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So sorry this turned out so long, but some of it is stuff that just bugs me no end so I vented a bit.
Look, why is a slate device important to Amazon? Because they sell media content other than text in monochrome books. With their on-demand video and music this should not take a rocket scientist to connect the dots.
In fact the move by Apple in their app store was far more likely to have been a preemptive strike against AMAZON than for any other reason. I am sure Jobs is well aware of what Amazon's next move should be and that is to get their content to their customers as fast and in as portable fashion as possible. So Apple decided to drop the hammer on their cut of the pie just because a consumer is using an device that consumer paid for already. But Apple expects their quite usury cut from the sweetest part of the pie.
I would go so far as to postulate that Apple planned this move all along. Apple's plan was very likely to rely on getting consumers hooked on using an iOS device to the point that if an app from a given vendor suddenly went missing the consumer would actually side with Apple and hold the content provider as the villain. By wording their developer agreement the way they did then not saying much of anything about the apps they let slide through the approval process, mind most of the larger (read more popular) approved apps were already in violation in how they circumvented the in-app purchase requirement, but because they represented a potential source of income later Apple accidently-on-purpose let them slide through approval. Then after the fact when Apple is aware of which apps will generate the most income to Apple they selective lower the "it's in the agreement" hammer. Apple is not going to push it on the small app developer but those developers need to take notice that if their app does begin to generate a fair revenue stream that Apple will send the jack-booted folks to collect their tithe or banish them for failing to deliver an app within the terms of the developer agreement. Apple of course say that all the developer has to do is add in-app purchasing that works via the Apple iTunes App store and the developer chose not to so it's not our (apple's) fault. Hey good for Apple if they can get that money. Business is business, it's nothing else. But it's not pretty to see on this scale.
Nobody can defend Apple's move in this area. It's like Maytag demanding a $1 for every load you run through the washer you already paid for. But in this case Apple is doing an end around on the potential consumer backlash for this double dipping. Apple is instead hammering the content provider. This was reason enough to take iPad completely out of potential devices for me. I do not care to support Apple in any fashion because they...never mind that part is too far OT.
Back to Amazon, nobody in this tread has brought up the fact Amazon bought company with a really spiffy touch screen technology last year. It's been mentioned in other threads several times on MR but never was it more germane than here in this thread when discussing the idea of an Amazon slate device. Let me say this simply, Amazon did not buy this company, roll it directly and immediately into their Kindle Skunkworks, lab126(?), to have it wither and die on the vine. The are building a tablet and likely a whole new family of devices all with the idea of attracting more buyers of their content.
It would make no sense in this day for Amazon to trust other companies are not going to try and adopt the same model as Apple. If Apple can get away with it, anyone can and will. So Amazon in developing a slate device is actually doing so out of self preservation than anything else. Additionally I know I need a color device for some of the content I would like to shift from print to ebook format. I was hoping to eventually see the creation of some sort of EPD-LCD hybrid that addresses power as well as the need for a lighted device at times. I still feel we'll see them, only it will be a few years yet. Sadly PixelQi seems stalled for some reason, probably licensing issues.
Anyway, sorry this was long but after reading the thread it's obvious this is a complicated situation. I do wonder about a Samsung device since doesn't Samsung build the iPad or a good portion of it already? And isn't Apple suing Samsung for some patent thing? Sadly since Jobs was obviously beaten up a lot as a child, his main tactic has been to take everyone to court when the refuse to bend over or to his will. Perhaps that might have been the bear Apple did not want to poke and it's time one of the bears poked back. Maybe that bear is going to be Samsung and who better to team up with than Amazon who will never try and stab them in the back as Apple seems to be attempting.
I just want a nice general use computing slate device with full color. If Amazon builds one I will give it a lot of consideration. But I am not like Apple people, I will look at what it fails to provide and decide if I personally need the items left off the brag sheet rather than letting someone else tell me what I need.
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