Amazon just announced its new color media tablet called the Fire…which, at $199, is cheaper than the Nook Color by Barnes & Nobel and much cheaper than the Apple iPad. According to reports, the Android-powered tablet has a 7-inch touchscreen powered by Google’s Android OS. The Fire will be able to access Amazon’s app store where users can download books, music, movies and apps.
Analysts doubt that the Fire will dethrone the iPad which current has more than 70% of the tablet market share. However, other tablet makers will most certainly feel the squeeze from this new entry. Unlike the iPad, the Fire does not have a camera (still or video) and is intended for consumption, not creation. While later models may add features, the current product is aiming for a different audience than those who are in the market for an iPad.
The Fire also has a new browser called Amazon Silk. Web surfing will be faster because of Amazon’s decision to incorporate its “Cloud” of EC2 servers to enhance the browser’s performance. This decision may speed up browsing, but already has some industry experts expressing concerns about privacy.
The Kindle Fire is expected to be available in mid November…just in time for the Christmas shopping season. And for those of you who want your media content experience when you want it, where you want it, and on a screen larger than your smart phone, the Fire may be something to consider.
UPDATE 10.3.11: Here’s a chart comparing e-Book readers.
While I think both iPads and Kindle Fire’s are nice products I haven’t seen the need yet to purchase either one. While I think the iPad has a lot of great features on it, I have not had the desire to set aside the money for that when I have a Macbook Pro that does exactly what I want. I think it is a great advance in technology that we are able to have our movies, books, magazines, music, internet browsing, etc. all in the same place. But probably part of the reason I haven’t been compelled to buy one yet is I still really enjoy physical books and magazines. Yes I think the convenience of having them all in the same place is great but when you still have to pay about the same price for the digital product, I would rather have physical product I can hold. At the moment that is also cheaper than me having to set down $200 – 600 for some sort of tablet and then still have to pay for the digital content that is about the same price as physical book or magazine. But it will be interesting to see how things change in the next few years and how tablets may be used for a lot of other things. I personally think it will be said to see a lot of these print items be replaced, but that’s what technology does is change the way we use things.
I really like the Kindle Fire, it is a great tablet. It has a lot of good functions on it and it is really easy to use if you are new to technology.I also like the internet browser. The Fire runs smooth and fast and it is a good runner up compared to the iPad. I really enjoy how easy it is to use all of the functions it has. It is also nice because it is inexpensive and works great.
I think it is great that Amazon is coming out up with a cheaper tablet compared to ones that already exist. But some people may wonder how well the Kindle Fire will do, since Apple has such reliable, and devoted consumerswith their iPad. However, some people may be turned away from the Kindle due to the fact that it does not have some of the gadgets that the iPad has. I personally feel the Kindle would be a good choice for someone who is looking for a cheaper and more basic choice compared to the iPad since they pretty much offer the same purpose. Hopefully the Kindle fire will do well and not be over powered by other tablet brands.
The Kindle Fire seems to be target marketing a primarily older generation, which in their case is very smart. With the iPad taking more than 70% of the tablet market share, it is safe to say that it would be extremely hard to compete head to head with them. The Kindle Fire offers a great price, which even can be considered on the low side for what it is offering. The colored screen and faster web surfing is a huge jump from the Kindle. I think Amazon has the right idea on where they are headed with their product.
The Kindle Fire is a good tablet at a good price. I think it has a good target market aimed primarily at adults 35 and older who might not have the technological skills to operate a more advanced tablet, or might not need the more creative Ipad. The price is certainly reasonable and it’s becomming one of the more popular tablets out there. I’m also happy to see the Kindle in color I thought the black and white was a little hard to read (I have an aunt who has one). All around I think this is going to be a very popular item for a large demographic.
This looks like a great product but it really has no creditability. Just about every smart phone out there besides the new windows phone and the iphone are loaded with the android operating system. Over the past year there has been almost a new release of a different kind of android phone that is supposedly better then the current one that you have.This hasn’t been any different with tablets either. so why should this new kindle fire be any different? why wont this one be outdated in a month like most products with android loaded on it?It seems as if every month there is a new version of the droid released.I feel as if on the release of the kindle fire it was already out of date by not being able to take photos. however at half the price of an ipad i understand that is something that some people are willing to give up.These days it seems as most company are following in the footsteps of apple.I do believe that this is the tablet for a lot of people out there that are just trying to simply be entertained at a fair price.
