Smaller, cheaper tablets could become a big deal# Stock
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http://www.cnn.com/2011/10/25/tech/gaming-gadgets/smaller-cheap
Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San
Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com,
explores how people communicate in the online age.
(CNN) -- Smaller tablet computers that are significantly more affordable and
portable than the iPad are finally starting to hit the United States -- and
they could hit a crucial sweet spot in the consumer market.
Recently Kobo announced the new Kobo Vox, which costs $200. That's the same
price as Amazon's recently announced Kindle Fire. The Kobo Vox starts
shipping Friday, while the Kindle Fire won't start shipping until November
15. The Barnes & Noble Nook Color, which costs about $250, is already
available in stores and online.
Although marketed mainly as e-book readers, all three of these consumer
devices are actually small tablet computers (7 inches long) that run the
Android mobile operating system and use Wi-Fi -- no carrier data plan or
contract required. So theoretically, they can do much more than just let you
buy and read e-books.
This makes them potentially powerful tools for people who want access to the
Web, apps and more -- especially people who face economic or other barriers
to using smartphones or computers. Small, inexpensive, easy-to-use tablets
could become an important bridge to help people cross the digital divide and
gain expanded access to education, jobs, community, and other resources.
The grand vision of tablet computers is that, ideally, they'll allow the
average, non-geeky person to do most of what can be done with a laptop
computer -- in a way that's much easier to learn, use and carry around.
Certainly this is the case with Apple's iPad, which sold 11 million units in
the last quarter alone.
But at this point, iPads start at $500 -- about what you might pay for a
brand new 32-inch flat-screen TV at Best Buy, and twice or more what PC
netbooks cost at most retail stores. From the perspective of typical
consumers, especially given the current economy, that's a significant luxury
investment.
This month there are fresh rumors that Apple may be planning to introduce a
smaller and less costly "iPad mini." But nothing is confirmed, so don't hold
your breath.
The tablet market is growing fast, and its dynamics are shifting quickly.
According to a new report from Strategy Analytics, in the last year Android
tablets grew from 2% of the global tablet market to 27%. Meanwhile, the iPad
's global tablet market share has dropped from 96% to 67%.
That doesn't reflect a decrease in the iPad's popularity, but rather that
consumer demand for tablets is not one-size-fits-all.
In fact, size is a key issue for people shopping for tablets. The iPad
measures roughly 7-by-10 inches -- too big for a typical pocket or purse,
and nearly twice the size of the basic Kobo Vox, Nook Color and Kindle Fire
models. Digital devices that aren't as easy to carry around tend to mainly
get used only at certain times of day, in certain settings.
For this reason it's questionable how "mobile" larger tablets like the iPad
really are.
Aside from the Vox, Fire, and Nook Color, there are lots of other small
Android tablets available. But so far these products have faced various
challenges in the consumer market:
Cost: The Wi-Fi-only version of Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab costs about $350
, which is on the pricier side. The carrier-branded versions cost much less
to buy up front if you agree to a two-year contract. For instance, Verizon
currently sells the 7-inch Galaxy Tab for just $200, but data plans cost $30
-$80 per month, and there's a $350 early termination fee.
Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and
Daily News, is selling a small Android tablet by Arnova for just $99-$129 in
a small pilot program -- but for that bargain-basement price you have to
agree to a one- or two-year newspaper subscription, costing up to $13 per
month.
Device quality: This is an issue for the cheapest tablets. For instance, one
reviewer noted that the touchscreen performance on the Philly.com tablet is
less than stellar.
In contrast, the Nook Color has been getting generally favorable reviews for
device quality. The advance Kindle Fire reviews are also mostly positive.
Android's learning curve: This can be an obstacle for some. The
straightforward Android experience that comes with tablets by Samsung,
Motorola, Lenovo, and other manufacturers can be daunting to typical
consumers -- especially the majority of U.S. consumers who don't yet own a
smartphone. A more constrained but dependable out-of-the-box user experience
can be simpler to learn and can make the average consumer happier, at least
initially.
Gadgets that are more complex or open-ended tend to confuse or frustrate
average consumers -- which generally isn't good for sales. Despite the high
relative cost of Apple devices, and the fairly closed nature of the Apple
ecosystem, there's a lot to be said for "It just works."
However, most "pure" Android tablets do offer one key advantage over
constrained e-reader tablets: direct access to Google's Android Market,
where there's a virtually unlimited choice of apps.
The Fire, Nook Color, and Philly.com tablets only offer apps through their
own markets, not the Android Market, which means they can block the
installation of competing apps, such those from other e-book vendors or
publishers.
Also, even though Kobo touts that its Vox will offer access to "over 15,000
apps," the company has not clarified whether that will be through the
Android Market or its own app store. Which means it's possible that you may
not be able to install the Kindle e-reader app on the Kobo Vox -- at least,
not without "rooting" the tablet to remove vendor controls, which can be a
formidable technical hurdle.
The coming year -- especially the 2011 holiday season -- will probably
indicate whether smaller tablets will play a leading role in the U.S.
digital media landscape. If these devices start becoming as commonplace as
iPhones and Kindles, they may become popular and powerful tools for the
delivery of mobile services for health, education, jobs, and more.
Sure, you can use a small, cheap tablet to read books, watch YouTube, and
play "Angry Birds." But maybe someday lots of people will be using these
devices to get a college degree -- or perhaps to learn to read in the first
place.
The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran.
