Interesting article re both amazon and Nook.

[crenita]

How Amazon could loosen Google's iron grip on Android

Wonder when Amazon will enter the fire up a color Kindle.. ..hmmm something to watch for sure. after their recent release of both an App store and Cloud Music....

wonder what is next on the horizon?

 

[J515OP]

There is also another critically important piece that is falling into place: demand. I recently wrote a tutorial describing how to hack the Nook Color e-book reader so that it can be used as a tablet. I wrote that piece because I thought it would be a novel (pun intended) way to introduce the Ars readership to the modding scene, but it ended up catching the interest of a much broader audience than I had anticipated.
I was frankly astonished by the enormous amount of mainstream interest that emerged in response to that Nook Color article. It was even discussed prominently in a Wall Street Journal column. The inescapable takeaway point that I got out of the experience is that there are a ton of people out there who are willing to go to extreme lengths to get a decent low-cost tablet.

The extraordinary thing about this pent-up demand for an entry-level touchscreen device is that it was largely created by the hype surrounding the iPad. The consumers who are interested in hacking the Nook Color didn't know they wanted a tablet until iPad-mania emerged. But these people don't necessarily want or can't afford Apple's shiny gizmo; they just want the next best thing at a more affordable price—a decent color touchscreen device for consuming media, reading articles, playing Angry Birds, and checking their e-mail.

Let it be known: if you build it, they will come. While the mainstream hardware vendors are tripping over each other chasing Apple's taillights in a futile effort to deliver a competitive high-end tablet, they are missing a huge opportunity to meet demand for an entry-level tablet—a product space where their chances of success would be far better because they wouldn't have to compete with Apple.

It seems fairly obvious that consumers aren't going to want to pay iPad-like prices for a mediocre Android-based iPad imitation—and lets face it, that's exactly what all the high-end Honeycomb tablets are at this point. A device that costs half as much as the iPad, however, would look appealing to consumers if it were capable of fulfilling essential mobile computing requirements and meeting a higher quality standard than Walgreen's-sold rubbish.

The realm of the $250 price point tablet is just waiting to be conquered— its only occupant right now is an offering from Barnes and Noble that doesn't really deliver unless you hack it. Barnes and Noble is ramping up to turn the Nook Color into a tablet, but I think Amazon has the will and the expertise to build a fantastic product in that space. Amazon could totally own it in much the same way that Apple owns the high-end tablet market.

This was very interesting and validated a lot of the thoughts I was having about the tablet market and Nook Color's place in it.

 

[EpicTaco]

If they could make a 7" equivalent to NC with that free 3g for $300 or less... I'd be down

 

[Candlestick]

If they could make a 7" equivalent to NC with that free 3g for $300 or less... I'd be down

From watching the Kindle business - looks like Amazon wants to control the content of whatever device they create - in order to monetize an income stream. They may make a Nook Color like device that's tied to amazon content - with an app platform - but I don't see them putting an easily rootable device like the Nook Color out. Would definitely be interesting if they do though.

 

[Cuzoe]

Absolutely an interesting article. I have no issue with alternate app stores like the new Amazon one. Is it just me or does this article sensationalize Google's control over Android? I've had my Nexus One since it's release and the wait for source code (and to a lesser extent OTAs) is always a long one, except that this time Google has officially given info on the delay, which they normally don't do.

But some of us have to remember when the Google Apps, Gmail, Market, Maps, etc were not separate apps but part of each Android version update. That situation I think was hostile to hardware makers because diverging meant no Gapps but also no new android versions. Now, hardware makers can diverge as they please with the most current android version. However, if they want the Gapps then they have to maintain some form of compatibility, and licensing. None of the Gapps were open source (to my knowledge) to begin with. How is Google wrong for mandating requirements to use them? If using these "core applications" as the article calls them is important to the user, then they need to buy a compliant device.

People already complain about fragmentation between official android versions. Some hardware makers, HTC, Samsung, Moto do their own thing with Android, and maintain Gapp compatibility, albeit at the expense of timely updates. A lot of us are android "power users" and we research compatibility problems to find solutions. The majority of users are not us, and allowing the official market on every android device, in my opinion, would have a detrimental effect on the Android brand. If (random person)'s (random brand) tablet doesn't run Angry Birds correctly due to a hardware change that company made, Google and Android take the hit. This "iron grip" affords some protection over that situation.

I'll probably need to edit this later, but it's 7 in the morning.

 

[J515OP]

Cuzoe, that is probably why you will see Google's grip getting tighter. I wouldn't call it an iron grip now as the article does, more like one of only 4 or 5 fish in the pond (RIM, Apple, MS, HP/Palm). As that pond grows into a sea though, I would expect Google to start locking down what it wants its Android experience to be. If you want to go to somebody else fine, but you won't likely have the "pluses" that are tied to the Google version of android rather than whatever the offshoot offers. This should keep most companies from straying too far off the Google/Androidn path.

 

[Stumblethru]

It seems to me as being more a choice between 2 models; Microsoft/Apple or Linux.