Amazon Media Event Set for September 28th, Tablet Announcement Expected

[iptunnell]

Scamazon gets their hooks in even deeper!

You couldn't pay me to take a Scamazon tablet (Well, you could, I'd just trash the tablet). They are completely proprietary about everything they do with regards to eBooks, and I'm sure it will continue with whatever e-reader they put on their tablet. I purchased an eBook before the Kindle ever existed and read it their desktop client reader. I wanted to port the book to my iPad and other readers, but lo and behold, I couldn't find it. I'm a pretty technical guy, and I couldn't locate it after weeks of trying, even after hours of searching for the answer on the internet! I contacted them, and they told me they couldn't help me and that the books I purchase through them are for their readers/devices only. So basically, I rented the damn thing for purchase price! Sony, iPad, and others allow you access to the file so you can port it easily if you so choose... after all, you did purchase it, right? How can you be more proprietary than Apple (though I love my Apple products)??

I'm glad I didn't jump into bed with them early on before I knew this, so I'm only out the one book. Scamazon is the most arrogant company on the internet, even more so than Apple or Microsoft!! Avoid this thing, go get something from a company that will treat you fairly!

 

[dragonq]

It would potentially buy this, if the price is right, and I would say that I am in the heavy-reading demographic it is primarily aimed at.

It is clear that Steve Jobs and the Apple guys (as well as a lot of the apparently predominantly male users of this site) do not use handbags or understand the approximately 50% of the population who use one. I love my iPad and use it daily, but to me its biggest disadvantage has always been that it is heavy and it will not fit in a normal sized lady's bag. It is all very well to say get an iPhone, but they are very expensive to run and the screens are far too small to be practical for the things I use my iPad for, which is about 80 percent reading (including PDFs), 10 percent internet searching and 5 percent email, with a few other odds and ends thrown in. I have and use a current Kindle, but have always found the operation to be pretty flaky, and think the iPad Kindle app is far superior. The only thing I love about the kindle is the size.

I have had conversations with male iPad users of my acquaintance on this subject, and I know that they just don't get this point, taking the view that the portable electronics world revolves around briefcases, backpacks and back pockets. But as a woman, believe me, it is very frustrating that so many of these things seem to be designed by men.

 

[Friscohoya]

It would potentially buy this, if the price is right, and I would say that I am in the heavy-reading demographic it is primarily aimed at.

It is clear that Steve Jobs and the Apple guys (as well as a lot of the apparently predominantly male users of this site) do not use handbags or understand the approximately 50% of the population who use one. I love my iPad and use it daily, but to me its biggest disadvantage has always been that it is heavy and it will not fit in a normal sized lady's bag. It is all very well to say get an iPhone, but they are very expensive to run and the screens are far too small to be practical for the things I use my iPad for, which is about 80 percent reading (including PDFs), 10 percent internet searching and 5 percent email, with a few other odds and ends thrown in. I have and use a current Kindle, but have always found the operation to be pretty flaky, and think the iPad Kindle app is far superior. The only thing I love about the kindle is the size.

I have had conversations with male iPad users of my acquaintance on this subject, and I know that they just don't get this point, taking the view that the portable electronics world revolves around briefcases, backpacks and back pockets. But as a woman, believe me, it is very frustrating that so many of these things seem to be designed by men.

Since I don't carry a purse it's hard for me to empathize, but I hear you. I think that the ultimate would some kind of sliding feature where it is small when not in use but then slides out to a larger screen when needed. This could be done in quite an elegant fashion but apple isn't into moving parts. Oh well.

Ultimately I think that if you are only going to make one size it's gotta be big. I would actually prefer something bigger. A full size sheet of letter sized paper big. The only way apple makes something close to a 7" tablet is if the iPod gets bigger and I don't see it getting close to 7". Maybe 4 - 4.5" max.

 

[Winni]

Obviously the Amazon tablet is coming out. But who cares?

I do. Apple's iPad sucked for me, and I returned it to Apple only four days after the purchase. I hope that Amazon's gadget is going to be a much better - and less restricted - gadget for my needs.

 

[dragonq]

Ultimately I think that if you are only going to make one size it's gotta be big. I would actually prefer something bigger. A full size sheet of letter sized paper big. The only way apple makes something close to a 7" tablet is if the iPod gets bigger and I don't see it getting close to 7". Maybe 4 - 4.5" max.

You are right, of course, and that is obviously why Apple has the size devices it does now. But it will be interesting to see what a 7 inch device will be like. Everybody has different needs, and of course if you are mostly into graphics type stuff, you will want a big screen. But for me, that's really not necessary. The fact is while the Kindle goes out of the house every time I do, the iPad sits at home. Really I just want a more versatile and portable device for reading than the options I currently have.

