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Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

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Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#141
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I need a good reason to buy a netbook over an iPad? A proper SSH/NX client, full keyboard, full (and choice of) operating system, input/output ports, all for less money?

Most of the world doesn't need an ssh client, they hardly type much at all, don't care that they can put uber-linux 2.8.7.rockin-beta.rc18 on it, never hook anything more than a camera up to it and, well, yes, there is the money bit. I'm a developer and the last thing I want when i'm relaxing on the couch, on a trip, etc. is a laptop that gets hot, has a tiny screen, and has a horrible form factor for consuming the t…

I have to disagree with you on form factor while sitting. I find a laptop better than or equal (larger screen + supports itself at a wide range of viewing angles)

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#142
I'm amazed by the insight in this article. I'm not generally a huge Gruber fan (nor a hater, I just don't find "Apple released a new x, here's my reaction" very nourishing). But in this I felt like he really nailed the state of tablets and why the Fire will do well and the others won't. Really good stuff.

Sadly not analysed is that his central point, taken to its logical conclusion, gives you an obvious field for new iPad competitors. He's correct - nobody's going to beat Apple in hardware design. Nobody's going to beat Apple (for a while anyway) in app market size. What can they beat Apple at? Price and content.

Price and content means Sony, Nintendo, Disney, any of the big content players with an untapped market for specific tablets. I don't know if they'll go that way, but there's every reason to think they'd win out if they did.

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#143
post #85
post #65

Earlier quoted context omitted.

You don't understand because it's bullshit from a notoriously biased source. The iPad is high end, Fire is low end. But if the iPad "replaces laptops" so will the Fire. There's no argument.

Here's an argument: Newegg offers 127 netbooks. Newegg offers 2 netbooks with a screen under 9 inches, 1 with a screen under 8 inches.

Netbooks are also constrained by a usable keyboard size, and when you've made the machine that big, might as well put in the same size screen.

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#144
post #132

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most of the world doesn't need an ssh client, they hardly type much at all, don't care that they can put uber-linux 2.8.7.rockin-beta.rc18 on it, never hook anything more than a camera up to it and, well, yes, there is the money bit. I'm a developer and the last thing I want when i'm relaxing on the couch, on a trip, etc. is a laptop that gets hot, has a tiny screen, and has a horrible form factor for consuming the t…

I have to disagree with you on form factor while sitting. I find a laptop better than or equal (larger screen + supports itself at a wide range of viewing angles)

It's all personal preference. I hate the laptop form factor in general, but once you add the heat they put off it's a deal breaker for me.

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#146

I don't understand this:"The iPad is a credible laptop replacement for many people and with iCloud and another year or two of hardware improvements, that’s going to be true for more and more people. The Kindle Fire is a laptop replacement for almost no one. It’s a peripheral, not a second computer and it’s priced accordingly. " What is it that makes the iPad a possible laptop replacement, but the Fire not? To me, the…

What is it that makes the iPad a possible laptop replacement, but the Fire not? I don't think the iPad is that much more a real laptop replacement than the Fire. I think people bill it as one to themselves to help justify paying for an iPad.

That doesn't make any sense. If people had a hard time justifying purchasing an iPad, it wouldn't be the astounding success that it is.

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#147

I'm amazed by the insight in this article. I'm not generally a huge Gruber fan (nor a hater, I just don't find "Apple released a new x, here's my reaction" very nourishing). But in this I felt like he really nailed the state of tablets and why the Fire will do well and the others won't. Really good stuff. Sadly not analysed is that his central point, taken to its logical conclusion, gives you an obvious field for new…

Can't see Disney taking on Apple any time soon - at least not 100% of their board would approve

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#148
post #32
post #11

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Despite 10 years of evidence to the contrary people keep telling themselves that Apple is going to change their device pricing due to pressure from the rest of the market. Good luck this time.

I think Apple's pricing in relationship to other brands is changing. They have historically been seen as a premium brand and were priced accordingly. These days though, they tend to be much more on price-parity or even winning on price. Take a look at how the iMac compares to other premium all-in-one machines? Fairly close. Then the iPad - when the Android competitors were coming out we kept saying how they'd have to…

I agree, and I think that we're going to see a lot more of that now that Tim Cook, 'Mr Supply Chain', is in charge.

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#149

Any idea on details around this: Over 100,000 movies and TV shows, including thousands of new releases and your favorite TV shows, are available to stream or download, purchase or rent - all just one tap away. Amazon Prime members enjoy unlimited, commercial-free streaming of over 10,000 popular movies and TV shows. As a Netflix user, I know first-hand that quantity doesn't necessarily mean quality. Any idea on what…

For the free options, the movie selection is decent, and the TV selection is pretty awful. Lots of back catalog stuff, like 270 episodes of Cheers, but only a few series from recent years.

But OTOH, I paid for Prime when it didn't have any streaming, and thought it was worth it, so I don't have high expectations.

Re: Daring Fireball: Amazon's New Kindles

#150
post #8

He's crazy to assume that the Kindle Fire isn't competitive with the iPad, or that the $199 price point isn't going to at least partially inform the pricing of the iPad 3. The days of the $700 tablet are over.

He's not crazy and that conclusion is not unique to gruber. The screen area of the iPad is nearly 2x that of the fire. Resolution is 1.3x but pixel density will increase on iPad3. They are about as competitive as a 15" laptop is to a netbook: not very as they are physically quite different. The price difference reflects this.

Let me quote something that was said about the iPod on its launch:

"No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame."

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