Apple iPad to Outsell Kindle In 3 Months?

Every Kindle fan has been wondering how Amazon is going to respond to Apple iPad. The iPad is not an e-book reader and does not take advantage of E-Ink screen technology. But the device has the marketing power of Apple behind it. The fact that there will be thousands of apps available for the device in iTunes does not hurt either. We already know that Amazon intends to release Kindle Touch in the near future but is it all a little too late?

Amazon has real reasons to be nervous about Apple iPad. Apple intends to manufacture 5 million units in the first half of 2010, and it could pass Kindle’s sales mark in just 3 months. While it may take Apple more than 3 months to beat Kindle numbers (3 million), the iPad is widely expected to become the next king of the hill in the e-reader market. The iPad may not be the best e-book reader on the market, but that won’t matter as Apple has positioned the device as “cool” and “revolutionary.” The curiosity factor is certainly there for many consumers.

Amazon is going to feel the heat from Apple iBooks as well. Apple has been working with content publishers to bring exclusive content and low e-book prices to iPad customers. e-books are expected to generate a significant amount of revenue for Apple, so it’s no wonder analysts are so upbeat about the company’s future.

Apple iPad is not going to be the best pure e-book reader on the market. It will be in the mix though. It may not take advantage of E-ink technology, but it has the potential to provide more value to its owners than Kindle or Nook. Let’s hope Amazon does its homework and develops a Kindle 3 that can hold its own against the iPad. It’d be truly a shame for Amazon to let this market slip through its fingers. The good news is whatever happens, e-book fans win in the end.

Your turn: will you be picking up an iPad when it’s released to the market? Why or why not?