TechCrunch: Amazon’s Kindle Tablet Is Very Real

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by molman

I can't believe that you guys are still getting mileage out of this. I feel like we're at the wait and see stage as it really isn't all that long now if the rumours bear fruit.

We can't help it. It's a sickness.

Kinda fun, though.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Well, if you like the Amazon experience .... You may not but there are a gazillion people who do. They will be very happy to buy this offering.
I think the NC 2 will be to the NC 1 as the iPad 2 to the iPad 1- an evolutionary bump up. Why screw around with success?

For me the "Amazon experience" involves looking out my window for the UPS truck. I'm not quite sure how the Amazon ecosystem (if it can be called that at this point) will play out on a portable computing device.

On a side note: the whole "it's just a Nook Color" thing just has to go (not referring to you, just the general commentary). Anyone who thinks Amazon is gonna release a device that merely matches the level of NC's hardware..well. Seriously. The world exists. Pay attention to it.

[GreenMonkey]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

For me the "Amazon experience" involves looking out my window for the UPS truck. I'm not quite sure how the Amazon ecosystem (if it can be called that at this point) will play out on a portable computing device.

On a side note: the whole "it's just a Nook Color" thing just has to go (not referring to you, just the general commentary). Anyone who thinks Amazon is gonna release a device that merely matches the level of NC's hardware..well. Seriously. The world exists. Pay attention to it.

It's pretty obvious it's a NC like device. I understand this. I honestly feel like my CM7 NC does everything I want in a tablet. I pretty much use it for surfing (recipes while cooking), Gmail, GAMEFAQs or Youtube for gaming on my Xbox or whatever sometimes, and that's about it. I do have a few games on there for my kids, and they will use Netflix one in a while (although normally that's the wife's iPad's duty).

To me, a tablet isn't a revolutionary gadget with all of these awesome apps. It's just a mobile web device of a sort.

And I ran rooted for months, and I still buy B&N books on the rare occasions that I buy a DRM'd book (mainly history books for school) - gotta support the company so they keep updating the Nook and NC!

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

And I ran rooted for months, and I still buy B&N books on the rare occasions that I buy a DRM'd book (mainly history books for school) - gotta support the company so they keep updating the Nook and NC!

I wiped all traces of B&N (except for the Nook app) off my Color. It's replaced my netbook for all of my mobile needs. My netbook, in turn, has been demoted and its only role now is backup to my desktop.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

It's pretty obvious it's a NC like device. I understand this.

Well yes it appears to be essentially in the same category. The Nook Color 2 will also be a Nook color like device. Doesn't mean it's its equal. It's not "just a Nook Color with a '2' after the name."

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by OtterBooks

For me the "Amazon experience" involves looking out my window for the UPS truck. I'm not quite sure how the Amazon ecosystem (if it can be called that at this point) will play out on a portable computing device.

On a side note: the whole "it's just a Nook Color" thing just has to go (not referring to you, just the general commentary). Anyone who thinks Amazon is gonna release a device that merely matches the level of NC's hardware..well. Seriously. The world exists. Pay attention to it.

Well, you use a Kindle, right? So your Amazon experience is really much more than looking ffor the ups truck. Once you have a tablet, you will (Amazon hopes) try some games, order stuff while on the go, buy and listen to some music, maybe stream a video at the airport, etc. Virtually every time you use the tablet, there will be an opportunity to buy something from Amazon.and if you check your email, there will be some helpful reminders from Amazon of stuff you might like to buy. Oh, they will have ways of getting you to spend money....
Frankly, there is nothing wrong with Amazon putting out there a maybe slightly better version of the NC . So far, millions of peeople have in fact bought a NC . Imitation is the sincerest frm of flattery, and I believe Amason is going to flatter B&N ..

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by GreenMonkey

It's pretty obvious it's a NC like device. I understand this. I honestly feel like my CM7 NC does everything I want in a tablet. I pretty much use it for surfing (recipes while cooking), Gmail, GAMEFAQs or Youtube for gaming on my Xbox or whatever sometimes, and that's about it. I do have a few games on there for my kids, and they will use Netflix one in a while (although normally that's the wife's iPad's duty).

To me, a tablet isn't a revolutionary gadget with all of these awesome apps. It's just a mobile web device of a sort.

And I ran rooted for months, and I still buy B&N books on the rare occasions that I buy a DRM'd book (mainly history books for school) - gotta support the company so they keep updating the Nook and NC!

Glad you still support them. B&N took a risk being as " open" as they did, and I speculated above that they didn't really get much love from the geeks who rooted their tablet and did everything but buy from them. That keeps happening, and they may just forget about including an SD card in the next NC upgrade.

[OtterBooks]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Well, you use a Kindle, right? So your Amazon experience is really much more than looking ffor the ups truck. Once you have a tablet, you will (Amazon hopes) try some games, order stuff while on the go, buy and listen to some music, maybe stream a video at the airport, etc. Virtually every time you use the tablet, there will be an opportunity to buy something from Amazon.and if you check your email, there will be some helpful reminders from Amazon of stuff you might like to buy. Oh, they will have ways of getting you to spend money....

