So, in one sentence you proclaim you don't know if Samsung is making money, an utterly flawed comment in itself considering they mark up their devices the same as Apple which a simple Google would tell anyone, then you proclaim Google and Amazon are loosing money? No they are not, why are people so fixated on this ridiculous argument, it's an entirely baseless argument, Google are not loosing money on the Nexus, they make a tiny profit on each one and have stated they will make money for the apps sold through the Play store, Amazon have publicly stated very clearly it is loosing money but that's it's entire business plan as it will make money on it's services and apps, which has worked pretty damn well so far this year!
Your argument reads, lets see if Amazon and Google go bust, then we'll see who's right? And you choose to ignore the plain facts. Amazon took a big bite of the market share with it's first device, the Nexus 7 has been running out of stock an awful lot. Neither company is going bust anytime soon and neither company is 'damaging the Android market' either
I think your so fixated on Apple and it's pricing, you have no clue about what bargains the Android world has been offering for ages now. All Google and Amazon have done is found a common ground to that. It's like the stupid argument people make proclaiming Apple makes no money from it's apps? The 30% cut of every single app that is sold or every single in app purchase that is made, from the over 35 billion apps sold so far.
Regardless, everyone on here will be singing Apple's praises next year when the Retina model with A6 SOC comes out... because if they don't do that they will be seriously weak. They should have dropped the iPad 2, given the Mini better build quality a retina screen and A6 SOC and charged a bit more for it on this release regardless of future models.
I take it that you never look at the tear down cost of a nexus 7 and Kindle fire HD? And when you add into manufacturer profit, warranty cost, manufacturing inefficiency (i.e. broker parts, rework, QA problem), shipping cost, marketing cost, design cost,corporate overhead and reseller profit. What do you think is the net margin for Google or Amazon?
I don't think I ever claim that Amazon and Google will go bust. But as a public company, there is a limit of how much money they are willing to loss in a particular product. They are buying market share, but for how long is the question. The rest of Android tablet makers are in trouble.. No one else will step in now, so in essence Google just buy up others Android maker market share. At the end Google benefit by the number of Android tablet out there. For every Google search customer do on IOS device, Apple get a cut of the profit and Google would like to keep that profit. But if the effect end up driving other Android maker out of the market, it is not help Google cause.
And at some point Google and Amazon will have to put together their own design team. And the risk will be much more. Just look at how Google deal with Motorola. Instead of building up Motorola, they are doing massive layoff.. I think that said something about Motorola and Google intention on how much they will invest in hardware business.
You know why people don't focus on Apple Itune business? Because it is so small compare to Iphone and Ipad business. This is from Apple 2012 10K (annual report) p 30. 2012 Iphone revenue: 80.47B, Ipad revenue 32.424B, and Software & service (that is Itune and everything else) 3.459B.
Have you ever step back and ask why Nexus 7/10 and Kindle fire HD has to price so low compare to Ipads? Lower price to gain market share is not a sign of product strength. There is market share which IDC and other market research company collect information on. But as a business, they need to make money to stay in business. I don't see Android tablet making much money any time soon.
Posters in McRumor are not the problem for Android. It is the buying public. If they receive Android ecosystem better, Google and Amazon can price their tablet higher. As it is now, they can only sell at rock bottom price and it is not because poster like us that can influence the public. It is the review in Times, Business week, LA times, word of mouth, and hand on experience that sell the product..
As for your wish list A6 & retina, I don't think you have any idea of what putting retina in Ipad mini mean. It will be a product weight over 1lb (as oppose to 0.68lb) and over $400 (because of the additional back light. You know they need additional back light, right?). I don't think I want that product until Sharp can come through with IGZO display which eliminate the back light and weight problem.
By the way, I am not an Apple fanboy. I own a Samsung infuse, and Ipad 3, a window PC, and a window laptop. I will probably buy a LTE IPAD mini. However, I am an Apple investor and made my year on trading Apple already. So I am familiar with the strength and weakness of Apple products (yes there is potential problem in Apple product in 13 in Iphone side. But it lools to me Apple is in the clear sailing in the tablet side for at least another year especially if Sharp can come through.)
http://allthingsd.com/20120711/googles-nexus-7-costs-152-to-make-ihs-isuppli-teardown-finds/
The early verdict, shared exclusively with AllThingsD, is that the low-end eight gigabyte model of the Nexus 7, which sells for $199, costs $151.75 to build.
The higher-end 16GB model, which sells for $249, costs $159.25, the difference being the cost of the memory chips inside.
http://launch.co/story/amzn-kindle-fire-hd-costs-174-based-on-teardown-estimate-of
http://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/320193/000119312512444068/d411355d10k.htm