They're trying to make the sales to people who don't know about tablets. While people who post on sites like this will have all kinds of data about the differences between the two platforms and various products, most people haven't a clue. So Amazon is giving them a clue, 'We're comparable at a much lower price.' Since there is no set criteria for what is 'comparable' they won't be sued. While the car metaphor is apt, it doesn't work for a lot of people because they don't make that cognitive leap.
When I tell people about the virtues of buying an Apple product, they often bring up the matter of price. Even being the cheap bastard that I am, I fail to make that cognitive leap. Having only purchased Apple computers, I always figure that the price paid is simply what computers cost. Those $300-$400 computers in the ads don't register as computers to me.
Owning an iPad and having picked up a Kindle Fire, the ad pisses me off. The experiences and the devices aren't comparable. I feel the same way about Samsung products, but I recognize that as my own prejudice, since I, like everyone else, will subconsciously seek out data to support what I already believe to be true.
I know some people will see the commercial and believe the Kindle is a better buy. Good on them. Other people will know better. Good on us.
The Kindle probably IS a better buy - if all you're ever going to do with the device is read Kindle books. Different people have different needs.
Of course, the implication that it's a better buy for the average tablet purchaser is much more questionable.
Everyone says (assumes?) the Kindle Fire is the major contender for sales compared to the iPad but I've been wondering if that's really the case. I've seen several friends carrying around Nooks but I have yet to see a single touchscreen Kindle around town. Did either company ever actually release their sales figures?
It's quite a fraud. The iPad has 36% more pixels. The iPad's 4:3 aspect ratio compared to the Kindle's 16:10 (4:2.5) makes the difference as big as it does.
iPad: 2048x1536, Kindle: 1920x1200. You can do the math for yourself.
The iPad has a rear-facing and a front-facing camera, but the Kindle just has a front-facing. Amazon tries to tell you to take pictures with a front-facing camera (are they keeping a straight face?)
I owned the first Kindle Fire (this was when I liked OSX but really didn't care about iOS devices). It was a terrible device with a terrible UI, and since it didn't have any of Google's apps it was missing the best thing about Android.
Anyone who can spend $300 on a media consumption device can spend $500, not to mention that the $500 device can do a hell of a lot more. Still, a lot of people will buy Kindle Fires just to save $200, but they will come to regret it.
Now that all of Amazon's services are on iOS, there is simply no reason for someone who's into Amazon's ecosystem not to get an iPad if they want a tablet.
Everyone says (assumes?) the Kindle Fire is the major contender for sales compared to the iPad but I've been wondering if that's really the case. I've seen several friends carrying around Nooks but I have yet to see a single touchscreen Kindle around town. Did either company ever actually release their sales figures?
No, AFAIK only Apple releases sales figures.
By the way, were they Nook tablets or just Nook e-readers?
I have seen exactly one larger (> 7") non-iPad tablet in the wild, and only a handful of Kindle Fires and Nook HDs or whatever they call them now. I don't believe for a moment that iPad's market share is as low as reports suggest.
The car on the left drives to the store. The car on the right drives to the store. Cheaper does not mean better.
Better is subjective. The car on the left will break the bank just on gas. Sure, I'd rather drive the one on the left. But I'd rather own the one on the right.
Does I'm the only one of found tablets with widescreen ratio weird for reading in portrait orientation? Even weirder for a device sold by a books company.
The car on the left drives to the store. The car on the right drives to the store. Cheaper does not mean better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gustav
Better is subjective. The car on the left will break the bank just on gas. Sure, I'd rather drive the one on the left. But I'd rather own the one on the right.
The car on the left doesn't necessarily get that bad of gas mileage and the clunker on the right might run through a quart of oil a day and in many states might not pass smog checks. Of course, the resell value of the one on the left is much higher than the other one. You'd have to pay someone to take the clunker off your hands (like many tablets).
...... It just doesn't make sense. AMZN has far lower profitability and worse future projections yet they're trading at a huge premium in terms of every parameter - P/E multiple, multiple of assets, multiple of book value, multiple of sales, multiple of shareholder's equity, etc. There's just not rational explanation.
jragosta .... Looking for rational thinking in the stock market will, sooner or later, drive you insane ..... hence my tagline.
