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Topic: Hardware

No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

Summary: The regular Joe buying an Amazon tablet won't know and won't care that the tablet is based on RIM's PlayBook.

Adrian Kingsley-Hughes

By for Hardware 2.0 |

A lot of buzz on the blogosphere today about Amazon's Kindle tablet - which will allegedly be called 'Fire' - actually being a revamped RIM PlayBook. As interesting as it is that Amazon's long-rumored, long-awaited tablet will essentially be a clone of the irrelevant PlayBook, the truth is that the buying masses won't care.

Why is the Kindle tablet a clone of the PlayBook? Because it is been designed and built by original device manufacturer (ODM) Quanta, the same company that built the PlayBook, rather than by Amazon's Kindle design and dev team Lab 126.

The Kindle tablet/Fire won't be an exact clone of the PlayBook. For one thing, it has to be cheaper as it's expected to sell for $250. So it's will feature a slower processor, two-finger multitouch screen and have no cameras. But the PlayBook didn't fail because of the hardware, the PlayBook failed because it didn't have the ecosystem to support it ... and Amazon's not going to make the same mistake.

First, Amazon is going with Android as the OS. Well, not exactly Android, but a custom version believed to be based on Android 2.1 (no, not the 2.3 version specifically aimed at tablets). And it's with this custom OS that will be Amazon's strong point. Amazon will turn its tablet (wherever it ends up being called) into a one-stop-shop for all things Amazon. The company doesn't have to make a killing on the hardware because it can sit back and make money each time a customer uses the tablet to buy something from Amazon. Amazon's power is that it has so much content - ebooks, music, video, an Android app store, a games and software downloads service, cloud services and audiobooks - that it can pipe to the tablet, it can't help but make money from this endeavor. Problem is, other makers will have to slash their wrists in order to be able to compete.

The Kindle tablet ain't no iPad killer - it's not meant to be - but the $250 tablet could very well slaughter the Android tablet market. Watch out, after Amazon drops this bombshell I expect that there will be a lot of changes ahead. Expect price drops and for some makers to reduce, if not even pull out completely, from the Android tablet market.

Stay tuned for tomorrow's Amazon press event, when we'll likely learn a lot more about the tablet.

Topics: Hardware, Amazon, Laptops, Mobility, BlackBerry, Tablets

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43 comments
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  • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

    Finally - some market sense in the Android tablet market. Hopefully we will see some more of these $250 options come into the market. Getting kind of sick of the $500 entry point.
    kstagg
    Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      @kstagg

      This appears to be image of amazon Kindle Fire. I came across this in amazon.com website.
      http://www.amazon.com/Screen-Protector-Amazon-Kindle-Android/dp/B005LZSWO0/ref=sr_1_20?s=electronics&ie=UTF8&qid=1317135692&sr=1-20
      winux_sap
      Reply Vote

      • Let The Reviews Begin...

        Time to post your pre-release reviews
        SkiddMarxx
        Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      @kstagg there is a reason for the $500 entry... minimum quality for a reasonable tablet... like the screen being $80-100 for an approx 10" screen, battery likely being somewhat close to that. total parts is typically about $300 not including OS development/customization marketing and profit.
      bdmarsh
      Reply Vote

    • Did you read the article?

      @kstagg

      Stop talking rubbish please.... You get what you pay for in this life. If you ant an iPad it sets you back ??500; if you want a playbook its a little cheaper; if you want a decent Android its ??430 (Asus transformer and keyboard). If you want a cut down version with a slower processor and whatever else it'll be cheaper (so the guy writes).

      So cut the crazy talk. If you aint got the cash don't bleat that it's too dear. There are plenty of ??150 Android devices out there that will suit your pocket. Go save some money and buy one at your 'entry point'.

