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Amazon Set to Unveil $199 'Kindle Fire' Tablet

Abyssgh0st said:
That's irrelevant- that's like saying that because the iPad 1 is no longer produced, it therefore rules nothing since it is only sold used and refurbished (like the Touchpad, except that it's new and used).
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Used and refurbished are a different market than the new market where this Kindle Fire is coming into. The HP TouchPad is done.

Abyssgh0st said:
No stock doesn't mean anything- you can pick from thousands on eBay/other resellers who are selling for $300<. It holds a significant place in the tablet market.
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No stock = no market share. People don't count used sales for market share analysis. Until a 3rd party OEM licenses webOS, it's not competing with anything.
 
KnightWRX said:
Yeah, definitely makes iCloud sound like a sub-par offering, if Amazon can really deliver on the "invisible" syncing. Though for my part, I still refuse to lay any cash down for DRM infested media that's linked to particular devices or accounts.
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I'm not defending iCloud, nor ripping on Whispersync, but they are two very different things, based off same principle. Whispersync, from my understanding, only keeps track of where you left off. Doesn't matter if it's music, movies, or book... all it has to do is broadcast to your other devices where you last left off.

iCloud on the other hand is actually sync much larger data sets. Actual pictures, documents, songs, etc... not just "where you left off". Very different in practice, but again, they are based off the same principle of syncing data. I would be very hesitant to compare them.
 
btw, how come Apple is denied a Multi-touch trademark because the term is too generic while Amazon gets a 1-Click trademark.
 
I don't see this being a competitor to the iPad, at least directly. It won't be able to do what the iPad does at the same level of performance or breadth of use. Plus it's a smaller form factor, so that's not a direct comparison either.

That said, it will dominate the ebook reading department as the kindle devices have in years past. This is their primary area of success, and will continue to be one for some time at least. I don't see them breaking into the movie/music market much further with this device-- just personal opinion though.
 
Abyssgh0st said:
That's irrelevant- that's like saying that because the iPad 1 is no longer produced, it therefore rules nothing since it is only sold used and refurbished (like the Touchpad, except that it's new and used).

No stock doesn't mean anything- you can pick from thousands on eBay/other resellers who are selling for $300<. It holds a significant place in the tablet market.
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No it doesn't. There are too few of them for that to be the case.
 
The specs sound pretty stout, IPS display, dual core. I didn't see a specific numeric resolution mentioned, but I did see WVGA, so [I assuming] that's 800x480.

PeterQVenkman said:
There was a large void under $500 left by Apple's product lineup. Amazon just nailed it across the board. If you've got the money, you'll get an iPad. But $200 is freaking insane.

And then of course, going down the ladder with kindles: $149, $99, $79. Wow.
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Agreed. I love when companies see a major market segment not being fulfilled, especially when the execution (as it would appear for Amazon) is outstanding.

I suspect there's boatload of folks who are aware of tablets, don't want to spend at least $499, and were simply put off by the cheap[er] Android products.

This has the price _and_ some terrific brand equity with the Amazon named attached. Plus they're making a big point of +how+ you use it ... simply go to Amazon! I bet you already even have an account :)
 
Battery life is 8 hours of reading or 7.5 hours of video playback (with wireless turned off). Not bad, but I was hoping for better. Still interested, though...
 
handsome pete said:
Can someone please explain to me why a diamond ring costs more than a basketball?
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Well a diamond ring is actually a useless piece of coal that has it's price artificially elevated by a consortium that controls the pretty abundant diamonds. It does absolutely nothing and is linked slave labour and crimes against humanity.

A basketball is a pretty wicked tool/toy that can be used for hours of fun.
 
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KaneBaker said:
Well a diamond ring is actually a useless piece of coal that has it's price artificially elevated by a consortium that controls the pretty abundant diamonds. It does absolutely nothing and is linked slave labour and crimes against humanity.

A basketball is a pretty wicked tool/toy that can be used for hours of fun.
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Considering that until about the 1920's engagement rings didn't have diamonds... but who pushed that??? Tiffany's if I am to believe what I read.
 
While it may not be able to do everything an iPad does - it is more affordable and offers most of the features people who would enjoy a tablet would want. I would imagine a majority of people who have an iPad are not using it for major productivity - but are using it for consuming content and email.

This does that. Is the screen smaller - yes. But at the end of the day - not everyone can afford - nor wants something bigger/heavier, etc.

