Amazon Set to Step up as Next iPad Competitor

[info]

http://www.macrumors.com/2011/06/22/amazon-set-to-step-up-as-next-ipad-competitor/

 

[SaberOne]

Wellp, there goes the neighborhood.

 

[info]

hehe

 

[carlosarias1]

queen - another one bites the dust, lol

 

[Kaykaykay]

I've been waiting for Amazon to step up. I'd strongly consider buying an Amazon tablet because of Amazon's curated app environment and good customer service. iPad has set a high bar with its mix of strong hardware and software, though. Any tablet must do even better or offer some other significant advantage(s) before I switch.

Even if I don't switch, I would really like to see some serious tablet competition for Apple. That would be to all consumers' advantage.

 

[Mountainbikermark]

It has been reported (I linked in another thread) that parts for the Amazon Tab won't be available because Apple bought up the supply months ago so the Amazon Tab sales projections have been halved. Apple didn't buy them to keep others from making tablets, it just worked out that way, first paid, first shipped and Apple paid up front

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[Kaykaykay]

Apple having possibly locked up component sourcing would be a short-term problem at most.

 

[SingingSabre]

After seeing Amazon's performance in the Android app market, I don't think they have the gumption to compete with iPad, at least not yet. Maybe if they did release their own fully encompassed platform they could overcome the problems inherent in their attempt to compete.

Yes, Amazon has some great features against the Android market, but until they have a system that's Amazon through and through, they can't take over the platforms that have gone mainstream.

 

[Kaykaykay]

After seeing Amazon's performance in the Android app market, I don't think they have the gumption to compete with iPad, at least not yet. Maybe if they did release their own fully encompassed platform they could overcome the problems inherent in their attempt to compete.

Yes, Amazon has some great features against the Android market, but until they have a system that's Amazon through and through, they can't take over the platforms that have gone mainstream.

I'm not sure what your post means. I think Amazon will try to leverage its music, movies, books and other content sales on an Android device of its own. That wouldn't require "taking over" any platform.

 

[info]

I've been waiting for Amazon to step up. I'd strongly consider buying an Amazon tablet because of Amazon's curated app environment and good customer service. iPad has set a high bar with its mix of strong hardware and software, though. Any tablet must do even better or offer some other significant advantage(s) before I switch.

Even if I don't switch, I would really like to see some serious tablet competition for Apple. That would be to all consumers' advantage.

I agree with this, although at this point the most I would consider is a Kindle device from Amazon. Tablets, or computers for that matter, are not really Amazon's business and I would guess that it would take them quite some time to become truly competitive in this area (things can change fast of course). Though it's a big jump, it seems that they have seen the writing on the wall, either get involved... or else. It will be interesting to watch how Amazon chairman and founder Jeff Bezos approaches the computer industry. He has never been afraid of trying new things, and has proven himself an extremely intelligent and resourceful person.

 

[Kaykaykay]

I've been waiting for Amazon to step up. I'd strongly consider buying an Amazon tablet because of Amazon's curated app environment and good customer service. iPad has set a high bar with its mix of strong hardware and software, though. Any tablet must do even better or offer some other significant advantage(s) before I switch.

Even if I don't switch, I would really like to see some serious tablet competition for Apple. That would be to all consumers' advantage.

Tablets, or computers for that matter, are not really Amazon's business and I would guess that it would take them quite some time to become truly competitive in this area (things can change fast of course). Though it's a big jump, it seems that they have seen the writing on the wall, either get involved... or else. It will be interesting to watch how Amazon chairman and founder Jeff Bezos approaches the computer industry. He has never been afraid of trying new things, and has proven himself an extremely intelligent and resourceful person.

Yes, it would require longer-term investing, which Amazon has shown willingness to do. I think Amazon can be competitive in tablets if it chooses because it already has content infrastructure to leverage, it knows how to serve customers well and has lots of goodwill, and it has plenty of cash and smarts.

It would be interesting to see play out. Right now, Android tablet hardware makers are too focused on hardware. The fractured Android apps market and development process are big stumbling blocks. And Apple has a huge headstart on content and institutionalized use (with growing numbers of businesses, schools, etc.). I don't see any other company besides Amazon out there with the potential to rival Apple's combo of hardware and software smarts, and willingness to build.

Apple is out of control with its 30 percent requirement on all content sold through apps and such. Amazon could use that to sway potential content partners. Amazon can be equally greedy (as with its 70 percent take on Kindle subscription sales).

Competition can help rein in greed.

 

[108greg]

There really is no competition for the iPad, everyone else is just too far behind in the tablet race. Apple has such a solid foundation with their app store. Flash is the only thing everyone else claims as a plus. Flash really isn't all that, I still have problems using flash on my laptop. The iPad is only going to get better.

 

[singlestick]

I've been waiting for Amazon to step up. I'd strongly consider buying an Amazon tablet because of Amazon's curated app environment and good customer service. iPad has set a high bar with its mix of strong hardware and software, though. Any tablet must do even better or offer some other significant advantage(s) before I switch.

Even if I don't switch, I would really like to see some serious tablet competition for Apple. That would be to all consumers' advantage.

I agree with this, although at this point the most I would consider is a Kindle device from Amazon. Tablets, or computers for that matter, are not really Amazon's business and I would guess that it would take them quite some time to become truly competitive in this area (things can change fast of course). Though it's a big jump, it seems that they have seen the writing on the wall, either get involved... or else. It will be interesting to watch how Amazon chairman and founder Jeff Bezos approaches the computer industry. He has never been afraid of trying new things, and has proven himself an extremely intelligent and resourceful person.

The Amazon Kindle is a big success, and overall more ebook readers are in use than tablets. Amazon can easily adapt what they learned from the Kindle to a tablet.

Recent changes in the way that states deal with sales tax on Amazon products, most recently in California, has got to make Amazon reexamine their business model.

Amazon's core business is delivering products and services to customers. A tablet might be a logical extension of this. I think that one of the reasons that competing tablets have failed is because the companies focused on hardware and specs, not on a more organic approach of the idea of a device which would provide services and features to a user. Apple obviously is very adept with respect to this.

Amazon is no slouch in this area either. Again, look at how they thought about the Kindle. They made the hardware and service areas two separate entities. And so even though they sold the Kindle as a standalone hardware device, they also pushed Kindle apps and software which would let a user read an ebook on any device, anywhere, any time. They did not worry about Kindle apps hurting Kindle device sales because ultimately they are in the customer services business, not just the hardware or device business. This deftness might make them a strong player if they decided to bring out a tablet.

And I would bet that an Amazon tablet would be a better, more useful device than, say, the Google Chromebook.

 

[Beryl]

The Amazon Kindle is a big success, and overall more ebook readers are in use than tablets. Amazon can easily adapt what they learned from the Kindle to a tablet.

...
And I would bet that an Amazon tablet would be a better, more useful device than, say, the Google Chromebook.

Totally and completely agree. Amazon Prime movies, a superior reader at Kindle standards, Cloud support, and music downloads will make it successful. This is good for everyone, including iPad die-hards since Apple will want to kick-it-up a few notches.

 

[Mountainbikermark]

We are still not clear as to whether the iSlate will include a modified version of the iPhone OS or an updated "tablet" version of MAC OSX. Let us know your thoughts in this thread!

Great post. Thank you.

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