nexus 7

Kindle Fire HD: Amazon's anti-Apple profit engine

Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos may model his presentation skills after the late Steve Jobs, but his company's business model looks more like the Bizarro version of Apple.

Take today's announcement of several new Kindle Fire tablets, as well as a discounted price on the original. Amazon is hardly making a large profit on these competitively priced products, something Bezos is quick to own up to.

"We want to make money when people use our devices, not when they buy our devices," he said during an event in Santa Monica, Calif., today.

The three versions of the … Read more

Is a Google Nexus 7 with 3G joining the traffic jam of tablets?

The tablet wars are heating up, and just in time for the holidays. With new items from from Samsung, Asus, Lenovo, Dell and others, and new Amazon Kindles and possibly an Apple iPad mini on tap, Google may be taking its Nexus 7 tablet out of Wi-Fi confinement.

Paul O'Brien of the tech site MoDaCo started a thread in a post Saturday that Google will offer a 3G version of the Nexus 7 in about six weeks:

"I love my Nexus 7, but I really wish there was a 3G version. Well, according to our … Read more

Google's Nexus 7 home page ad: Is a doodle ad next?

We've all watched Google's evolution from student idealist to strident actuary like uncles at successive weddings.

Once Google was shy and disdainful of ancient, grubby ways. Now it embraces them as if it's worried about its 401(k) -- that's $401,000 profit for every ad run on Google.

The concept of doing no evil has taken on a dreamy, nostalgic quality. The concept of brand advertising, once derided as faintly sad, is now at the core of Google's attempt to gain some Apple-y emotions.

Still, this morning some were vaguely stupefied that the company … Read more

Google's Nexus 7 tablet pops up in rare home-page ad

Google really wants people to take a look at its Nexus 7 tablet.

The $199 tablet started popping up on Google's home page today, a rare instance in which Google is actively promoting one of its own products. It's similar to the way Amazon's front page is often dominated by Kindle advertising.

That Google would go to such lengths underscores the company's desire to make a bigger dent in the burgeoning tablet market, one still dominated by Apple's iPad. Given the traffic that goes through Google, the home page would be one of the most … Read more

Google launches Nexus 7 tablet in France, Germany, Spain

Google has delivered its Nexus 7 tablet to more European countries.

The company revealed today that the Nexus 7 is now available in France, Germany, and Spain. The device, which includes a 7-inch display and runs Google's Android platform, is already available in a host of countries, including the U.S., U.K., and Canada.

The 8GB Nexus 7 is available for 199 euros, while the 16GB option goes for 249 euros.

Google launched the Nexus 7 tablet last month. Since then, the device has sold exceedingly well and solidified itself as an iPad competitor. In CNET's review … Read more

Hey Google, share that Nexus love beyond Samsung

commentary If Google really wants the Android ecosystem to thrive, it must do a better job of passing the Nexus mantle around among handset makers.

Samsung has been the primary beneficiary of Google's Nexus flagship device program for the past few years, having built the first phone with Android 2.3, or Gingerbread, in the Nexus S -- and the first phone with Android 4.0, or Ice Cream Sandwich, with the Galaxy Nexus. It's reportedly working on a successor Nexus phone with improved specifications.

But Google doesn't need another high-end Samsung-built Nexus phone.

Rather, the company … Read more

Barnes & Noble Q1 loss narrows to $40M as Nook sales decline

Barnes & Noble narrowed its fiscal first-quarter loss, but suffered through a few hiccups with its Nook e-reader business.

The book retailer posted a loss of $40.9 million, or 78 cents a share, compared with a loss of $56.6 million, or 99 cents a share, from a year ago. Revenue rose only slightly to $1.45 billion from $1.42 billion a year ago.

Analysts, on average, estimated that the company would post a loss of 98 cents on revenue of $1.48 billion, according to Thomson Reuters.

The company's Nook unit, which includes the e-reader and … Read more

Why you should wait for the iPad Mini

Amazon and Google have opened the market to a whole new class of tablet customer with their 7-inch tablets priced affordably at $200. But the attractive price tag is only one reason to like these mini-tablets.

In this edition of Ask Maggie, I explain why I like smaller tablets and why I think readers interested in buying a tablet should wait to see if Apple also introduces a tiny, affordable iPad.

I also explain the ins and outs of buying a new iPhone directly from Apple or from your wireless carrier.

Good things do come in smaller packages

Dear Maggie, … Read more

Microsoft eyes the iPad

Microsoft conceived Windows RT and Surface to compete with the iPad.

And IDC's Bob O'Donnell believes that will dictate pricing. For both Microsoft-branded Surface RT and other Windows RT products from companies like Asus and Dell.

The 32GB iPad (currently $599) has a big bull's eye on its back, O'Donnell told me yesterday. For both Surface and RT devices from Microsoft partners. And throw Windows 8 Pro devices based on Intel's power-efficient system-on-a-chip, aka Atom, into that mix too, said O'Donnell.

Remember, RT tablets use power-frugal ARM chips and come with a version of … Read more