1. Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos
2. The Kindle Fire
Apple may finally have a legitimate competitor in the tablet industry. Amazon unveiled the Kindle Fire this week; its first tablet-computer. It comes at a price as low as $199, and the wi-fi versions at $499 are still significantly cheaper than an iPad. According to this blog, the Fire definitely has some disadvantages compared to Apple’s version, such as a lack of a camera and mobile connectivity. However, the Fire will be connected to the Amazon digital content system, has its own app store, and has high quality graphic display. Amazon is still working on the product, but released it now in order to steal some market share before the opportunity disappears. Similar to the strategy I learned in class, Amazon is not trying to climb past Apple on the market’s ladder. Instead, it is promoting an inexpensive tablet-computer that uses the Amazon digital content system and still carries all the popular apps, movies, songs, and ebooks, without sacrificing graphic image quality.