The e-book e-reader market, and a step up

Headline	Date	Description / Comments
Kindle Fire 2 And Next- Gen Kindle Revealed In FCC Documents; Amazon Hedging Its Tablets Across Markets (LatinosPost) http://www.latinospost.com/articles/3167/20120822/kindle-fire-2-and-next-gen-kindle-revealed-in-fcc-documents-amazon-hedging-its-tablets-across-markets.htm#Ox8zeFbB08OqPxId.99	08-22-2012	A look at Amazon's filings with the FCC has revealed that the company could be launching an Amazon Kindle sometime in the near future to go alongside its Kindle Fire 2. NPD DisplaySearch analyst Peter Shim has even stated that there will be multiple Kindle Fire 2 versions, some with a camera or without, the choice between a 7-or-10-inch screen, and even 4G capabilities. Amazon has around 5% of the tablet market. It has 60% of the e-reader market. It sells the most e-books. I suspect this e-reader will be thinner and likely priced under $100. There was talk that the “mirasol” display was being licensed, who knows maybe we’ll see a color display for the Kindle, but one thing is for sure, Amazon intends on keeping its lead in the e-reader market. The kindle fire will most likely have a bigger screen, 4g capabilities and a high resolution camera.  It was having some issues with its touchscreen capabilities, even after a software update was said to have fixed it.
Google Nexus 7 review(TechRadar) http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/tablets/google-nexus-7-1087040/review	08-14-2012	Google paired with Asus to design and manufacture its slender tablet. Nexus 7 by Asus is more of an effort to stomp out Amazon's unwelcome (and forked) version of Android more than an attempt to dethrone Apple's reigning tablet champ. Amazon was selling more apps than Google Play. Google doesn’t get a dime from licensing its software; it gets its money from apps and selling other content from Google Play.
iPad Mini Is Coming: 10 Ways It Could Change the Tablet Market(EWeek) http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Mobile-and-Wireless/iPad-Mini-Is-Coming-10-Ways-It-Could-Change-the-Tablet-Market-436858/	08-16-2012	According to other reports, the iPad Mini will ship with a 7.85-inch screen and come in at a much lower price than Apple’s larger slate. From a strategic perspective, launching the iPad Mini could help Apple stave off any attempts by its competitors to grab too much market share at the lower end of the tablet market.  “Within the media tablet space the market is fragmenting into two segments value products largely serving as "consumption-type" portable media players, and higher-performance units incorporating more complex applications and stronger processors. Much of the growth in the future will come from the value segment”(HIS iSuppli Market Research)
A Solution to Barnes & Noble's International Problem(Forbes) http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeremygreenfield/2012/08/21/a-solution-to-barnes-nobles-international-problem/	08-21-2012	Microsoft‘s recent investment in Barnes & Noble might turn into an acquisition. While the retailer is not in danger of shuttering any time it faces some really tough challenges: – Pressure on the bricks-and-mortar retail business – Fierce online competition from Amazon and others – The inherent difficulty in launching a digital content and device business (Nook) – Lack of an international foothold B&N has to sell a ton of Nooks in a lot of countries — and quickly — to start building its content business internationally. How does it do that? With a strong bricks-and-mortar retail partner, of course! And therein lies the rub in the UK, because the two largest booksellers in the country are already partnered up with Amazon and Kobo.
Apple as Most Valuable U.S. Company Ever Has Room for Growth(SFgate)   http://www.sfgate.com/business/bloomberg/article/Apple-as-Most-Valuable-U-S-Company-Ever-Has-Room-3807894.php#ixzz24JgrzJDg	08-22-2012	Already the most valuable U.S. company in history, has room to grow further as its stock trades at a discount to the Nasdaq Composite Index and the company prepares an upgrade to its best-selling iPhone. Investors value Apple at 15.4 times trailing 12-month earnings, while the average company in the 2,495-member Nasdaq trades at 16.5 times, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The company rose to a record $665.15 on Aug. 20, giving it a market value of $623.5 billion, the highest-ever for a U.S.- based company. Apple has the resources to stop rivals with either lawsuits or new segment products.
Only About A Third Of Apps Downloaded From App Store: Apptrace(MediaBistro) http://www.mediabistro.com/appnewser/only-about-a-third-of-apps-downloaded-from-app-store-apptrace_b25215	08-01-2012	Apple chief Tim Cook announced that the App Store has 650,000 apps and 30 billion app downloads. But according to research from the German startup company Adeven, almost 400,000 apps in the App Store are not downloaded. This would mean that only 250,000 of these apps in the App Store are accounting for the majority of the 30 billion app downloads. Apps deliver a richer experience around content consumption, thanks to the ecosystem they support. The richer the ecosystem, the stronger the pull for consumers. Maybe not, it seems that App stores may only need the most used apps. This may be good news for Microsoft.