GEDC1556

Remember that 8” Nook HD refurb I got a couple of months ago? An eBay seller has a “limited quantity” of factory-refurbished units available at the amazing price of $70 each. (Just over 1,900 had been sold by the time I wrote this.) You can add a two-year SquareTrade warranty for another $17. (Update: The price went up to $80 after 2,000 units were sold. Still a great bargain, though.)

As I’ve written elsewhere, this is a great little Android tablet. Maybe not so much if you stick with the stock B&N operating system, which will give you Google Play but won’t let you install third-party or certain app store applications—but why would you do that when CyanogenMod is available? You can even watch Amazon Prime videos on it with a little bit of fiddling. (I tested this method and it works great!)

For $70, this is a great Android starter, color e-reader, or a get-for-the-kids-to-tear-up tablet. It has one of the best screens you’ll ever find on a tablet of that size, capable of watching video at 720P resolution. I watch Marvel’s Agents of SHIELD on it every week and it looks beautiful. The processor is a bit slower than the current generation, but I’ve never encountered anything it was too slow for. (Unlike my old ZeePad, which was powered by an asthmatic hamster.) The only real disappointment is the lack of a front facing Skype camera—but given that I hardly ever Skype with anyone anyway, it’s not a major loss for me.

If you have even the slightest interest in Android at all, don’t pass this one up. It’s light-years beyond all the other sub-$100 Android tabs on the market right now. Better hurry, though—it may sell out fast!

NO COMMENTS

The TeleRead community values your civil and thoughtful comments. We use a cache, so expect a delay. Problems? E-mail newteleread@gmail.com.