Amazon has priced this right for the features and specs it offers and now it will be up to the buying public to determine how successful it will be. I, for one, think it will be very attractive. Will it OUTSELL the iPad? Maybe not. But then again - you don't have to outsell the iPad to be successful.
 
drewyboy said:
I'm not defending iCloud, nor ripping on Whispersync, but they are two very different things, based off same principle. Whispersync, from my understanding, only keeps track of where you left off. Doesn't matter if it's music, movies, or book... all it has to do is broadcast to your other devices where you last left off.

iCloud on the other hand is actually sync much larger data sets. Actual pictures, documents, songs, etc... not just "where you left off". Very different in practice, but again, they are based off the same principle of syncing data. I would be very hesitant to compare them.
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You missed Amazon Cloud Storage there friend :

10:35AM "Delete it and get it back when you want" says Jeff.

10:34AM Delete anything any time you want.

10:34AM ...full-color magazines, and all stored for free using Amazon Cloud Storage.

10:34AM 100,000 movies and TV shows, 17 million songs, access to the Android Appstore, Kindle books...
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I wasn't talking about Whispersync, that's just one aspect. Amazon also does the same content cloud storage and syncing that Apple does, albeit, probably minus the iTunes match thing (upgraded bitrates, etc..).
 
notjustjay said:
I don't think the iPad and this Fire really have that much to compare with each other, especially not price.

Remember that for twice the price, you're also getting "twice" the tablet: larger screen, 3G, two cameras, much larger software base, etc.

As we already know, the iPad was very competitively priced for its features. That hasn't changed.

Having said that, I actually want a tablet in around the 7" size, so I'm watching this announcement with excitement!
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What's twice the price? A 3g capable iPad is over three times the price of the Kindle Fire ($199 vs. $629) and not to mention the $25 a month price of the 3g access.

If you want to talk about the wifi only iPad it's over two times more expensive, $199 vs. $499.

:rolleyes:
 
Google can't be happy about this.

They use Android without Google getting one cent from it. No Google apps and their own App Store. Plus unlike Apple, it seems Amazon plans on profiting more from content than hardware which could result in a strong effort to keep it locked down and fight the people that try to root it.

Looks like the whole open thing just bit them in the ...
 
The Kindle Fire is pretty nifty - although that's if you're a big Amazon user - if you're not then I'm not seeing a draw - I'm assuming that all of your content comes from Amazon and that's it? Can you get a book or a movie from anywhere else?

And - with Samsung now having to pay a royalty to Microsoft on every Android device - how long before Amazon would have to follow suit too?

Definitely nifty devices - but that 199 I don't think is buying anyone a full Android device...or a full "tablet" for that matter...
 
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PeterQVenkman said:
The cheap kindle is $79 if you don't mind ads. Otherwise it is $109.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wi-Fi-...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1321408942&pf_rd_i=507846



And the 3g kindle is $149 with ads, $189 without. Thbbbt.

http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Touch-...pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1321408942&pf_rd_i=507846
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That is kinda backhanded not to mention that in the keynote. But still, the ads are totally non-obtrusive. People who spend extra money to get rid of them need a crash course on money management, IMHO.
 
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trip1ex said:
btw, how come Apple is denied a Multi-touch trademark because the term is too generic while Amazon gets a 1-Click trademark.
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Two different things in IP.

trademark is one thing and patent is another. Amazong has a patent on the 1-click because of the process by which 1-click is carried out.
 
I remember the whole reason they did not make the Kindle touch screen before was because they have to add either a layer of glass or a layer of film that would obscure the screen. Is this addressed?

I <3 my Kindle to pieces. I am quite interested in their tablet. I would not expect it to match the iPad but at $200 dollars that is not the experience I would be expecting.
 
DavidLeblond said:
I love my iPad to death, but if anyone thinks a $200 tablet WON'T hurt iPad's market share they're kidding themselves.
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That presumes that all tablets are created equal. It's like saying a $20K Chevy Malibu w/ many of the same features as a $40K BMW 3 series also share the same targeted customers. Of course the Malibu and BMW are in two different demographic markets. Price had never been a barrier to iPad buyers.

The Fire kills the Nook Color and also pinches the low end non-iPad tablet market. I don't think it disrupts the iPad market b/c people who want an iPad want an full featured tablet and there is nothing ground breaking about the Fire other than its price.
 
gloomcookie1 said:
The Kindle Fire is pretty nifty - although that's if you're a big Amazon user - if you're not then I'm not seeing a draw - I'm assuming that all of your content comes from Amazon and that's it? Can you get a book or a movie from anywhere else?
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It offers an Android app store. In no way, shape or form are you Amazon only.
 
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