      Going by your logic we'll see Ferraris costing less than a Ford next week.... an we know that's a manufacturing impossibility
      johnmckay
      Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      @kstagg

      Yeah, I'm sure consumers are just waiting for more cheap, forked-Android craptablets because iPads are "too expensive" for the average Joe. Those average Joes already threw away their $250 Windows netbooks to buy iPads. So unless these people are selling burgers or cleaning toilets I think most of them can well afford $500 iPads.
      ConstableOdo
      Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      I agree. The Amazon tablet will be no ipad killer but it will definitely be a good ipad alternative. For more ipad alternatives see: http://ipadalternatives.net
      mb209
      Reply Vote

    • re:

      When it comes to shoes, <a rel="dofollow" href="http://www.cheapuggskit.com/"><strong>cheap uggs</strong></a> are the most popular kinds in uk,that's true..
      iwdy23
      Reply Vote

  • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

    Hit the nail there, AKH. Amazon has an ecosystem around the Kindle already waiting around it. Android is trying to get there. Apple can bring in a new device any day and you know there will be an ecosystem around it within a week. This is why Amazon and Apple will no doubt dominate the tablet market. Maybe Amazon won't sell as many as Apple, but it will do enough to sell services around Kindle Fire profitability. I don't know about Windows Tablets, although personally they would be my No.1 choice. RIM can't come up with a great device with an ecosystem and can't sell itself to any major player currently in the market. I don't know where it is going to go as far as the mainstream market is concerned.
    regsrini
    Reply Vote

  • Playbook runs QNX

    Assuming the Kindle device runs Android, I don't see any comparison.
    The Star King
    Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      @The Star King Exactly. This is not a Playbook. QNX makes the Playbook.
      happyharry_z
      Reply Vote

      • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

        @happyharry_z Yep, QNX is a beast but those Bozos at RIM are trying to leverage it to sell more Smart phones and they're crippling the device.
        slickjim
        Reply Vote

    • Ah.... but

      @The Star King

      If you look closely it's a similar flat shape and black, with a screen. Now... In Apples eyes thats an exact copy and given the track record of some of the slaves writing these reports I can see where the guy is coming from. True, to you and I they are two totally different beasts but lets not let facts get in the way of a good story :-)
      johnmckay
      Reply Vote

  • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

    I am concerned about the effect this tablet could have on the Android ecosystem as a whole. Amazon is aiming squarely at the consumer market, leaving only the enterprise market to other tablet manufacturers. That's an unhealthy split, IMHO, that could doom Android. iOS, meanwhile, is making huge inroads into both the consumer and the Enterprise market. If I'm Apple, I'm not worried about Amazon...to the contrary, I'm caustiously optimistic.
    dsf3g
    Reply Vote

    • Possibly a bit early to say that....

      @dsf3g

      As far as I'm concerned the iPad is a consumer device YET it is firmly in the enterprise. The fact it needs to be updated on iTunes and on 1 consistent PC means it really has to be the users own (home PC). All ours are well recognised as being user device running corporate apps BUT any problem means the user HAS to restore/synch on their own kit.

      Android needs to get a consistent level of maintenance and functionality as far as I'm concerned (I love mine but can see it would cause headaches in the office). Until we see the Amazon effort, and see what it can do, and see if it is reasonably stable and recoverable unit... it's way too early to see where it will fit in. Maybe folk will just want to run a corporate email app and that'll be sufficient for thousands of users, maybe millions.
      johnmckay
      Reply Vote

  • another nail in the M$ coffin

    android wins against windoze hands down!
    The Linux Geek
    Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      @The Linux Geek Do you Linux trolls ever come up with something new to say? What Microsoft Coffin are you speaking about? Oh I know, that coffin that all Linux fanboys claim is there but in reality it isn't.

      I think someone is scared that Windows 8 is going to blow up the mobile world and start putting a hurt on Android (I like Android mind you and have a Honeycomb tablet).

      And nothing ever wins against Windows "hands down". Cause that's like calling Windows a high school football team going up against Android who are the Green Bay Packers. Get a clue and grow up.
      Bates_
      Reply Vote

      • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

        @Bates_ Umm Bates...I think you were baited and you fell for it. Tsk! Tsk!
        yu119995
        Reply Vote

    • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

      @The Linux Geek <br>Microsoft is already making money by licensing to Amazon. At the same time Google may not be able to make single dime out this Tablet. Get the facts straight before trolling, then at least you would be an intelligent troll.
      Ram U
      Reply Vote

      • RE: No one will care that Amazon's Kindle tablet is a RIM PlayBook

        @Rama.NET [i]...then at least you would be an intelligent troll.[/i]
        I think those are myths and don't really exist ;-)
        non-biased
        Reply Vote
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