Apple iPad To Challenge Kindle?

The rumors about Apple netbook are back. But this time, it seems there is more substance to it all. The rumored Apple iPad is what we have been hearing about in the past few months and more. It is essentially a large screen iPod touch that lets users take advantage of the applications available in the app store to enhance its functionality and get more done. The device seems very sleek, and if you have played with the iPhone in the past, you can probably guess it will be a highly capable gadget as well. And unlike what we had heard a few months ago, it will be sold somewhere in the $500 – $700 range.

iPad is Apple’s answer to netbooks and Amazon Kindle. The device is going to be a digital powerhouse that lets its owners watch and edit videos, read books, blog, and tweet easily all on the same device.  Apple did not want to release a one trick pony device, and the iPad looks anything but. Many analysts expect iPad to be a game changer across multiple industries. You can certainly see how it could affect Amazon Kindle sales. Think about it. If the device is priced $500 or so, it’s going to compete directly with Amazon Kindle DX. It comes with the same screen size, but it does a variety of tasks better than Kindle. iPad will not be using the E-ink technology at this point, but it will be far more capable than Kindle DX in a lot of areas.

One must hesitate before calling iPad a Kindle killer. But it will be interesting to see if Amazon will continue to offer its Kindle app on iTunes. On the one hand, Amazon can sell a lot of e-books by putting its mobile app on the iPad. On the other hand, the app will allow iPad to compete more effectively against Amazon’s own gadget. With the iPad, Apple will be hoping to reach more homes and compete with all kinds of devices for play time. It’s not hard to see Kindle losing some of its market-share to iPad, but I still expect Amazon to do well over the long run. Maybe Amazon will drop its prices further or innovate to differentiate itself. Maybe its time for Amazon to start implementing some of those Kindle 3 features that our readers suggested yesterday. Either way, consumers win!

Your take: is iPad a Kindle DX killer?