Its a strange scenario being played out — Amazon is not letting anyone out it is developing a tablet PC though the various leaks and rumors continue to pour out each time bringing to the fore some new facts or figures. Like the latest on this point out we will be greeted with not one but two new devices during October. One of these will of course be a tablet like device with full touchscreen functionality while the other one will be the next iteration of the present Kindle 3.
However, while the new upcoming Kindle which is touted to be a significant development over the current gen Kindle with more features and functionalities added to it but with a lower price for use particularly by the student community, its is no doubt the new tablet device that has generated more interest.
Not surprisingly, while consumer interest about an Amazon tablet continues to shoot through the roof, hard facts about such a proverbial device is ever elusive, leaving us with no option but to rely on a leak here or a rumor there. So what we now know of the Amazon tablet is that it would be sport a 9 inch display and would differ from mainstream tablet devices in that it won’t come equipped with in-built cameras. Also, the tablet will be built by an “Asian manufacturer”, which is hardly surprising as nearly everything on earth is now being made in China along with some in Taiwan.
Further, there are strong indication about the Seattle based company to have neither designed or developed the device. Instead, it might be Samsung that has designed the actual product. In fact, with the coming of a touchscreen based tablet device, there is no reason to believe the Amazon will be winding up its e-readers business as it believes there is lots of space for both to co-exist. So the Kindle e-readers will continue to feature in Amazon product list for at-least quite some time to come.
However, its the tablet that will be the biggest deal, more so as many believe if there is anyone that can play spoilsport to the Apple iPad party, it is Amazon. More so as the company already has a huge presence as an online retailers, offering almost everything including e-books, music and videos. So buyers of the Amazon tablet will not have any dearth of online content.In fact, its its rich source of content in the form of e-books, mp3 music and videos to drive sales of the tablet device.
“At the margin, maybe they can make some money selling a tablet. But Amazon is really doing it to support their core business,” stated the chief investment officer of Seattle-based investment firm Smead Capital Management, Bill Smead. “If you sell a new bong once in a while and keep the water clean, people will keep smoking more pot.”
With Apple too all set to release its new improved iPad plus almost during the same time, what is a certainty is that we will be witness to a battle of grand proportions being played out by two goliath. Also if anyone feels the heat most, it will surely be the Nook 2 or the Nook Color from Barnes & Noble.
Reports indicate Amazon has set a target of selling close to 1.5 million Amazon-branded tablets during the Q3 while shipping about 4.5 million to 5 million units during the entire 2011.
via reuters, via wsj, via slashgear
With a keen interest in tech, I make it a point to keep myself updated on the latest developments in technology and gadgets. That includes smartphones or tablet devices but stretches to even AI and self-driven automobiles, the latter being my latest fad. Besides writing, I like watching videos, reading, listening to music, or experimenting with different recipes. The motion picture is another aspect that interests me a lot, and I'll likely make a film sometime in the future.
