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News & ArtsWednesday, April 6, 2011
Tech / Film / Money Not Blockbusters
Posted by Paul Constant on Wed, Apr 6, 2011 at 3:25 PM
1. What's left of Blockbuster Video was bought by DISH Networks for $228 million in cash late yesterday.
2. The Xoom, which was the first legitimate Android competitor to the iPad is selling dismally. Early estimates have the tablet selling 100,000 units. That's after an enormous marketing campaign that included a Superbowl commercial.
1
But everyone says that Android is so much better?!?!? How can that be?!?!?!?! BLAH!!!! BLAH!!! BLAH!!!!
2
The T-Mobile G1 also didn't sell that well. When there are 10-15 manufacturers all with honeycomb based android tablets, I expect to see them take off a little more.
The other problem with the Xoom was that the wifi only version shipped much later. I would wager that wifi only tablets constitute the majority of them sold.
The other problem with the Xoom was that the wifi only version shipped much later. I would wager that wifi only tablets constitute the majority of them sold.
3
@2 all your future is belong to the iPad.
Told ya.
Let alone the fact that Apple wisely cornered between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet screen fabs, it's all about mindshare and distribution networks. And only the iPad is approved for use in military and government locations (they special load the apps you can use if it's level 3 or above).
Seriously, the 2010-2020 period is all about monopoly and oligopoly in our Corporations are People decision America.
Told ya.
Let alone the fact that Apple wisely cornered between 70 and 80 percent of the tablet screen fabs, it's all about mindshare and distribution networks. And only the iPad is approved for use in military and government locations (they special load the apps you can use if it's level 3 or above).
Seriously, the 2010-2020 period is all about monopoly and oligopoly in our Corporations are People decision America.
4
Newsflash: there is no market for a device that is a knock-off of something that people only want because it's the Cool New Apple Thing.
5
@1 well, Linux is better. But "almost good enough" in user experience doesn't cut it in our constant-on world, which is why the Zune died an ignomious death.
6
@4: 20 million iPads sold, and there's only on reason anyone wanted them?
Your brand of analysis belongs in right wing politics. Most adults know that reality is rarely so uniform.
Your brand of analysis belongs in right wing politics. Most adults know that reality is rarely so uniform.
9
I literally have never heard of the Xoom. Not sure what that says, and whether it's about me or their marketing, but . . . it must say something.
10
the price for the xoom is set too high. it needs to be more around $300.
my nook color rocks. got it for $225.00 rooted. now running CM7 2.3
my nook color rocks. got it for $225.00 rooted. now running CM7 2.3
11
There is no market for "pads".
Its just that Apple-bots will buy anything their Beastmaster Jobs tells them to.
Keep making netbooks guys and put Android on them.
12
Damn! Blockbuster sold for $228 million?!? I mean, it makes total sense today, since they're nothing but a burned out husk of their former selves, but 15 years ago, I would never have predicted BB's demise at such a low price.
Good riddance.
Good riddance.
16
@11 - There is no portable device better than the iPad if you are a baseball fan. I'm watching the Brewers game right now using the MLB At Bat app on my iPad 1, and it's like holding a TV in my lap; no dropped frames, no jerkiness, box score available at all times, full HD. And the battery still lasts 10 hours.
You can watch games on a laptop, sure, but the Flash it relies on halves your battery life.
I have no use for a tablet that I can't watch baseball on.
You can watch games on a laptop, sure, but the Flash it relies on halves your battery life.
I have no use for a tablet that I can't watch baseball on.
17
A huge problem was they released it before it supported flash... meaning it couldn't stream video or play games online.
18
Xoom has no video ecosystem. Video apparently can play very well on it, up to its full screen resolution. However, Hulu and Netflix don't yet support it via Flash, and Flash only performs well up to certain sizes (480p?). So you can't easily buy or stream video for it. Since that's one of the promoted use cases, I'm not sure why you'd buy it at all even if it were completely superior to the iPad.
19
I'm shocked SHOCKED I tell you to discover that there's not unlimited amounts of drones salivating at the opportunity to buy YET ANOTHER disposable consumer electronic. It's almost like I'm saving my money for the recyclable mobile computer device that isn't simultaneously destroying 3rd world countries. Fucking radicals.
20
@12 I was shocked to find that there are still brick-and-mortar Blockbuster stores in Copenhagen. My Danish friend didn't even realize that they were in trouble. So maybe the bulk of that is overseas business?
21
just buy a nook color for 250 and root it or install nookie froyo. BAM! instant fully functional android tablet with just as much balls as an ipad for half the price.
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