While most of the coverage seems to be focused on whether the new Kindle Fire from Amazon.com is an iPad killer, it seems at first glance that Barnes & Noble's Nook may be more at immediate risk.
The Kindle Fire comes with a seven-inch screen, free data storage on the cloud and a new Android-based browser, Amazon Silk. It also provides access to Amazon's wealth of video content and Kindle books.
What the new tablet does not have is a camera, a model with 3G connectivity or the number of apps available on Apple's iPad. But with a price of $199, Amazon is looking for millions of consumers to buy the Kindle Fire anyway.
"Kindle Fire brings together all of the things we've been working on at Amazon for over 15 years into a single, fully-integrated service for customers," said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos in a press release. "With Kindle Fire, you have instant access to all the content, free storage in the Amazon Cloud, the convenience of Amazon Whispersync, our revolutionary cloud-accelerated web browser, the speed and power of a state-of-the-art dual-core processor, a vibrant touch display with 16 million colors in high resolution, and a light 14.6 ounce design that's easy to hold with one hand — all for only $199. We're offering premium products, and we're doing it at non-premium prices."
As a point of price comparison, Barnes & Noble's Nook Color e-reader retails for $249. Apple's more feature-rich iPad models start at $499.
A report on GigaOM says that an overlooked feature of the Kindle Fire could spell trouble for Netflix. The tablet comes with a free 30-day subscription to Amazon Prime, which includes access to streaming videos over that period. According to the report, "The packaging of a free video service on the tablet has the potential to be a game changer in the streaming video world."
- Introducing the All-New Kindle Family: Four New Kindles, Four Amazing Price Points - Amazon.com
- Amazon ignites tablet war with Fire, takes on Apple - Reuters
- Amazon pushes Barnes & Noble's back to the wall - Reuters
- Kindle Fire will prime the pump for Amazon Video - GigaOM
- Amazon Fights the iPad With 'Fire' - The Wall Street Journal
- Analysts: Kindle Fire Is Amazon Vending Machine - TWICE