An Apple Fanboy Looks at the New Kindles: John Gruber Comments

[stonetools]

John Gruber is maybe Apple's greatest fan, but he uses and likes a Kindle. His analysis of Apple and Amazon:

Back in June, Harry McCracken laid out the key question to ask of any tablet: “Why should somebody buy this instead of an iPad?” The Kindle Fire is interesting because it’s the first one with a good answer: it’s much cheaper, Amazon offers a digital content ecosystem that rivals Apple’s (fewer apps, more books), and millions of people already use and enjoy Kindle hardware. The e-ink Kindles are to the Kindle Fire what the music-playing iPods were to the iPhone, and what the iPhone was to the iPad — traction in the mass market based on trust and loyalty.

Amazon built an alternative to the iPad, rather than a direct competitor. It’s a different market segment. As Steve Jobs explained back in 2010 at the introduction of the original iPad, there’s unexplored territory between smartphones and laptops.

LINK

He goes on to analyze the new e-ink Kindles as well. Bottom line: likes the Kindle Touch, thinks the rest just clutter up the product line. RTWT: its good.

[tubemonkey]

Back in June, Harry McCracken laid out the key question to ask of any tablet: “Why should somebody buy this instead of an iPad?”

Because an iPad costs $500 and a Nook Color costs $250.

[frahse]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Because an iPad costs $500 and a Nook Color costs $250.

We won't talk about gray scale here because that is a different subject with different objectives.

So we are speaking only about COLOR tablets here:

Ipad is 10" and cheapest is $500
Kindle Fire is 7" and only price is $200

We don't know yet what the NC2 will be.

Some people, myself included, prefer the 7" or 6" size readers.
Apple in it's egotistical wisdom said only the 10" size gives the proper experience.
Well, ok, but how many customers want something smaller and more convenient. Apple threw away a segment of the market but perhaps they thought they would sell more of the more expensive tablets, and they sure have sold a lot. BUT that was in the beginning, and they could have sold anything.

The IPAD is a better computer than the Fire or the Nook, but it really isn't a computer, because it has no keyboard or mouse, but it does have the power whether you can use it or not. Like a sports car. People buy them but never can really fully utilize them.

I think for reading the 7" Fire is much better. Likewise the NC and the new (to come) NC2.

My problem is that the Fire doesn't have the limited free 3G.
I will wait for that.

And yes, the rumor is that Amazon has even more tablets in the pipeline. One or more will be 9 or 10 inches.

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by frahse

We won't talk about gray scale here because that is a different subject with different objectives.

So we are speaking only about COLOR tablets here:

Ipad is 10" and cheapest is $500
Kindle Fire is 7" and only price is $200

We don't know yet what the NC2 will be.

Some people, myself included, prefer the 7" or 6" size readers.
Apple in it's egotistical wisdom said only the 10" size gives the proper experience.
Well, ok, but how many customers want something smaller and more convenient. Apple threw away a segment of the market but perhaps they thought they would sell more of the more expensive tablets, and they sure have sold a lot. BUT that was in the beginning, and they could have sold anything.

The IPAD is a better computer than the Fire or the Nook, but it really isn't a computer, because it has no keyboard or mouse, but it does have the power whether you can use it or not. Like a sports car. People buy them but never can really fully utilize them.

I think for reading the 7" Fire is much better. Likewise the NC and the new (to come) NC2.

My problem is that the Fire doesn't have the limited free 3G.
I will wait for that.

And yes, the rumor is that Amazon has even more tablets in the pipeline. One or more will be 9 or 10 inches.

I utilize my iPad all day long, every day. Speak for yourself.

If you read the article, you'll see that the iPad and the Fireare aimed at different markets. THere are tens of millions of potential customers in each market.
An unrooted NC ( and most are) is a lot more limited than an iPad. Even rooted , its more limited.
As for 3G, you're going to wait a long time. Amazon isn't stupid. Downloading an ebook over 3G costs Amazon little: streaming movies to a tablet is an order of magnitude costlier.

[tothepoint]

Haven't HP discontinued their tablet due to lack of demand?

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by stonetools

...

If you read the article, you'll see that the iPad and the Fire are aimed at different markets. ....

OMG Did Hell just freeze over? Tool and I agree on something.

[monkeyluis]

Originally Posted by frahse

We won't talk about gray scale here because that is a different subject with different objectives.

