This past month in the e-reader market, Amazon has already set itself ahead of the pack with the launch of its HTML5 cloud-based e-reader system in response to Apple’s new in-app subscription rules. While the Kindle Cloud Reader definitely wags its finger at Apple, asserting Amazon’s refusal to give Apple 30% of its revenue, many are speculating the company that the Cloud Reader really hurts is Barnes & Noble, as Nook users can now buy and use Kindle applications through the Nook Color’s web browser. Barnes & Noble was also the subject of scorn this month when the HP TouchPad price was reduced to a mere $99 and Barnes & Noble found itself selling out almost immediately, notifying dissatisfied customers that they would not be receiving their tablet.
Still, the Nook Touch continues to garner good reviews along with the Kobo, while speculation about the Kindle tablet only grows stronger. Many are advising/predicting that Amazon price its tablet low, learning from the TouchPad, in order to offer a smart alternative to the iPad. Other tablets are also set to hit the market, including one by Samsung and one by Research In Motion, but, even with 2 new Sony tablets on the way (with a partnership with Pottermore on its side), everyone is waiting with bated breath to see what the Kindle has in store.
So who wins this round? Check out some quotes and decide for yourself:
“Bookeen’s latest iteration of its Cybook Opus puts a little spit and polish on the original, which was one of the skinniest and lightest e-readers available. At 5.3 ounces, the new Opus retains the featherweight crown, but the current Sony Reader Pocket Edition almost matches it at 5.5 ounces—and that model offers an easier-to-navigate touchscreen. On top of that, the Opus’s $190 price remains steeper than most (though competitive with Sony).”
— Yardena Arar, PC World (8/5/2011)
“There are a slew of tablets looking to match Apple’s success with the iPad, such as Samsung’s tablets and the Playbook by Research In Motion. And Sony is slated to release two powerful competitors this year. But none of these companies offer Amazon’s extensive library of digital content. The convergence of its Cloud Drive and video streaming capabilities comparable to Netflix could really make this tablet valuable. Theoretically for the price of an iPad, one could have an Amazon tablet and unlimited access to a library similar to that of Netflix.”
— Justin Dove, Seekingalpha.com (8/5/2011)
“If you’re shopping for a new e-book reader, there’s another contender in addition to Kindles and Nooks: The new Kobo eReader Touch Edition is a solid effort, and the best to come from the company. The Touch did well in our lab testing, where we check readability, touch-responsiveness, navigation, and file support, among other features. It’s also the lightest in its category at 6.6 ounces, and has the largest maximum type size, making it a good bet for readers with eyesight difficulties.”
— Consumer Reports (8/12/2011)
“The TouchPad has a mighty fine Kindle app, but at only $99 it’s cheaper than even the Wi-Fi only Kindle (at $140), and it does a lot more. Sure, the screen may not be as easy on the eyes as E-ink, but you can read it in the dark, so there’s that.”
— Brent Rose, Gizmodo (8/22/2011)
“Barnes & Noble managed to one-up Amazon with its latest reader, offering up a device with a faster processor, quicker refresh rate, and smaller footprint than the latest Kindle. The latter is due, in part, to the company’s adoption of infrared touchscreen technology, which lets you flip through pages with a swipe of a finger. Add in social network sharing functionality and expandable memory, and you’ve got a killer devoted e-reader.”
— Brian Heater, Engadget.com (8/3/2011)
“After HP (rightly) nuked webOS, HP’s TouchPad tablet suddenly started selling like hotcakes because they were heavily marked down to $100. And that shows how to compete with the iPad: price.
And who wants to be a tablet player and is very good at competing on price? Amazon.
Clearly, no one is able to build a tablet that’s as good as the iPad and price-competitive. But, clearly, there is still a huge market for a cheap, okay tablet.”
— Pascal-Emmanuel Gobry, Business Insider (8/23/2011)
“What accounts for the higher price [of the new Sony e-reader]? Not the features of the e-reader, which include a touchscreen, wifi and, as Mike Cane points out, a stylus. (That brings to mind Steve Jobs’s 2010 comment: ‘If you see a stylus, they blew it.’)”
— Laura Hazard Owen, paidContent.org (8/29/2011)
“The bottom line: A year from now, ‘Amazon’ will be synonymous with ‘Android’ on tablets, a strong second to Apple’s iPad. If you haven’t yet contemplated how Apple-Amazon tablet domination will change your product strategy, now is the time to plan and act.”
— Sarah Rotman Epps, Forrester Research (8/29/2011)
“Sony isn’t giving up. Although sales of its dedicated e-readers have lagged, today the company announced the launch of its first two Sony Tablet devices. The Android-powered Sony Tablet S is expected to be in stores by mid-September with prices starting at $499 and the Sony Tablet P will be out later this year.”
— Publishers Weekly (8/31/11)
