Kindle and Nook Engaged in War Today as Prices Plummet

A price war is heating up in the electronic reader market, as Amazon cut the price of its Kindle e-reader below $200 Monday just after Barnes & Noble did the same with its competing Nook device.

On Monday afternoon, online retailer Amazon.com Inc. slashed the price of the Kindle by $70 to $189, just a few hours after bookseller Barnes & Noble Inc. reduced the price of the Nook by $60 to $199 and said it would also start selling a new Nook with Wi-Fi access for $149.

And the cuts mean the price gap between these products and Apple Inc.'s touchscreen iPad, which starts at $499, is getting ever wider. The popularity of the iPad, along with a number of other tablet computers soon to be available that offer many functions, have pressured e-reader makers to lower prices.

If you've been patiently waiting this inevitable price drop, it seems like today is your day to finally pick up your Kindle or Nook.  Gfest will still be waiting for our iPad.