Seth Meyers nailed it:<p><i>"In an effort to compete with the iPad, Amazon Wednesday unveiled their new tablet computer called the Kindle Fire which will retail for $199. It’s expected to sell well among parents who always buy the wrong thing."</i>
It looks like a decent tablet and it's $200, what's not to like? I'd rather have an iPad but there is a good chance I'll pick up a Fire based on the "bang for your buck" factor.
If it has the right software and is easy enough to use, I can see this happening. Given the choice between a $400 iPad and a $200 Kindle Fire I think I can see a lot of people taking the cheaper option.<p>Whether it is sustainable will depend on the performance/usability of the Kindle. The problem with current iPad competitors is that at best, they come in at the same price point as the iPad and fall far short in terms of usability.
Speaking as someone who pre-ordered the original iPad, has an iPad 2, has bought iPads for everyone in the family, and loves the iPad -- I preordered a Kindle Fire.<p>The funny thing is that the iPad started out as a media consumption device but rapidly became a pretty decent all-round device (it doesn't replace a "real" computer but it sure reduces the need to have one around), but it's still 1.5lb and quite big for, say, reading in bed. I prefer reading an iPad to reading a book (I'm reading Clash on Kings in paperback right now, and almost wishing I'd paid -- double -- for the Kindle version) but I'd prefer reading something as small and light as a Kindle to an iPad if it had a color backlit display. (I'd have bought a color Nook if they could play Kindle books.)<p>Oh look, the Fire has a color backlit display.
Considering the iPad has been on sale for the last 2 years and have already sold millions, I don't find this surprising since the Kindle Fire just went on sale.<p>Now if Apple had released a iPad 3 at the same time as the Kindle Fire was released for pre-order, that would be more surprising.
"CEO Tim Cook reportedly thinks further Android fragmentation brought about by the Kindle Fire will drive consumers to the iPad."<p>Fragmentation, eh? That's what Apple thinks will be the downfall of Android tablets?<p>I wonder if the following was ever said about Apple in the past:<p>CEO Steve Jobs reportedly thinks that further PC fragmentation brought about by yet another PC maker will drive consumers to the Mac.
This doesn't come a huge surprise. Since a consumer could buy a kindle, 2 kindle touches, and a kindle fire (or some combination) for the same prices a the lowest model iPad. These prices are going to make kindle products really popular for gifts during the holiday season. I think they are going to do extremely well.
I would be interesting to do this survery at the start of december , after some 5 million(or more) people would get their pre-ordered kindle fire and use it, talk about it and show it to their friends.