 

[the8thark]

Never mind. Walmart blows Apple revenues away. But Apple's is still larger than Amazon by far.

Yes agreed.
If you forget the fact Walmart need to sell 1000 products to generate the same profit Apple does with 1 product sale.

 

[skywalkerluke]

This thing is going to sell like hot cakes if the price is at $250 or less. Kindle sells like crazy, it has a huge following. People who want an E-reader with some extra, but don't want to pay $500 for an iPad will buy this thing.

It makes so much sense to tie all of their products into one. (Movies/TV, Music, Books, App store). People who don't use the music/movie part of amazon will start using them once they get this tablet. This is a great time for Amazon to push their movie/TV service, with Netflixs being all crazy with price and name changes.

As others have said, people go on amazon to shop, this thing will be on the front page, some of the best advertisement for free!

If they make this a very "easy to use" and smooth feel it will sell really good. I'm not saying android is hard to use, but there are not many non-tech people buying android tablets out there. One of the reasons people buy an iPad is because it is so easy to work.

The thing that will be interesting is how many people will buy just the regular Kindle for $114 - $189. Its kinda like people are still buying the Nintendo DS lite for $99 over the 3DS for $179.

It will be very interesting indeed.

(This is just my personal thought, if you don't agree fine)

 

[marksman]

Obviously the Amazon tablet is coming out. But who cares?

I think the Amazon could make a really nice product. After HP failed, it may be the only hope for a decent competitor with the ability to deliver content and customer service.

I also like the potential that they are going with a much smaller form factor taking them out of the line of fire from the iPad, and also allowing them to come in at a much lower price point which will instantly allow them to sell products.

I would never buy an Android tablet right now, but I certainly would consider an Amazon tablet based on forked Android.

 

[SvenSvenson]

If Amazon really does launch a tablet, Apple should kill the Kindle iOS apps immediately. Hit 'em where it hurts.

Real sensible - I'd have to buy a Kindle then. Plus I'd feel cross at Apple for making me do so.

 

[marksman]

It took me about an hour to learn all the features of my phone from never using one for more than a few minutes in my entire life.

People either do not care or they are poorly educated and ignorant. The world is a terrible place and I keep hearing the optimists go on how iPads and iOS is some how engendering some future with technology in our lives. I see a fake "individualized" corporate relation direct to my doorstop and the usual dumbing down of society 2.0.

Time to cull CS majors from that but it is all about the dollar at the end of the day under all the gloss and shiny. I'll keep volunteering in my community and voting against such invasions.

Eliza, is that you?

 

[starvingartist8]

I do. Apple's iPad sucked for me, and I returned it to Apple only four days after the purchase. I hope that Amazon's gadget is going to be a much better - and less restricted - gadget for my needs.

well we know it will be more restrictive because u will only be able to open books you buy from amazon on it and do nothing else but read documents.

----------

Real sensible - I'd have to buy a Kindle then. Plus I'd feel cross at Apple for making me do so.

We need more people like you in the world. Too many rednecks that jump at the first thought

----------

This thing is going to sell like hot cakes if the price is at $250 or less. Kindle sells like crazy, it has a huge following. People who want an E-reader with some extra, but don't want to pay $500 for an iPad will buy this thing.

It makes so much sense to tie all of their products into one. (Movies/TV, Music, Books, App store). People who don't use the music/movie part of amazon will start using them once they get this tablet. This is a great time for Amazon to push their movie/TV service, with Netflixs being all crazy with price and name changes.

As others have said, people go on amazon to shop, this thing will be on the front page, some of the best advertisement for free!

If they make this a very "easy to use" and smooth feel it will sell really good. I'm not saying android is hard to use, but there are not many non-tech people buying android tablets out there. One of the reasons people buy an iPad is because it is so easy to work.

The thing that will be interesting is how many people will buy just the regular Kindle for $114 - $189. Its kinda like people are still buying the Nintendo DS lite for $99 over the 3DS for $179.

It will be very interesting indeed.

(This is just my personal thought, if you don't agree fine)

I want a tablet device to read a certain digital subscription that is only supplied via Zinio. My options at the moment are iPad vs android. I know which I would gladly choose but I still don't want to spend the money on an iPad just to read my magazines lol. If Zinio somehow ends up supporting this new amazon tablet I am all for it if the price is right!

 

[Oletros]

Or a couple of Norman Foster's buildings

Look how nicely they fit together!

Better fit with Nouvel's Agbar Tower

----------

Sony, iPad, and others allow you access to the file so you can port it easily if you so choose... after all, you did purchase it, right? How can you be more proprietary than Apple (though I love my Apple products)??

Can you explain me how can you port an iBooks book to another device?

