can catch the prices at the Barnes & Noble site, but here’s the gist – The 16 and 8GB models have been priced down to $199 (from $249) and $179 (from $199) respectively, while the Nook Color is priced 20 dollars cheaper than before at $149.

Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble said in the press release:

“Our Reader’s Tablets have consistently been the highest rated products by the leading technology experts and now they’re available for the lowest prices ever. With NOOK Color for $149 and NOOK Tablet starting at $179, customers can enjoy our best-in-class digital reading and entertainment experience with an expansive selection of digital content and apps at an unbeatable price.”

The price discounts come at the right time to catch the back-to-school season. These tablets can be purchased at all of Barnes & Noble’s nearly 700 stores nationwide, online at NOOK.com and through all the other leading retailers offering NOOK® products. The NOOK tablets are a viable alternative to Amazon’s Kindle. With 2.5 million digital titles to choose from, customers at Barnes & Noble won’t be short of content. But the price drop is the first sign that the Google Nexus 7 has arrived and has started to make its presence felt.

Source: Engadget