MobileRead Forums - View Single Post - Would you sell or return your Kindle Fire for a hypothetical iPad 7 inches?

jsh1120 · 02-29-2012, 09:26 AM

I have both an iPad 2 and a KF, as well as a more "open" 4G/LTE Android phone that I can use as a hotspot with both my iPad and the KF. Don't intend to replace the iPad with an iPad 3 and wouldn't replace the KF with a 7" iPad. My reasons may be somewhat unique but here they are...

() I like having access to different software development "threads" so limiting myself to a single OS family is not for me. Android and iOS both have strengths and weaknesses. Neither is an environment I'm willing to commit myself to without another option.

() The biggest fundamental difference between the iPad and the KF, at least for me, is that the KF is content consumption device. Though not ideal, the iPad can be "stretched" to be a relatively useful content creation device. Not the equivalent of a laptop but it works in a pinch and for relatively uncomplicated content creation.

One of the iPad's advantages is bluetooth support for a physical keyboard. But another more subtle advantage is the fact that the iPad's screen is twice the size of the KF and the 4x3 aspect ratio of the iPad is far better than the near 16x9 format of the KF for content creation.

The weakness of a 7" iPad is that it sacrifices that advantage. So even if a "mini-iPad" retains the bluetooth connectivity of the larger iPad, it would still be a less satisfactory multipurpose tablet.

Make it an 8" form factor and it would still be less useful than the current iPad and would be less portable than the current KF.

() Price. I doubt seriously that Apple could/would price a mini-iPad for less than $300-$350. Higher than that price point and the gap between it and the full size iPad would be a problem. Less than $300 and Apple would have to make its profit on subsequent content, just as Amazon does. But Apple doesn't have the same breadth of content to sell, especially non-digital products.

So is a mini-iPad worth the $100-$150 price premium compared to a KF? Not to me. No doubt it will appeal to Apple fans, especially the iPod Touch crowd. (It would put the final nail in the coffin for that product, imo.) But I suspect it would be as serious a threat to the full-size iPad as to the KF (and other forthcoming low price Android tablets.) And I suspect that Apple agrees with that analysis. No point in selling a $300-$350 device to someone who otherwise would buy a $500-$700 device.

But how about other features like a camera and a microphone? Nope. I use my phone or another device I've discovered for taking photos. It's called a camera. A mic? Again, marginal value for me compared to functionality I already have in my phone. (Though forging a personal relationship with Siri is sometimes tempting.)

() Bottom line. Questions like this always come down (or should come down) to how a particular device fills a personal technology "gap." The current KF fits well between my smartphone and the iPad. A "mini-iPad" would add be redundant for me without significantly adding functionality or portability. It wouldn't match the iPad for content creation and wouldn't add much if any functionality compared to my KF at a considerably higher price.

02-29-2012, 09:26 AM	#33
jsh1120 Connoisseur Posts: 91 Karma: 10244 Join Date: Jan 2012 Location: Seattle, Washington USA Device: Kindle Fire	I have both an iPad 2 and a KF, as well as a more "open" 4G/LTE Android phone that I can use as a hotspot with both my iPad and the KF. Don't intend to replace the iPad with an iPad 3 and wouldn't replace the KF with a 7" iPad. My reasons may be somewhat unique but here they are... () I like having access to different software development "threads" so limiting myself to a single OS family is not for me. Android and iOS both have strengths and weaknesses. Neither is an environment I'm willing to commit myself to without another option. () The biggest fundamental difference between the iPad and the KF, at least for me, is that the KF is content consumption device. Though not ideal, the iPad can be "stretched" to be a relatively useful content creation device. Not the equivalent of a laptop but it works in a pinch and for relatively uncomplicated content creation. One of the iPad's advantages is bluetooth support for a physical keyboard. But another more subtle advantage is the fact that the iPad's screen is twice the size of the KF and the 4x3 aspect ratio of the iPad is far better than the near 16x9 format of the KF for content creation. The weakness of a 7" iPad is that it sacrifices that advantage. So even if a "mini-iPad" retains the bluetooth connectivity of the larger iPad, it would still be a less satisfactory multipurpose tablet. Make it an 8" form factor and it would still be less useful than the current iPad and would be less portable than the current KF. () Price. I doubt seriously that Apple could/would price a mini-iPad for less than $300-$350. Higher than that price point and the gap between it and the full size iPad would be a problem. Less than $300 and Apple would have to make its profit on subsequent content, just as Amazon does. But Apple doesn't have the same breadth of content to sell, especially non-digital products. So is a mini-iPad worth the $100-$150 price premium compared to a KF? Not to me. No doubt it will appeal to Apple fans, especially the iPod Touch crowd. (It would put the final nail in the coffin for that product, imo.) But I suspect it would be as serious a threat to the full-size iPad as to the KF (and other forthcoming low price Android tablets.) And I suspect that Apple agrees with that analysis. No point in selling a $300-$350 device to someone who otherwise would buy a $500-$700 device. But how about other features like a camera and a microphone? Nope. I use my phone or another device I've discovered for taking photos. It's called a camera. A mic? Again, marginal value for me compared to functionality I already have in my phone. (Though forging a personal relationship with Siri is sometimes tempting.) () Bottom line. Questions like this always come down (or should come down) to how a particular device fills a personal technology "gap." The current KF fits well between my smartphone and the iPad. A "mini-iPad" would add be redundant for me without significantly adding functionality or portability. It wouldn't match the iPad for content creation and wouldn't add much if any functionality compared to my KF at a considerably higher price.