上周，亚马逊（Amazon）高调而自豪地发布了Kindle Fire HD系列产品。

    凭借全系列的新款平板电脑、电子书阅读器和关注消费者需求的产品功能，亚马逊就像美国职业摔角联盟（WWE）中使用的“攻击波”（smack-down）一样势不可挡。这家电子商务领域的霸主盯准了消费者的钱包，直面竞争，在一个新兴市场建立新的据点。

    亚马逊上周于圣塔莫尼卡举行的产品发布会上，该公司的Kindle Fire平板电脑在7英寸和9英寸两条产品线上同时发力，以期狙击谷歌（Google）的Nexus 7和苹果的iPad。显而易见，亚马逊已经做过市场研究，并且知道自己拥有获得成功所需的消费者影响力（以及自有的云计算基础设施）。这是一家真正围绕价格和便利开展零售业务的公司，在具备了这种特质的情况下，亚马逊已经准备好在节日销售季大展拳脚了。

    然而，亚马逊还需要解决一些问题，包括它与内容提供商签订的既昂贵又具有挑战性的合同，“同室操戈”的可能性，以及整体上的内容销售。幸运的是，平板电脑仍然是一个新兴的细分市场，其商业模式可谓五花八门。既然所有主要的消费类科技公司——苹果（Apple）、谷歌、微软（Microsoft）、三星（Samsung）和亚马逊——不仅身处同一块拥挤的竞技场，而且各自的步调也差不多，因此，看到眼下其中一些公司变得越来越激进是一件极为有趣的事。

    苹果专注于产品设计和利润率——这体现在其零售价格上。但即便是苹果也不愿放弃中端市场。正如传言所说，苹果将在10月份发布一款小尺寸的平板电脑。至于产品尺寸变小后苹果的利润空间将会受到多大程度的挤压，这一点还有待观察。另一家主要厂商谷歌将携Nexus 7主攻以量取胜的低端市场，那里的情况就跟传统的PC市场类似。

    亚马逊在小尺寸平板电脑的身上看到了机会。去年，在这个没有精通客户服务的主要品牌厂商涉足、以及没有主要内容提供商竞争的领域，亚马逊激发起了消费者们得到更实惠体验的渴望，于是Kindle Fire应运而生。

    以下是亚马逊为什么能够以及为什么会进入这些领域的原因：

关注消费者需求

    其他厂商很容易觊觎iPad——它是一款非常出色的设备，但过于昂贵。如果一款售价200美元的平板产品配备了高清视网膜屏幕，并且可以轻松地用一手掌握，那它将具有强大的吸引力。对那些支持亚马逊在线零售模式的人来说，情况更是如此。购买一台iPad的花费可以买下两台售价200美元的小尺寸平板外加年费79美元的亚马逊金牌服务（Amazon Prime，该服务可以让消费者在一年内享受无限制的流媒体视频内容和免费的两天送达服务）。

    有多少人讨厌在节日期间去商场购物？金牌服务为那些并非以平板媒体内容为中心的产品提供了助力。作为大卖场型的零售商，亚马逊除了流媒体服务以外还在其他家居用品上展开竞争，如今消费者的钱包也因此捉襟见肘。

    不过，如果消费者就是希望购买iPad那样的大尺寸平板，同时又不想花那么多钱呢？定位中端市场的8.9英尺Kindle Fire HD系列起价为299美元，其中有一款以iPad为竞争对手。它支持4G LTE，包含数据套餐在内的价格稍高一些（549美元）。

    谷歌，还有苹果，你们接招吧。

    Last week, Amazon brought it loud and proud.

    With a full slew of new tablets, e-readers and consumer-minded features, Amazon (AMZN) is in full WWE-style smack-down mode. The online commerce overlords are screaming for your wallet, pointing directly at the competition and establishing another foothold in a young market.

    At its latest product announcements in Santa Monica last week, the company expanded on its Kindle Fire tablet line in the 7-inch and 9-inch space looking to undercut Google's Nexus 7 and Apple's iPad. What is evident is that Amazon has done its market research and understands it has the consumer clout (and its own cloud) to build on its own success. With a truly retail penchant around price and convenience, Amazon is primed (unintentional pun) to crush holiday sales.

