Update Ties NOOK App to New Windows 8.1 Features

Despite the upheaval and ensuing rumors Barnes & Noble endured this summer, the bookseller is showing signs of being committed to its NOOK platform. For one thing, the company recently launched new NOOK hardware in the form of the GlowLight. For another, it updated the NOOK app to take advantage of some cool new features in Windows 8.1. Neither move screams “NOOK forever!” but they’re encouraging signs.


The updated NOOK app now supports interactive magazines, which hardware NOOKs have done for years. The app also lets you import and display ePub and PDF files from your SkyDrive and can open a document at your last viewed page. Barnes & Noble also improved search in the NOOK app by giving the search results page a makeover that is intended to make it cleaner and easier to use.

The NOOk library also enjoyed a facelift, and the app now supports the new small and large Live Tiles that were introduced with Windows 8.1. Importantly, the NOOK app also supports Windows 8.1’s improved snap view, which now lets you snap up to four windows on your screen. None of these updates is a game-changer for the NOOK app, but it’s a worthwhile update for anyone who is enjoying the new life that Windows 8.1 breathes into the OS.