Kindle Tablet Info

Was the Amazon Kindle Fire a Beta Release?

Last summer, I was one of the first to write in detail about Amazon's Kindle Fire, expected in the fall of 2011. My sources on this were impeccable and early on I got a good idea of what Amazon had up its sleeves. However, during my discussion with my sources on this, one interesting tidbit came up that I have not written about until now.

Apparently, while Amazon had the Kindle Fire in the works, it was also conceptualizing a larger model for release sometime in 2012. Of course, this is not news today; the rumor mills have been speculating about the possibility for a while. I believe, however, that the larger tablet will be its marquis product and the hopeful cornerstone of its tablet strategy.

So, why did Amazon release a 7-inch model first if it will use the larger version to drive its tablet business forward? It appears the reason for this was strategic to its thinking and had its roots in timing issues. By early 2011, everybody in the industry had realized that Apple's iPad was a game-changer. Remember, Apple introduced the iPad in January 2010 and within a year had made it a household name. More importantly, Amazon and other tech vendors understood that if they did not get a foot in the door with a tablet of their own, Apple's lead would only increase.

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• PCMag.com

Tags: analysis | opinion | rumor