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Amazon Introduces 7" and 8.9" Kindle Fire HDX at $229 and $379, Kindle Fire HD Now Starts at $139
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Wrong! Because if what you stated was true, Apple would not need to take a very very high 30% cut from every single sale of every single app or in every single app sold in the iTunes app store. Apple are just incredibly greedy, nothing else.
Apple is not a charity. They bring millions of users to the table and developers who want a piece of the action need to be willing to pay a little. I realize that the iOS app ecosystem is a walled garden, but think about all the different services provided by Apple.
Payment processing is usually 3-4% or more depending on the type of card.
Apple handles distribution, which incurs significant cost for large apps.
The also handle some marketing and promotion.
All of this is done for free Apps as well, so Apple takes their 30% cut of nothing (FIFA 14 is free-to-play, and clocks in at over 1GB, Madden too).
Apple's internet services, like iTunes, the App & iBooks stores, and even icloud,exist as a way to drive people to purchase (and continue to purchase) Apple hardware.
$139 is an amazing price for the Kindle Fire HD.
$99 might be possible next year....
Right now, the most popular tablets are
-Ipads
-Kindle Fire HD
-Samsung Tab
-Nexus 7
Apple, Amazon, Samsung and Google.
Though it is not looking good for Microsoft in the tablet space. $900 million write down = OUCH!
$99 might be possible next year....
Right now, the most popular tablets are
-Ipads
-Kindle Fire HD
-Samsung Tab
-Nexus 7
Apple, Amazon, Samsung and Google.
Though it is not looking good for Microsoft in the tablet space. $900 million write down = OUCH!
The $139 price point is for the 8gb version.
I fought 8gb on a Nabi 2 last Christmas, and it stunk... even with a SD card in there (since you can't run apps from the card). I'd just not try to deal with 8gb again.
I was setting up a 16gb KF for a friend and that extra bit of on-board space was nice.... very nice.
For the record, we returned the Nabi's and the kids chose to replace them with 4th Gen iPod Touches. I snagged 32gb refurbs after Christmas for $179, which was nice. With all the videos and pictures they create on them - they haven't run out of room. They also chose the Touches over sharing 1 iPad mini.
The child that got the KF (as a replacement for her stolen original KF), really wanted an iPad mini after playing with it. The back facing camera and Siri were big draws!
Nabi needs a "Mayday" feature... that ended up being the worst Customer Service experience of my life.
I do like the feature of downloading videos from Prime - but we have 3, 32gb iPad 1s and can load them up with movies if need be.
I fought 8gb on a Nabi 2 last Christmas, and it stunk... even with a SD card in there (since you can't run apps from the card). I'd just not try to deal with 8gb again.
I was setting up a 16gb KF for a friend and that extra bit of on-board space was nice.... very nice.
For the record, we returned the Nabi's and the kids chose to replace them with 4th Gen iPod Touches. I snagged 32gb refurbs after Christmas for $179, which was nice. With all the videos and pictures they create on them - they haven't run out of room. They also chose the Touches over sharing 1 iPad mini.
The child that got the KF (as a replacement for her stolen original KF), really wanted an iPad mini after playing with it. The back facing camera and Siri were big draws!
Nabi needs a "Mayday" feature... that ended up being the worst Customer Service experience of my life.
I do like the feature of downloading videos from Prime - but we have 3, 32gb iPad 1s and can load them up with movies if need be.
http://techland.time.com/2013/10/02/kindle-fire-hdx-review/?iid=tsmodule
Review: The Kindle Fire HDX Is the Amazon-centric Tablet Finally Done Right
The online merchant's new Fire is more powerful and less quirky than its predecessors -- and its built-in tech support is a breakthrough.
Review: The Kindle Fire HDX Is the Amazon-centric Tablet Finally Done Right
The online merchant's new Fire is more powerful and less quirky than its predecessors -- and its built-in tech support is a breakthrough.
