Does the Nook Tablet Threaten the iPad?

by Holly Shoemaker

Since I have devoted blogs to Amazon and its Kindle devices, I wanted to take a moment to examine how Barnes & Noble (B & N) is doing with its Nook Tablet.

Shipped Figures for the Nook Tablet

B & N has not released exact sales figures for the Nook Tablet. What we do know, according to Digitimes, is that B & N has shipped approximately one million units since the company launched the product in mid-November. It also appears that B & N has increased orders to keep up with demand. However, the company has not released the actual number of tablets sold.

Concluding Thoughts

Other bloggers or correspondents say it does not matter if Amazon sells more tablets than B & N. For some, it seems all about taking away customers from Apple. As in the case of Kindles, the Nook also has the potential to take away business from other Android tablet manufacturers. As I just previously blogged, it is about positioning a product to the consumers a company wants to reach. Yes, the Nook Tablet could provide more market share for the Android Market, but I think it is too simplistic to automatically conclude that just affects iPads. The Nook is also newer to the market and it will take time to see how it stacks up to Kindles, other Android-based tablets and iPads.

Kindle Fire Still Adding Some Sizzle: Does it Need to Compete with Apple?

by Holly Shoemaker

The Associated Press (AP) and other media outlets have reported that Amazon’s Kindle Fire could become a main competitor to Apple’s iPads. I had previously blogged, http://myuniversalapps.blogspot.com/2011/12/will-kindle-fire-help-android-market.html, about the Kindle Fire and how it could it affect the tablet market and Android sales. Now, I will take a closer look and examine if the Kindle Fire truly rivals iPads at this time.

Available Numbers at a Glance

Amazon has a history of reporting somewhat vague numbers. On December 15, 2011, the company reported it sold over one million Kindles per week in December. Since the Kindle Fire debuted, Amazon has said the Fire has remained the company’s best-selling product for 13 weeks. In comparison, Apple estimates selling 13.5 million iPads this quarter – that means the company sells 964,000 iPads per week.

Analysis of the Numbers

Consumers need to keep in mind that these estimates reflect one quarter of Apple’s iPad sales and that the Kindle Fire entered the market in November. Therefore, the compared data does not truly say how the Kindle Fire impacts Apple. Everyone should also keep in mind that we do not know how many Kindle Fires were sold. Amazon has not provided a breakdown per Kindle type.

Points to Reinforce

• At this time, I still maintain the Kindle Fire and other Kindle products offer lower-end tablets. However, I do not see that negatively. That means more people have the ability to afford tablets. Amazon does have the potential to keep upgrading the Kindle Fire and its line of Kindle products. Amazon has the potential to complete, but the numbers do not say it is truly a competitor now.
• The Kindle Fire does help the Android Market, but it also chips away at potential profits for other tablet manufactures that produce for the Android Market. That is just how the market works.
• The Kindle Fire is only available to customers in the United States. At this time, the device cannot compete on a global scale.

We do not know the exact breakdown of sales per Kindle type. However, it appears the Kindle Fire still adds some sizzle to the market and the blogosphere.