Could the Kindle Fire Outsell Apple's iPad?

Consumers can’t seem to wait to get their hands on the Kindle Fire, and according to Cult of Android, there are numbers that have been compiled showing that the newly released tablet has the potential to outsell Apple’s iPad.

About a week ago, there were leaked screen shots of Amazon’s internal inventory management system that allegedly revealed that consumers had already preordered more than 250,000 Kindle Fires. Amazon announced the tablet less than a week prior to the leaked screen shots. Cult of Android claims that the tablet is already selling around 50,000 devices a day, more than 2,000 tablets per hour.

Two thousand devices per hour?!? That’s absolutely insane! If these numbers are correct, this would mean that Amazon is set to have the biggest tablet launch to-date. It would be even bigger than the launch of the iPad or the iPad 2.

On April 3, 2010 Apple sold 300,000 of the original iPads at the devices launch. As of right now, Apple still has not released any of the details concerning the launch of the iPad 2, but Cult of Android claims that somewhere close to 2.5 million devices were sold in the first month that the device was available.

So far, Amazon has not released any numbers concerning the Kindle Fire, but it has been estimated that Amazon presold 95,000 units the very first day that it was announced.

According to Cult of Android, none of the other devices have had presale numbers like the Kindle Fire. BlackBerry sold 250,000 PlayBooks in the first month, while Motorola only sold 100,000 Xooms.

The Kindle Fire does not ship until November 15, so Amazon has plenty of time to overtake the iPad, even if presale numbers begin to slow. Another tablet could definitely help to boost the sales numbers, and reportedly Amazon is working on a 10-inch version of the Kindle Fire.

The media is saying that the Kindle Fire is the tablet that could actually present some decent competition to Apple’s iPad. It also helps that the Kindle Fire will only cost you $199 and that Amazon is offering free two-day shipping. Who knows how it will all turn out, but if Cult of Android is even close to being on track with their estimates, the Kindle Fire really could become the tablet to beat.

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What Does the Tablet Industry's Future Look Like?

There are plenty of people who are trying to predict the growth of the tablet industry in the next few years. Most recently, the glass makers have been the people that are rolling out the predictions. More specifically, it has been the president of Corning Glass Technologies Group that has been vocal about his beliefs concerning the tablet industry.

Now, you may not recognize the name Corning Glass Technologies Group right off the bat, but you will most likely recognize the name of the product that the company manufactures…Gorilla Glass. This product is the transparent panel that protects devices including Dell’s Streak tablet, Samsung’s Galaxy S, the iPhone 4, and a variety of other devices.

The president of Corning Glass James Clappin claimed that the demand for Gorilla Glass has really been off the charts since the launch of the product in 2008, but what does the future look like for the company and the product?

"Corning Gorilla Glass is the cover glass of choice for manufacturers of high-end mobile phones," Clappin said in a statement. "We expect the number of these devices using cover glass to quadruple over the next four years, presenting us with a significant opportunity for growth."

“Global innovation is at the heart of Corning today and has been for our 160-year history,” said Wendell P. Weeks, chairman, chief executive officer, and president of the company. “Our capabilities in glass and ceramics have the potential to deliver solutions across many industries that address significant global technology trends, driven by consumer desires to access and share information wherever they are, whenever they want,” he said. “We envision a world where technology enables seamless delivery of real-time information…a natural and intuitive interaction with the virtual world. This is a world of specialty glass with vivid displays, multi-functional ‘smart’ surfaces, and interactive devices.”

“Corning Gorilla Glass is the cover glass of choice for manufacturers of high-end mobile phones. We expect the number of these devices using cover glass to quadruple over the next four years, presenting us with a significant opportunity for growth,” Clappin said.

He has gone on to discuss how there is an even larger opportunity for Corning’s Gorilla Glass with the growth of the tablet industry. Corning goes on to estimate that tablet computer sales could grow from roughly 20 million units last year to almost 180 million by 2014. “What makes the tablet market so appealing for us is that all of these devices will likely require a highly durable, scratch-resistant piece of cover glass,” he will say.

