Invasion of the Tablets

by: Tiffany Smock


I think we all can remember the first time the iPad commercials appeared and left us confused and annoyed. What use does anyone have for a glorified, bigger iPhone? This, however, was not the start of the tablet era. While not as unique as the iPad, there were e-readers such as the Kindle and the Nook that allowed the public to use portable media in a whole new way. The introduction of e-readers onto the market paved the path for inventions such as the iPad to make their debut appearance.

I myself own a Nook and love it. I've always been a fan of books and vowed never to buy an e-reader for this reason. But there's just something about these e-readers and tablets that has the world hooked. Eventually, the iPad began to grow in popularity as their advertisements really highlighted what it could do and how it could benefit the consumer. Well that and curiosity of course. Who wouldn't want to see what all the hype was about?

Soon after the iPad came the other tablets made by Sony, Blackberry, etc. It seemed that every company wanted a piece of the "tablet invasion."

With all of the tablet hype, the e-reader seemed to take a back seat, until now that is. Enter the new Kindle Fire, set to arrive in stores on November 15. This amazing product has essentially merged an e-reader with a tablet. The Kindle Fire has taken the best characteristics of both devices and made one "do-it-all" product. Now let's ask the obvious question, how can the "old, tired" kindle compare with the success of the iPad and iPad2? Well fear not, Kindle has already thought about it. The Kindle Fire is half the price of the iPad with essentially the same features. This new tablet may just take over the newly discovered market.

Here's a great article with more information on the Kindle Fire! Will you buy one?

  http://adage.com/article/mediaworks/amazon-kindle-fire-ignite-tablet-media-consumption/230086/