Apple 7.85in 'iPad Mini' on course for Q3 intro The 8in iPad seems a runner. Component makers have begun sending samples of the 7.85in tablet to Apple for its approval, moles say. If correct, the claim suggests Apple would be in a position to enter full-scale production of the 'iPad Mini' in Q3, DigiTimes reports. Last month, whispers from Asia had Apple touting the 7.85in …
The King is dead, long live the King.
Or... Mr Jobs can no longer participate in product decisions, and whilst the new board may use his previous guidance as a reference point, they will go ahead and do their own thing. So everything you knew about Apple may very well change over the next few years.
IMHO, Apple need a smaller (cheaper) iPad to compete with the Fire et al. But they'll never be as inexpensive as their competitors because they see themselves as a premium brand.
Why do they _need_ to compete with the Fire? It's target audience is a different bracket to the current iPad's audience.
Sure, if they want to infiltrate and take over some of the Fire's potential customers, then it'd work. But they don't really need to worry about the Fire taking away a huge chunk of their current marketshare.
Huh?
Q: Why do they _need_ to compete with the Fire?
A: It's target audience is a different bracket to the current iPad's audience.
And yet your post indicates that you *don't* think you answered your own question immediately. Why did they need to create the iPad when the target audience of competitor's tablets was different than the iPhone? Why did they need to create the Macbook Air when the target audience of competitor's thin laptops was different than the regular Macbook? They see it as a new market they can earn money in. You knew that, but at the same time you didn't...
"You knew that, but at the same time you didn't..."
it has been that sort of morning all over really
i guess i read OP's comment as being "apple have to do this or else they're doomed" rather than "apple would probably like to do this in order to keep increasing their massive profits and huge market capitalization value"
Apple are a hardware company. So as you say, they don't need to compete with the Fire, which as a loss leader is aimed at making its money back in content.
But then Apple are also a content company. And many of the moves they've made in the last decade have been pushing them in that direction. So they do have competing interests with the Fire. They sell ebooks, music and films, as do Amazon. I'm sure they'd like customers locked into their ecosystem, rather than Amazon's. Once people buy content that's locked, they're less likely to move. Plus once they've sold you one thing, plus some content, as a hardware company Apple might be able to sell you an iPad, iPhone, Apple TV (maybe iTV or whatever they call it), and maybe a Mac or two as well.
By all accounts the Kindle Fire isn't perfect. So £50 extra for an 8" iPad shouldn't be a great difference, if that's really the price.
However, if they do it, I think it's just as much aimed at the mainstream Android tablet makers. It's going to be a real bugger fitting in the tiny space left between Apple and Amazon, if they really do come out with cheaper iPads. How many people will pay £50 extra for a 10" Android tab, when they can have an iPad - even though it's only 8"? Obviously some. But although there's lots of Apple-hating techies out there, I don't think that's bled across to the mainstream users, in the way that (for example) Microsoft-hate did.
IF this happens, it may be aligned to the text-books initiative. I imagine Apple's buying power could make this available at the right magic price point. Again, IF, it would then probably be accompanied by some useful admin tools for controlling a school-ful of these devices
Not that I think there is a problem, myself. The Reg has plenty of news coverage still, it just also has more Apple (and Android) new product rumours. I don't see it reporting less other stories.
Apple rumours get clicks. As you've given one to this story, and the last one you say you commented on. And comments (you've commented on both too). The Reg editors would be fools if they didn't tailor the stories they write to what has proven to interest their readers in the past. So there's a huge interest in Android, there's lots of reporting on it. Same with Apple.
The great thing is that each article has a little bit of text to tell you what it's about. So if you ain't interested, you don't click.
Is there something you feel you're missing out on? Do you feel there's an area they're neglecting, that needs more coverage? Because if so, you haven't said. Or are you just complaining there's too much Apple stuff? In which case, what you don't click won't hurt you...
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