Amazon unveils $199 Kindle Fire tablet

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By PETER SVENSSON, AP Technology Writer




Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos on Wednesday showed off the Kindle Fire, a $199 tablet computer, challenging Apple's iPad by extending its Kindle brand into the world of full-color, multipurpose devices.

Bezos also took the opportunity to show off a new line of Kindle e-readers with black-and-white screens and lower prices, further pressuring competitors like Barnes & Noble Inc. that are trying to break Amazon.com Inc.'s dominance in electronic book sales.

The Kindle Fire will go on sale Nov. 15. It's about half the size of the iPad, making it a close match with Barnes & Noble's Nook Color tablet, which came out last year. But while Barnes & Noble sees the Nook Color as jazzed-up e-reader, Amazon has broader goals for the Fire, as a platform for games, movies, music and other applications.

Even before its release, the Kindle Fire was heralded as a worthy competitor to Apple's iPad. Amazon is nearly unique in its ability to sell content such as e-books, movies and music suited for a tablet — just like Apple does.

But competing with Apple won't be easy. Many have tried to copy the iPad's success, but so far, it is the overwhelming front-runner in the tablet computer category. Apple sold 28.7 million of them from April 2010 to June 2011. Analysts at research firm Gartner Inc. expect the iPad to account for three out of four tablet sales this year.

The Fire runs a version of Google Inc.'s Android software, used by other iPad wannabes, and will have access to applications through Amazon's Android store. Unlike the iPad, the Fire doesn't need to be backed up on a PC. Instead, it backs up its contents wirelessly on Amazon's servers.

"That model that you have to back up your own content is a broken model. We want to take responsibility for that," Bezos said in a dig at Apple. He was speaking at a press event in New York.

Amazon's cheapest new Kindle will cost $79, and dispenses with the keyboard the Kindles have carried since the first model launched in 2007. Previously, the cheapest Kindle cost $114.

Amazon is also bringing out the first black-and-white Kindle with a touch screen. It will cost $99 and is reminiscent of Barnes & Noble's latest Nook. A version with access to AT&T's cellular network for book downloads will cost $149.

[PorkChopSandwiches]

I bet they will win this war, hit the correct price point, no contract required, all ready have a full webstore.

[Loser]

Exactly, iPad's are toast. They can't compete with the lower prices, so they're suing everyone on bullshit patent claims.

[Muddy]

It'd be awesome if someone brought their own unique product to the market, instead of always chasing the competition.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

It'd be awesome if someone brought their own unique product to the market, instead of always chasing the competition.

You do realize that a handheld tablet device isn't Apple's invention don't you?

[Loser]

You do realize that a handheld tablet device isn't Apple's invention don't you?

Sadly, most people do think that, but I believe HP was the first tablet maker.

[Muddy]

You do realize that a handheld tablet device isn't Apple's invention don't you?

Oh who's is it?

[Loser]

According to wikipedia, microsoft came out with the fully functional tablet pc back in 2000/01, but then again, apple's ipad isn't really "fully" functional now is it?

[samarchepas]

According to wikipedia, microsoft came out with the fully functional tablet pc back in 2000/01, but then again, apple's ipad isn't really "fully" functional now is it?

That's how Apple works...take something that already existed for years and make it shine = instant success.

[Muddy]

That's how Apple works...take something that already existed for years and make it shine = instant success.

Kinda like what Microsoft did when they ripped off IBM..

[Loser]

And so "IT" begins....

[Teh One Who Knocks]

[Godfather]

The Amazon App store is going to hurt it... for this reason it seems like some analists are saying it won't kill the iPad Hope it's wrong

But this is exciting. I told a friend of mine "dude, I know you want an iPad, but check out the Amazon Fire. Pretty sexy device"
He said "No, the money is not the problem, I just want the best ipad, not an inferior product"

I just gave him an "...lol" and carried on with my day.

Otherwise it's perfect... 8gb is a little small and a camera would be nice but whatever. $199 is a VERY sexy price.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The Amazon App store is going to hurt it... for this reason it seems like some analists are saying it won't kill the iPad Hope it's wrong

But this is exciting. I told a friend of mine "dude, I know you want an iPad, but check out the Amazon Fire. Pretty sexy device"
He said "No, the money is not the problem, I just want the best ipad, not an inferior product"

I just gave him an "...lol" and carried on with my day.

Otherwise it's perfect... 8gb is a little small and a camera would be nice but whatever. $199 is a VERY sexy price.

That's the mindset of the crApple sheeple...anything made by crApple is perfect and nothing can compare, even in the face of the facts that there are superior products out there that cost a whole lot less than crApple products.

[Arkady Renko]

I'm fairly sure the new amazon tablet will shake up the market quite a bit, but it seems to me that there's still a lot of room for other competitors. It all depends on what people want to do with their tablets. If they want one for reading ebooks, a simple Kindle will do just fine, while the kindle fire is neither fish nor flesh, really. it doesn't have the e-ink screen ad its hardware is too weak to do much more than e-mail, brwose crippled web sites and watch movies in mediocre resolution.

But then again the ipad is a huge success even though it has many limitations, so who knows what the next hype will be?

Oh who's is it?

stanley kubrick's. there's a scene in Space Odyssey where the astronauts watch TV on tablet devices.