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Amazon Set to Unveil $199 'Kindle Fire' Tablet
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I quite like the non-touch Kindle - don't want a smeared screen - and the USA price is excellent - $79 which should come to around £50 in UK money.
I am able to tolerate the $1 = £1 exchange rate that most electronic devices use (the USA price is often without tax, and the UK price is always with tax).
Thankfully, Apple seem to use $1 = £0.8ish at the moment - the cheapest iPad 2 is $499 and £399, and a MBA11 is $999 and £849.
So, the new cheap Kindle? $79 and £89. What? That is just overpriced. It's almost 30% more than it should be.
Look at the UK site again. www.amazon.co.uk It's the $79 model they're selling, not the $99 model. No Kindle Touch for us grimy limeys.
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Adds up to about £83.
$109 = £69.56 + 20% VAT = £83.46
Still inflated.
More angry about us just getting budget version, I would have liked the Touch one at least to be released over here.
No, $79 is with special offers and is only sold in US, the one without special offers is $109
Adds up to about £83.
$109 = £69.56 + 20% VAT = £83.46
Still inflated.
More angry about us just getting budget version, I would have liked the Touch one at least to be released over here.
Whell, I won't call 5 pound or 5 euro inflated
But yes, I live in Spain and I would buy a Touch. At least you can buy from Amazon UK, we have to buy from Amazon US
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that would be sick i would pre order it right now.... im only getting the kindle becuase of the special offers.... i think i will get the kindle touch because im used to touch screen. i just hope they will put out a black one....
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if the kindle fire comes out with 3g and special offers its a wrap!~!! but i think they would lose alot of money with the unlimited 3g
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thats a big ouch......
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What's truly laughable is that someone actually thinks that 99.9% of iPad owners are using it for only content consumption. I thought this kind of thinking had died last year. Either you aren't reading how many businesses are now using iPads or ignoring all the fantastic apps for content creation in the app store...
stevensr123 said:
What's truly laughable is that someone actually thinks that 99.9% of iPad owners are using it for only content consumption. I thought this kind of thinking had died last year. Either you aren't reading how many businesses are now using iPads or ignoring all the fantastic apps for content creation in the app store...
Using them for what though ? A lot of "business" tasks are consumption. Reading e-mail/displaying data and presentations/viewing notes and documents.
While I doubt the 99.9% figure, I doubt content creation is the big use case for iPads the world over. Tablets in general are consumption devices. That they enable some form of content creation on the go, they truly are not the "right tool" for such a use.
Just Had An Email
From Amazon. They are selling the old Kindle in the UK for £89. Leads me to think it won't be too long before the Fire appears here too.
From Amazon. They are selling the old Kindle in the UK for £89. Leads me to think it won't be too long before the Fire appears here too.
Yep, I'm using my iPad for business and so are others. But all we are doing at my firm is reading email and document attachments (Word, PDFs, and occasionally Excel spreadsheets). I suspect the Fire will be able to do this, though reading on a 7 inch screen will not be as nice as on the 9.7" iPad screen.
However, for my work purposes, the cost between $200 and $500 is meaningless. And for travel purposes, the lack of 3G makes the Fire a no go, even if there is WiFi in a lot of places, including at my work.
I missed the part where the OP was speaking about what Apple cares about. The OP was talking about fan boys. Nice straw man comeback!
Man those Mach 3 razors aren't exactly free. They are about $8 with just two blades. But yes, the main point is Amazon expects to make money off of book sales. I just bought a book on the Kindle for convenience. It was only $1 less than the hardcover. Think about how much more profitable that sale must have been for Amazon.
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I love it! It's dirt cheap and it certainly is gonna have a market of it's own. My girlfriend is going to get one instead of an iPad, just based on price alone.
Content is also cheaper. This is good for us Apple users, that there is healthy competition, because this is going to lower the price of music, apps and other stuff.
Simple, it's a win for all of us, the consumers.
Content is also cheaper. This is good for us Apple users, that there is healthy competition, because this is going to lower the price of music, apps and other stuff.
Simple, it's a win for all of us, the consumers.
I'll be interested to see a demo of this. I think the success of this device will be very dependent on how the OS works.
