Tablet News 2/21/2012

What a fascinating bit of news from Tabletopia!

Nook launches it's new Tablet, which is really the more expensive tablet with less memory, and puts it in competition with the Kindle Fire. B&N isn't quitting, and this does get them some nice attention – and it's intriguing how they seem to be aiming at tablets first, in a way. I almost feel they're downplaying the reading aspect.

TAKEAWAY: B&N is still taking on Amazon (and in a way, everyone else). I'd think their Nook division might be a good place to seek employment, and of course if you e-Publish, you want to be on B&N.

Microsoft appears to have bitten the bullet and released Office for iPad. Now my question here is what they're going to charge for this?

TAKEAWAY: It does show Microsoft is wisely moving with the times – and knows where the money is. What competition will this provide – and face – on the iPad?

Steven Savage

Those Powerful Christmas Gifts

(Some of this was covered in a past podcast, but I wanted to revisit the idea).

What do the Kindle, the iPad, and Smartphones have in common with Gift Cards?

If you answered "flat and I'm sick of hearing of them as gift options" you're close, but I think you're missing the larger picture.  Though I too nearly burnt out on Kindlepadphone news over Christmas, despite my high news-capacity (news is mental jello to me), I believe there is something important about the sales of the Kindle, iPad, and Smartphones over the holiday.  In fact, I think there's a trend here that is worth exploring as it's going to affect technology use, and sales, and any jobs related to them.

We've all heard how Amazon's Kindle sales have been awesome. (I did my part in contributing to them as you saw).  Of course it seems that iPads are selling like crazy(at least in estimates) and have been doing well since the beginning.  Smartphones appear to be hot gifts.  So what is this trend beyond "technical stuff sells" that I'm all worked up over?

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Portability, Culture, and Mobile Technology

I commute on a train to work every weekday, and it's often a festival of portable devices.  I often have my DS or my laptop.  I see plenty of Smartphones, iPads, and of course other laptops and notebooks.  There's the usual gaming devices (though it seems like most of the gaming I see is on phones and tablets as of late).

In my household, most everyone has laptops  – and among my friends laptops are becoming more common over time.  Netbooks are popular among many people I know, low-cost and portable.

It doesn't matter if it's work or if it's personal, portable is where it's at for geeks and progeeks.

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