Amazon Tablet: The Death of Apple, Netflix and Walmart and Google?

Ok ok, Amazon is not likely to knock four modern titans out of the ring with its first tablet... but think about what Amazon can leverage when it brings a tablet to the market.

It already does streaming video, with an improving selection (while Netflix is making a string of dubious decisions). Amazon will tightly integrate Prime streaming into the heavily-skinned version of Android, making Prime the go-to streaming video system.

It is the worlds biggest online market place, with Amazon Prime offering near-instant gratification, all from your couch. This means that Wal-Mart, already hurting as it is not longer seen as a price leader, will get hit as it become ever easier to impulse buy from your couch (already pretty damn easy with my netbook or my Photon - one click ordering and 2-day delivery? I love it).

It already has the second-largest and (in my opinion) best android marketplace, doing a capable and high-quality end-run around Google to get a share of developer dollars. While it is going to run Android, Amazon is not working with Google at all, which means the tablet will not be "official" android and will not have access to the Google android market. Does this matter? My current tablet is an Entourage Pocket Edge - which can only get Amazon apps, not Google, and I am happy with the Amazon selection.

It builds the Kindle and is the undeniable leader in the eReader space, and will likely be able to leverage that into a unique and highly capable tablet, while leveraging the above three points to bring it to market at a significantly reduced cost (most expect $250). Can Apple do that? Kind of, because of the app store and iTunes. But will Apple do that? No. They are a premium product. Always have been. And that will be their downfall, because eventually, Android will become easier to use, Amazon will integrate all of its services well, and Apple will continue to demand unreasonable terms from developers, content providers, and customers.

So there you have it. The Amazon tablet will shake up the world as we know it.

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