Computer Support Blog

Despite the growing number of choices in the tablet market, where nearly every company has multiple options for customers to choose from, there are two big names for tablets: iPad and Kindle. A few years ago, it would have been inconceivable for Amazon to enter the tablet computer market, but with the success of the Kindle e-reader, the Kindle Fire tablet took the 2011 fourth quarter by storm. Amazon’s sales of the Kindle Fire were boosted, in part by the $199 price tag.  Compared to Apple’s iPad at $499, the Kindle Fire seemed like a real value to consumers.  Now, other tablet computer manufacturers are following Amazon’s lead and offering more affordable options than Apple Computers.

After Amazon succeeded in marketing the Kindle e-reader, the online retailer introduced a color version of the Kindle. Finally, the company brought out the Kindle Fire, a full Android tablet. Barnes & Noble followed the same development trajectory with their Nook e-readers and tablet – the original Nook, a color version, and finally a tablet.  Barnes & Noble has not had the same success and market penetration with the Nook tablet as Amazon did with the Kindle Fire.

Arguably, cost is a primary factor in the lack of market dominance for the Nook. The Nook Tablet costs $50 more than the Kindle Fire, but comes with double the memory. Unfortunately for Barnes & Noble, the Kindle Fire’s easy access to other Amazon products outweighs the need for more internal memory in the mind of many consumers. It would seem that the bookseller has figured that fact out recently, because Barnes & Noble has announced a cheaper version of the Nook Tablet.

The newer Nook Tablet will feature half the memory, 8GB instead of 16GB, and a lower price point, $199 instead of $249. That will make it nearly identical to the Kindle Fire in specifications, but will it be enough to draw customers away from Amazon and over to Barnes & Noble? Certainly Barnes & Noble will have a leg up for consumers who look for content over advertising, but it remains to be seen whether the new Nook Tablet can mount a serious competition to other tablet computers.

Amazon is also gearing up to release the Kindle Fire 2. Amazon rushed the Kindle Fire into production last year in order to meet the December holiday deadlines, but the Kindle Fire 2 has no such deadlines. Therefore, Amazon can take its time to make the next tablet even better. Users are hoping for an SD card slot, physical volume buttons, and Bluetooth compatibility.

Either way, before Amazon releases the new Kindle Fire, the price should drop on the original Kindle Fire.  That means both Barnes & Noble and Amazon have intriguing tablet computer options to compete with Apple for the hearts, minds and wallets of tablet computer enthusiasts who might not need all the power or expense of the new iPad.

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