This is a perfect example of the perks of New Media: a lower cost and more distribution. Being only for consumption, the Fire exposes consumers and users to a wide variety of media, while on the other hand the iPad has other options that could deviate from consumption. Apple’s ingenuity is promoting the creativity that people have, but that’s not the real intention. Regardless, the lack of options compared to other tablets doesn’t even put the Fire in the same market as the iPad. The better comparison would be against the Nook and other consumption-oriented tablets. As far as that market is concerned the Fire will flourish, but as Alexander has said it’s only a matter of time before its put down again by its competitors’ new installments.
And so continues the endless war of media dominance…
I knew Steve Jobs was in increasingly poor health, but when I posted on this topic of the new Amazon Fire, I didn’t know he would literally pass away only a couple of days later. He was an interesting character, and there is no question the world is different with him gone. I initially wrote that creative geniuses were in short supply, and I didn’t think Apple would continue to be the innovative company it seemingly is today. I’ve been watching and listening to much of the hero worship and butt kissing discourse going on in the talk show circuit surrounding Job’s passing, and I feel it necessary to expound upon my earlier post. Here’s why I classify Jobs “genius” differently than the inumerable boot-lickers out there:
First, Jobs was mythologized in the business world as the arbiter of everything innovative and artistic in the consumer technology realm while still alive, and he made a lot of folks very rich. This made him a God in the business world, a living magical being whose career missteps were forgotten the moment he produced the right combination of products to dominate the market. Sheepish business people think this way, and in this manner, even the guy who invented the pet rock is a “genius.” And Job’s genius, in my opinion, was less about a meaningful contribution of technology to society in the humanitarian sense and more restricted to the form of marketing wizardry that simple people worship in our consumer culture.
Really, all Jobs did was redefine and make mystical the way consumer electronics should be sold in the digital age. Jobs clued in to the magical-thinking mindset of average consumers already highly susceptible to trading ordinary human experience for virtual experience. He designed products that were aesthetically beautiful more than they were beautifully practical; meaning, we could only have the latest upgrades if we were willing to repurchase the latest version of the initial design. This is actually quite a frivolous process in the long run, and it probably cancels out any benefit to people in the long run.
Jobs turned Apple into a designer brand, like Ferrari or IKEA, and gullible consumers were more than willing to pay the premium to have their identities attached to his unique brand of style and taste. Using the not so knew tactic of successive approximation, Job’s was able to develop a business model in which he constantly reinvented the mouse trap, adding new pieces of cheese to the trap’s design, requiring the mice themselves to cough up more cheddar to be a part of the iP…??? revolution. That is genius no matter how you spin it. And he does deserve recognition. He was likened to such people as Thomas Alva Edison among others, which I find a tad absurd but understandable considering the lack of genuine originality of leaders in our modern and highly homogenized culture.
The Amazon kindle too is a reflection of such homogenization. I think someone described it as a stop-gap type product. Anyhow, either way there will be yet another iteration of both Kindle and iPad gizmos in a matter of mere months, and my thought that Apple’s dominance may cease will depend on the company’s new leaders ability to capitalize on the mythology of Jobs and the magisteria mindframe of consumer sheeple.
I think this is a very interesting new tablet. Even though it doesnt do quite as much as the IPad, it still offers a good service to many people who cant neccessarily afford the IPad. Being that its cheaper the the Nook, and IPad, its powered by Android, and is App capable, I believe there wiil be a fairly large market for the new tablet. Those who dont want to spend the high priced dollar of the IPad and want something more fucntional than the Nook, now have an in between product. Obviously waiting til November to release the tablet for Christmas season is a smart idea, albeit all products seem to use that marketing technique. I think Kindle will do just fine in sales, as someone mentioned before me, this could serve as a nice starter tablet, before they eventually move to the IPad.
I think the affordability definitely plays a large role in the success of the Amazon Kindle. The iPad is the cool kid on the block at the moment, but it is extremely expensive. I think the Kindle will only keep this success until the iPad is able to lower it’s price.
The Kindle Fire is a great idea, however I don’t think it will give Apple too much of a run for it’s money. Apple has just been around longer and has a bigger audience than Amazon and it’s Kindle. Although I believe when it first comes out, it will give Apple a run for their money, I doubt that the fire will exactly last for the latest Kindle. It’s just that the Kindle is for a different audience, the “book lovers” audience, this is mainly just to give them any book they want, where they want it, right at their finger tips. And well Apples iPad does the same thing, but adds the fact of any computer media when and where they want it at their finger tips. So good luck Kindle Fire.
