New Amazon Kindle vs. Apple iPad and Android tablets (and sad toons)

By Richi Jennings. July 29, 2010.

Amazon has launched its third Kindle: smaller, faster, lighter, less expensive. Can it compete with the Apple iPad, or those new Android tablets? In IT Blogwatch, bloggers offer their opinions.

Your humble blogwatcher selected these bloggy morsels for your enjoyment. Not to mention those oh-so-depressing kids' cartoons...
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As Melissa J. Perenson says, "The improvements are dramatic":

An enhanced display, faster navigation ... an entirely redesigned chassis ... [and] an aggressive pricing strategy: ... the Wi-Fi-only model will cost $139. ... The latest model is 15 percent lighter and 21 percent smaller ... but retains its predecessor's 6-inch screen size ... uses the same E-Ink Pearl screen found on the Kindle DX ... can now accommodate up to 3500 books, 2000 more than the previous.
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Amazon's sales volume for the devices is high enough now to drive component costs down ... a sign of Amazon's strength in this market. ... [It's now] available for preordering ... and will ship on August 27.

Joshua Topolsky's not surprised:

You saw this one coming, didn't you? ... Page turns are faster and contrast is improved ... the keyboard and five-way controls have been streamlined ... rocker is now more compact and flush ... side buttons have been modified ... to emphasize the forward paddles ... back buttons have been downsized.
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The build quality and materials used did seem slightly more polished ... and we really liked the new, more subtle rocker. ... Amazon was showing off a jacket accessory which will be made available at launch that includes a small, pull-out light for late-night reading sessions.

Mark Gurman adds:

Amazon's getting really colorful here adding a graphite-colored model to the mix; the classic white from past generations still stands strong. ... [It] maxes out at 4 GB of storage. ... The most incredible part is the insane battery life which provides a month of usage sans ... wireless.
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[It's] also is getting an "experimental" web browser. Now you can browse on that 6 inch e-ink display; take that Apple! The controls and keyboard are also reportedly improved and hey... it's a physical keyboard.

Opinions? Jason Perlow's got 'em:

Amazon and its Kindle will remain the sole survivor of the eReader apocalypse. ... [Although] multipurpose devices such as the iPad and low-cost Android tablets will eventually eradicate this dedicated eReader market entirely.
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Amazon issued a major retaliation in the price war which Barnes & Noble started. ... The war of price cuts will eventually result in a situation where the margins on these devices reach zero ... around $99.00 ... in August of 2011. ...  SONY is out of the race entirely. ... The Kobo and the Spring Design Alex? Gone. ... [B&N's] Nook as a device will almost certainly be history. ...  Kindle will enjoy total domination.

Harry McCracken has a "smarter" take:

Amazon’s strategy is as sensible as any I can think of ... make it more like a book and even less like an iPad ... [for] the folks who want ... a (relatively) cheap, highly portable digital paperback rather than the costlier do-it-all device that is Apple’s. ... There should be plenty of customers left who want a dedicated device.

But Chad Catacchio is disappointed:

Amazon is selling eBooks like crazy ... [but] today’s announcement just seems like a mercurial improvement, not the kind of industry re-inventing moment that the iPad launch was.
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No matter what ... Bezos says about building one device that does one thing extremely well ... it is another device that people have to carry. ... Convergence, mobility and raw power are what people want.

And Finally...
Children's Cartoons Are Just Depressing
 
 
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Richi Jennings is an independent analyst/consultant, specializing in blogging, email, and security. A cross-functional IT geek since 1985, you can follow him as @richi on Twitter, pretend to be richij's friend on Facebook, or just use good old email: itbw@richij.com.

You can also read Richi's full profile and disclosure of his industry affiliations.