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Kindle Fire

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Started 8 months ago by kiddo2050
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kiddo2050

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Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 1,717

No, I'm not going to get one but...RIM... that's how you market a tablet. They are going to sell a ton of those.

The kindle fire is a tablet for people that really want to use a tablet to read. They know their market and they go after it.

For the relauch the playbook needs an angle, what is it? It should be corporate but they don't have the apps for that. RIM is business. They should launch with:
1. Powerful Docs to go
2. A pdf reader that you can add notes to a highlight. In fact go for an almost fully functional adobe acrobat.
3. Apps from all the stock trading companies
4. the WSJ, FT.com, and maybe NYT, Fortune, Bloomberg BW
5. Skype
6. Email yes, but really a fab calender to-do app and BB Travel
7. Finally my killer app, a pen that actually works so you can take handwritten notes in a meeting.

Think about your market.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
kiddo2050

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Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 1,717

BTW, in the pics of it it looks exactly like the playbook hardware wise. Well maybe just the front.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
BBA Brian

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Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 2,094

Kiddo, bang on. This is how you challenge Apple.

Amazon has instantly changed the market by creating serious competition at a WAY lower price point.

No, the Fire is not "better" than the Playbook or iPad or other Android tablets, but, at $199.99 it will make MANY people rethink what they want in a tablet.

Basically what the Fire is missing over the competition is:
1. Memory - 8 GB is very small and you won't be able to hold much
2. GPU - already leaking out that the GPU isn't as good
3. RAM - under 1 gig for sure or they would advertise it
4. cameras - it has none
5. microphone - it has none
6. HDMI out - it has non
7. external volume controls - it has none
8. Low end speakers ala the iPad

Now the memory issue is slightly compensated by the cloud services, but, only a small percentage of the user population out there are actually using could services and will take a while to catch on, but the rest, will never come via a software update.

So you have to ask yourself... A) do you want these hardware items and B) if you do, how much are they worth to you?

Given what the Fire CAN DO for $199.99, I think the above specs are worth an additional 100-150. Thus putting the price point of the Playbook at around 299 - $349.

In the end, I think this is great for the end user as prices will have to drop, they just have to

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
BBA Brian

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Posts: 2,094

I am revising my opinion on the 8 GB storage combined with cloud storage. While in theory it works, in practice it might be challenging especially when you are using your Fire off WIFI.

When using 3G/4G and accessing your cloud instead of onboard storage, you will likely EAT through your mobile data usage VERY quickly.

Hmmmm...

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
kiddo2050

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Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 1,717

I don't think it even comes with 3G or 4G.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
Kobena

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Joined: May '11
Posts: 83

No, it doesn't come with 3G or 4G. If I hadn't gotten the playbook, I am sure I would have picked up this. The form factor is just perfect! "Waay" back before RIM announced the playbook, I was going to buy the NOOK, then RIM announced PB and I decided to wait for it.

if the PB had been delayed a year, I am almost certain I would have gone for the Fire. btw Kiddo, I agree with you, from the front it looks like the PB

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
Kobena

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Joined: May '11
Posts: 83

Oh and btw Kiddo, you hit right on the head. Amazon has targeted a particular ecosystem and marketing to them right at launch. I think that is what will make the Kindle Fire successful.

I hope RIM follows suit with QNX OS 2

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
PB Forever

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Joined: May '11
Posts: 1,334

I haven't really looked into this new Kindle and am only reading about it here.

So Amazon prides itself on being able to deliver your books to you anywhere in the world via 3G.

If this is not 3G and is dependent on wi-fi for delivery and the books are store in the cloud how do you access your books if your out of the wi-fi network, like on the bus?

I just don't get who this would appeal to? I'm a voracious reader and will read everything placed in my hand. If I want a book I want to be able to download it immediately anywhere and be able to read it. I've downloaded a book while I was waiting to get my hair cut! Why would I want Kindle Fire if I have to wait to be on wi-fi to access my books?

Perhaps I'm missing something here?