The Kindle does sound like a great idea, However people are still programmed by brand power, The Kindle is a cool new product but I don’t think the flair of it will last too long considering new technology comes out just about daily and more people buy apple products and trust them to last. Apple has made a name for itself and the ipad and ipad 2 are more common. The tablet is affordable and has many new and exciting features available.
This Kindle “Fire” does sound like a good idea. I myself am not big on tablets like some other users have mentioned here, however, this does sound promising. The price range is also pretty solid. The features seem nice too like having amazon silk installed on the tablet. Looking forward to see how the Kindle competes with the Ipad this holiday season. May the best tablet win.
I truly belive that the only reason why this tablet is doing so well is because of how affordable it is. Yes it has alot of increadible features but, the Ipad has more that are more efficient. The kindle will only compete with the i pad because of its low prices. But, if I pad was to match the kindles prices then the Kindle wouldn’t stand a chance.
The Tablet has more competition this holiday season. The Amazon kindle is cheaper then Apple i pad but doesnt have all the high tech features. I think Apple will see this new Amazon Kindle as a threat and will try to advance the i pad at the first of the year.
the new Amazon kindle is a very good idea with it being cheap. but i would never compare it to an Apple i pad. the kindle has many new features such as a touch screen witch makes one wonder was Amazon doing this to compete with competition being Apple
I think Amazon has some good marketing techniques. This new Kindle is like the Penny Press of eReader technology. The price is convenient enough for a vast audience to be able to purchase it, in comparison to the other eReaders that are available. If I had the money to buy the more expensive Kindle, the iPad, or this new Kindle, I would most likely buy this one; although the iPad does sound pretty awesome. It would be a tough decision.
I don’t believe that the Kindle will come close to the iPad simply because Apple have had this product for almost two years now and they already have a people who only buy apple products. Have you ever heard of that old saying,”you get what you paid for.”? With the Kindle being cheaper then the iPad, it will probably sell more products this Christmas. But lets see which product last longer, my money is on the iPad.
In today’s society, consumers are more interested in creating than consuming. This is one reason why The ipad will remain the staple tablet. Another reason the Fire falters where the ipad thrives is that Apple has a huge and loyal consumer base. The Fire by Kindle will give other tablets, a run for their money though. With that said, the small percentage of consumers who have not been brainwashed by apple will see the Fire for what it is, an amazing, affordable, cutting edge tablet.
I am going to go with the experts on this one.
The iPad simply has too much of a grip on the market. Even if the Fire was superior and had been released at the same time as the iPad, it would still be at a great disadvantage because the iPad is made by Apple, and some buy Apple just for that reason.
It is good to see another company enter the tablet market, however. The interface (information indicated by other sites) seems very nice, plus the usage of Google’s Android is welcome. Possibly the greatest thing is that the Fire will support Flash.
So in the end, it seems to be a solid product, but it will probably not sell as well as it should against the iPad.
This is just one example for Amazon to possibly be a threat to Apple. These days it is too expensive to shop full price anymore. Since the IPad came out, I have personally known about a handful of people that have purchased one. This is the perfect way to come out with virtually the same product but instead, it’s cheaper. The new Kindle will be on everyone’s wish list this December.
Its fascinating that finally a decent product is coming out that can steal the lower 30% of the market. The real question is however is if this product will take business from the ipdad? Though i am a proud supporter of Mac products, this new product can have potential if the circumstance are right. Currently we are in a economic situation which can have a great impact on the two products. If the economy was to increase and more money was circualting then i feel that people wouldnt want the 2nd best thing when they can have the best, an ipad. However if the economy was to take anymore of a dip then i wouldnt be surprised the fire to take a strong reign. Regardless of what the economic situation is people will always have a demand for technology, its apart of our American culture. However the budget that each person can spend may have a serious impact on who buys what. If i was having a hard fiancial situation and wanted a quality device that gives me the most for my money i would buy the fire, even though it may be not be as durable, or sophisticated as an ipad.
The Amazon Kindle is going to be a great breakthrough of new technology. It is cheaper then the Ipad and is going to be on the market near the holidays which is a plus. However, I do not think that the Kindle will be able to be as successful as the Itunes Ipad. Apple has been around for more than a decade and has been able to grow a pretty big fanbase over the years but, the Kindle will give other companies a run for their money. We’ll just have to wait and see come November.
