Tech Crunch has the scoop today on Amazon’s much talked about new Android tablet, which many people think could be the iPad’s first real rival worth its salt. MG Siegler on Tech Crunch has actually had hands-on time with the tablet, and so his comments make for some very interesting reading. Apparently, it is called the Amazon Kindle, as many have suspected it would be, and it has a 7-inch screen, a size that Apple rejected when it was planning the iPad as it thinks it is too small for a tablet. And, the big news is that it will cost just $250! According to the report, the tablet looks a lot like a BlackBerry PlayBook, and has a capacitive multi-touch screen, only two-fingered rather than the iPad’s ten-fingered screen. And although it is powered by Android, it is very much Amazon’s own version, “fully forked”, according to Android, and unlike any other Android-powered device that you will have seen. It apparently only has 6GB of storage, and will rely more on the cloud for access to the user’s movies and music. Initially, it will be Wi-Fi only.

According to Tech Crunch, it is also possible that Amazon will release a 10-inch tablet sometime next year, although currently this 7-inch tablet is the only one that they are definitely planning to launch, and it may even be on sale as soon as the end of November 2011. If this tablet proves to be popular, however, Amazon could well go ahead with a 10-inch version in Q1 2012.

So there we have it. The details are out! Does Amazon seriously have a genuine iPad killer on its hands, especially at that price, or is the 7-inch screen simply too small?

Source:
Amazon’s Kindle Tablet Is Very Real. I’ve Seen It, Played With It. | TechCrunch

I think for a 7-inch screen, the price is still too high. If they delivered the 10 inch for that price, it might be a different story.
Using an LCD also ruins all their commercials hyping reading near the pool, etc.

I'll keep my iPad, thanks.

Kinda sounds like my Nook Color, while being a great e-reader, it does not have the punch of an I-Pad. And also the apps are severely limited to children. Maybe Amazon will get it better than Barnes and Noble, but I doubt Apple will be worried.

I don't think the Amazon device is a direct rival to the iPad. But it may finally see the expansion of the tablet market. I will bet that a lot of customers will view it as a Kindle plus or super Kindle, that is, a book reader with some useful extra features. A few iPad users may end up buying one.

The interesting thing is that the device supposedly does not use a lot of google stuff, even though this is an Android device. I think this reflects an understanding that google is not that good at getting devices and services not related to search to the market.

The other interesting thing will be to see how good the device is at streaming movies, especially since the PC based version of this Amazon service requires Flash. Here, I think you do see a bit of a challenge to Apple, but it is also a bigger challenge to Netflix, which is no longer the clear choice for a streaming based service.

Bummer. I would love a 7-inch tablet, and I'd easily spring for an Android tablet from Amazon, but I don't want any tablet without 3G.

I don't get tablets whose screens are much smaller than the iPad 2's. Honestly, I think the point of tablets is to have a big screen. 7 inches is pretty small. (Though, I bet that's bigger than the Blackberry Playbook, whose screen is laughably small in my opinion.)

It's NOT a competitor for the iPad as it is 7", no camera, and runs a very old version of Android (2.12 or older!!!) Also, Amazon removed all the Google apps and you will only be able to load apps from Amazon's store. It looks a lot like a clone of the Nook Color.

Originally Posted by GoPackGo

I don't get tablets whose screens are much smaller than the iPad 2's. Honestly, I think the point of tablets is to have a big screen. 7 inches is pretty small. (Though, I bet that's bigger than the Blackberry Playbook, whose screen is laughably small in my opinion.)

The point of a tablet is determined by the individual buyer.

The things I do on the go with my iPads -- read books, read news, check email, listen to music, do Web searches -- I could easily do on a 7-inch screen, with the advantage of less weight.

I can afford multiple tablets, and a 7-inch would offer me more portability.

For some users, portability and weight are more important than for others. People who live in urban centers might not drive daily, for instance. If you carry your stuff all day and take the subway, for instance, a 7-tablet might be preferable.

When it comes to consumer goods, there's no one device, size, etc., that will fit everyone. That's why markets support many types of goods. You don't have to "get" the need for a 7- inch tablet. All you have to grasp is that consumers are different and have different needs and preferences.

Originally Posted by Kaykaykay

All you have to grasp is that consumers are different and have different needs and preferences.

Exactly. If only....

Originally Posted by Kaykaykay

The point of a tablet is determined by the individual buyer.

The things I do on the go with my iPads -- read books, read news, check email, listen to music, do Web searches -- I could easily do on a 7-inch screen, with the advantage of less weight.

I can afford multiple tablets, and a 7-inch would offer me more portability.

For some users, portability and weight are more important than for others. People who live in urban centers might not drive daily, for instance. If you carry your stuff all day and take the subway, for instance, a 7-tablet might be preferable.

When it comes to consumer goods, there's no one device, size, etc., that will fit everyone. That's why markets support many types of goods. You don't have to "get" the need for a 7- inch tablet. All you have to grasp is that consumers are different and have different needs and preferences.

Yeah, it was just my opinion, I wasn't passing it off as fact.

Sent from my iPad using iPF