Just recently, Microsoft announced that the software giant would join forces with Barnes & Noble by investing $300 million dollars and acquiring a 17.6% stake in a new Barnes & Noble subsidiary, which includes the Nook e-reader. Now everyone is wondering, will there be a Metro Nook app for Windows 8?
As part of the deal, Microsoft has guaranteed Barnes & Noble payments of $305 million over the next five years. This pretty much means the patent litigation between the two is now over. Also part of the deal is a Metro app for the Nook that Windows 8 users can download and use. “One of the first benefits for customers will be a Nook application for Windows 8,” Microsoft stated in a statement. Microsoft has yet to state how the app will work and if it would be bundled with Windows 8 or Windows RT. Will it be free in the Windows Store? If the Nook app were to be bundled, similar to the Mail or Photos app, this would prove to be a serious blow to Amazon and Apple’s e-reading and college-textbook business.