If there really is an increase like what Clappin is predicting, there could be as much an 800 percent increase in tablet sales.

Now, although these are some incredible numbers that Clappin is throwing out, not everyone is quite that ridiculously optimistic. According to analysts like the Yankee Group, there will be a lower multiplier in terms of overall revenue growth. The Yankee Group feels that it is much more likely that the global tablet market will jump from 16 billion in total global revenues in 2010 to 46 billion in 2014. This is definitely a lot less than the 800 percent increase that Clappin is predicting. As far as physical sales, Yankee Group believes that tablet sales will triple between 2010 and 2015.

Clappin and Yankee Group analyst Dmitriy Molchanov may not agree on the final prediction numbers, but they both are saying that the tablet industry has a very bright looking future for consumers, manufacturers, and glass makers.

"The growth in this market is unprecedented," said Molchanov. "The tablet sales curve is rising faster than that of HDTVs, handheld gaming consoles or even MP3 players."

It will be very interesting to see how this market really does increase and whether or not Gorilla Glass will be a part of it.

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So, What Do the Masses Think About the Samsung Galaxy Tab vs. Apple’s iPad?

Samsung’s Galaxy Tab is the highly anticipated, extremely hyped-up tablet that was released worldwide about two months ago. In mid-November the device was made available at all four of the major wireless U.S. carriers, Verizon, Sprint, AT&T, and T-Mobile, which is sure to help boost the Galaxy Tab's sales numbers.

So, how has it done so far you might ask? Well, just recently, Samsung reported that they had sold over 1 million devices. But how does this compare to Apple’s iPad when it was first released? The larger 9.7 inch screen Apple iPad went on sale this past April and hit the 1 million devices sold mark in about a month, meaning that comparatively the Galaxy Tab is definitely behind numbers-wise. You must consider though that the iPad was a novelty that drew people in with its exclusive uniqueness. It had no real competition when it was released. When taking this into consideration, it shows that realistically Samsung is doing quite well with their Android-based 7-inch screen Galaxy Tab.

The Thanksgiving weekend is sure to have spurred the Galaxy Tab sales, although Samsung has not yet released those sales figures. Individual carriers have said that they are very encouraged by the sales of the Galaxy Tab, but they also have not revealed any of those numbers.

As of right now, despite Samsung’s best efforts to market their new product, it seems as though the iPad will be the dominant tablet this holiday season. In a survey conducted by Piper Jaffray, a hearty 85 percent of respondents said that they preferred the iPad over the Galaxy Tab.

Senior research analyst Gene Munster wrote, "Although we expect both platforms to find success in the market in [2011], we believe iPad is taking an early lead over competing Android-based tablets like the Samsung Galaxy Tab."

Now it is important to note that the survey was only taken by 65 people, and the Galaxy Tab really hasn’t been out very long, while the iPad has had close to eight months to make its impression. Piper Jaffray chose people at random to participate in their survey. They asked individuals on their way in or out of a large national retail chain store to spend some time with both the Galaxy Tab and the iPad, and they then asked them which device they preferred.

The survey also asked people about their perceived value of both the devices. Respondents said that they felt the iPad (3G + Wi-Fi) was worth $417 (34 percent below its actual price) and that the Galaxy Tab was worth $283 (53 percent below its actual price). People seemed to think that the iPad seemed fancier than the Galaxy Tab. It is interesting to consider what people really felt the value of the devices was. "While the iPad is priced $30 higher than the Galaxy Tab, the perceived value of the iPad was $134 higher," said Munster.

Although right now it seems that the iPad is the preferred device, Piper Jaffray said that they believe both tablets will be successful.

