NOOK Apps for NOOK Color launched

NOOK Developer(TM) Program Brings Popular, High-Quality Applications For Customers to Play, Learn, Connect and More on Award-Winning Device

Barnes & Noble, Inc. (NYSE: BKS), the world's largest bookseller, recently opened its doors to developer innovation with its NOOK Developer program. Today, the company is pleased to deliver new and innovative reading experiences through NOOK Apps, a collection of high-quality applications launched for the company's award-winning NOOK Color Reader's Tablet. The addition of popular apps and other most requested tablet features to the newly updated NOOK Color make the best reading device on the market the best value tablet on the market at $249.

NOOK Apps offer NOOK Color customers a broad collection of popular applications from the world's best publishers and third-party developers, including Chronicle Books, Condé Nast, Concrete Software, Gameloft, Goodreads, Loud Crow Interactive, my6sense, The National Geographic Society, NAMCO, Rovio, Wordnik and more. NOOK Apps were introduced with the major NOOK Color software update launched today (available at no cost at www.nookcolor.com/update). The update delivers what customers want: shopping for popular apps, full-featured built-in email, an enhanced Web experience, as well as new ways for adults and children to enjoy rich content. NOOK Color v1.2 includes a platform upgrade to Android OS 2.2/Froyo, along with support for Adobe® AIR® and Adobe Flash® Player.

"We are thrilled to add to our robust eReading ecosystem a differentiated and unique portfolio of high-quality applications, which enrich and extend the reading experience that our customers know and love and keep the whole family entertained and engaged, connected and organized. With an update to the operating system, NOOK Apps, email, an enhanced Web experience and more new, great features and content to enjoy, we have made NOOK Color - already acclaimed as the best reading device on the market - truly the best value tablet on the market for $249," said Jamie Iannone, President of Digital Products at Barnes & Noble. "The response from the developer and content communities has been terrific, as many great companies are enthusiastic about bringing their strong brands, products and content to NOOK Color and the NOOK Bookstore, and taking advantage of the unique benefits of our open platform and merchandising opportunities."

NOOK Apps represent an exciting and unique opportunity for developers to reach a targeted and passionate audience of millions of Barnes & Noble customers. The company offers unmatched marketing and merchandising opportunities for developers through NOOK Color, BN.com's storefront, and unprecedented merchandising opportunities to drive discovery and demand in more than 1,300 Barnes & Noble retail and college bookstores.

Developers are invited to join and qualify to submit their applications by visiting www.nookdeveloper.com.