Update: We’ve posted instructions for rooting your tablet, installing third party apps, and installing the Android Market.  The Amazon Kindle Fire comes with the Amazon Appstore which makes it easy to download and install about 20,000 Android apps. But the official Google Android Market has closer to half a million apps. So it’s no surprise that one of the first things…

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Barnes & Noble’s NOOK Tablet will come pre-loaded with a number of media apps including Netflix and Hulu Plus for streaming videos, and Pandora for streaming music. But Amazon wants to make it clear that you can choose to download most of those apps on the Amazon Kindle Fire tablet too… plus many others. The Amazon Appstore has more than…

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Microsoft has made it clear that Windows 8 will be designed to work as well on touchscreen devices including tablets and all-in-one computers as on traditional desktop and laptop computers. One of the keys to this strategy is a new “Metro style” application framework for touch-friendly software. Developers will be able to write Desktop style or Metro style apps –…

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Microsoft has already showed that Windows 8 will offer a radically redesigned user interface meant for tablets and computers with touchscreen displays (although you’ll still be able to use the old-fashioned desktop, taskbar, and start menu view if you like). Now the company is starting to talk about some of the other features coming in Windows 8 on a new…

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The Cisco Cius tablet is an enterprise tablet which runs Google Android as well as Cisco software for web conferencing, chatting, and making video calls. The tablet is aimed at customers looking for mobile devices which can be used with your work network. The company says early customers include CDW, Verizon, and Nottingham University Hospitals. Now Cisco is also launching…

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Barnes & Noble is beginning to roll out a software update for NOOK Color users today, bringing Google Android 2.2, Adobe Flash, and a third party app store called NOOK Apps. The company is still pitching the NOOK Color first and foremost as an eBook reader, but new apps include news readers, reference materials, and games — including the ever-popular…

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App stores are all the rage these days. Pretty much every major mobile phone platform has an app store, as well as some third party app marketplaces. And there’s a growing push to bring the model to desktop operating systems. Apple recently launched a Mac App Store, Intel launched the AppUp Center for Windows oftware, and Microsoft is expected to…

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The Barnes & Noble NOOKcolor is a 7 inch color eBook reader that also happens to make a pretty decent Android tablet if you root it or install custom firmware. But soon you won’t need to do either of those things to enjoy third party apps on the tablet. Barnes & Noble plans to launch its own app store for…

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Appla has flipped the switch on its new App Store for Mac computers, in an attempt to make finding, purchasing and downloading software on OS S as simple as it is on iOS… but more expensive. While the iPhone App Store is notorious for the huge number of 99 cent apps, Mac apps are priced much higher, with Pages, Keynote…

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I’ve never been convinced that netbooks and other computers running traditional desktop operating systems such as Windows and OS really need App Store. It’s not like it’s difficult to find free and paid software for these computers, although I suppose a one-stop-shop could encourage users to download more apps because it’s even easier — which I suspect is exactly why…

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App Stores are all the rage these days, making it easy to find all the best apps for a particular platform in one place. On the iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad, there’s the iTunes App Store. Google Android has the Android Market. MeeGo (and Windows) netbooks have the Intel AppUp Center. And so on. Now Apple is preparing to launch…

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Intel has been showing off its app store for netbooks and other devices with Intel Atom chips since January. But the company officially launched version 1.0 today, as well as agreements with Best Buy, Dixons, and Croma to distribute computers with the AppUp center reinstalled in the US, UK, and India respectively. Asus is also expected to load the Asus…

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