
The Amazon Android Tablet I'd Buy - davidw
http://jwikert.typepad.com/the_average_joe/2011/03/why-we-need-an-amazon-android-tablet.html
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jordanroher
It's a brilliant idea, and makes sense in context of Amazon setting up their
own Android store. Of course, Amazon's Android store policies are fairly
heavy-handed when compared to Google's, but if they launched their own
tablet/phone it would make perfect sense. It solves the problem of why Android
phone manufacturers don't really need to update their phones firmware: they're
not getting a cut of the software revenues like Apple does.

But if Amazon had their own device, running their own store, hopefully not
excluding the default store, they would have an incentive to keep it up to
date with the latest Android OS. I would also imagine Amazon could do
something worthwhile in their Android mods to improve usability, given that
their entire business revolves around superior customer service.

An Amazon tablet could be gangbusters, and a way for Amazon to keep their
Kindle owners from jumping ship to Apple's platform.

~~~
stuartjmoore
A "Kindle Color" would hurt the Kindle brand. Whenever I tell someone I have a
Nook, they respond with "Oh, the color e-reader?" They don't even know an
e-ink Nook exists.

Kindle == e-ink. Anything Amazon Tablet related should stay away from Kindle;
closer to the movies and TV on demand.

~~~
ZeroGravitas
They could use the Pixel Qi screen and have something that is good for
reading/ really long battery life but can also do video, color when necessary.

[http://pixelqi.com/blog1/2011/01/10/ces-2011-from-a-pixel-
qi...](http://pixelqi.com/blog1/2011/01/10/ces-2011-from-a-pixel-qi-
perspective/)

I assumed this was what the article was talking about, instead it's just
suggesting a Nook Color without needing the community supported software to
access all the full functionality (which would be nice, but not amazing).

ZTE have already announced such a tablet, so Amazon could just use them as OEM
if they've not already got something cooking in their labs.

[http://pixelqi.com/blog1/2011/02/14/zte-
introduces-7%e2%80%9...](http://pixelqi.com/blog1/2011/02/14/zte-
introduces-7%e2%80%9d-tablet-pc-with-pixel-qi%e2%80%99s-sunlight-readable-low-
power-display/)

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ChuckMcM
I think Amazon has a better understanding of the digital content space than
Apple does, it shows in the way the market Kindle, MP3s, and now video with
their rental channel.

That being said, if they did do an Android based tablet, the smart thing (but
the hard thing) to do would be to kick Google to the curb.

The one thing that has differentiated the iPad from the TouchBook or the
original Microsoft Tablets has been application speed and application focus.

If you look back in history you will find the Apple Newton Message Pad,
another "magical and revolutionary" device, which had, at its core, a tightly
written OS and a poorly implemented handwriting recognition algorithm. If you
look further you will see that it had its ass handed to it by an upstart
company called Palm which created a device which capitalized on two key design
concepts : focused and fast.

The Palm Pilot was focused on the things you needed, calendar, address book,
short notes. And it was fast, fast, fast. Turn it on and Bam! ready to go.
Further it lasted plenty long before needing new batteries or a charge.

Apple took that lesson to heart.

If you look at failures in the tablet space which preceded the iPad they were
all slow, had poor run time, didn't know what they wanted to be, and clumsy to
use, especially without a stylus. Apple attacked not one, but all of those
problems at the same time.

So back to Google. Google doesn't know what it wants because its a hydra of
competing ideas. Now that Google is in the "product" space that churn becomes
visible to folks outside the candy factory.

What is the best tablet solution ? If you said Chrome as a front end to a high
performance kernel, you would find that a third of the internal folks at
Google would agree with you, if you said "A really big phone" then the Android
team would congratulate on how clearly you saw this space, if you said more
dedicated device where OS branding is irrelevant, well there would be
supporters for that too. It's healthy to have internal debate, it's toxic when
you cannot move past it.

So can you build with Android and tell Google to take a flying leap at a
rolling donut? Sure, but they won't license you the Google Apps then now will
they? This is clearly Google's right and they have grand visions.

But it takes a special kind of set of conditions for a company like Google to
see something that is outside their ability to imagine, I know that those
conditions don't exist. And to date they haven't shown any ability to imagine
and iPad killer, so I don't look to them for an answer there.

An iPad rival will arise, eventually, but its going to take someone other than
Google to do it. It will be interesting to see what WebOS brings to the tablet
market, and it will be interesting to see what the next generation of
entrepreneurial folks push in this space. There is also the distinct
possibility that Apple can push folks to an alternative with extortionate
pricing and intolerable terms.

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jimktrains2
I just want an 14" (8.5"x11") or A4 eink reader with a digitizer:-\

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mcburton
Barnes and Noble has indicated they are launching an Android App store of
their own [1]. Although, judging by that discussion, I think they see the
opportunity they've created with the NookColor but they are still trying to
figure out how to take full advantage and win developer's trust.

[1][http://connect.nookdeveloper.com/t5/General-
Discussion/Nook-...](http://connect.nookdeveloper.com/t5/General-
Discussion/Nook-Developer-Blog/m-p/1831/highlight/false#M833)

~~~
davidw
I think Amazon has more global reach than Barnes and Noble does. Does B&N even
exist outside the US and Canada?

Even Amazon isn't fantastic in Europe, but at least they are here and active.

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davidw
I like the idea a lot, but I'm not sure the fate of the Kindle development
program bodes very well: it still isn't out after how long?

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shareme
I was being recruited by Amazon quite heavily during past 6 months due to my
android Developer skills..

Its a strong possibility that Amazon will in fact launch an Android Tablet
product.

