Quote:
Originally Posted by wizwor
Hard to believe anyone would try to credit Apple for the current state of the table market.
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Saying they *accidentally* validated something is hardly crediting them for anything.
But the fact is that the popularity of both the bigger phones and smaller tablets is not being lost on the screen manufacturers; which is why Nook was able to get a 900P 7in screen that is not in general use anywhere else. A big change from the days when all tablets had to use either DVD-player or netbook screens.
With the Mini as a target, second and third tier vendors will likely leave the mobility market to the big phones (and the dirt-cheap generics--there's a bloodbath coming at 7inches) and instead focus on the 8in market as a more viable market than the 10inchers. The way the wind is blowing, by the second half of the year we'll see SXGA and UXGA screens in the 4x3 8inchers and 900P and FullHD in the 16x10 models, all at sub-Mini prices. (Say $200-250.) And, at the same time, lower weights.
Both variants will make for excellent home ebook readers and with the bubble of $99 WVGA 7inchers we can expect a lot more pressure on the eink devices. Which will likely have to respond by going lower in prices. (These things ripple out.)