The amazon kindle is a brilliant idea. because of the econmy being at an all time low many people will be interested in the cheap price of it only being $199. in mass comm when we watch all the videos of new technologies and new ideas of iphones and ipads it seems as if everything will keep rising in expense. as a poor college student seeing the amazon kindle only being $199 and having almost all of the features of an ipad gives me hope.
The new Amazon Kindle Fire is a very practical idea. I don’t know if they are using the same idea as they did when there was the a computer in every home marketing strategy. The fact that it is only $199 will get a lot of attention from consumers but still not come even close to the Ipad. As stated above this product is pointed toward a different audience, consumption not creation. This could ether help or hurt the sells of this product but the people that buy this tablet will probably be a more practical audience. All in all this a great idea.
This tablet will end up being a huge impact when it comes to the holiday seaon when it comes to the tablets sales. By being cheaper than the ipad and having driod capabilites it makes it a catinder of the ipad who caries most of the tablet sales. Also this amazon kindle will allow more availablity to the public since it is cheaper which alot more people will be wanting to buy it. This Amazon Kindle Fire launches the first counterattack to apples ipad.
Even if its not made by Apple its still going to make money, Americans and other buyers are looking for cheaper. For example, I’m not going to buy something that is exactly the same, even if its faster; I’m looking for something cheaper than can get the job done. Too many Americans are sold on what the name is, we should go off of what it can do and the amount of money it is not the name. Besides its called “Fire” who wouldn’t want that.
Yet another company in the running for consumers. Amazon’s Kindle i feel will definitly create revenue even though it is not an apple product. Sure The Ipad has a camera on it and the Kindle doesn’t, but if you want to have a giant smart phone in your possession this seems like a great buy. Also being alot cheaper than the Ipad may have people waiting till November to purchase one. I like this, companies will keep continuing to take shots at apple products, and now that Steve Jobs is out of the picture, lets see what apple has instore for its future products. May the best company win.
I believe that Amazon’s new Kindle will be a pretty big “hit” but I don’t think it will come near to overthrowing Apple’s iPad. LIke it said in the article, iPads control 70 percent of all tablet devices and I don’t believe many, if any, people are going to trade their iPads in for this new Kindle. However, I do believe that the new Kindle will have success, but I think it will be for a different audience than those who use the iPads. I also believe that because of this new Kindle, the other tablets will suffer in the end. Overall, I don’t think Apple has to worry about this new Kindle being a threat, at least not now or in the near future.
I have a hunch that Amazon is going to take off and surpass Apple in its success, now that Steven Jobs has left the building. Jobs was an innovative, dependable man who could always be relied on to be inventing new and improved gadgets for Apple to sell at outrageously high prices. Now it is Amazon’s turn to step up to the plate and put Apple’s Geniuses to the test with the Kindle Fire and Kindle Touch.
This is a very interesting product, however I do not see myself buying anything like this or the IPAD any time soon. It just seems like a new version comes out every so often, one would have to spend a ton of money to stay current with their favorite product. However Amazon does have a pretty impressive tablet here and the launch date being arounfd the holiday season is something that everyone loves, and is very convenient. I guess only time will tell what happens to its competetors once the FIRE is on the market. But with all of these constant upgrades, the value of the printed book is deminishing at a rapid rate. It will be a sad day when books, which have been a very integral part of our culture, become completely irrelevant.
personally, i think this is a great idea, not only is it coming out right before christmas, but it’s also a very cheap for a pad! being that the eceonmy is at an all time low, the price is more then reasonable! the only bad thing about it is, that there is no camera… on mostly every other pad, they’re made with cameras, so if a customer wants a camera, then they’re out of luck with this one. ipads are only selling so easily, because the brand. apple is a top seller and customers want the best.
I think this product will have a great role in the world today. It is less expensive than the apple ipad and is very easy to use. It appears to have some downfalls compared to the ipad though. The Fire doesnt have a camera which will be, in my opinion, a big factor in which people will purchase it. This tablet is used for the main purpose of downloading books and surfing the internet. I am very intersted in seeing the comments people will have about this new tablet.
I believe this product is perfect for the people who want an iPad like product, yet can’t pay an iPad like price. The problem is, however, the iPad is such a slick product that most people think they can afford it often with justification. It seems to me that all advertisement has framed this product as “first loser” or good enough to settle for, I believe this may make the Fire look less desirable to consumers, That all said the Fire seems to be a great problem and will likely attract a niche audience, and due to its holiday release it will perform very well in sales. In the future there is a good chance that Amazon is just getting started and will soon roll out more competative products. The only question remains, where is Walmart’s tablet??
