The Internet is a buzz about Apple’s unveiling of the ipad device, which features a large touch-screen and is designed for surfing the Web, reading, watching videos and playing music. The device looks like a large iPhone or iPod Touch. There’s speculation of monthly fees and the device may cost $699.
Hard to tell whom Apple’s target market is for this device because if you have an iphone will you want to plunk down another $500-$700 plus monthly fees for this device. If you are with another carrier, are you willing to shell out more money monthly in a recession? As for the Kindle, you only incur fees when purchasing books.
Data Cost
Data is WiFi and 3G
14.99 for 250 mb per month
29.00 for unlimited
$60.00 per month SPRINT
no contract — can cancel at any time
Free data at AT&T WiFi hotspots
uses micro sims cell cards so can use outside of the US
cost start at $499
I think I am going to wait for 3 - 6 months until the innovators and early adopters purchase and provide reviews. Then I will check eBay for prices. I am not sure this will be a Kindle, Netbook, and/or laptop replacement and I really can’t justify the monthly expense – Right now…
More info:
Apple and Amazon could be the best of enemies. Look at their entirely complimentary business strategies. Amazon sells content. The company went into the hardware business to spur more e-book sales. It intends to make a large profit selling e-textbooks for the new Kindle DX. Yeah, sure, Amazon makes money on the Kindle, but its heart is in the books. Apple sells hardware. Apple became the world’s leading online media store so it could sell more iPods. Its heart is in the iPods.
Amazon won’t stress out about this too much. It will still be selling e-books, and now it will be selling e-textbooks, too. The big losers will be newspapers and magazines that hope to sell Kindle subscriptions. They’ll be forced to put their free Web sites behind a pay wall or find some other way of making money. Textbook companies and traditional book publishers aren’t in so much danger, because they’ve never offered all of their content online free.
The iPad also won’t just be an e-book/Internet reader. It’s sure to be a terrific media player—a sort of widescreen iPod, the perfect thing for watching a movie in bed or on the plane. Apple won’t position it as a general-purpose computer, as the company doesn’t want to cannibalize its MacBook business.
Links
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2346545,00.asp
http://www.tomshardware.com/news/Steve-Jobs-Apple-Tablet-iPad,9521.html
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-from-the-apple-tablet-latest-creation-event/