They're trying to make the sales to people who don't know about tablets. While people who post on sites like this will have all kinds of data about the differences between the two platforms and various products, most people haven't a clue. So Amazon is giving them a clue, 'We're comparable at a much lower price.' Since there is no set criteria for what is 'comparable' they won't be sued. While the car metaphor is apt, it doesn't work for a lot of people because they don't make that cognitive leap.
When I tell people about the virtues of buying an Apple product, they often bring up the matter of price. Even being the cheap bastard that I am, I fail to make that cognitive leap. Having only purchased Apple computers, I always figure that the price paid is simply what computers cost. Those $300-$400 computers in the ads don't register as computers to me.
Owning an iPad and having picked up a Kindle Fire, the ad pisses me off. The experiences and the devices aren't comparable. I feel the same way about Samsung products, but I recognize that as my own prejudice, since I, like everyone else, will subconsciously seek out data to support what I already believe to be true.
I know some people will see the commercial and believe the Kindle is a better buy. Good on them. Other people will know better. Good on us.
It's always difficult to explain the importance of quality to someone who has come to believe that cheaper is better .... that is why I love this quote from an earlier post from Mac Voyer.
Originally Posted by Mac Voyer
"Having been on the skeptic side of the fence, I know it is senseless to try and convince someone of the superiority of the Mac experience. Much of the difference amounts to a lot of small things that are difficult to put into words or on a spreadsheet. But all those little things equal more than the sum of their parts. You just have to be there.
As far as what windows can do, that is almost irrelevant. Coach passengers arrive at the same time on the same plane as first class. But you have never flown first class on a big plane if you think the experience is in the same arena. You might think all cars are alike if you've never owned a luxury car. You may think all clothes are alike until you've owned real designer fashion. Chinese knock offs look just like iPhones, but they most certainly are not iPhones. If you are willing to wait a bit and accept a cheap knock off of what Apple has done, then yes, your PC will end up with many of the features that are a part of the Mac experience. But make no mistake about it, they are not at all the same.
I work in both the Windows and Mac OS. I have the most advanced level of the OSs and have for many years. I can tell you that I have never had an experience of equivalence or parity between the systems. Every time I have to work in Windows, I find the experience almost painful, and am constantly reminded in a thousand little ways that do not show up on a spreadsheet how far those two worlds are apart.
The only way to know is to fly first class for a year. You may go back to coach for any number of reasons, but you will never again think they are the same."
Amazon's whole goal is for more shoppers for Amazon. Put the device out there for little to no profit, hoping they buy more stuff on Amazon to make up for it. It doesn't seem to be working very well.
Meanwhile, people can consume (purchase) much more with an iPad. The Kindle Fire is more locked-down than anything Apple offers. But you can root it and put full Android on it!! Don't go crying to Amazon when it doesn't work properly.
It's like the Android fans saying the Nexus 7 is far superior to the iPad mini for less money. Those same geeks who obsess over specs fail to see the pure usable advantages the iPad mini has over the Nexus 7 for that $129 difference.
1) Better battery life
2) More screen real estate
3) Front AND rear cameras
4) Huge variety of iPad (tablet-specific) apps
5) An older processor delivers an equally snappy (or better) user experience
6) Usable life - the iPad mini will most likely be supported for OS updates from Apple much longer. Google only cares about your device if they can sneak in a few more things that will generate ad revenue. Leading to # 7
7) Apple makes their money up front from the purchase of the device. I can't trust any company who gives away their OS, since nothing is free in life.
Better is subjective. The car on the left will break the bank just on gas. Sure, I'd rather drive the one on the left. But I'd rather own the one on the right.
My comparison is just as stupid as Amazon's comparison. That was the whole point.
Amazon is being dishonest. How can you compare the price of two products that are not comparably equipped? This is trying to fool the buyers. Kindle Fire HD does not come with a charger. It does not have a rear facing camera.
This ad is easily countered by showing the billions of apps and other things the iPad can that a Kindle can't.
The people who look at a Kindle and see a cheap iPad already bought their Kindle's. I don't see how this sways anyone%u2013 the people buying iPads already know it's the apps that make it worth what its, not just the screen alone.
Amazon is being dishonest. How can you compare the price of two products that are not comparably equipped? This is trying to fool the buyers. Kindle Fire HD does not come with a charger. It does not have a rear facing camera.