I think that the price and performances on the “Fire” will be a very well sold product. It is inexpensive, easy to use, and has just as many features as the iPad or any other android tablets out there. The down fall is that it doesn’t have a camera and people may be upset with that but other people will not, and will only want it for it does. This product will be a big seller and is coming about right in time for the madness of holiday shopping.
Apple products own most of thier market (MP3, Tablets, Smart Phones, Computers) I don’t understand why amazon and Apple couldn’t come up with a partnership and add both features in the ipad 3 or something. I think the “fire” won’t even compare to the ipad and consumers that bought the “fire” will wonder if they should have bought the Apple product.
This sounds very interesting, and would like to see weither it will steal away some of the market from the Ipad. I like the price of the “Fire” and the features sound interesting. I would like to see if they actually get it released in time for the Christmas shopping season, and I am sure the sales of the “Fire” will be out the door.
I believe that the “fire” is at a very affordable price.Many people will buy “fire” because of the price and because it is becoming available at the perfect time of the year. That will attract more people to buy it but Apple is a very trusted company. Apple has a very strong customer base. Alot of people love Apple and all they buy is Apple products. This is very good for Apple because of the inventions being put out there are very competitive.
This is pretty interesting. I think the feature that draws most consumers to the ipad is the fact that it has iTunes and that is the program that most people are used to having their music on. The iPad also obtains a lot of other features that the Fire doesn’t such as 4G connectivity. A camera is a pretty important part as well. It seems that nowadays everything has a camera and to leave that feature out of any sort of tablet doesn’t make much sense to me. It definitely would appeal to a difference audience, but so did the Kindle. I’m curious to see how the Fire will go over with the general population.
Meh, a crappy browser, no camera, no internal storage, no 3G/4G connectivity and no SD card slot = I’m not really interested…
however, this could be a good starter tablet for folk’s that really don’t look at videos when they web surf or really need a fully functional tablet..lol.. I’d buy this for my mom or dad for Christmas b/c they’re novices when it comes to tablets and the like… but would never seriously debate grabbing it for myself.
The Fire seems like it’s just merely a stop gap device that Amazon put out to cover the fact that they wouldn’t be able to put out their main tablet until the first quarter of 2012. Add to the fact that it’s (currently) non compatible with generic Google software/apps (this determines the longevity/upgradability of your device), the Nook at a $250 price tag probably is a smarter buy.
the marketing and advertisement team from amazon must be pretty smart! they are releasing a brand new gadget right before the holiday season that is sure to make tremendous sales and hopefully be competition for the ipad. it is also quite astounding the price difference between the two pieces of technology! i personally have wanted an ipad for school but have always wondered if i could get my school text books on an ipad, this also leads me to wonder the same thing about the fire! as for the question about its competition with the ipad i sadly would have to say that it has no chance, apple is the dominant name in technology! amazon may have made a fantastic product but apple still always takes the competition!
I’m personally very excited for this. I will probably not be owning one anytime soon because I’m simply not in the market for a tablet, but I’m still excited for anything that is taking a shot at Apple. I am not an apple fan, so I love seeing competing products. I think the Fire will definitely find its niche in the market and should sell very well. I don’t think it will unseat the iPad by any means, but I do think that a lower level tablet made for more simple entertainment has a well deserved spot in the market.
As we move further along in the technological age, more and more we see people using the electric alternative for even the simplest of things, like reading and writing. It has become more common to do such things like writing a paper for college or doing the research for that paper on a computer. I can’t remember the last time I did the alternative and went to the library to mine through shelves of books for relevant information- or handwritten a hardcopy to turn in. More than that, people who used journals and diaries now write it in their electronic notebook rather than their paper back one. It’s easy to say that we’re quickly becoming dependent on technology, but is this really a good thing? We’re to a point where trillions of bytes of information can be stored on something the size of your fingernail, and it can be destroyed just as easily. Technology may seem like something that is advancing the human race, but in truth it is really making him quite fragile, and easily erased.
It is nice that Amazon has come out with a much cheaper tablet than the iPad and other models, but I wish it was more geared toward creation. As a result, the iPad is probably still my favorite. However, for people who just want to surf the web and read articles and books, this is certainly a steal.
Amazon’s Kindle Fire is definitely going on the market a great time with Holidays rolling right around the corner. The upside of this new tablet is that it is cheaper which is a plus because of the toll the economy is taking on our wallets. It’ll be nice to be able to afford something that seems to offer most of the same features as Apple’s iPad. I believe that it will definitely give other competitors a run for their money. I do agree that because Apple is the prodominent name in technology they still will not be dethrone but a curve ball may be headed their way with a slight competition on their hands. I guess we’ll just have to see how everyone will respond.
