If you follow tech news closely, you might have noticed some rumors lately that Amazon might be coming up with a tablet that is geared towards readers, much like the Barnes & Noble NOOK Color.DigiTimes is reporting that a Taiwan-based notebook maker has got orders for tablets from Amazon. You can count on it, and start making predictions right away.
Yenting Chen of DigiTimes writes:
"Taiwan-based notebook maker Quanta Computer has recently received OEM orders from Amazon for its reported tablet PC and the device will also receive full support from Taiwan-based electrophoretic display (EPD) maker E Ink Holdings (EIH) for supplying touch panel as well as providing its Fringe Field Switching (FFS) technology, according to sources from upstream component makers."Quanta is also the tablet OEM partner of Sony, RIM and even Lenovo lately.
Amazon will almost certainly not target the entire tablet market. As I mentioned before, they will probably behave more like B&N. I also predict that Amazon's tablet will run a stripped down version of Android. Apps? I don't know.
There is one more big question. Will this be the start of a new Kindle tablet line? Or will the new tablet be the next generation Kindle? I think that they will work on the current Kindle line, and try to make it as cheap as possible, much like they are doing right now. The tablet will certainly be more expensive.
The current Kindle is doing too well right now. And they also recently came out with the new ad-based Kindle with Special Offers. So it is hard to imagine Amazon killing off the current line.
Also, current Kindle owners, don't worry. I've seen Amazon continue to strongly support the older versions of the Kindle. Your e-reader won't go out of date anytime soon. Unlike Apple, who want more customers to upgrade, Amazon earns a lot through selling products online.
What do you think about the Kindle tablet? What will it be called? The Amazon Kindle Tab? Leave a comment down there!