But it has "stereo speaker grilles"!
…does not come with a charger.
Wait, WHAT? Do you mean no wall charger or literally no cable to attach it to anything?
Comments
The Kindle probably IS a better buy - if all you're ever going to do with the device is read Kindle books. Different people have different needs.
Of course, the implication that it's a better buy for the average tablet purchaser is much more questionable.
It's quite a fraud. The iPad has 36% more pixels. The iPad's 4:3 aspect ratio compared to the Kindle's 16:10 (4:2.5) makes the difference as big as it does.
iPad: 2048x1536, Kindle: 1920x1200. You can do the math for yourself.
The iPad has a rear-facing and a front-facing camera, but the Kindle just has a front-facing. Amazon tries to tell you to take pictures with a front-facing camera (are they keeping a straight face?)
I owned the first Kindle Fire (this was when I liked OSX but really didn't care about iOS devices). It was a terrible device with a terrible UI, and since it didn't have any of Google's apps it was missing the best thing about Android.
Anyone who can spend $300 on a media consumption device can spend $500, not to mention that the $500 device can do a hell of a lot more. Still, a lot of people will buy Kindle Fires just to save $200, but they will come to regret it.
Now that all of Amazon's services are on iOS, there is simply no reason for someone who's into Amazon's ecosystem not to get an iPad if they want a tablet.
Quote:
Originally Posted by 6ryph3n
Everyone says (assumes?) the Kindle Fire is the major contender for sales compared to the iPad but I've been wondering if that's really the case. I've seen several friends carrying around Nooks but I have yet to see a single touchscreen Kindle around town. Did either company ever actually release their sales figures?
No, AFAIK only Apple releases sales figures.
By the way, were they Nook tablets or just Nook e-readers?
I have seen exactly one larger (> 7") non-iPad tablet in the wild, and only a handful of Kindle Fires and Nook HDs or whatever they call them now. I don't believe for a moment that iPad's market share is as low as reports suggest.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GadgetCanada
The car on the left drives to the store. The car on the right drives to the store. Cheaper does not mean better.
Better is subjective. The car on the left will break the bank just on gas. Sure, I'd rather drive the one on the left. But I'd rather own the one on the right.
Does I'm the only one of found tablets with widescreen ratio weird for reading in portrait orientation? Even weirder for a device sold by a books company.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Apple ][
Since Wall Street loves margins so much, how much is Amazon's margin on this tablet again?
Probably -20% since it's sold as a loss "leader" to get people to buy their ebooks. In this case the "leader" part is a joke.
Quote:
Originally Posted by GadgetCanada
The car on the left drives to the store. The car on the right drives to the store. Cheaper does not mean better.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gustav
Better is subjective. The car on the left will break the bank just on gas. Sure, I'd rather drive the one on the left. But I'd rather own the one on the right.
The car on the left doesn't necessarily get that bad of gas mileage and the clunker on the right might run through a quart of oil a day and in many states might not pass smog checks. Of course, the resell value of the one on the left is much higher than the other one. You'd have to pay someone to take the clunker off your hands (like many tablets).
Quote:
Originally Posted by MattBookAir
Ford says Mondeo has 2L engine just like 3 series BMW, but is much cheaper.
That might actually be true. The 2.0L Ecoboost is a great engine....
I like how the iPad has fat man fingers and the Kindle has slender woman fingers. lol
Quote:
Originally Posted by jragosta
...... It just doesn't make sense. AMZN has far lower profitability and worse future projections yet they're trading at a huge premium in terms of every parameter - P/E multiple, multiple of assets, multiple of book value, multiple of sales, multiple of shareholder's equity, etc. There's just not rational explanation.
jragosta .... Looking for rational thinking in the stock market will, sooner or later, drive you insane ..... hence my tagline.
Quote:
Originally Posted by WisdomSeed
They're trying to make the sales to people who don't know about tablets. While people who post on sites like this will have all kinds of data about the differences between the two platforms and various products, most people haven't a clue. So Amazon is giving them a clue, 'We're comparable at a much lower price.' Since there is no set criteria for what is 'comparable' they won't be sued. While the car metaphor is apt, it doesn't work for a lot of people because they don't make that cognitive leap.
