Kindle drops to $189, Nook to $199 as Amazon, Barnes & Noble slash prices

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E-reader competitors Amazon.com Inc. and Barnes & Noble Inc. collectively slashed the prices of their digital reading devices on Monday, exchanging blows in a price war that is making the devices more affordable.

Amazon’s popular Kindle will now retail for $189, down from $259, while the Nook dropped to $199 from $260.

Barnes & Noble also introduced a lower cost WiFi Nook for $150. Because the device does not work on a 3G cellular network, as its more expensive sibling does, users must be near an accessible WiFi connection to download books from the online store.

The companies are both battling against Apple’s more expensive iPad tablet computer, which boasts a large, touch-sensitive color screen. The iPad starts at $499 for a WiFi only version. The 3G iPad starts at $629, plus a monthly data plan.

-- David Sarno