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last night, tumbling sleepward
Let the little lost lamb lead the way.
Keep the fire
I went to the Amazon launch event on Wednesday and wrote four stories about it for Wired (one before, one during, and two afterwards).
My first story, written the night before, was about how Amazon’s tablet launch could still go wrong. One of the worries I had — that Amazon would neglect its E Ink line — was pretty well addressed by the shit-ton of new, cheap E Ink readers Amazon presented. But I still worry a little bit about these two:
1. It turns out there really is only an iPad market, not a tablet market. This could work a couple of ways. Maybe people really do prefer 10-inch tablets that are closer to netbook substitutes than seven-inch devices that are closer to e-readers with superpowers. Maybe the iPad, Nook Color, marked-down TouchPad and off-brand Android tablets sold at Best Buy have exhausted the market for third devices in the middle of a recession more than everyone thought. Maybe people will love Amazon’s tablet, but will use it to surf the web, watch free movies, and read free books, but won’t actually buy anything, turning the tablet experiment into an unprofitable mess. Maybe Steve Jobs is a magical being from an alternate future who really is just better at this than everyone else. (Don’t discount that last possibility. Some very capable people at Dell and Intel once thought running Windows 7 on a five-inch screen was stone genius.)
2. Everyone else gets their shit together. When Apple’s team broke open the tablet market, they painted a huge bullseye on their backs. Other companies got serious. Apple had many advantages, and so far has handily fended off all comers. (Possibly because, again, Steve Jobs may or may not actually be a Jedi.)
Amazon’s advantage in launching a seven-inch Android tablet is that it doesn’t have to compete directly with the iPad. Its disadvantage is that it has to compete with everyone else. The Motorola Xoom isn’t perfect, but it’s also already almost a year old. Don’t you think Google and Motorola can do better? Don’t you think Samsung and Cyanogen can? I think they could.
Also, even if you sell an ungodly amount of books, magazines, and video to Americans, you still can’t sell as many iPads as Apple will, if only because more than half of Apple’s market is outside the US. How can Amazon keep its global fire burning?
my current desktop
quotes out of context
The minimum marriage contract would be for two years and could be renewed if the couple stays happy.
I was a high-school wrestler, so every time he tried to get up, I’m putting the riding move on him.
Do skunks smell their own odor? Do they mind?
It is full of actual, non-metaphorical fire, and if you’re used to the safety rail culture of modern life, it dawns on you slowly that no one out here will stop you from stupidly killing yourself.
It’s almost like a moral decision, but not because no one will find out.
tweet of the day
top posts this week
American Juggalo, directed by Sean Dunne
spam name
Skye Tandy.
from the comments
I don’t think it’s ever OK to wear your ballcap backwards.
Except when giving head.
October elimae
is now posted.
