In an attempt to compete with the awesome exposure Amazon is receiving over their decision to offer free e-books for the Kindle, Barnes & Noble has decided to play ball. What’s better than getting a NOOK for the holidays? Getting a NOOK with thousands of free books.

Aside from many of the usual titles, the NOOK features one heck of an offering for children. According to the NOOK website: “NOOK kids introduces a premier and growing collection of popular children’s picture books including beloved classics and new favorites. Now kids have a whole new way to explore their favorite stories, in full-color, as they interact with the words and pictures. The latest technology for the newest readers turns storytime into family time.”

If you’re debating on whether to buy an Apple iPad, Samsung Galaxy, Amazon Kindle or other tablet PC, I can safely say that the Barnes & Noble NOOK is a very viable option. Excellent features, reasonable price, large offering.

All in all, I believe the decision to offer free e-books for the NOOK was a very smart marketing move and will likely increase revenue in the near future. At a time when customers are being more conservative with their spending, the last thing they want to do is buy a device then incur loads of extra charges to acquire content (e-books). Barnes & Noble changed that.