????Nook平板的系統(tǒng)固件也升級到了1.4版。之前的版本允許用戶在主屏上設(shè)置自己喜歡的主題，靠簡單的手勢操作就可以重新設(shè)置電子書封面圖標(biāo)的大小。而新版固件則在屏幕底部加入了一個媒體快捷鍵欄，可以迅速訪問應(yīng)用、音樂和新聞訂閱。屏幕右上角還有一個下拉窗口，可以顯示最近瀏覽過的內(nèi)容。

????與老款Nook Color相比，雙核處理器和雙倍的RAM無疑帶來了更迅速、更流暢的操作體驗。我初次接觸Nook平板的時間雖然有限，但至少可以證明這一點。手指的縮放和掃動操作都比在老款上快，不過可能還比不上iPad2那樣均勻地流暢，但速度上的提高還是顯而易見的。像Netflix Instant和Hulu Plus這種人氣很高的流媒體應(yīng)用也可以在Nook上輕松播放720p分辨率的清晰視頻。（可惜老款的Nook Color哪怕升級到1.4版固件也仍然無法通過流媒體播放720p視頻——只有Nook平板才行。）

不過這款產(chǎn)品真的會熱賣嗎？

????Nook平板的推出時機(jī)對于巴諾來說十分重要。亞馬遜憑借CEO杰夫?貝索斯上月發(fā)布的4款電子閱讀設(shè)備在美國引起了巨大的轟動（其中就包括199美元的安卓平板Kindle Fire）。但亞馬遜此舉實乃賠錢搶市，它的每臺平板可能都賠本10美元到50美元?？磥韥嗰R遜寧可在利潤上承受一筆巨大的損失，也要把盡可能多的Kindle Fire平板送進(jìn)消費者手中，好讓他們?nèi)ナ褂米约汉Ａ康脑诰€服務(wù)。亞馬遜在電子閱讀器領(lǐng)域占有61%的市場份額，而且據(jù)分析人士預(yù)測，今年四季度Kindle Fire的銷量可能達(dá)到500萬臺，這意味著巴諾必須有所行動。

????在發(fā)布會上，巴諾CEO威廉?林奇很快指出了Nook平板強(qiáng)悍的硬件規(guī)格；談到競爭問題，他也沒有遮遮掩掩，還通過幻燈片逐逐條解釋了兩款產(chǎn)品從內(nèi)存到設(shè)計上的種種區(qū)別。“Kindle Fire作為一款媒體平板是不足的，它的代工商和黑莓PlayBook平板是同一家，所以它們才長得這么像。”

????等到Nook平板正式發(fā)布時，它還面臨著一個大問題：既然消費者可以以更低的價格買到亞馬遜的Kindle Fire，或是打折促銷的Nook Color，那么他們是否還愿意多掏50美元去買Nook平板？福雷斯特公司（Forrester）的分析師薩拉?羅特曼?艾普斯認(rèn)為，Nook平板還是有市場的。她認(rèn)為巴諾在今年的假期季中大概會賣出150萬至200萬臺Nook平板。她說：“Nook Color平板當(dāng)初也是一匹不太引人注目的黑馬?！睋?jù)她估計，到目前為止，Nook Color平板的銷量可能在500萬到700萬臺之間。這可能還比不上Kindle Fire的銷量預(yù)測，更不用說iPad 2高達(dá)800萬臺的第四季度銷量預(yù)期，但也同樣不容小覷。

????譯者：樸成奎

????The Nook Tablet runs on updated Nook software, version 1.4. Previous versions let users arrange favorite titles on the home screen and resize book covers with a quick pinch; the newer software adds media shortcuts in a pane near the bottom for quick access to apps, music, newsstands and music. In the upper right, a drop-down window shows recently browsed items.

????The dual-core processor and doubled RAM promises a faster, smoother experience. My limited, initial time with the device proved at least that much. Pinch-to-zoom and swiping appeared faster, maybe not as uniformly smooth as, say, the iPad 2, but the speed bump is noticeable. New apps like Netflix (NFLX) Instant and Hulu Plus, which may be a big draw, streamed sharp video in 720p resolution. (Unfortunately, 720p streaming will not be available for Nook Color owners, even after they upgrade to v. 1.4 -- that much is exclusive to Nook Tablet.)

But will it sell?

????The Nook Tablet comes at an important time for the company. Amazon (AMZN) made a splash last month when CEO Jeff Bezos unveiled four new e-reader models, including the Kindle Fire, a $199 Android-based reading tablet. Amazon is losing anywhere between $10 and $50 per unit on. The e-commerce giant appears willing to take a hit on profit so it can get as many Kindle Fires into customers' hands as possible and hook them onto its myriad online services. Amazon's 61% market share in the e-reader space and analyst predictions that the Kindle Fire could sell up to 5 million units during the fourth quarter meant Barnes and Noble had to make a move.

????During the unveiling, CEO William Lynch was quick to point out the Nook Tablet's superior hardware specifications and didn't mince words when it came to the competition. "The Kindle Fire is deficient for a media tablet," he said, going through a side-by-side slide show presentation highlighting the differences, from to storage capacity to design. "The Fire has the same manufacturer as the PlayBook. That's why they look alike."

????When the Nook Tablet launches, it faces a big question: Will consumers pay $50 more for it when they can pick up the Kindle Fire -- or the discounted Nook Color -- for less? Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps believes they will. She projects Barnes & Noble will move between 1.5 and 2 million units this holiday season. "The Nook Color was a sleeper success," says Epps, which she estimates has sold between 5 and 7 million units to date. That might not measure up to Kindle Fire predictions and estimated iPad sales of 8 million domestically during the fourth quarter, but it's nothing to scoff at either.