Amazon's Fire tablet: $199. How will Apple respond?

[tstarks33]

http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/28/amazon-fire-tablet-unveiled-7-inch-display-199-price-tag/

I think the Fire's ridiculously low price is going to change the market. It's going to be hard for many folks to justify spending up to 4 times the price for an ipad. Yes, I know all about what the ipad offers than the Fire won't, but I believe that's only going to matter to a smaller group of folks than Apple would like. Many consumers are driven by their wallets; the option to get in on the "tablet game" for $199 is much more appealing than spending what amounts to many as a rent check.

Personally, I hope Apple releases its own "mini" ipad 7 incher for 299.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

We don't have any other details yet. It may be an iPad competitor, it might just be a Nook-killer, it might be an iPad-light for people who would never consider the iPad.

$199 is an inviting price to be sure, but it loses the one thing that Kindle had over the iPad -- the e-ink screen that was ideal for outside reading and the never ending battery life.

Also since this is a forked version of Android it only works w/ apps from the Android store which kind of defeats the purpose of buying and Android device.

So, we'll just have to sit back and see what the Fire is all about before deciding it's impact on the iPad or any other device.

 

[jsh1120]

I doubt that Apple has to respond. They'll lose some low end sales to the "Fire," just as they killed sales of netbooks and $1000+ notebooks with the iPad. But the Fire aims at a somewhat different market than the iPad, especially at $200.

The folks that are no doubt heading out for the nearest tavern this morning are from Barnes and Noble. The "Nook" looks like toast.

 

[tstarks33]

I doubt that Apple has to respond. They'll lose some low end sales to the "Fire," just as they killed sales of netbooks and $1000+ notebooks with the iPad. But the Fire aims at a somewhat different market than the iPad, especially at $200.

The folks that are no doubt heading out for the nearest tavern this morning are from Barnes and Noble. The "Nook" looks like toast.

"Why" are product names in quotes?! Haha. Anyway, Nook is indeed toast - $199 Fire, $79 Kindle = game over for B&N.

 

[al256]

I see the Fire as a way to digest the ever growing Amazon marketplace. Apps, music, books, videos, etc... But that's it. It's the Amazon store, in your hands (and a tablet second).

It just feels like the iPad is a tablet, for the sake of being a tablet. And Amazon's offering is like the Sears Roebuck catalog (with the ability to purchase items instantly) of this century.

 

[maflynn]

Discussion on this can be found on MR's front page https://forums.macrumors.com/threads/1235702/