TechCrunch: Amazon’s Kindle Tablet Is Very Real

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I don't see how Amazon can price this at $250, unless they are supply contained before Christmas and so marking up the price. The Nook Color is $250, but it is more than a year old. My guess is that the Nook Color 2, likely out before Christmas, will be closer to $200.

The more salient point is that current NCs are becoming available, refurb with full warranty, for as little as $160, running a more robust OS (Android 2.2 with Flash), with identical hardware unless Amazon opted for a more standard LCD display, in which case superior hardware. If the rumored NC2 is released around the same time, it will almost certainly have hardware advantages over Amazon, and will very likely be running Gingerbread (Android 2.3) with Ice Cream Sandwich a very real possibility down the road. Even at $250, it would put the Amazon tablet to shame in every respect except the app store. Seriously, Amazon just spent a year getting ready to release...the Nook Color.

Obviously, the connections to the Amazon ecosystem are going to move some units, but B&N is in a position to come out very strong, depending on how they play the NC2 release. The dev community may well come into it, too, particularly the availability of "derp, plug it in" options like the N2A cards that offer users the best of both worlds.

Originally Posted by wallcraft

The Lenovo (Lenovo 7" Android Gingerbread 8GB $200 16GB $250) will be $200 for more hardware (GPS, Camera), and this includes a mark-up for retailer profit that Amazon does not incur.

There is no such device available for $200. There is a 16GB device for $250, and an 8GB which will not be sold anywhere that dollars are used. Whether it will be available anywhere in the world at an exchange rate equivalent to $200 is yet to be seen, but it's selling for about $400US in China, where the company is based. The $250 does look like a better buy than either a full-retail NC or the projected color Kindle, but we won't really know until it hits the shelves.

[SCION]

Amazon has a BIG advantage over B&N. Whispersync. There's been constant moaning and groaning on the BN.com forums about not being able to sync consistently across devices and apps, and that's just furthest page read syncing. The main reason I bought the NOOK was to be able to sync with the Android app. That was a joke. Sometimes it worked, many times it didn't.

[leebase]

Originally Posted by SensualPoet

I believe virtually every word of this story. Amazon cannot allow another Xmas selling season to expire without an answer to Nook Color and that also means a colour device somewhere in that $250-$299 range. There are no jarring details about the device, or how it works, or how it integrates with all other Amazon digital content.

You are right. It's the NOOK COLOR that Amazon is going to compete with -- not the iPad. This foolery about Amazon coming out "hundreds less" -- well, there's ALREADY a tablet for hundreds less, it's called the NOOK COLOR.

Amazon will release it's own version of the Nook Color that will be nice for reading, web surfing, videos and light gaming. It will cost hundreds less because it's not going to be in the same class as the iPad.

And they will sell a couple million of these things -- just like Barnes and Noble have already been doing.

Lee

[leebase]

Originally Posted by JeremyR

The iPad and the Agency pricing deal it forced was the first blow. A pretty major one. Thanks to pricing being the same, there is basically no reason to ever buy an e-book from Amazon any more (other than it being Amazon).

Amazon hasn't been hurt in the slightest by Agency pricing. Amazon makes MORE per Agency book than before.

True, Amazon can no longer buy up the ebook market, but it appears they've done a fantastic job of keeping the market they'd already purchased.

I have Amazon all over my Apple products. Kindle app....a couple Amazon store app. Lots of books bought via the Safari web browser to be read on my Apple products (I buy from Amazon because the price is the same...and the DRM has been broken). Amazon also has a nice web reader. I can't read my Apple books via the web.

Now that I think about it -- I wonder why "catalog/shopping" apps aren't subject to the 30% rule?

Anywhoo -- these big companies compete in areas and cooperate in areas.

Apple still has google maps and google as the default search on it's iOS devices.

Lee

[replica145]

The salient point of the article for me is the de-emphasis on e-ink Kindles. If the speculation is to be believe and Amazon is skipping a generation to release a tablet device (a la B&N), I'll be getting a Sony this year. I have been holding out for a Simple Touch-esque K4 or K4 variation and if I don't see one I'll be very disappointed and buying my books elsewhere, and I suspect I'm not alone. I am very surprised Amazon would alienate their e-ink readers. Assuming it's true.

[OtterBooks]

Did another source release info with actual specifics on the Amazon device's hardware? People seem to be making references to it being comparable to the Nook Color, and I presume those are informed comments.

The free Amazon Prime may be a significant selling point.