I guess that's an Amazon experience of sorts. I click on the 1-Click ordering button then open up the ebook on my Kindle. I have no doubt that if I owned their tablet, I would feel much more involved in the Amazon Experience.

But it still doesn't get any better than seeing that UPS truck arrive. Actually I hate UPS and wish Amazon still used USPS.

[tubemonkey]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Glad you still support them. B&N took a risk being as " open" as they did, and I speculated above that they didn't really get much love from the geeks who rooted their tablet and did everything but buy from them. That keeps happening, and they may just forget about including an SD card in the next NC upgrade.

I bought my Nook Color from Best Buy and it's the only B&N product I've ever purchased from anyone. I'm sure it doesn't thrill them.

[stonetools]

According to Tim Carmody, Android's new KTab is but the next step toward's Android's inexorable march toward WORLD DOMINATION:

Now that Amazon controls the end-to-end relationship between suppliers of goods stacked in its warehouses and consumers of those goods using its devices, Amazon’s next opportunity is to eliminate anyone who stands as a bottleneck between the two.

It’s already well underway with books. Amazon’s long offered authors various models to self-publish, giving them a generous cut in exchange for conditions that help keep e-book prices low. Now it’s developing its own imprint to work directly with authors and agents. J.K. Rowling’s Pottermore was publishing’s “Radiohead” moment, showing that major authors, too, didn’t have to play with traditional publishers to deliver e-books to readers.

How far is Amazon willing to take this? Amazon’s experience has shown that books can in turn provide a template for all kinds of media and other goods.

For instance, imagine an analog to Amazon’s self-publishing services: Why not make an independent movie or television show and release it through Amazon? Once the video is hosted on Amazon’s servers, it’s available for immediate digital download or streaming through Prime to desktops, tablets or set-top boxes. Both streaming and downloads promise a revenue share for content creators. Customers could buy a Blu-ray or DVD that Amazon burns and ships on demand — no storage, no overhead.

A lot of this video content would be vanity crap. But it could also be the next Funny Or Die or Channel 101. The breadth and independence of buying choices could easily differentiate Amazon from traditional studios — or even for those studios themselves, from competing services like Netflix.

You can extrapolate this to any kind of media, from music to magazines, to physical goods like groceries (one area where Amazon’s never really been able to turn the corner), or to software — anything that can be hosted, stored or delivered. All of it fronted by Amazon’s user accounts, credit cards and retail systems. It’s iTunes, but more.

WIRED

I think he is right about a lot of Amazon's strategy, although I think he is wrong about some of the details. But I agree that the KTab is not really meant to be the next iPad killer: what Amazon is aiming at is to be the Walmart killer- a much bigger goal.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by stonetools

I think he is right about a lot of Amazon's strategy, although I think he is wrong about some of the details. But I agree that the KTab is not really meant to be the next iPad killer: what Amazon is aiming at is to be the Walmart killer- a much bigger goal.

So the optimal strategy isn’t a whole fleet of seven-inch Android tablets competing with each other on trivial price and feature differences on the shelf at Best Buy.

I was in our local Fry's electronics, and was amazed at the number of tablets they have lined up for sale-way more than even discussed on this board.

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by kjk

I was in our local Fry's electronics, and was amazed at the number of tablets they have lined up for sale-way more than even discussed on this board.

Most will almost certainly not be there in a few months time. Its all about whether they are backed up by an identifiable, closely integrated ecosystem. the folks who obsess about particular hardware specs miss that.
The writer sees a succession of Amazion branded tablets made by other manufacturers in the near future: I don't foresee that. But there will be a 10" tablet aimed at gamers and video. I also predict an ipod touch like device focused on music, assuming the other two take off.

[boswd]

Originally Posted by stonetools

Most will almost certainly not be there in a few months time. Its all about whether they are backed up by an identifiable, closely integrated ecosystem. the folks who obsess about particular hardware specs miss that.
The writer sees a succession of Amazion branded tablets made by other manufacturers in the near future: I don't foresee that. But there will be a 10" tablet aimed at gamers and video. I also predict an ipod touch like device focused on music, assuming the other two take off.

You do know that the Android Market has an ecosytem of
Apps
Movies
Books
Games

don't you?

https://market.android.com/

add to that the support for amazon MP3, Netflix, Hulu+,Blockbuster, Nook, kindle, Kobo and sonyreader apps and what you have is a much more versatile and more open ecosystem than what you get with iOS which is iTunes or nothing.

You keep speaking as if you buy an android tablet and then you have nothing to put on it.

[Ditchleyportrait]

i have a question.
will there be free 3g for web browsing? sounds like that would be impossible. ppl would probably stop paying for internet.

[OtterBooks]

New Velocity Micro Cruz for $240. link.
Amazon Appstore App pre-installed. interesting. That gets even more significant as I think about it. Amazon's appstore pre-installed on a non-Amazon device, not Google's.