"While we expect both the iPad and Android tablet platforms to find success in the market, we believe iPad is taking an early lead over competing tablets," the report said. "We are modeling for Apple to sell 13 million iPads in [2010], an estimated 89 percent market share with very limited competition; however, we estimate this share will drop to 53 percent next year, with Android-based tablets attracting 33 percent of the market. "

In Apple’s fourth quarter which ended October 31st, they reported that more than 4 million iPads had been sold, and analysts estimated that prior to the Thanksgiving weekend about 8 million iPads have been sold overall since its release. Despite this, Samsung is a fantastic company that is respected by many. The Galaxy Tab also features some things that the iPad cannot offer. I believe that the device will most definitely be a success. It just needs a little time to catch up with the iPad.

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New Nook Color at Barnes & Noble

On Tuesday, October 26th, Barnes & Noble released their first major brand color e-book reader. In the past few months, other companies like Literati and Pandigital have released their own color e-book reader devices, but Barnes & Noble is the company that really got things right.

The device has been dubbed the Nook Color. The classy e-book reader features a 7-inch, 1024 x 600 LCD screen from LG surrounded by a black bevel that offers customers over 16 million different colors. The device weighs under a pound, runs Android 2.1, features built-in Wi-Fi, 8GB of memory, and a microSD card slot that allows users to add even more memory to the device. The battery life of the device comes in at about eight hours, which is a lot less than many of the other e-book readers available as of now.

At the time of the launching of the device, Barnes & Noble’s bookstore will have more than two million books available and over a hundred periodicals. These periodicals can either be subscribed to or purchased as single issues, which is a nice touch.

There are several new things featured in the Nook Color that have not been included with the previous devices in the Nook line. One of these fantastic features is the “Nook Kids” section that offers a variety of different children’s books. Children are given the option to either read the book to themselves or have the book read to them out loud by the e-book itself.

Other great features include the social integration option. It allows users to easily send a quote or status to Facebook or Twitter while reading a book. Also included with the Nook Color is the LendMe feature. This allows users to lend a book to a friend and see the books that your friends have that you might like to borrow. Obviously there are restrictions put into place by the publishers, but no matter what, this is still a really cool feature.

You can expect to have a wonderful reading experience with the Nook Color. The screen is bright and extremely responsive, and navigation is incredibly simple with the device. There is one single button at the bottom of the device that works as the home button. It allows you to go to the home screen or to help navigate books and apps.

The bugs are still being worked out of the Nook Color, but it really does give you a pretty darn good experience. The software found on the Nook Color is definitely much better than the software found on the original Nook. Right now, loading books and apps is rather slow, but flipping through the pages of the books or swiping across the screen is very quick and responsive.

Barnes & Noble says that they will continue to sell the original Nook, which has had a large firmware update that worked out many of the kinks that had been the complaints of many customers. The Nook Color will be available on Friday, November 19th. It will be sold at Best Buy, Walmart, Books a Million, and online for $249. If you’re looking for an e-book reader, the Nook Color is definitely one to keep on your list of possibilities.

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The Samsung Galaxy Tab is Coming Soon

Just recently Verizon Wireless announced that they would be offering customers the Apple iPad in over 2,000 of their stores as of October 28th. Now they have said that they will also be selling the Samsung Galaxy Tab in stores on November 11th for $599.99.

There have been many rumors and speculations circulating about the 7-inch Android tablet from Samsung. Although the tablet will most definitely be made available in Verizon stores, Samsung has said that it will be available from all four of the major U.S. carriers. Unlike Verizon, the other carriers have not come up with a concrete date or price for the tablet.

When Samsung announced that they would be releasing the Galaxy Tab in the U.K. on November 1st, more rumors began to swirl surrounding the tablet. Boy Genius said that the device would be released from Sprint for $400 sometime around November 14th if you signed up for a contract. Without a contract they claimed that the tablet would cost $600. There were also speculations that T-Mobile would offer the device for $400 with a two-year contract and a $50 rebate or $650 without a contract.

