It seems every month or two we read about something that is surely the new device that will be the "iPad killer". Whether it's a PlayBook, the Xoom, the Galaxy, or the short-lived HP TouchPad, there is supposedly something just around the corner ready to knock Apple of its perch.
Now it's Amazon's turn.
The Kindle Fire is due to be unveiled this week. The latest 7-inch tablet based on Android is set to be unleashed in the next day or so. So what is this device? Well, it's a 7-inch backlit display that is using a heavily customised version of the Android operating system. Amazon will be able to utilise their own appstore, and have reportedly been busy signing up the big app makers.
Streaming movies and TV shows are also in the offing, but the device will also lean heavily on the Amazon MP3 service and obviously the Kindle bookstore.
Under the hood we're talking a TI dual-core OMAP chip. I'm guessing that means something to someone, just that it doesn't do a lot for me. Other tech blogs I have read have estimated clock-speed of the CPU to be 1.2 GHz.
So how will this even come close to be a rival to iPad?
Amazon has at least something that other competitors do not (other than, say, that Apple mob) being an established ecosystem. Amazon lovers will likely at least show interest in the new device.
Another significant factor is the price; reportedly $250 – $300 USD. This may come down to whether Amazon Prime comes with the device or not (or perhaps two offerings … one with and one without Prime, at the cheaper price). This is the right kind of price to at least garner interest in the marketplace, as although I am sure Xoom is a terrific device (and now being owned by Google, I don't doubt that the next generation of Android OS will be targeted at Xoom) at over $800 AUD, it cannot compete with the "coolness" factor of the iPad. The Galaxy Tab is "pre-selling" in Australia for around $1,000.
I guess all will soon be revealed but at this stage, I don't think Apple will be too concerned over the next iPad Killer to hit the shelves, though it would be nice to see some sort of competition. A device that I am able to type on effectively and efficiently would be pretty handy too. Can someone make that?
