Amazon Kindle Fire

If you've been holding off on buying a new iPad, you might want to check the Best Buy Tablet Clearance Page. The electronics retailer is offering 30% off select third-generation iPads. You can nab a 16GB Wi-Fi-only model for only $314. That's cheaper than buying a refurbished model from Apple, and it's not a bad deal considering the iPad 3 specs are not that different from the fourth-generation tablet.

The iPad 3 was released on March 16, 2012, but was quickly discontinued after the iPad 4 was released eight months later. The iPad 3 features a Retina display like its successor, and Apple's A5X processor. Don't forget the third-generation iPad sports the old 30-pin dock connector, and not the new Lightning connector featured on Apple's newer products.

First time tablet buyers who are wondering if it's worth spending $329 to $659 on Apple's first 7.9-inch iPad, will probably want to consider why they want a tablet in the first place. Amazon kicked off the 7-inch tablet craze by introducing the Kindle Fire in 2011. The Kindle Fire didn't "kill" the iPad as some had predicted, but its decent sales did prove there was a market for smaller affordable devices. Google deciding to launch the $200 Nexus 7 earlier this year is what many believed led Apple to launch the iPad mini. It was widely believed Apple would crush the competition by pricing its own 7-inch iPad to compete with both the newly released Kindle Fire HD and Nexus 7, however its steeper $329 price tag and disappointing screen resolution have left some people scratching their heads. But what tablet is the better buy?

The Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 are glorified eReaders, and I don't mean that as an insult. The tablets are sold at cost to push more content through Google Play and Amazon's App Store. The Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 are geared towards people who want to watch movies or read books on the go, not tech addicts or users looking for a complete tablet experience. Buyers on a budget who are shopping for their first tablet may want to consider sticking with the more affordably priced Android tablets. Buyers who were hoping to get the full Apple experience for a more affordable price may want to consider the iPad mini, or grab an iPad 2 before they disappear. If size is your concern, and not dollars, then the iPad mini is a great choice.

The social photo sharing website Pinterest is now available on the iPhone, iPad and Android devices. The apps are available for download through Pinterest.com or via Apple's App Store and Google Play. Kindle Fire owners will be able to download an Amazon version via Amazon's app store later this week.

The Pinterest app allows users to share their photo collections with other users by creating theme-based image collections. The faster, redesigned iPhone version offers a new 2-column layout so users can see more pins. The iPad version allows users to easily swipe through pins, and see what others are pinning from their favorite sites. Users can login or register with Facebook, Twitter or just an email address.

Senior Vice President of iOS Scott Forstall took the stand during Apple and Samsung's latest patent dispute. During cross examination by Samsung counsel Kevin Johnson, Forstall was shown a 2011 email sent by Eddy Cue. According to Cue, Steve Jobs was "receptive" to the 7-inch tablet idea after the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Tab.

Jobs called 7-inch tablets "useless" and said they would be "dead on arrival" in 2010. However, the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google Nexus 7 have proven there is a market for smaller, more affordable tablets.

Both the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg claim that Apple is working on a smaller, cheaper iPad to compete with Google's $200 Galaxy Nexus tablet. Original iPad mini rumors stated that Apple was planning to launch a 7.85-inch iPad to compete with Amazon's Kindle Fire, but according to “people familiar with the matter” Apple has its sights set on both Google and Amazon.

According to reports, Apple has told component suppliers "to prepare for mass production of the smaller tablet." Bloomberg's unnamed sources said the tablet will probably cost around $200 and be launched this October, the same month Apple is expected to announce their new iPhone.

Apple is looking to put a strangle hold on the tablet market by releasing the iPad mini for $200 to $250 in October, according to iMore. The tech blog cites a "proven reliable" source who claims that Apple wants to do what they did "with the MP3 market in 2004 with the expansion of the iPod product line." By releasing an affordable alternative to the new iPad and iPad 2, Apple will be able to compete with entry-level tablets like the Amazon Kindle Fire.

The source said that the 7-inch iPad will feature the same 2048x1536 resolution display as the new iPad.