The $600 price that Verizon is selling the Galaxy Tab for is without a contract. The carrier will be offering customers a $20 per month plan that will give them up to 1GB of data each month. They are also offering data plans with the iPad that include a 3GB, $35 per month plan and a 5GB, $500 per month plan. As of October 28th, Verizon will also have a 16GB iPad bundle that includes MiFi Mobile hotspot for $629 that can allow you to connect up to five mobile devices.

I have been extremely excited about Samsung’s Galaxy Tab. As amazing as iPads may be, I have a feeling that until the iPad is updated, the Galaxy Tab is going to be even more amazing. The Galaxy Tab can do so many of the things that the iPad unfortunately cannot. It is much closer to functioning like a laptop. It does have a smaller screen than the iPad, but it features things that cannot be found on the iPad like two cameras, phone capabilities with Bluetooth, and flash video support. I think Samsung definitely added some great features to the Galaxy Tab that have been missing from the tablet industry. If I was looking for a tablet, the Samsung Galaxy Tab would definitely be the first I would consider. Check out more details to see if the Galaxy Tab is right for you.

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Comparing Samsung’s Galaxy Tab and Apple’s iPad

The tablet industry is booming right now. It seems that every leading technology company feels the need to release a tablet after observing the continuously growing popularity of the Apple iPad. On Wednesday, September 1 Samsung announced that they are joining the tablet movement with their Galaxy Tab. From the looks of this device, it seems that it could quite possibly give the iPad some serious competition.

The iPad has dominated the tablet industry up to this point. Why is that? Well, yes it is constructed extremely well and has incredible features, but it also is one of the very few tablets to actually make it on the market. There are a few other tablets available to date, but they don’t even come close to measuring up to the iPad. Now that the Galaxy Tab is set to be released soon, that could all change.

Unfortunately, Samsung has not given a specific date for the release of the Galaxy Tab. Representatives have said that it will be released in the United States and Europe sometime “in the coming months.” An actual working device was revealed to the public at the IFA trade show in Berlin recently. This at least gives some hope that the release date will be sooner rather than later.

So how does the Galaxy Tab compare to the iPad you might ask? Well, take a look at them side by side.


































I don’t know what you may think about this, but in my opinion, there are definitely some features on the Galaxy Tab that could give it the edge over the iPad. I guess we’ll just have to see what everyone thinks when Samsung releases the tablet. I think that Apple needs to be getting ready to release a new and improved iPad though, in case the public goes for some of the Galaxy Tab’s features that aren’t found on the iPad.

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E-Readers, Tablets, & Netbooks, Oh My!

It's not exactly a cell phone and it's not exactly a laptop. So what are all those gadgets that fall in between the two? If you don't know your smartbook from your smartphone, here is a brief explanation of today's popular portable devices.

Netbooks: A netbook is a smaller, cheaper laptop with a lot less power. Screen Sizes generally range from seven to eleven inches and they generally run a Windows Operating System. Most people use them for simple tasks, such as browsing the internet, checking email and social media websites, or creating word processing documents.

E-Readers: These are pretty self-explanatory. E-readers, such as Amazon's Kindle, allow you to read a book electronically. But it's not just for reading books. These devices generally connect to the internet, giving them a computer-like quality. Most people use them for reading on the go!

Tablet Computers: With the recent announcement of Apple's iPad, you may find yourself asking, what exactly is a tablet? These gadgets allow you to read, watch movies, and browse the internet. They start out with screens around five inches and go up (the iPad's screen will be about 9.7 inches) and they generally use touch-screens instead of keyboards.

Smartbooks: Smartbooks aren't as popular as the others but some say they will be soon. These gadgets contain cell phone chips, but don't usually make phone calls. They stay connected to the internet 24/7 and turn on when flipped open. They also usually run Google's Android Software. Screen sizes tend to be around ten inches and they function much like Netbooks do.

