Why Apple Tablet vs. Kindle Will Be Close

The iPad has certainly generated a lot of buzz in the technology world. Even though the device is not announced, and we don’t even know what it’s capable of, a lot of people are already crowning the device as the best gadget ever made. While we know the device is coming, we don’t know too much else about it. But it’s not hard to see where Apple will be going after with the iPad. The e-book reader and netbook markets are extremely hot these days. Instead of introducing a product specifically for each market, Apple is hitting two targets with one shot with the iPad. Now a lot of people are assuming that the iPad will go on to dominate book markets and maybe beat Kindle in the e-book market. That’s just jumping the gun.

The case for the iPad

The iPad will be revolutionary device. It will be a large iPod Touch capable of running those popular apps. It also will be a multi-touch device that comes with a color screen. You can read e-books on your iPad and get some work done on it as you would on your netbook. You may even be able to make phone calls from your iPad, so there are a few advantages that the iPad has over the Kindle. The iPad may be sexier (that’s always the case with Apple gadget) and more powerful than the Kindle, but will that be enough?

The case for the Kindle

What can you say about Kindle. It’s dominated the e-book market for a while and has helped Amazon increase its sales in the process. While the Kindle does not come with a color screen or all those “cool” applications that you would get from Apple, it does come equipped with e-ink technology. Reading books on your Kindle will be much easier on your eyes. And let’s not forget about those “books.” With Amazon Kindle, you have the backing of the Amazon’s e-book store. You can order e-books and receive them in 30 seconds or so on your device. The device-store integration is certainly convenient. It’s not clear where Apple will get its e-books from, so the advantage here should be firmly on Amazon Kindle’s side. The price will also be a factor. If the iPad is going to be offered for $600-$800, a lot of people may not be able to afford it.

It’s too early to tell which gadget will prevail when one has not reached its full potential and the other has not bee announced yet. The iPad will be a powerful gadget, but until all the cards are on the table, I would reserve judgment on its potential.