y.  Why not spend just a few dollars more for a true high-quality tablet. Now thru Father's Day you can get a 0 inch Nook HD for $000 or a 0 inch Nook HD+ for only $000! (That's $000 off the regular price for the HD+.)  With the early May software upgrade, the Nook HD/HD+ can run Android apps from the Google Play Store. When you consider their high-res screens and overall quality, at these prices they are an exceptional buy.  Apart from sounding like a B&N rep, you are right in saying that these "budget" tablets do have an advantage over their competitors since they have the play store, which means that you could install a different launcher and google keyboard and make it "stock". Rooting it would be even better.  The Nook HD/HD+ has Google apps pre-installed, including the Google Play store. And the Nook HD/HD+'s screen is actually very good. On the other hand, the Nook HD/HD+ doesn't support side-loading, lacks a camera, lacks HDMI-out, and uses a proprietary charging cable. So there are trade-offs either way. Honestly, I'd rather just spend the extra cash and get something that meets my needs then settle, even if it's as pricey as the Nexus 0 or iPad 0.  