Barnes and Noble will discontinue the Nook 3G, according to &''hard evidence from within B&'N&'' collected by Engadget. Stores have been told to refrain from filling bulk orders, the site reports.
Cnet&'s David Carnoy is skeptical of the story, labeling it a &''rumor,&'' which, with &''hard evidence&'' being the only source cited, it is. But further, Carnoy writes, &''Amazon offers both a 3G/Wi-Fi Kindle and Wi-Fi-only Kindle, and Barnes &' Noble would most likely continue to offer models that compete with what Amazon&'s got.
&''In any case,&'' he continues, &''we think that Barnes &' Noble will continue to offer some sort of sub-$200 3G-enabled Nook as long as Amazon is offering one. But to be clear, that&'s just speculation. We have no &8216'hard evidence&' to prove some change is coming to the Nook line, and Barnes &' Noble doesn&'t comment on rumors.&''
Barnes &' Noble started selling the Nook in November 2009, with both Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity. Last June, the retailer launched a Wi-Fi-only version for $149 and lowered the price of the 3G/Wi-Fi version from $259 to $199. The company says sales are strong, but if the rumors are true, it could be that few Nook users feel that 3G is worth the extra $50.
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Companies: Amazon, Barnes &' Noble
Companies: Amazon, Barnes &' Noble
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