Smart Phones: Smart phones aren't your typical cell phones, but you can use them to make calls. They have complicated operating systems that allow you to run applications among other things. The iPhone, for example, is 3.5 inches and has a touch screen, but companies are starting to make them larger and creating new ways to use them.

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Acer's Aspire 1820PTZ Convertible Tablet

Ever wanted a laptop that seamlessly transforms into a media tablet? Well then your in luck because Acer has designed just that. The Acer Aspire 1820PTZ is a netbook in which the screen can be turned 108 degrees and set flat to become a working digital tablet.

Everybody wants their netbooks to be compact and easily transportable. The Aspire comes in weighing 1.72kg and is a little thicker than many netbooks. But then again other netbooks don't have a tablet built into them. The battery in the back causes the machine to prop up in the back and that combined with the slight heaviness of the screen will cause the device to tip over if the screen is tilted back too far. Full dimensions for the Aspire come in at 11.22 x 8.22 x 1.12/1.36 inches.

The overall feel of the Aspire is solid which is good considering the whole thing is plastic. Reports show that there doesn't seem to be any keyboard flexing and everything appears aligned when the lid is closed. Some concerns with the screen rotation and flipping hinge have arisen with people concerned about how long the small piece of equipment will be able to handle the slightly heavy screen. But that is all just speculation for now.

Keys on the keyboard are slightly large and completely flat. This doesn't allow for much space between the keys which will take some getting used to. However, the overall feel of the keyboard will be usable for many users. The trackpad is slightly small though it did the best it could with the space it had to work with. The trackpad seemed to be quite responsive

The Aspire's screen the layer on top of the screen is very firm, most likely because of the digitizer. However, reports of poor color and contrast seem to be related to the top layer. Reports of bad viewing angles, especially in portrait tablet mode, have also been seen. A high pixel density gives the screen a nice, sharp look and while the default color profile is lacking, it can easily be fixed with some calibration.

The Aspire also comes with a multi-touch screen which supports both your fingers and a stylus. The device even tucked away a stylus for you in a slot below the screen. You are technically supposed to switch your tablet between finger and stylus mode depending on which on you are using but the Aspire doesn't seem to have any problems differentiating between both though your finger works best in finger mode as does your stylus in stylus mode.

The screen itself can only be rotated in one direction, indicated by a directional arrow on the central hinge. However, once you put the Aspire into tablet mode, the screen is rotated into the correct orientation by an accelerometer. Screen rotation can take anywhere from 1 to 3 seconds depending on the number of windows you have open at the time. Two magnets have been added to the device to keep the screen in place while in tablet mode which seems to be very helpful.

Considering the Aspire is small, the built-in sound is also small. But unfortunately the sound is also very soft, even when turned up to max volume. However, the sound does appear to be fairly good in a small room or office. The spdif out works very well based on other reports.

Performance wise the Aspire seems pretty quick and good for general use. It comes with Windows 7 64-bit pre-loaded. As far as video performance goes, the Aspire does pretty good. It runs standard definition videos with no problems and even high definition videos with no problems. The Aspire comes with a built-in webcam and mic which work decently. Built-in 802.11n WiFi works well and the Aspire even has Acer's Signal-Up technology which helps boost WiFi range.

The battery life on the Aspire seems to last a very long time, probably somewhere around 7 or 8 hours and the processor runs at 1.2GHz most of the time. There isn't a lot of heat distributed by the machine and some heat does resonate out of the vent located on the left side of the device but it isn't anything to worry about. Some slight whirring comes out of the aforementioned vent but it is nowhere near intrusive or disruptive.

Overall the Aspire 1820PTZ comes with tons of stuff loaded onto it and runs really well. The ability to transform into a fully-functional table makes it all that more useful and especially handy for people who need a good business device for traveling. If working on the go is something you do a lot, you may want to check out Acer's Aspire 1820PTZ.

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