They would never drop the price because it's all about profit margin for Apple
it's still insane that Apple charges $600 for an iPad with only 32GB of storage, especially since tablets are media devices
It does seem high but they seem to sell a lot of them at that price so why shouldnt they? Basic supply/demand at work here. If sales drop and Apple sees that lower cost tablets are stealing some of their business then they'll react.
Apple does NOT play in the budget arena though and never will so super cheap iDevices are not in their plans.
So they will watch the large IPad 5 16gb get cannibalized, this time by the Mini 2.
I don't mind the "special offers" on my e-ink Kindle, but I don't find them to be all that "special." If they offer something like the above, it's usually "get any album or book for $2... from this extremely limited list of albums or books." I do take advantage of their relatively cheap deals on older books and have rarely bought a regularly-priced ebook because of that, but they weren't "special offers."
I think people here are not realizing that several years after the iPad debuted, people may be less enamored of the iPad and tablets in general as all-around devices and use them just for specific tasks. For example, I use my iPad 3 almost solely to read various things (email, facebook, reddit, news, stories, etc.) but basically never play games on it. I think it's too big and too heavy for this, and the power of the iPad is wasted on me. This makes something cheaper and simpler like the Fire HDX intriguing. I don't want to feel like I just dumped half a paycheck into a device that I will just read on. Now $229, I won't feel so guilty about... and Amazon built it for reading, with X-ray, etc. Don't count out this thing. It could be big.
So they will watch the large IPad 5 16gb get cannibalized, this time by the Mini 2.
If Apple is able to keep the margins of the Mini 2 at about what they are with the current iPads, I doubt they'll mind. Apple is masterful at cannibalizing their own products. (iPod & iPhone come to mind).
http://reviews.cnet.com/tablets/dell-venue-8/4505-3126_7-35828029.html
Another competitor
Dell Venue 7 at $149 with 16GB and microSD slot
Dell Venue 8 at $189 with 16GB and microSD slot
Specs ain't bad for $149
16GB with microSD slot
1,280x800-pixel-resolution IPS screen
2GHz Intel Clover Trail processor
front facing and back facing camera
Another competitor
Dell Venue 7 at $149 with 16GB and microSD slot
Dell Venue 8 at $189 with 16GB and microSD slot
Specs ain't bad for $149
16GB with microSD slot
1,280x800-pixel-resolution IPS screen
2GHz Intel Clover Trail processor
front facing and back facing camera
I sold my iPad in anticipation of an Oct release of iPad 5 but came across a great deal for a 16Ggb Fire HD. The Silk browser is horrible but it is easy to sideload apps from sites like 1Mobil.com. The new HDX models look tempting in terms of their hardware and hearing Amazon has made software improvements sounds encouraging. I do think the $379 price point for the 8.9 inch model is too high, many consumers will opt to get an iPad 4 on sale instead.
I eagerly await my next iPad but can't throw stones at Amazon, if you have Prime membership, there is much to love about the Fire line up.
I eagerly await my next iPad but can't throw stones at Amazon, if you have Prime membership, there is much to love about the Fire line up.
I still kind of want one but agree, what was Amazon thinking with the price point for the 8.9-inch HDX? It should have been $329 at most and really they could have kept it at $299 like the first 8.9-inch Kindle HD. Still, I like what I'm hearing about the software improvements. Supposedly, Silk is actually halfway decent finally. Up to now, it has been beyond awful and makes one not want to surf the web on their Kindle. The increased resolution should help with web surfing too as what happened with the iPad went retina.
I tried the 8.9 HDX on display at Best Buy and if I have to use just one word to describe my experience, that would be SHOCKED. My initial impression is that it is an outstanding effort by the manufacturer.
Try it, especially if you are a Prime member. This device literally blows away the previous Fires.
Try it, especially if you are a Prime member. This device literally blows away the previous Fires.
IMO, the Kindle Fire HDX 8.9" is absolutely the best hardware available on a tablet. As a creation device,it won't serve you better than an iPad, but if your main use of a tablet is to watch video, browse the internet, and read there is plain and simply no better device. Flat out the best screen I have ever seen on a mobile device and that has to count for something.