[taosaur]

Originally Posted by replica145

The salient point of the article for me is the de-emphasis on e-ink Kindles. If the speculation is to be believe and Amazon is skipping a generation to release a tablet device (a la B&N), I'll be getting a Sony this year. I have been holding out for a Simple Touch-esque K4 or K4 variation and if I don't see one I'll be very disappointed and buying my books elsewhere, and I suspect I'm not alone. I am very surprised Amazon would alienate their e-ink readers. Assuming it's true.

lol,


What's wrong with your K3? What's the point in making a new eInk device before there are any significant advances in the technology? Amazon could have made the K3 touch, but opted for their signature physical keyboard. As long as eInk stays on track with their color displays, Amazon will very likely be announcing a different kind of color Kindle the same time next year. If you want a touch-reader in the meantime, there are several on the market. Root a N2E and you can even read your Kindle books on it.

[=X=]

Originally Posted by wallcraft

I don't see how Amazon can price this at $250, unless they are supply contained before Christmas and so marking up the price. The Nook Color is $250, but it is more than a year old. My guess is that the Nook Color 2, likely out before Christmas, will be closer to $200. The Lenovo (Lenovo 7" Android Gingerbread 8GB $200 16GB $250) will be $200 for more hardware (GPS, Camera), and this includes a mark-up for retailer profit that Amazon does not incur.
On the other hand, an included Prime membership is a $79 "value" if you need it.

I'm not to excited about Amazon's tablet anymore. Why get tired in to a sub par solution. It will get stuck to an android 2.2 solution from a company that is known for not updating there existing products. Also $250 for a tablet know is not so cheap. Lenovo had stolen their thunder and so has Acer .

The App store does not compare. 10k apps vs 400k. and with an android device i still have access to Amazon's free apps and promotions. Not so if i go Amazon exclusive.

As for ecosystem and integration Amazon will not match Google.

The only way i will get an Amazon tablet is if hackers provide a similar solution that is provided with the nook

[SCION]

Originally Posted by =X=

...Also $250 for a tablet know is not so cheap...

A few weeks ago we were barking about B&N being able to produce a $250 quality tablet, why can't others. Now that price point is too much.

[joenunya]

Originally Posted by SCION

A few weeks ago we were barking about B&N being able to produce a $250 quality tablet, why can't others. Now that price point is too much.

ya darn skippy its too much!! we want fast, smaller, cooler, cheaper, bullet-proof, invincible & invisible...and we want it by midnight!!

[taosaur]

The NC did sit in its sweet spot for nearly a year, with no comparable value under $400+ until, IMO, the Vizio tab came out last month. Competition is well overdue.

[replica145]

Originally Posted by taosaur

lol,


What's wrong with your K3? What's the point in making a new eInk device before there are any significant advances in the technology? Amazon could have made the K3 touch, but opted for their signature physical keyboard. As long as eInk stays on track with their color displays, Amazon will very likely be announcing a different kind of color Kindle the same time next year. If you want a touch-reader in the meantime, there are several on the market. Root a N2E and you can even read your Kindle books on it.

An e-ink reader smaller and lighter is THE significant advance in technology I'm looking for. I know there are other touch readers on the market, I specifically mentioned them. I can make my own decisions without any chiding thanks very much.

[molman]

Not living in the Android world hopefully someone can answer this for me. How does the Android model work with regards to bugs and security vulnerabilities? I mean are new updates and patches rolled out for older version levels or are these only rolled into the next version? I'm just curious what it means for a tablet based off a 2.2 version of Andriod. I mean these tablets are full functioning little computers these days that hit the internet with all these entails so I'm curious how this element his handled.

Also what application considerations are there? Did version 3 (aka Honeycomb) bring many changes that would affect application development (API's/underlying system stuff) or was it more user space/UI stuff?

[OtterBooks]

I'm not sure I want my ereader any smaller. Lighter, maybe. Can't be too light I suppose.

[ersott]

Originally Posted by replica145

The salient point of the article for me is the de-emphasis on e-ink Kindles. If the speculation is to be believe and Amazon is skipping a generation to release a tablet device (a la B&N), I'll be getting a Sony this year. I have been holding out for a Simple Touch-esque K4 or K4 variation and if I don't see one I'll be very disappointed and buying my books elsewhere, and I suspect I'm not alone. I am very surprised Amazon would alienate their e-ink readers. Assuming it's true.

I completely agree with you, I'm eager for a kindle e-ink touch smaller.

I'll be very disappointed if amazon does not announce this soon.

anyway the article does not say that kindle e-ink touch not being manufactured, just says there is no news about it.