Barnes & Noble is heavily discounting Nook HD tablets originally introduced in the fall of 2012. The starting price of its nine-inch Nook HD+ tablet has been slashed to $149 from its original price of $269, and its seven-inch Nook HD tablet falls to $129 from $199.

Barnes & Noble's executives believe that discounted Nook tablets represent a significant value in comparison to rival devices.

Apple's new iPad and iPad mini sells for $499 and $399 respectively, for instance, while Amazon is already selling its new 7-inch Kindle HDX tablet for $229.

In addition, an updated version of its Nook GlowLight black and white e-reader will be priced at $119, $20 lower than last year's version of the GlowLight.

At just 6.2 ounces, the new NOOK GlowLight isn't only the lightest NOOK ever, it's 15 percent lighter than the Kindle Paperwhite. Purposefully crafted for long-form reading, it features a new industrial design and a white color.

It is also built to last with a new silicone trim for extra protection against falls and reengineered display area for extra durability.

The redesigned GlowLight features a new lighting technology that is completely uniform across the display for perfectly lit pages. The light is evenly distributed, turns on instantly and adjusts with just a touch for users to easily control the glow intensity.

Packed with 62 percent more pixels, the new NOOK GlowLight features NOOK's highest resolution E Ink display. Users can choose from six different styles and adjust text size, spacing and more to their preference with a touch.

Barnes & Noble has also eliminated full page flashing so page turns while reading on the new NOOK GlowLight are smoother, without the distracting black page refresh.

A permanent navigation bar at the bottom of the page offers one-touch access to Library, Shop or Search. Users can also now easily view their entire collection of books, magazines, newspapers and side-loaded content right in Library, where book covers are rendered on the device's new display.

The new NOOK GlowLight can hold up to 2,000 books.

A new "Now on NOOK" section right on the home screen gives readers instant access to a curated list of content suggestions from Barnes & Noble booksellers. The new Shop also delivers an array of exclusive personalized lists "Picked Just For You."

The new NOOK GlowLight also brings NOOK Channels, offering users more ways to browse the more than 3 million titles from the digital bookstore. Users can sample any NOOK Book for free and download new content instantly with NOOK's built-in Wi-Fi. All NOOK content is stored in the NOOK Cloud, so users can access their books, magazines and newspapers across NOOK, personal computing and mobile devices using Free NOOK Reading Apps. Barnes & Noble syncs your NOOK Library and the last page read across NOOK products and software-enabled devices so you can pick up right where you left off.

New GlowLight

• Brighter, more evenly dispersed light
• Turns on and off instantly
• Adjust brightness with just a touch

Height: 6.5 inches
Width: 5.0 inches
Depth: 0.42 inches
Weight: 6.2 ounces²

Battery Life

• Read for up to 8 weeks on a single charge (with GlowLight on at default brightness or off and wireless off)
• Rechargeable battery (installed)
• Charge via USB from a computer (Charging time: approximately 4 hours from computer)

E Ink Display

• Resolution: 758 x 1024
• 6-inch touchscreen with infrared touch technology and E Ink Pearl Display
• Built-in, anti-glare screen film for easy reading - even in bright sun
• Adjustable text sizes and font styles

Wi-Fi

• Wireless connectivity via Wi-Fi (802.11b/g/n)
• FREE Wi-Fi in all Barnes & Noble stores and 30,000 AT&T hotspots nationwide

Memory

• Holds up to 2,000 books (4GB Memory: 2.5GB for content, of which 2GB reserved for B&N content)

Connectors

Supported File Types

• ePub, PDF
• Graphic: JPG, GIF, PNG, BMP

In the Box

• NOOK GlowLight
• Micro-USB Cable
• Quick Start Guide
• Rechargeable battery (installed)
• Built-in anti-glare screen film