I think this is a win for consumers, unless you factor that this is the end of the android tablets.
Really, we had RIM and HP and Samsung who have all tried to make tablets. Now who is going to try to compete with the $200 Fire? If you have Apple dominating the high end and Amazon selling tablets at a loss on the low end, who is going to get into this market to compete against those two guys?
The Fire is definitely competition for the iPad, but it is just going to wipe the floor with everyone on the low end of the tablet world. There might be a bunch of tablets in the works because the development is already done. So they will come out. But what company is going to keep investing in this area? I will answer my own question, Microsoft will still keep going. But that is because their Windows monopoly money allows them to do many stupid things and to throw money at stuff. But Microsoft is a special case as they are still trying to find something to do with their monopoly money (when they should be just paying larger dividends to their shareholders).
Basically, I think Amazon just killed the late-2012 Android Tablets. And then that means that Google will stop supporting tablet android OS, right? Which will be another risk that will keep companies from investing int developing more Android tablets.
Nice move Amazon, that price point is killer. And if the video demonstrations are to be believed, the quality is good enough.
Really, we had RIM and HP and Samsung who have all tried to make tablets. Now who is going to try to compete with the $200 Fire? If you have Apple dominating the high end and Amazon selling tablets at a loss on the low end, who is going to get into this market to compete against those two guys?
The Fire is definitely competition for the iPad, but it is just going to wipe the floor with everyone on the low end of the tablet world. There might be a bunch of tablets in the works because the development is already done. So they will come out. But what company is going to keep investing in this area? I will answer my own question, Microsoft will still keep going. But that is because their Windows monopoly money allows them to do many stupid things and to throw money at stuff. But Microsoft is a special case as they are still trying to find something to do with their monopoly money (when they should be just paying larger dividends to their shareholders).
Basically, I think Amazon just killed the late-2012 Android Tablets. And then that means that Google will stop supporting tablet android OS, right? Which will be another risk that will keep companies from investing int developing more Android tablets.
Nice move Amazon, that price point is killer. And if the video demonstrations are to be believed, the quality is good enough.
Terrific, honest answer with some good perspective.
Honestly, I don't think the level of "disposable" income is as high as it seems, I'd say many folks use "divertable" income to get their shiny, electronic geegaw
I work in construction (electrician). I've seen many contractors and project managers replace their laptops for ipads. Many of them use autocad and such. Reading and altering prints are much easier and the only downside I've heard from the folks that use them on the job is the storage space.
Based on this page:
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-Multi-touch-Display-Wi-Fi/dp/B0051VVOB2
Amazon is learning from Apple.
Just like the iPad marketing, the kindle fire has:
1. No specs listed on it's official page for the CPU speed. They just say "Fast, Dual-Core Processor". Just like Apple, Amazon are advertising the Kindle by what it can do and not it's specs. The other tablet makers never got this. Most people don't care what the specs of a tablet are, as long as it's zippy in the things they do with it.
Apple understand this. And I believe Amazon understand this too.
2. Trying to advertise the tablet as "a place that has huge amounts of content to experience. Apple know without content a device is very boring. Lots of good content is king. And I think, Amazon realise the iTunes eco system is selling the iPad partially and is trying to get their own content ecosystem up and running too.
3. Cloud storage and sync. If Apple or Amazon originally did this first is not the point here. The point is they are advertising their cloud storage and sync loud and clear with the tablet just like Apple is.
4. Easy to understand language in the advertising.
The average joe will understand what the iPad can do. And Amazon did the came with the Fire advertising. Every average joe will understand what it does and can do.
5. Price per spec.
Amazon understand what kind of product for what kind of price people want. And are trying to deliver this. Just like Apple are. How much profit the Fire makes Amazon per unit we don't know. And I'd like to know this actually.
Things Amazon have not learnt from Apple.
1. Make the SSD size inside of the product very visible to the public. Amazon has not done this. You need to go to the tech specs at the bottom of the page to find out it's only 8GB.
The savvy user will know whether they want a fire or not before they hit the amazon page and nothing said there will change their mind. But the average joe might not read or even understand the tech specs. I think this is not a good thing. They need to say in big letters like the iPad page does, the size of the Fire SSD. Being 8GB.
