Is Barnes & Noble preparing to launch another tablet under the Nook name? Rumor has it the company will launch a new, pricier Nook Colors this year.

According to a tip obtained by the Digital Reader, B&N will launch a $349 tablet that could be named Acclaim. The Nook Smart Touch e-reader will still be offered at $139 and the Nook Color will stay at $249. The tipster didn’t offer any information on the specs of the device, but said the tablet would launch in the next quarter, likely in some time in October.

The Digital Reader also pointed to a tablet it saw on a slide from a Barnes & Noble company presentation with the codename Encore, but speculated that this is an updated version of the current 7-inch Nook Color.

Barnes & Noble has had a lot of success with the Nook, and it makes sense that the company would want to update the device since it’s been about a year since it was first released.

An update to the Nook line and an additional tablet could be an effort to compete with Amazon when it releases its tablet. Amazon has yet to officially confirm the existence of the widely rumored tablet, but the company on Friday sent out invites for an event in New York on Sept. 28 where the tablet will probably be unveiled.

Rumors about the Amazon tablet have been floating around for months. It will reportedly be named Kindle, sell for $250, and hit stores in late November.

Barnes & Noble, meanwhile, has not commented on the reports of the new Nooks.

From: http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2393536,00.asp