tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2013:/blog/tom-keating//4/tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2012:/blog/tom-keating//4.48891- VoIP & Gadgets blog - Latest news in VoIP & gadgets, wireless, mobile phones, reviews, & opinions Movable Type 4.38 tag:blog.tmcnet.com,2012:/blog/tom-keating//4.48891 2012-03-01T13:22:36Z 2012-03-01T13:48:40Z

Apple is reportedly going to ship 7.85" iPads in the 3rd quarter, squarely targeting the 7" $199 Kindle Fire, which scorched up holiday sales. This new mini-iPad also targets the Barnes & Noble Nook, though the Kindle Fire is the...

Tom Keating http://blog.tmcnet.com/blog/tom-keating/
Apple is reportedly going to ship 7.85" iPads in the 3rd quarter, squarely targeting the 7" $199 Kindle Fire, which scorched up holiday sales. This new mini-iPad also targets the Barnes & Noble Nook, though the Kindle Fire is the more popular of the two. The Register is reporting that Steve Jobs' death cleared the way for this new 7.85" iPad, since Steve Jobs was opposed to a mini-iPad.

Regardless of the reason Apple has changed their minds and decided to attack the ~7" tablet market, this is one area where Apple will fail. First, the cost. The new 7.85" tablet will cost $249-$299, which is $50-$100 more than the Kindle Fire. You have to remember that one of the biggest drivers for the Kindle Fire is its low-cost. Is it worth a $50-$100 premium for a slightly bigger screen and the "Apple" brand?

Well, I own an iPhone 4S, an iPad, and recently got a Kindle Fire. I used to do much of my consuming of news content either on my iPhone or iPad, but now I almost exclusively do it on my Kindle Fire. One huge reason is the Kindle Fire supports Adobe Flash. I recently wrote an article asking if Flash was now possible now that Steve Jobs had passed and who stubbornly refused to put Flash on iOS. This was soon followed by Adobe giving up mobile Flash development. Don't get me wrong, I love Apple products, but this limitation annoys me to no end. So rather than get frustrated by the inability to play embedded Flash videos on my iPad or iPhone 4S, I just leave them on the coffee table or my office desk and turn on my Kindle Fire.

It's not to late for Apple to have a change of heart with regards to Adobe Flash. But if they continue this stubborness, my next phone (& tablet) device will most certainly be Android-based or perhaps Windows Phone-based.



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