The Barnes and Noble electronic reader known as the Nook will finally make its way into Barnes and Noble retail stores starting this week. Up until now, those that wanted the Nook had to purchase it online from Barnes and Noble.  However, Barnes and Noble has been showing off Nook demo units in a number of its stores.

The move by Barnes and Noble is important, given the fact that Apple will be releasing their iPad shortly; and one of the main functions of the iPad is the electronic reader offerings of the new device. The Nook has been competing mostly with the Amazon Kindle, but recently other manufacturers have announced their intention to also join the fray.

In many ways, the Nook is considered an upgrade over the Kindle, but it also costs more; still, it does not cost as much as the iPad. The Nook is considered a big part of the Barnes and Noble strategy to remain viable, with the transition to electronic books continuing to evolve. The release timing is good, and Barnes and Noble will need to make sure that they take advantage of this to get their message out about the Nook.