2. How to deal with a small SSD inside the tablet.
With the iPad you can send stuff to and from your Mac to the iPad. And anything downloaded to the iPad is not lost or in need of re-download if you run out of space on the tablet. Just move some stuff to the Mac and then keep using the iPad.
The Kindle on the other hand, with it's "no need for a traditional computer" to use has a problem. if you fill the 8GB up with content, and I think many many users will, how do you remove content off the device without deleting it to get more space for other content? Sure there is the cloud. Apple has that too. But that means streaming or re-downloading to the Fire. So if at home, that's more of your expensive bandwidth spend doing this.
The amazon page says nothing about connecting the Fire to a traditional computer. i'm sure it's possible. But all the page says is "it's not needed". The average joe might confuse "not needed" with "should not ever be" connected to a traditional computer. This is something Amazon need to work on.
3. Does not say what to do with it's USB port.
Apple tell you exactly what you should be doing with the iPad's proprietary port. Which is good cause a lot of people will not know. But the Fire on the other hand. It has a USB port. But what can I do with said USB port? Amazon does not tell me.
4. Pre-pushing web pages.
"Machine Learning"
Sore if this happens once it don't matter much. But if this happens on a lot of webpages which is likely, that's a lot of precious expensive bandwidth (if at home) being wasted. I do not like this idea at all. If bandwidth was cheap world wide then sure. But it's not. It's dear as poison in some places. And if I ever got a Fire, I'd hack it and turn this feature off.
5. How is one to get access to movies and TV shows on the kindle without Amazon Prime? Amazon does not say this. The savvy user will work it out. But the average joe might not. And will think they are forced into a $79 a year just to get the content.
So $199 + $79 a year.
Amazon don't advertise the Fire like this. But they should. Cause a lot of people will be using the Fire like this. Sure you have to pay to get get content at iTunes too. But they don't exactly advertise the + $79 a year on the Fire page. You have to go to another page to see the $79. The + $79 should be on the Fire page.
When I think of more I'll post them up.
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Color-Multi-touch-Display-Wi-Fi/dp/B0051VVOB2
Amazon is learning from Apple.
Just like the iPad marketing, the kindle fire has:
1. No specs listed on it's official page for the CPU speed. They just say "Fast, Dual-Core Processor". Just like Apple, Amazon are advertising the Kindle by what it can do and not it's specs. The other tablet makers never got this. Most people don't care what the specs of a tablet are, as long as it's zippy in the things they do with it.
Apple understand this. And I believe Amazon understand this too.
2. Trying to advertise the tablet as "a place that has huge amounts of content to experience. Apple know without content a device is very boring. Lots of good content is king. And I think, Amazon realise the iTunes eco system is selling the iPad partially and is trying to get their own content ecosystem up and running too.
3. Cloud storage and sync. If Apple or Amazon originally did this first is not the point here. The point is they are advertising their cloud storage and sync loud and clear with the tablet just like Apple is.
4. Easy to understand language in the advertising.
The average joe will understand what the iPad can do. And Amazon did the came with the Fire advertising. Every average joe will understand what it does and can do.
5. Price per spec.
Amazon understand what kind of product for what kind of price people want. And are trying to deliver this. Just like Apple are. How much profit the Fire makes Amazon per unit we don't know. And I'd like to know this actually.
Things Amazon have not learnt from Apple.
1. Make the SSD size inside of the product very visible to the public. Amazon has not done this. You need to go to the tech specs at the bottom of the page to find out it's only 8GB.
The savvy user will know whether they want a fire or not before they hit the amazon page and nothing said there will change their mind. But the average joe might not read or even understand the tech specs. I think this is not a good thing. They need to say in big letters like the iPad page does, the size of the Fire SSD. Being 8GB.
2. How to deal with a small SSD inside the tablet.
With the iPad you can send stuff to and from your Mac to the iPad. And anything downloaded to the iPad is not lost or in need of re-download if you run out of space on the tablet. Just move some stuff to the Mac and then keep using the iPad.
