Photo courtesy of Techcrunch (mockup based on what reviewer saw)
Anyway, the Amazon “Fire” tablet computer running Android is just around the corner (tomorrow) and could be quite a boon for ebook authors around the globe. At least those that have a US bank account they can funnel money into. Funny that Amazon only lets USA based authors or publishers with US bank accounts publish their books on Amazon, right?
Anyway… the two reasons there could be a surge in ebook sales over the next few months and years is not because the economy is going to pick up steam. It’s because (1.) this new Fire tablet is probably going to be priced under $300 USD. It might even be $249. If it drops to $199, I’ll buy it. There’s a chance I’ll grab one at $249 if I can see something amazing about it – but, I don’t expect that at all. I just expect a tablet at a good price that works as well as my iPhone or someone else’s iPad works for grabbing Kindle books at Amazon’s Kindle Bookstore. If it can also show movies with any degree of wow, I’ll be doubly psyched.
The second reason this new Fire release could kindle ebook author sales is that the Kindle – could drop to something like $99. In reality, it SHOULD drop to $49 or free. They should price the new Fire at $299 and give you an e-ink Kindle for FREE if they were really thinking about what the hell they are doing. If someone has already bought a Kindle WiFi and wants to trade it for the new Kindle – Amazon should give it to them for $199. Sounds fair, right?
And, that Fire name… I think better to name it “Smoke”. Where there is smoke, there is fire… and this first iteration of Kindle tablet is not going to incinerate anyone’s idea of what a 7″ tablet should be. The Fire is NOT going to set the tech world ablaze – considering there are a dozen Android tablets already out there – none of them selling anything like the iPad.
The allure of the Amazon Fire tablet is that Amazon handles ebook sales – very well. They do emusic sales – quite well. They are beginning to do downloadable movies – well. Put all that together and top it off with some ezines and whatever else, and they might have something better than the new Toshiba Thrive 7″ tablet running on Android, which is basically the same thing we’ll see with the new Fire from Amazon.
Will you buy a Fire at $299?
Will you buy a Fire at $249?
Will you buy a Fire at $199?
If you could trade your old Kindle WIFI in and get the new Fire for $199 – would you?
Isn’t Smoke a better name?
New Amazon Kindle Fire Color Multitouch Tablet – eReader:
New Amazon Kindle Touch eReader:
New Amazon Kindle eReader:
Related posts:
{ 0 comments… add one now }