How Will Amazon, Barnes & Noble Survive the iPad Mini? 354
redletterdave writes "For about a year, Amazon.com and Barnes & Noble were almost completely alone in the 7-inch tablet market. It was nice while it lasted. The past few months have seen Google and Microsoft unveil their 7-inch tablet offerings — the Nexus 7 and Microsoft Surface, respectively — and it looks like Apple is about ready to get into the mini tablet game, too. If Apple releases its first 'iPad Mini' next month, what can Amazon and Barnes & Noble do to keep the Cupertino colossus at bay, as well as the other new competitors in the 7-inch tablet game?"
Surface is 10 inch. (Score:5, Informative)
"The past few months have seen Google and Microsoft unveil their 7-inch tablet offerings — the Nexus 7 and Microsoft Surface, respectively"
Nope. Surface is a 10 inch tablet.
Surface is not a 7 inch tablet (Score:2, Informative)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Microsoft_Surface
And besides, I'm sure Apple will sell a bunch, make money. A half year after that I'm sure stories will appear about a new Samsung, Kindle, or Google tab (or the combination of the three) that will offer something new or just enough of something new to move interest back away from Apple for a while.
It's all about the content (Score:5, Informative)
Thus, if their consumers are running iPad minis, Amazon already has most of that taken care of. There's a Kindle app for iPhone and iPad, and they've recently released the Cloud Player (music) for iPhone and Amazon Instant Video app for iPad. Those loyal to their content will still be consuming it, regardless of the device. Amazon doesn't have a foothold in all facets of iPad like they do in Kindle Fire or other Android devices (i.e. Appstore), but it's "good enough", right?
To a lesser extent, same applies for B&N. NOOK apps are available for both.
Now the risk for both of these companies is those who aren't loyal to a content provider and the default presence of iTunes.
Re:Who cares? (Score:2, Informative)
Why would you assume Apple would be more expensive?
I bet if they do it Apple will be $25 less than a kindle , nook or google tablet.
it is called supply chain Apple has been buying massive quantities of tablet parts the reason the ipad was the cheapest 10" tablet for 2 years was because apple bought up all the screens. When the original ipad was announced everyone thought it would go for $999. when it was listed at $499 a lot of CEO's shit their pants as it was way under priced at that time.
Similarly I expect if an mini iPad is sold it will go for ~$150. just to fuck over the competition. And worse Apple will make more profit per unit than everyone else too.
Re:Eink (Score:5, Informative)
I'm almost ashamed to mention but you might not have noticed the slight flaw in your comment there. 12 is actually less than 30. The point of the E-ink devices are the longer battery life, specifically because they don't have to be recharged every night. You might be tied to an outlet yourself, but some of us actually leave such luxuries behind for more than 12 hours in a row at times, and then a less power hungry device for a very low-tech task is quite appreciated.
You can bring an e-ink device with you camping for a week and get a few hours reading in every day. Can't do that with a tablet. Plus you can read it in full sunshine! And yes, it doesn't have a backlight so it's useless in the dark... but then a separate little campinglight works quite well and uses a lot less energy per hour used than all the extra power a tablet uses just to keep that screen glowing.
So it's no contest, really, if all you want to do is read OR if you want to be able to stay away for a few days without having to hit a power outlet... then it's E-ink all the way. It's apples and oranges.
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Informative)
Re:E-Ink (Score:4, Informative)
They'll survive because nobody with two brain cells to rub together enjoys reading on a backlit and always-refreshing screen.
You do realize, of course, that active-matrix LCDs (like the IPS panels used in ALL Apple products) do not "flicker" (like the unavoidable consequence of "always-refreshing" CRTs).
Flicker in LCDs does NOT come from "refresh" [intersil.com]; but rather from asymmetric-drive signals. Modern LCDs have hardware compensation for this. Hence, they don't flicker. At all.
This is why reading text on an LCD is much less fatiguing than reading it on, say, a CRT. e-Ink displays are also "comfortable" for this same reason; but that's not the point: The point is that properly-designed active-matrix LCDs don't flicker any more than e-Ink displays, at least as far as human eyes are concerned. And until the U.N. Non-Human Rights Treaty passes in 2030, we don't have to worry about making displays tuned to horses, dogs, cats and pigs.
Re:Who cares? (Score:2, Informative)
yet you post a hearty reply the same minute the story is posted
See that little asterisk behind his Slashdot ID?
You too could have one of those if you weren't A) so cheap, and B) posting as AC.
Re:How will Apple survive the price drop in tablet (Score:4, Informative)
People have been saying that about Apple since Apple existed. They have come out with a few lower priced things over the years, but those products came and went while the expensive stuff remained.
Umm, how will they (and Apple) survive the Nexus? (Score:4, Informative)
For that matter, it blows away the iPad as well. After using it for a week, going back to iOS feels like going back in time. The Nexus is easier to use, more flexible, more responsive and it just plain feels slicker. I suspect an honest comparison between an iPad mini and the Nexus won't come up too well for the iPad. I'm sure it will still be bought in droves by the faithful, but Apple's been passed by Google.
Re:Who cares? (Score:5, Informative)
vapor ware
I doubt that means what you think it means.
A product with a definite release date, and working existent models is not vaporware. It is unreleased hardware.