I doubt they will ever put out a 7" iPad because the normal ones are already doing good enough and so are the touches I don't think they need anything in between.
The iPod Touch sales are down 20% compared to a year ago.
I doubt they will ever put out a 7" iPad because the normal ones are already doing good enough and so are the touches I don't think they need anything in between.
I hope that Amazon really pushes it here in Japan. i dont think that they have done enough here - they could get the whole market for ebook readers here, if they just sold the kindle in the electronic stores. They dont even really push it on amazon.co.jp !
Especially with the fire, I mean (I love Apple but..) the ipad is just too big to carry around here, I see people use them on trains and we really need a 7 inch from factor. It would really take off in Japan.
If Amazon could push the fire here in Japan then I think that it would be a winner.
The iPod Touch sales are down 20% compared to a year ago.
You made some good points. I'm not sure we entirely disagree, but I will pick up on the characteristics of the Amazon tablet that I think disqualify it from carrying the "tablet" label.
Wow. This was a shock. Very little storage, and no access to the cloud, unless you are in a wifi environment. Take a car trip with the kids and that lack of 3G will be a big deal. This is not a device you will be depending on like you might an iPad or even an iPhone. It is purpose-built, and that purpose is entertainment in a wifi environment (usually home or within a short distance of it). I love mifi hotspots, and spent all of last year with one, but let's face it, most people don't have these devices.
The browser is cool, in theory, but useless in practice, unless you are in a wifi environment. Again, you are tied to home or your hotspots.
..There is a reason you see few Kindle books overseas. There are no books. The Fire will have a similar fate. I think Amazon knows this and is OK with it. Apple is playing a totally different game by producing a tablet for anyone, whether or not they are an Apple consumer.
Sorry. I doubt there is much potential in the Japanese market for the Fire. The iPad is doing amazingly well there, and it has tremendous market penetration.
First, it has 3G. Japan is definitely not a hotspot paradise. Outside of coffee shops, it is dead. And, people spend a lot of time on trains.
Second, Amazon has got to open an electronic book store in Japan. Given the reading habits there, the ebook market is incredibly disappointing. I can't wait for it
Third, I wonder if it has support for Japanese input. I would hope so, but I don't know yet. Even Apple had difficulty getting Chinese support into the iPad, and we had to wait until the iOS update in fall 2010.
Fourth, people don't use Amazon so much for shopping. And, I could be wrong, but I think they don't even have an app store there...
I think if the market had considerable success with the 7" tabs (more success than 10" tabs) that were priced in the $400-$500 range, then Apple would have certainly considered it. I have always held the belief that there was a market for 7" tabs and now I believe Amazon found it.
Honestly, I can even see the merit in having both the Fire and iPad. They serve distinct enough purposes. Obviously that wouldn't be necessary for most people, but from iPhone->fire->iPad->macbook air->iMac they all have a lot of overlap, but yet they all have their own niche.
I hope that Amazon really pushes it here in Japan. i dont think that they have done enough here - they could get the whole market for ebook readers here, if they just sold the kindle in the electronic stores. They dont even really push it on amazon.co.jp !
Especially with the fire, I mean (I love Apple but..) the ipad is just too big to carry around here, I see people use them on trains and we really need a 7 inch from factor. It would really take off in Japan.
If Amazon could push the fire here in Japan then I think that it would be a winner.
Yes. I read your post. No. I do not agree that it has potential in Japan. I'll restate my points.Did you not read my post ??? I said the fire had a huge potential here...
I can't understand why you would want an ipad and a fire though? I can only think of the fire as a device to take to the beach. Even then, it's still 200 bucks. that's still a fair bit of money to lose if it gets stolen or broken. Personally I think the 10 inch screens have spoiled us and when you start to use a 7 inch it's going to feel a little disappointing.
Again, I am not questioning the potential for a smaller tablet (which I don't think the Fire is). And, I am not questioning your knowledge of Japan. I am speaking as someone who has also spent his life living and working in Japan, who has followed Amazon closely ever since it started there, and who thinks Amazon (wisely) is treading carefully in this area. I could be wrong, but I don't think the Fire fits this market. Just my opinion.
The 7" form factor is much smaller, much lighter, and much more capable of holding in one hand. I'm not much of a reader, but I have tried it on the iPad and the interests seems like more of a novelty. It's a huge, unweildly (compared to the small books we are used to) slab. The 7" Fire will be significantly easier (and more natural) to curl up with on the couch, or in bed, or on a train, or in a hotel, or anywhere else.
IMO it's about reading. The kindle has always been about reading and with the release of the Fire, reading still remains as the primary "go-to" function.
The 7" form factor is much smaller, much lighter, and much more capable of holding in one hand. I'm not much of a reader, but I have tried it on the iPad and the interests seems like more of a novelty. It's a huge, unweildly (compared to the small books we are used to) slab. The 7" Fire will be significantly easier (and more natural) to curl up with on the couch, or in bed, or on a train, or in a hotel, or anywhere else.
All the Fire's other functions are secondary, and just there to make it a superior reading device. You can listen to some music as you read... play some light gaming between books... some light internet browsing if you get bored...
Ipad isnt a laptop replacement device either, your point?
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On another note, I used a friend's nook color and I found reading on the ipad 2 to be much more comfortable. Having to hold such a small device with both hands just didn't feel quite right. Probably had something to do with the weight distribution.
IMO it's about reading. The kindle has always been about reading and with the release of the Fire, reading still remains as the primary "go-to" function.
The 7" form factor is much smaller, much lighter, and much more capable of holding in one hand. I'm not much of a reader, but I have tried it on the iPad and the interests seems like more of a novelty. It's a huge, unweildly (compared to the small books we are used to) slab. The 7" Fire will be significantly easier (and more natural) to curl up with on the couch, or in bed, or on a train, or in a hotel, or anywhere else.
All the Fire's other functions are secondary, and just there to make it a superior reading device. You can listen to some music as you read... play some light gaming between books... some light internet browsing if you get bored...
Here is why fire and droid is in general more limited than iPad: Very few tablet designed/professional apps. And fire is even more limited because it doesn't support google app store and amazon has like 100 times less apps.
Remember that skype for droid is for phones only, it does not support video.
And yeah, reading books on vertical mode is just a stupid limitation.
The Fire, I think, broadens the concept of a "tablet."
I'm not sure about this first Kindle Fire, but Fire.2 will be better and with the addition of a larger model at a bargain price Amazon's total Fire production may exceed Apple's iPad production in a year or two.in a 1-1.5years I see the Fire being the market leader in the tablet space. they really hit a home run with this one.