 

[Night Spring]

I have had conversations with male iPad users of my acquaintance on this subject, and I know that they just don't get this point, taking the view that the portable electronics world revolves around briefcases, backpacks and back pockets. But as a woman, believe me, it is very frustrating that so many of these things seem to be designed by men.

While it IS kind of disappointing that I have all these really nice, smallish purses that would be perfect for an 7" tablet, I just found a bag big enough to fit my iPad, and moved on. And no, my iPad bag isn't a backpack or a briefcase, it's just a slightly largish shoulder bag. At this point, I know I'm not buying a 7" tablet just so I can drag my favorite purse out of the closet. If it had other features and advantages that made it somehow more compelling than the current iPad, I'd certainly consider it, though right now, I can't think of any reason that would make me go for a 7". The iPad 2 is light enough for me, and I love the big screen too much. When I don't want to carry a bag, I slip my iPod touch into my pocket.

I dunno if anybody at Apple debated "but it won't fit into a woman's purse!" when deciding on the size of the iPad, but IMO, they were right not to make that a swaying point in their decision. We should pick our bags to fit our equipment, not the other way around. At least, that's how I feel.

 

[krischik]

If it's a tablet, I'm looking forward to specs and what OS it runs.

A scaled down and hobbled version of Android 2.2. Who ever want that I don't know.

With Amazon's ecosystem (and if the price is right), I will love this tablet.

Would you by an iPad clone when it comes without Apps Store, iTunes and Mobile ME (and running only iOS 2)?

For an Android Tablet you really want the Google Ecosystem.

But it will still be a success. There are always those who look only at the price and never plan further then the [buy now] button.

 

[CFreymarc]

Obviously the Amazon tablet is coming out. But who cares?

Many. IMO, no one has put the the "killer slut tablet" that is "cheap and easy" yet. If they do a Kindle for under $200, let anyone mess with it and just sell a bazillion of them as a loss lead selling eBooks, they have a winner. A tablet price war is in order for the next few quarters.

 

[dragonq]

The bizarre thing is, Night spring, that I tend to buy largish handbags. The iPad can be fitted into some of them, but the problem is it is just so damn heavy, particularly when there is other stuff in with it. I have the original iPad, so I know your ipad 2 would be lighter, but I am not going to spend the sort of money it would cost to replace mine with a newer model just for that. Also, I dont want to hump around a great big tablet just to read on and check email, and I certainly don't intend to buy special bags for one when I have plenty in the wardrobe already. I would however spend money on a device the price of this one it gave me just what I want in size and software. The kindle size is right; it remains to be seen how heavy it will be.

I don't think this kindle tablet is aimed at general tablet users so much as people who are big readers, who would also like to do a few other things with the device. You can tell this from the small size of the memory, because ebooks are very small. Even with cloud content there won't be a lot of room on this thing and without 3G the cloud part is much less useful.

 

[brucku]

NYC the kindle to ipad ratio seems to be at least 100 to 1 if not higher. if i didn't have kids and didn't need my ipad for educational apps i'd buy it since most of what i use my ipad for is reading.

kindle is cheaper
it meets the steve jobs fetish test of thin and long battery
it does what it's built to do just right
a lot more free books in the kindle store than the apple store. along with cheaper prices

The problem with an amazon tablet in my opinion is that it is a fancy looking device with lots of features that people really want to replace the e-ink kindle and its functions. The truth is that the kindle is holding its own in the reader market because it is not a tablet, and because it is not an iPad. If amazon abandons the e-ink reader for this battery sucking multimedia tablet thats not as good as an iPad, it may be the end of kindle. Lets hope they market it as a separate device so if it fails, we don't lose a powerhouse in the e-reader market.

 

[gibbz]

The problem with an amazon tablet in my opinion is that it is a fancy looking device with lots of features that people really want to replace the e-ink kindle and its functions. The truth is that the kindle is holding its own in the reader market because it is not a tablet, and because it is not an iPad. If amazon abandons the e-ink reader for this battery sucking multimedia tablet thats not as good as an iPad, it may be the end of kindle. Lets hope they market it as a separate device so if it fails, we don't lose a powerhouse in the e-reader market.

Exactly. The kindle, it its current form, is not an iPad competitor. I happen to own both, and the kindle's reading experience trumps the iPad's (in my opinion). That is exactly why I have a kindle. It is a great screen and that's it. I'm not tempted to check email, browse the web, update twitter, etc. I can focus on content. I forget I am using a kindle. It is similar to the iPad when I browse the web. I forget I am using an iPad. You know you have a winner when the device gets out of the way.

I'm sure the tablet will just be an additional option for customers. I don't think Amazon would stake it business by trying to compete directly with the iPad. I will say, however, that of all the tablet competitors, Amazon could potentially be the most successful. The fact their content is in an integrated environment will be crucial. People can buy movies, books, apps, music, etc from Amazon. Presumably, it will just be there on the tablet.