"Our source has indicated, however, that the 7-inch iPad will be identical to the current 9.7-inch iPad, just scaled down. That seems to include a 2048x1536 resolution display, just like the new iPad. If accurate, that would put the pixel density at around 326 ppi, the same as the iPhone 4S (and higher than the 264 ppi new iPad) retina display."

Is Apple going to release the iPad 3 and 4 in 2012!?! It's not as crazy as it sounds, but the report does come from Asian supply chain watcher DigiTimes; who doesn't have the best track record when it comes to Apple rumors. Citing "Taiwan industry sources," the DigiTimes writes that Apple is prepping to release two iPad models in 2012. The so-called "iPad 3" will feature a QXGA (1,536x2,048 pixels) display and longer battery life. The so-called "iPad 4" will ship with many "upgraded hardware specifications and integrated applications." The iPad 2 will be reduced to $399 to compete with Sony, Motorola Mobility and Samsung Electronics' cheaply priced tablet PCs.

This may sound like a new rumor, but it's actually not. Component suppliers are just using the names "iPad 3" and "iPad 4" to describe what could be the new mid-range and high-end Apple tablets we've been hearing so much about. Previous reports from the supply chain have claimed Apple is working on a "complete iPad series" for 2012. The new iPad line will feature a $299 to $399 entry-level Wi-Fi only iPad, a new mid-range iPad and the high-end iPad 3. The new iPad line is supposedly Apple's plan to compete the Amazon Kindle Fire and Google's rumored new tablet PC.

Contradicting their previous report that Apple is working on a 7.85-inch iPad, the DigiTimes writes that Apple will release a "complete iPad series targeting the entry-level, mid-range and high-end market" in 2012. The iPad 2 will be reduced to compete with the Amazon Kindle Fire, and the next-generation iPads will "focus on the mid-range and high-end segments," according to sources in the supply chain.

The new iPads will feature 9.7-inch screens, QXGA resolution (1,536x2,048 pixels) and the rumored dual OLED backlights we keep hearing so much about. The new "high-end version" of the iPad will feature an increased battery capacity of 14,000mAH compared to 6,500mAH used currently. Both new devices will use the quad-core A6 processor being manufactured by Samsung.

Amazon has proven that affordable smaller tablets can sell well, but are they selling well enough to force Apple to change their opinion about 7-inch displays? According to a recent report from the DigiTimes, Apple plans to begin production of a 7.85-inch iPad next year. The smaller tablet, dubbed the "iPad mini," will be available in Q4 of 2012, and the iPad 3 will still launch in February or March of the same year. DigiTimes claims Apple will purchase the 7.85-inch panels from LG Display and AU Optronics, and that production of the new models will begin at the end of the second quarter of 2012.

The success of the Kindle Fire has revived old rumors about a smaller iPad that date as far back as 2010. The Korean Times wrote in November of 2011 that Apple met with LG Display to discuss production of 7-inch displays, and a few analyst have restarted the iPad mini rumor mill this year as well. The device will reportedly feature the same resolution as the iPad 2, and will be Apple's answer to the growing demand for more affordable tablets.

JP Morgan analyst Mark Moskowitz believes the Amazon Kindle Fire is only the beginning for first time tablet owners, and Kindle buyers will eventually "gravitate to more feature-rich" tablets like the iPad.

Moskowitz recently talked with Apple CEO Tim Cook and CFO Pete Oppenheimer who said people are replacing their home computers with tablets. They believe Kindle owners will eventually want to upgrade to a larger screen and more features like cellular data access once they get a taste of what tablets have to offer. Apple also thinks Amazon's success will be the death of other Android tablets since Apple and Amazon are the only two companies who can provide the total tablet experience.

I don't see a lot of Kindle owners jumping at the chance to spend more money on a second device unless Apple drops the price of the older generation iPads after the release of the iPad 3. A recent UK poll revealed that 46 percent of iPad owners didn't believe they were getting their money's worth, because they hardly use the device at all. It's also little early to start making predictions about the Kindle Fire's influence on the tablet market since it has only been out a few weeks.