Some people, myself included, prefer the 7" or 6" size readers.
Apple in it's egotistical wisdom said only the 10" size gives the proper experience.
Well, ok, but how many customers want something smaller and more convenient. Apple threw away a segment of the market but perhaps they thought they would sell more of the more expensive tablets, and they sure have sold a lot. BUT that was in the beginning, and they could have sold anything.

I don't know. 9.3 million people can't be wrong if they bought a 10in tablet. Yes 7in will appeal to some, but I don't think the majority. I think if you put a 7in ipad next to a 10in ipad, most people will opt for the 10in. I bet there would be a nominal difference in price too if one existed.

So I don't think Apple threw away anything, 9.3 million people speak otherwise.

We'll see how the fire does though, I want to get one myself, but alas, I already have 3 iPads. I can justify just about anything, but I don't know if I could get away with this one with my wife.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

We'll see how the fire does though, I want to get one myself, but alas, I already have 3 iPads. I can justify just about anything, but I don't know if I could get away with this one with my wife.

I know the feeling, I'm trying to justify a new ebook reader to my husband as I type this and it's not going well

[howyoudoin]

Originally Posted by monkeyluis

I don't know. 9.3 million people can't be wrong if they bought a 10in tablet. Yes 7in will appeal to some, but I don't think the majority. I think if you put a 7in ipad next to a 10in ipad, most people will opt for the 10in. I bet there would be a nominal difference in price too if one existed.

So I don't think Apple threw away anything, 9.3 million people speak otherwise.

We'll see how the fire does though, I want to get one myself, but alas, I already have 3 iPads. I can justify just about anything, but I don't know if I could get away with this one with my wife.

Do you think Apple would have sold any fewer tablets had they come up with a 7 inch tablet instead of a 10 inch one? People bought what was on the market.

[tomsem]

I will be surprised if we don't see a smaller, lighter iPad next year (as well as a larger higher resolution 'HD' version). The screen technology wasn't there when iPad1 shipped, but it is now.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Do you think Apple would have sold any fewer tablets had they come up with a 7 inch tablet instead of a 10 inch one? People bought what was on the market.

Maybe, maybe not but would they have been the same people... I have an Android 10" tablet as do other friends, some have an iPad... none of these people would have bothered with a device smaller than 9" as it wouldn't do what they wanted. Equally I have friends who have 7" tablet devices and they love them but they never bothered with 10" devices... different markets for different needs & requirements... you can't say that if Apple had released a 7" device that it would have met the wants of a 10" audience if it had been first or vice versa...

Different strokes for different folks... there is NO true "one way" only different needs, wants and usages...

[frahse]

Originally Posted by howyoudoin

Do you think Apple would have sold any fewer tablets had they come up with a 7 inch tablet instead of a 10 inch one? People bought what was on the market.

howyoudoin,

you are dead on target.

[avariel]

Both Amazon and B&N are said to be coming out with 10 inch tablets. That is where iPad's competition will come from, especially since we know both are willing to sell them at a very low price.

Originally Posted by tothepoint

Haven't HP discontinued their tablet due to lack of demand?

There was a "lack of demand" at $500, and then they dropped the price to $400 and the demand grew. Apparently the CEO came out and said that they wouldn't settle for anything less than #1 and when it didn't become the #1 seller, it was a disappointment. Then they axed it with all their WebOS devices.

They never even gave it a chance. Their CEO came from some corporate sales company and wanted to get rid of HP's home sales division. He got fired recently because of the fiasco he created.

[Chi Cygni]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I know the feeling, I'm trying to justify a new ebook reader to my husband as I type this and it's not going well

We are not married to the same guy? Does he also give you THE LOOK?

[witeowl]

Originally Posted by tubemonkey

Because an iPad costs $500 and a Nook Color costs $250.

Originally Posted by frahse

We won't talk about gray scale here because that is a different subject with different objectives.

So we are speaking only about COLOR tablets here:

Ipad is 10" and cheapest is $500
Kindle Fire is 7" and only price is $200

What is your point here? The Nook Color is a COLOR tablet. 7" and only price is $250.

The Kindle Fire may be the more successful 7" color tablet, particularly at a price point $50 below what the NC had and coming out with newer technology, but I'm not sure why you acted as if the NC is completely irrelevant to the iPad/Kindle comparison.