The only issue is that Amazon is not as experienced in building hardware as Apple. It will be interesting for sure.

 

[jlc1978]

A scaled down and hobbled version of Android 2.2. Who ever want that I don't know.

People who care about who they can use the device and don't care about the OS that gives them a product that meets their needs; you know, probably 90% of the people who buy Kindles, iPhones, etc.

Would you by an iPad clone when it comes without Apps Store, iTunes and Mobile ME (and running only iOS 2)?

Because I don't need those things on device I primarily want as a book / pdf reader and movie viewer? They add nothing to the device that I need, when I want more I'll buy an iPad - which I like but for different reasons.

For an Android Tablet you really want the Google Ecosystem.

But it will still be a success. There are always those who look only at the price and never plan further then the [buy now] button.

Why? Amazon has a pretty robust offering for someone that wants an eReader / video player. It meets a need at a compelling price point.

If it takes off, Amazon's app store will grow as well; but that is not the point of the device, IMHO.

 

[Night Spring]

The bizarre thing is, Night spring, that I tend to buy largish handbags. The iPad can be fitted into some of them, but the problem is it is just so damn heavy, particularly when there is other stuff in with it. I have the original iPad, so I know your ipad 2 would be lighter, but I am not going to spend the sort of money it would cost to replace mine with a newer model just for that. Also, I dont want to hump around a great big tablet just to read on and check email, and I certainly don't intend to buy special bags for one when I have plenty in the wardrobe already. I would however spend money on a device the price of this one it gave me just what I want in size and software. The kindle size is right; it remains to be seen how heavy it will be.

I can see your point, especially if you've invested a lot on your bags. The bag I'm using now for my ipad2 was actually too thin to hold the weight of the originqal iPad -- the 2 is considerably lighter and has given me much more flexibility in how I carry it around.

Now that I'm thinking about it, 7" would be fine if all I did was read ebooks. But while I do read a lot of ebooks, I also use my iPad for web browsing and news reading, and also some writing -- all better with a larger screen. I can see how the 7" would be preferable to some people, for various reasons. And I am very interested in how the new Amazon tablet works out, even thoigh personally, I know that isn't the ideal option for me.

 

[D.T.]

While it IS kind of disappointing that I have all these really nice, smallish purses that would be perfect for an 7" tablet, I just found a bag big enough to fit my iPad, and moved on. And no, my iPad bag isn't a backpack or a briefcase, it's just a slightly largish shoulder bag. At this point, I know I'm not buying a 7" tablet just so I can drag my favorite purse out of the closet. If it had other features and advantages that made it somehow more compelling than the current iPad, I'd certainly consider it, though right now, I can't think of any reason that would make me go for a 7". The iPad 2 is light enough for me, and I love the big screen too much. When I don't want to carry a bag, I slip my iPod touch into my pocket.

I dunno if anybody at Apple debated "but it won't fit into a woman's purse!" when deciding on the size of the iPad, but IMO, they were right not to make that a swaying point in their decision. We should pick our bags to fit our equipment, not the other way around. At least, that's how I feel.

Great, post, I sent the link to my wife and she agreed 100% (and got a good chuckle). When we're out and about she never has any issues with the weight of the pad (ours is a heavier 1st gen too).

She also carries an Arkon stand, which I'd highly recommend, it's small (folds up very compact), super light, very adjustable and ~$10 from Amazon. We usually take it for our little one to watch movies.

I do. Apple's iPad sucked for me, and I returned it to Apple only four days after the purchase. I hope that Amazon's gadget is going to be a much better - and less restricted - gadget for my needs.

Out of curiosity, where was it deficient for you? What were your expectations?

 

[toddybody]

Im so stoked. This is definitely going to be an iPad killer.

 

[bemylover]

If amazon buys netflix or dramatically increases their own streaming content, I will buy one, given it is a decent quality tablet. I may even pay $500 if it is high end android quality.

 

[merkinmuffley]

O h joy, yet another Android tablet no one will buy.

 

[klrobinson999]

Amazon has content -- books, movies, music, games, apps. This is what sets its upcoming offering apart from the typical Android tablet. All of their moves into digital the past few years have basically led to this point...their own in-house device to serve all this content. Their new homepage re-design is heavy on the download side, and the emphasis has certainly changed.

I have to admit I use the Kindle app more than iBooks (mostly because you can usually find the item you're wanting at Amazon and not iBooks), but am not part of the rest of Amazon's ecosystem at all. Still, I'm intrigued...probably not enough to buy (I have a new phone coming up to use my money on...lol), but certainly enough to give it a look.

If it's cheaper than expected (everyone says $249), and Amazon can get them into retail stores like Wal-mart and Target, then I expect it to be one of the must-haves for Christmas. We'll see.