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
Kobena

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Joined: May '11
Posts: 83

No PB, you aren't missing anything. But you can download the books onto your Kindle Fire just as you would a regular kindle or the PB (with Kobo). But you can also store books and documents in the cloud for when you have wifi access.

Some people like me were never going to buy a 3G/4G tablet. If they had released a wifi playbook and a 3G playbook, I still would have bought the wifi version.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
PB Forever

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Posts: 1,334

On paper the Kindle looks great. I notice it doesn't have native email, just email apps like the PB, I wonder if anybody is going to slam them for that! LOL...

But, yep it's wi-fi only so I guess you can't really take your books with you if you want to read them off line.

It sure does look like they stole a lot of PB form factors and gestures.

I think this is more in direct response to Nook colour.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
kiddo2050

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Joined: Mar '11
Posts: 1,717

I can read books on my playbook off line so I think you'll be able to do that on the kindle as well. I didn't know it uses gestures.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
Heavens

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Joined: Jul '11
Posts: 268

The Fire is releasing in Australia in either December or January.

I have yet to buy a Playbook and the price factor is the main reason. I thought that I'd just wait and buy Version 2 whenever it's released because the things that need to be sorted out in it would be sorted out. (For me it's too expensive to buy the first version and then the second)

The Fire tablet is just soooo very affordable ..... think about it ... it's priced to sell and it will sell just for that sheer fact that it doesn't matter if you don't get lots of use out of it - the point is you've got a tablet and can now be part of the conversation.

I will wait for version 2 of the playbook - but I think there needs to be a deluxe version and a standard version so the standard version can sell around the $250 mark in order to compete.

I don't need cameras in a playbook, but I do need 3G, and external memory capability.

Well that's my 2 cents worth, lol!

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
babisboi

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Joined: Dec '10
Posts: 2,775

The fire won't have 3G either. The price for the PlayBook has gone down significantly here in the US. I think that the fire will sell very well because of its price point. But id the prices stay the same for the PlayBook and it gets its update relatively soon, the PlayBook will have a valid argument to be highly considered buy all tablet buyers.

Posted 8 months ago #Post-Permalink
PB Forever

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Joined: May '11
Posts: 1,334

The Kindle Fire is very cool for what it does. Its tablet format makes it appealing, but to me it's not a "tablet" it's an e-reader. I can't do even basic work or presentations with the Fire.

In a nutshell that explains the price difference between the Fire and the rest of the "tablets".

I find it ironic that in the local news forecast they try to compare it to an iPad and then came swiftly to the conclusion that for what you're paying you won't get the same thing. I think people need to remember that.

If I wanted purely a multi-media device than I would seriously look at the Kindle Fire. If I want a device with some versatility, i.e. loading in my own movies, musice and even ePubs and getting on the "real" internet instead of the control vesion that Amazon is offering then the Kindle Fire isn't the machine for me.

I like the point they made on the newscast yesterday that you can buy the Kindle cheaply now (they offer a 2 GB for $79) but that's cuz you'll be busy paying Amazon a ton of money for everything else, music, streaming movies, books etc.

Posted 7 months ago #Post-Permalink
Heavens

Enthusiast
Joined: Jul '11
Posts: 268

Just to explain when I say Version 2 of the PB I mean the yet to be announced (yet to be made?) Playbook 2. I rarely buy the first version of anything.

A major reason that I don't touch anything Apple or Kindle is because of what I consider to be Restrictive Trade Practices. That is, one doesn't have a choice as to:

- where to buy the content, eg apps or books or videos etc, they have to be purchased via apple or amazon

- there is no external memory card to load your own music, photos, videos, books and by-pass the compulsory use of the apple shop or whatever it's called

- that products that are downloadable to say the Kindle are only able to be used on a Kindle, that is any books you buy thru Amazon are usually DRM'ed which mean for Kindle use only - clear restrictive trade practice.

I am looking forward to more law suits in this area - and the EU usually leads the way.

Posted 7 months ago #Post-Permalink