When I tell people about the virtues of buying an Apple product, they often bring up the matter of price. Even being the cheap bastard that I am, I fail to make that cognitive leap. Having only purchased Apple computers, I always figure that the price paid is simply what computers cost. Those $300-$400 computers in the ads don't register as computers to me.
Owning an iPad and having picked up a Kindle Fire, the ad pisses me off. The experiences and the devices aren't comparable. I feel the same way about Samsung products, but I recognize that as my own prejudice, since I, like everyone else, will subconsciously seek out data to support what I already believe to be true.
I know some people will see the commercial and believe the Kindle is a better buy. Good on them. Other people will know better. Good on us.
It's always difficult to explain the importance of quality to someone who has come to believe that cheaper is better .... that is why I love this quote from an earlier post from Mac Voyer.
Originally Posted by Mac Voyer
"Having been on the skeptic side of the fence, I know it is senseless to try and convince someone of the superiority of the Mac experience. Much of the difference amounts to a lot of small things that are difficult to put into words or on a spreadsheet. But all those little things equal more than the sum of their parts. You just have to be there.
As far as what windows can do, that is almost irrelevant. Coach passengers arrive at the same time on the same plane as first class. But you have never flown first class on a big plane if you think the experience is in the same arena. You might think all cars are alike if you've never owned a luxury car. You may think all clothes are alike until you've owned real designer fashion. Chinese knock offs look just like iPhones, but they most certainly are not iPhones. If you are willing to wait a bit and accept a cheap knock off of what Apple has done, then yes, your PC will end up with many of the features that are a part of the Mac experience. But make no mistake about it, they are not at all the same.
I work in both the Windows and Mac OS. I have the most advanced level of the OSs and have for many years. I can tell you that I have never had an experience of equivalence or parity between the systems. Every time I have to work in Windows, I find the experience almost painful, and am constantly reminded in a thousand little ways that do not show up on a spreadsheet how far those two worlds are apart.
The only way to know is to fly first class for a year. You may go back to coach for any number of reasons, but you will never again think they are the same."
Amazon's whole goal is for more shoppers for Amazon. Put the device out there for little to no profit, hoping they buy more stuff on Amazon to make up for it. It doesn't seem to be working very well.
Meanwhile, people can consume (purchase) much more with an iPad. The Kindle Fire is more locked-down than anything Apple offers. But you can root it and put full Android on it!! Don't go crying to Amazon when it doesn't work properly.
It's like the Android fans saying the Nexus 7 is far superior to the iPad mini for less money. Those same geeks who obsess over specs fail to see the pure usable advantages the iPad mini has over the Nexus 7 for that $129 difference.
1) Better battery life
2) More screen real estate
3) Front AND rear cameras
4) Huge variety of iPad (tablet-specific) apps
5) An older processor delivers an equally snappy (or better) user experience
6) Usable life - the iPad mini will most likely be supported for OS updates from Apple much longer. Google only cares about your device if they can sneak in a few more things that will generate ad revenue. Leading to # 7
7) Apple makes their money up front from the purchase of the device. I can't trust any company who gives away their OS, since nothing is free in life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Gustav
Better is subjective. The car on the left will break the bank just on gas. Sure, I'd rather drive the one on the left. But I'd rather own the one on the right.
My comparison is just as stupid as Amazon's comparison. That was the whole point.
Amazon is being dishonest. How can you compare the price of two products that are not comparably equipped? This is trying to fool the buyers. Kindle Fire HD does not come with a charger. It does not have a rear facing camera.
The people who look at a Kindle and see a cheap iPad already bought their Kindle's. I don't see how this sways anyone%u2013 the people buying iPads already know it's the apps that make it worth what its, not just the screen alone.
Originally Posted by tzeshan
Amazon is being dishonest. How can you compare the price of two products that are not comparably equipped? This is trying to fool the buyers. Kindle Fire HD does not come with a charger. It does not have a rear facing camera.
But it has "stereo speaker grilles"!
…does not come with a charger.
Wait, WHAT? Do you mean no wall charger or literally no cable to attach it to anything?
By the way, I went to ftc.gov and lodged a complaint against Amazon for this deceptive advertising.
The iPad has a lot more pixels and Amazon's claim is a lie. I hope the government puts a stop to it.