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Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

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Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#131

Post by jarek »

gbog wrote: post #46
muxxa wrote: post #30

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Audio is the core feature of the original iPod. Reading is the core feature of the Kindle. Reading from an lcd screen is a significantly worse experience than from e-ink. My point is that Amazon releasing the Kindle Fire is akin to if Apple released the iPod Touch (which had new features such as web browsing, youtube etc.) with degraded 8-bit audio.

I suppose you are right. Kindle brand could be stronger if tight to e-ink eye confort and even black and white, which make the thing austere and monacal, and not toyish like iPad. I don't know, is touchable e-ink coming in near future? Then they could have waited for that, and improve a lot Kindle OS (allow for plugins, real browsing, epub, viable pdf, email, etc) meanwhile.

Touchable e-ink has existed for a while. See for example Kobo Touch.

Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#132

Post by ohyes »

cletus wrote: post #65

If Amazon want to not make comparisons with the iPad, something I'd strongly suggest, they should stop making statements like this: > The Kindle Fire will have a 7-inch display and sell for $199, compared with $499 for Apple’s cheapest iPad, Amazon executives said in interviews with Bloomberg Businessweek. Also, it's disingenuous. Of course a 7" "tablet" is cheaper than Apple's 10" tablet. Film at 11. That being said…

> Also, it's disingenuous. Of course a 7" "tablet" is cheaper than Apple's 10" tablet. Film at 11.

It isn't obvious that the screen size is really the sticking point on price for tablets. The iPod touch retails for $229 and is much smaller than 7".

They are just comparing tablet products. If Apple had a 7" iPad and Amazon were comparing their prices to a 10" iPad, then it would be disingenuous. As it is, Apple only has a 10" tablet, so that is really the only comparison that can be made on price.

Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#133

Post by sharmajai »

j15e wrote: post #63

They show a lot the device in kid's hands : because 7" is too small for grown up? I have played with a RIM Playbook once and the size factor was the same concern. Seems like under 9-10" it can't be a replacement for my laptop in any situation and it feels more like a toy. (Disclaimer : I own an iPad)

Your tablet can never be a replacement for your laptop. Period.

Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#134

Post by pork »

smackfu wrote: post #103
cletus wrote: post #65

If Amazon want to not make comparisons with the iPad, something I'd strongly suggest, they should stop making statements like this: > The Kindle Fire will have a 7-inch display and sell for $199, compared with $499 for Apple’s cheapest iPad, Amazon executives said in interviews with Bloomberg Businessweek. Also, it's disingenuous. Of course a 7" "tablet" is cheaper than Apple's 10" tablet. Film at 11. That being said…

I disagree. Every time Amazon gets a sentence printed that says the Amazon table is $300 cheaper than the iPad, they win. They want to have them be mentioned in the same comparison, because that encourages the consumer to think "do I really need $300 more of tablet?"

This is precisely what you want the consumer thinking, and it's amazing that a simple fact like that eluded the likes of Samsung, etc.

Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#135

Post by antimarketing »

schrototo wrote: post #48
achompas wrote: post #28

Bezos, on Amazon's refreshed e-Ink readers: So meet the family. These are premium products at non-premium prices. People are going to love these products. This is Amazon's mission statement for product development. They will not compete with Apple's "revolutionary, magical" phones and tablets; instead, they'll sell quality tablets and readers to the average person at great prices. This populist attitude has been miss…

I don't think Apple has ever promoted its products as "luxurious". Jobs introduced the iPad as " a magical and revolutionary device at an unbelievable price ". I think that Bezos quote is actually very Apple-like, what with "people are going to love these" and so on.

I bet everybody who was a stakeholder in the release of this project had a long talk about messaging this a'la Steve Jobs.

Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#137

Post by funksta »

pnathan wrote: post #100

I am kinda waiting for the DX to drop in price. I really want that bigger e-ink screen, but it's not worth $379 to me.

I'm pretty disappointed that they didn't update the DX. I was hoping for a DX with touch and decent PDF support, and would have payed $400+ for it. As it stands, it looks like they have orphaned it instead.

Re: Amazon Unveils $199 Kindle Fire Tablet

#138

Post by ableal »

pnathan wrote: post #100

I am kinda waiting for the DX to drop in price. I really want that bigger e-ink screen, but it's not worth $379 to me.

See if my comment elsewhere here is of use to you http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=3048411

I find the smaller E-ink screens a great fit for comfortable reading of fiction, or non-fiction prose like biography or history, where one doesn't need to skip around much, and the font size adjustment may come in handy.

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