I bought a Samsung Galaxy Tab 3 at Walmart for $130 a few weeks ago. Among the apps I've installed are nook and kindle's mobile app.
Today I was in Barnes and Noble (home of the nook) and they had a display of their HD tablet (looked to be about a 10 inch vs. The Tab 3's 7 inch) for $179. It appeared to be a standard tablet where a nook app would be unnecessary because that's one of the tablet's functions. Interestingly enough (and I don't know if this was done by the store or by a customer) but one of the apps on the display model was the kindle app.
They also had a dedicated e-reader, for $120. No apps, no web access, no color. Just an e-reader with e-ink, that stores books and gives you access to the nook store.
I showed my tablet to a clerk and asked what would be the benefit of "upgrading" the nook tablet or adding a nook e-reader to my devices.
This was his answer:
Both the tablet ($179), and the e-reader ($120) allow you to read in store free. (But if you're in the store, you can just grab a hard copy of the book and start reading away for free).
Also the e-reader with e-ink allows you to read in direct sunlight.
Is it really worth shelling out $120 bucks ($10 less than a Galaxy 3 Tab, and about double of cheaper tablets out there) just to be able to read outdoors with your tablet?
It's like my mom. Since Christmas she's bought a smart phone, an MP3 player and a digital camera. But her smart phone can handle the jobs of all three--and more.
Read more: Why would anyone buy a dedicated E-Reader?