While the NOOK Tablet – Barnes & Noble’s answer to Amazon’s Kindle Fire – isn’t set to come out until Friday online (earlier rumors said it’d be here today), some Barnes & Noble shops have put them on store shelves early. Mistake? Maybe. Or perhaps the 16th is the in-store date and the 18th is the shipping date for online orderers. Either way, you owe it to yourself to run up to your local store to see if they have any if this is something you’ve been waiting on. Just be prepared to put aside $250 + tax. [via Engadget]