Editor's note: Amy Gahran writes about mobile tech for CNN.com. She is a San
Francisco Bay Area writer and media consultant whose blog, Contentious.com,
explores how people communicate in the online age.
(CNN) -- Smaller tablet computers that are significantly more affordable and
portable than the iPad are finally starting to hit the United States -- and
they could hit a crucial sweet spot in the consumer market.
Recently Kobo announced the new Kobo Vox, which costs $200. That's the same
price as Amazon's recently announced Kindle Fire. The Kobo Vox starts
shipping Friday, while the Kindle Fire won't start shipping until November
15. The Barnes & Noble Nook Color, which costs about $250, is already
available in stores and online.
Although marketed mainly as e-book readers, all three of these consumer
devices are actually small tablet computers (7 inches long) that run the
Android mobile operating system and use Wi-Fi -- no carrier data plan or
contract required. So theoretically, they can do much more than just let you
buy and read e-books.
This makes them potentially powerful tools for people who want access to the
Web, apps and more -- especially people who face economic or other barriers
to using smartphones or computers. Small, inexpensive, easy-to-use tablets
could become an important bridge to help people cross the digital divide and
gain expanded access to education, jobs, community, and other resources.
The grand vision of tablet computers is that, ideally, they'll allow the
average, non-geeky person to do most of what can be done with a laptop
computer -- in a way that's much easier to learn, use and carry around.
Certainly this is the case with Apple's iPad, which sold 11 million units in
the last quarter alone.
But at this point, iPads start at $500 -- about what you might pay for a
brand new 32-inch flat-screen TV at Best Buy, and twice or more what PC
netbooks cost at most retail stores. From the perspective of typical
consumers, especially given the current economy, that's a significant luxury
investment.
This month there are fresh rumors that Apple may be planning to introduce a
smaller and less costly "iPad mini." But nothing is confirmed, so don't hold
your breath.
The tablet market is growing fast, and its dynamics are shifting quickly.
According to a new report from Strategy Analytics, in the last year Android
tablets grew from 2% of the global tablet market to 27%. Meanwhile, the iPad
's global tablet market share has dropped from 96% to 67%.
That doesn't reflect a decrease in the iPad's popularity, but rather that
consumer demand for tablets is not one-size-fits-all.
In fact, size is a key issue for people shopping for tablets. The iPad
measures roughly 7-by-10 inches -- too big for a typical pocket or purse,
and nearly twice the size of the basic Kobo Vox, Nook Color and Kindle Fire
models. Digital devices that aren't as easy to carry around tend to mainly
get used only at certain times of day, in certain settings.
For this reason it's questionable how "mobile" larger tablets like the iPad
really are.
Aside from the Vox, Fire, and Nook Color, there are lots of other small
Android tablets available. But so far these products have faced various
challenges in the consumer market:
Cost: The Wi-Fi-only version of Samsung's 7-inch Galaxy Tab costs about $350
, which is on the pricier side. The carrier-branded versions cost much less
to buy up front if you agree to a two-year contract. For instance, Verizon
currently sells the 7-inch Galaxy Tab for just $200, but data plans cost $30
-$80 per month, and there's a $350 early termination fee.
Philadelphia Newspapers Inc., publisher of the Philadelphia Inquirer and
Daily News, is selling a small Android tablet by Arnova for just $99-$129 in
a small pilot program -- but for that bargain-basement price you have to
agree to a one- or two-year newspaper subscription, costing up to $13 per
month.
Device quality: This is an issue for the cheapest tablets. For instance, one
reviewer noted that the touchscreen performance on the Philly.com tablet is
less than stellar.
In contrast, the Nook Color has been getting generally favorable reviews for
device quality. The advance Kindle Fire reviews are also mostly positive.
Android's learning curve: This can be an obstacle for some. The
straightforward Android experience that comes with tablets by Samsung,
Motorola, Lenovo, and other manufacturers can be daunting to typical
consumers -- especially the majority of U.S. consumers who don't yet own a
smartphone. A more constrained but dependable out-of-the-box user experience
can be simpler to learn and can make the average consumer happier, at least
initially.
Gadgets that are more complex or open-ended tend to confuse or frustrate
average consumers -- which generally isn't good for sales. Despite the high
relative cost of Apple devices, and the fairly closed nature of the Apple
ecosystem, there's a lot to be said for "It just works."
However, most "pure" Android tablets do offer one key advantage over
constrained e-reader tablets: direct access to Google's Android Market,
where there's a virtually unlimited choice of apps.
The Fire, Nook Color, and Philly.com tablets only offer apps through their
own markets, not the Android Market, which means they can block the
installation of competing apps, such those from other e-book vendors or
publishers.
Also, even though Kobo touts that its Vox will offer access to "over 15,000
apps," the company has not clarified whether that will be through the
Android Market or its own app store. Which means it's possible that you may
not be able to install the Kindle e-reader app on the Kobo Vox -- at least,
not without "rooting" the tablet to remove vendor controls, which can be a
formidable technical hurdle.
The coming year -- especially the 2011 holiday season -- will probably
indicate whether smaller tablets will play a leading role in the U.S.
digital media landscape. If these devices start becoming as commonplace as
iPhones and Kindles, they may become popular and powerful tools for the
delivery of mobile services for health, education, jobs, and more.
Sure, you can use a small, cheap tablet to read books, watch YouTube, and
play "Angry Birds." But maybe someday lots of people will be using these
devices to get a college degree -- or perhaps to learn to read in the first
place.
The opinions expressed in this post are solely those of Amy Gahran.