The Kindle on the other hand, with it's "no need for a traditional computer" to use has a problem. if you fill the 8GB up with content, and I think many many users will, how do you remove content off the device without deleting it to get more space for other content? Sure there is the cloud. Apple has that too. But that means streaming or re-downloading to the Fire. So if at home, that's more of your expensive bandwidth spend doing this.
The amazon page says nothing about connecting the Fire to a traditional computer. i'm sure it's possible. But all the page says is "it's not needed". The average joe might confuse "not needed" with "should not ever be" connected to a traditional computer. This is something Amazon need to work on.
3. Does not say what to do with it's USB port.
Apple tell you exactly what you should be doing with the iPad's proprietary port. Which is good cause a lot of people will not know. But the Fire on the other hand. It has a USB port. But what can I do with said USB port? Amazon does not tell me.
4. Pre-pushing web pages.
"Machine Learning"
This means when you access a webpage on the Fire browser, the browser automatically loads up next page before you even get to it. This next page is usually a popular link on the current page. That's all nice and good. But what if you don't want to move to the next most popular link/page, but instead elsewhere on the net? Then the Fire's browser has accessed the next popular webpage and cached it all for nothing and wasting the bandwidth to do so.
Sore if this happens once it don't matter much. But if this happens on a lot of webpages which is likely, that's a lot of precious expensive bandwidth (if at home) being wasted. I do not like this idea at all. If bandwidth was cheap world wide then sure. But it's not. It's dear as poison in some places. And if I ever got a Fire, I'd hack it and turn this feature off.
5. How is one to get access to movies and TV shows on the kindle without Amazon Prime? Amazon does not say this. The savvy user will work it out. But the average joe might not. And will think they are forced into a $79 a year just to get the content.
So $199 + $79 a year.
Amazon don't advertise the Fire like this. But they should. Cause a lot of people will be using the Fire like this. Sure you have to pay to get get content at iTunes too. But they don't exactly advertise the + $79 a year on the Fire page. You have to go to another page to see the $79. The + $79 should be on the Fire page.
When I think of more I'll post them up.
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
is the reduction in cost worth that much to you at purchase? for an extra $30 you can avoid the force-feed of the ads for the life of the unit.
i don't get it. budgets maybe?
I would imagine it's just like a regular Kindle. You attach it to your computer with the USB and then transfer the files off your computer into the proper folder.
You would imagine?
You should not have to imagine. Amazon should be telling you this information.
If it doesn't interrupt your reading it's not that big a deal. Ideally I don't want to see them, but I'd be on the fence about paying extra.
Quite the gamble...
Amazon is betting on people buying their content, because the fire is most likly losing them money or making them none... It will take YEARS for Amazon to hold a candle to the content movement of itunes, which will make it's devices less powerful.
PLUS I think there needs to be some real thought put into their browser technology. Amazon already has my address, several credit/debit cards, my purchase history, what I look at, my wish lists, and now their cloud browsing will track EVERY website I go to on a fire... Where do I sign to give them my organs when I die??? Great rabbit trail in a meeting, horrible final idea...
Amazon is betting on people buying their content, because the fire is most likly losing them money or making them none... It will take YEARS for Amazon to hold a candle to the content movement of itunes, which will make it's devices less powerful.
PLUS I think there needs to be some real thought put into their browser technology. Amazon already has my address, several credit/debit cards, my purchase history, what I look at, my wish lists, and now their cloud browsing will track EVERY website I go to on a fire... Where do I sign to give them my organs when I die??? Great rabbit trail in a meeting, horrible final idea...
There are still millions of people who want / need a 10" tablet, or a 7" with 3G/4G.
I think that Fire sales will mostly be to people who wouldn't otherwise get a tablet.
(The Nook Color sale last year for $200 mostly stole only from the overpriced Xoom, as many buyers got the Nook just to cheaply try out Honeycomb.)
I don't think Google is going to drop tablet support. However, the Fire is another example of how consumers don't care that much about what OS (and/or version) they are running, as long as it meets their needs.
Not only on selling their own content I bet, they also have great potential to mine user data with their new web browser, where page rendering is done at the Amazon cloud backend. Basically all your browsing goes through Amazon first, where they become a man in the middle.