[BITList] Flood of low-cost tablets expected in $200 to $300 range

[x50type at cox.net]

    sensible prices emerging. 
    $299 for amazon’s new tablet may be a winner – but depends on reviews, etc.
    sony tablet at $499 will not fly off the shelves.

    ct


    Flood of low-cost tablets expected in $200 to $300 range
    At that cost, which tablet will win out? Analysts say, watch for Amazon.com's upcoming device
    By Matt Hamblen
    September 2, 2011 06:00 AM ET
    1 Comment

    Computerworld - Analysts are predicting that a flood of $200 to $300 tablet computers will hit the market this fall, prompting the essential question: Which device will come out on top?

    Several analysts are betting on Amazon.com to be at the top of the heap with an expected $299 Android-based tablet introduced sometime in October. The reason it will do well is only partly because of the low price, which is below the market-leading iPad 2, starting at $499.

    But analysts also expect Amazon to offer content for its 9-in. tablet that approximates or even exceeds the content that Apple can offer for the iPad. Amazon will make money on the content it sells, which is expected to more than make up for any loss it incurs in selling the tablet at a price below the cost of making it.

    "Amazon has an ecosystem like Apple, with its own app store that offers music, movies and videos, and a bookstore," said Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC. "Not only would you get a cheaper device [than the iPad], you would get the integrated Amazon experience. That's what makes Amazon's tablet the most interesting and where other [Android] tablets will be challenged."

    Tablet war
      a.. Flood of low-cost tablets expected in $200 to $300 range 
      b.. Lenovo heats up price war with $199 IdeaPad tablet 
      c.. Sony to ship first Android-based tablet in September 
      d.. HP to make more TouchPads 
      e.. Amazon could 'easily' sell 5M of its expected tablets in Q4, Forrester says 
      f.. Amazon tablet to be 'hundreds less' than iPad 
      g.. Lenovo ThinkPad Tablet hits the market 
      h.. Visual tour: The future of tablets 
      i.. TouchDroid will turn HP TouchPads into Android tablets 
      j.. Elgan: Mobile in chaos -- Has the industry gone nuts?
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    In effect, Amazon's approach will be to entice buyers with a much lower price, "but have all the services of Apple," O'Donnell said. 

    Other Android tablets with which Amazon would likely compete include a $199 Lenovo IdeaPad A1 tablet announced Thursday, the cheapest 7-in. Android tablet from a top device maker. Another contender is the original Samsung Galaxy Tab, which is being sold on Amazon for $279.99, after having first appeared late in 2010 for $600.






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