You mentioned that it’s just in time for Christmas time but I doubt that this will be on many people’s Christmas list unless reading is your number one priority. Prime example my grandmother doesn’t really use the internet but when she does she’s reading, therefore this just happened to be on her Christmas list and my reason is valid to why it is. I feel that because it’s almost 300 dollars cheaper than the 32gb Ipad it should sell, yet it’s about name brand things. You make a very wonderful point, “analysts doubt that the Fire will dethrone the iPad” but it sure will make its way into the conversations of talking about kindles, nooks, iPads, and tablets.
I’ve never been too excited about tablets, but this is a pretty interesting and sudden change. Android is a good operating system and 200 bucks beats the competition to a pulp. I have to agree that this might kick the Ipad out just because of it’s low cost, but I can’t help wondering why it’s such a low cost in the first place. Is it just because of limited features or is there another reason? I guess the only way to find out is to get it or talk to someone who has it to be sure!
I personally love reading posts from folks that have so thouroghly swallowed the consumerism zeitgeist. Barf!
I love technology, but the fatal flaw in humankind’s usage of it is not designing it to be consistently upgradeable and universally compatible. This is a wholly intended design flaw recognizable in all the new technologies of the day (with few exceptions), and citizens accept it without fail. This allows people to be turned into cash cows, only to be hearded through the constant shopping cycle and slaughtered on holidays.
I get quite a kick out of listening to the Republican-supply-sider college student who sees the business world through rose colored glasses. And I feel sorry for the naive Liberal tech junkie who slobbers on que whenever a new gizmo is introduced.
I’m astonished that there are people in the punditsphere who think that measuring the wealth of a society can be assessed by determining how many people in the middle and lower classes own a microwave, an XBOX, a cell phone, a 25 mpg car, etc.
I’ve listened to many top CEO’s explain that they are concentrating their business efforts in other countries emerging economies because the markets in the U.S. are tapped out. Americans are in debt up to their eyeballs and can’t get anymore credit, so businesses are abandoning the good old U.S. But maybe some gullible dolts will buy the new Amazon Fire for their lame parents this Christmas.
Infinite growth from finite resources with entropy as the key design function of everything made. YAY.
Just in time for the holiday season, Apple has put a product on the market that is affordable for most consumers, and most every income level…..it is just great marketing at the perfect time. I think that with Steve Jobs retiring earlier this year with the same health issues that have plagued him over the last few years, Apple as a company was concerned that without Jobs, the average consumer would lose faith in the company. This will boost the company net profits for the 2011 year and they should come out of the holiday season in really good shape financially. I also think the idea that the Fire is just for consuming and not creating is a very viable marketing tool. Let’s face it, the majority of customers do not have all the technology savvy needed to use the Fire 100% if it was consume/create. However, since it is just for consumption, there will be many customers that will be willing to buy the product and learn the consumption details. While the technology may not seem difficult to the customers age 35 and under, it is definitely an issue for 35-55 and a purchase deterrent to most customers over 55. While this may not seem as important to some, it is the age group 55 and over that have the most disposable income to spend on non-essential items. So, maybe it is a good idea for younger consumers to talk with their grandparents about what they want the holiday season!
well they’re definitely putting the product on the market at a good time. like the article says the fire probably wont compete with the ipad, but with its price being somewhat reasonable it should sell pretty well in its market. I personally am not one of their targeted audiences unless they feel like giving me one for free.
This is interesting. I wonder how Apple will continue dominate the market. Jobs is retired….about to be expired, sad to say. Since creative geniuses are in very short supply, I don’t think Apple will continue to be such an innovative company.
Also, Dr. E. mentions an important distinction between the iPad and the Fire. One is designed simply to facilitate consumption, the other enables creative potential. Still, how many iPad users really use it to create? I’ve only ever seen people shopping with it. PCs, laptops, smartphones and the like have been around for some time now, and to a cynic like me, they haven’t induced an explosion of creativity as predicted. But I’ve noticed that econsumption has dramatically reshaped the shopping landscape. Anyone noticed how Pueblo’s strip malls look ever more abandoned? is etrade good for the economy, or bad?
I personally buy less and less goods locally. I buy a ton of books and many other items from Amazon, so I think they’ve nailed it with the fire; however, I won’t rush to buy one. Even though my clunky laptop seems obsolete.