When it launched last November, Amazon’s Kindle Fire was touted as
the first tablet to seriously challenge Apple’s iPad. Costing just $200,
the Fire seriously undercuts Apple’s iPad pricing, yet grants access to
a robust digital ecosystem full of books, music, video and other
downloadable content.
Thus was established an irresistible storyline that pits Amazon
versus Apple in a zero-sum war of tablet market dominance. Recent
headlines only fan the flames.
When BGR published “Kindle Fire May Have Cost Apple $1 Billion or More in Holiday iPad Sales,” it appeared Amazon was on top. And when AppleInsider published “Amazon Expected to Cut Kindle Fire Orders in Half as New iPad Looms,” it looked as if the war was tipping in the other direction.
It appears to be a fluid situation, with each tablet powerhouse
swapping the lead position — at least judging from the headlines.
