New Amazon Kindle Fire tablet said to be slower version of RIM's PlayBook
Amazon's new Android-based tablet, apparently named the Kindle Fire, is said to be based on the same basic design as RIM's PlayBook, built by the same maker, apart from having a slower processor intended to make it cheaper.
According to a report by Ryan Block of Gdgt, Amazon's forthcoming new Android-based tablet is targeted at the Barnes & Noble Nook Color rather than Apple' s iPad, and is essentially a stopgap offering rushed to make the 2011 holiday buying season.
In order to make that deadline, and to avoid distracting its existing "Lab 126" working on conventional e-ink based Kindle devices, Block said that Amazon worked with Original Design Manufacturer Quanta.
As an ODM, Quanta builds notebooks, netbooks and other devices that are rebranded by other companies. Quanta was the original ODM for the XO-1 notebook aimed at third world markets, and also helped RIM build its PlayBook tablet (depicted below).
For Amazon, Block says Quanta used RIM's PlayBook as a design template to quickly bring a tablet device to market. "I'm told Amazon ran into trouble," Block reported, "and eventually sacrifices were made (like using a slower processor)."
Block said the first generation Android Kindle is "supposed to be pretty poor," calling the device a "stopgap" device and part of an effort to "do whatever it takes to get in the game."
As for Android enthusiasts hoping that Amazon's new tablet will rival the iPad, Block wrote, "I wouldn't get my hopes up that this is going to be an iPad-killer -- nor do I think Amazon really intends it to be."
According to a report by Ryan Block of Gdgt, Amazon's forthcoming new Android-based tablet is targeted at the Barnes & Noble Nook Color rather than Apple' s iPad, and is essentially a stopgap offering rushed to make the 2011 holiday buying season.
In order to make that deadline, and to avoid distracting its existing "Lab 126" working on conventional e-ink based Kindle devices, Block said that Amazon worked with Original Design Manufacturer Quanta.
As an ODM, Quanta builds notebooks, netbooks and other devices that are rebranded by other companies. Quanta was the original ODM for the XO-1 notebook aimed at third world markets, and also helped RIM build its PlayBook tablet (depicted below).
For Amazon, Block says Quanta used RIM's PlayBook as a design template to quickly bring a tablet device to market. "I'm told Amazon ran into trouble," Block reported, "and eventually sacrifices were made (like using a slower processor)."
Block said the first generation Android Kindle is "supposed to be pretty poor," calling the device a "stopgap" device and part of an effort to "do whatever it takes to get in the game."
As for Android enthusiasts hoping that Amazon's new tablet will rival the iPad, Block wrote, "I wouldn't get my hopes up that this is going to be an iPad-killer -- nor do I think Amazon really intends it to be."
Comments
Why would anyone release anything that is "supposed to be poor"? I don't care if its a tablet or a bar of soap. If the answer is to just get something to the market, that is pure stupidity. Who is Ryan Block, anyway? His personal website has no updates this year and one every six months in 2010. Gdgt lists the Wii as its #1 gadget, followed by Windows 7. The iPad 2 is #9???
I don't see this gaining much market share. You can spend $250 on the Kindle Fire, or $500 on an iPad that does so much more, including running the Kindle app.
Or, if you simply want an ereader, you can get one for $129.
I can see someone paying $250 for something that's less capable than the iPad. I can not, however, see someone paying twice as much as a Kindle in order to get the limited advantages that this unit has- and an arguably worse screen.
Why is it that nearly every other tech blog out there is reporting a dual core OMAP/Cortex A9 at 1.2GHz, whereas you simply report "slower"?
http://gizmodo.com/5844019/rumor-ama...he-kindle-fire
http://www.engadget.com/2011/09/26/k...y-set-to-ship/
Given that it's really an Android tablet with Amazon's custom UI and app store, I don't get why anybody would want it except for novices who don't know any better. You can already find inexpensive Android 7" tablets for around $99.
It's not an Android tablet.
It's a colour Kindle.
And for those who are saying "why not just spend $200 more and get a "real" tablet like an iPad. Well, there are plenty of folks out there for whom $200 isn't a "just spend $xx more" type of expense. $200 buys you a lot of books/songs/movies/etc/etc.
Yeah, I know, the Playbook is not counted a big success, but still . . .
So, a slower and worse version of the Playbook, which flopped by the way, is supposed to be the next game changing iPad killer to come along?
No - in fact, pains were taken to say exactly the opposite:
Block wrote, "I wouldn't get my hopes up that this is going to be an iPad-killer -- nor do I think Amazon really intends it to be."
And for those who are saying "why not just spend $200 more and get a "real" tablet like an iPad. Well, there are plenty of folks out there for whom $200 isn't a "just spend $xx more" type of expense. $200 buys you a lot of books/songs/movies/etc/etc.
For that matter, there are people supporting families in this world for whom $200 is the difference between surviving and being out on the street.
Apparently not a bad place to be:
http://pewinternet.org/Reports/2011/...ts/Report.aspx
Since there is no such thing as a tablet market, and only an iPad market, its not surprising share did not rise around that time.
Apple explained it in their earnings report for that quarter. They were supply constrained.
Why would Amazon settle for that?
Amazon's market has nothing to do with Apple's in that field.
They do ebook readers with add-on features.
the kindle is 90's technologies. (I handle one more often than I should)
they need a competitive product in their field.