nexus9If you’re looking for a good Android tablet to use as an e-reader, your choices just fell by one. 9 to 5 Google reports that Google just delisted the Nexus 9 from its web store, and now the only tablet it sells is the Pixel C.

Some would say it’s not a great loss. I have a friend who made the mistake of buying a Nexus 9 from Amazon and he went through two malfunctioning replacements before he gave up. The essential issue, he explained to me when I was recently looking into a replacement for my parents’ old Nexus 10, is that the earliest production runs of Nexus 9s had problems, but subsequent batches fixed them. However, many places that carry them stocked up their warehouses during that faulty first run, so there are still plenty of lemons left unopened in the wild. He recommended buying a Nexus 9 from Google, even though it cost a bit more, as that was the best way to be sure you got a recent version.

Unfortunately for people who really wanted a 9” Google-branded Android tablet, that option is now off the table. If you should happen to buy a discounted Nexus 9 in the future, make sure you get it from a vendor with a good return policy.

The depressing build quality of the first batch of the Nexus 9 has made some people upset that HTC has been granted the contract to make the new models of Nexus smartphone. Hopefully they learned their lessons from the Nexus 9 go-round.

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