    There are, however, some issues to contend with: expensive and challenging contracts with content providers, potential for 'cannibalization', and overall content sales themselves. Luckily, tablets are still an emerging segment with business models all over the map. Now that all the major players of consumer tech -- Apple (AAPL), Google (GOOG), Microsoft (MSFT), Samsung, and Amazon -- are not just at the same crowded playground, but at the same set of swings, it's incredibly fun to watch how aggressive some companies are getting.

    Apple focuses on design and profit margins reflected in its retail pricing. But even Apple can't stay out of the mid-range market, as it is rumored to be announcing a smaller tablet in October. It remains to be seen how much profit will compress as Apple's version gets smaller. With the Nexus 7, Google, the other major player, is going after the low-end volume sales of tablets similar to the traditional PC market.

    With smaller tablets, Amazon saw an opportunity. Last year, in a place where no major brand with a knack for customer service or major content offers was competing, the company opened up a stream of customers eager for a more affordable experience. The Kindle Fire was born.

    Here is why Amazon can and will play in the these spaces:

Customer focus

    It's easy to covet the iPad -- it is a gorgeous device, but it is pricey. A $200 tablet with an HD retina screen that you can easily hold in one hand is mighty appealing, especially if someone is already sold on the way Amazon works as an online retailer. It is possible to buy two smaller tablets at $200 and an Amazon Prime subscription for $79 for less than the cost of one iPad (membership includes streaming movies and free two-day shipping on everything for a year).

    How many people despise shopping at the mall over the holidays? Prime helps with non-tablet media-centric products. As a superstore retailer, Amazon competes on household items beyond streaming services. The dollar has now been stretched.

    But what if a customer wants a larger tablet like the iPad but doesn't want to spend that much? The mid-range, 8.9-inch Fire starts at $299 and one priced like the iPad that includes 4G LTE and some data is included at a higher price point ($549).

    Google, Apple: You have been served.

硬件功能同样以消费者为中心

    亚马逊将Kindle Fire定位成一种内容渠道服务，而不是单纯的硬件产品，但其硬件配置也并不是人们的笑柄。亚马逊关注消费者需求的理念体现在了Kindle Fire HD的功能特性上：消费者希望得到更好的视觉体验，因此有了1280×800的高清分辨率；消费者希望在更复杂的光照条件下观看电影、阅读和玩游戏，因此有了偏振滤波器和防眩光技术【据《消费者报告》（Consumer Reports）初步审查，该技术得到显著改善】；为了更好的Wi-Fi体验有了双天线；为了进行Skype通话而有了前置摄像头；为了更好的音频效果而采用了杜比数字技术双扬声器设计（这给《消费者报告》留下深刻印象，称之为“我们从7英寸平板上获得的最佳体验，其中包括双扬声器令人惊奇的立体声分离度，它们相隔只有数英寸”）。

吸引家庭用户的功能

    Kindle Fire HD所具备的家长控制功能容易被人忽视，但说到这类设备的过度使用，各个年龄段的用户均都在这样的问题。只要看过孩子们凭借直觉操作平板电脑的动作，你就知道这是些强大的设备。使用平板电脑消费媒体内容，并赋予其控制设备使用的功能，这是亚马逊所采取的明智策略，再次证明该公司了解、并能及时满足消费者的需求。

    平板电脑大战快点打响吧！

    译者：王灿均

Hardware features are customer-centric too

    Amazon positions the Kindle Fire as a service for content delivery, rather than a pure hardware play, but its hardware isn't something to laugh off. The honing of customer focus is reflected in the features of the Kindle Fire HD. Customers want it to look great, hence the 1280x800 HD display. They want to watch movies read, and play games in challenging lighting conditions (hence the polarizing filter and anti-glare technology, which has shown to be a notable improvement according to a preliminary review by Consumer Reports; dual antenna for better Wi-Fi; a front-facing camera for Skype calls; and dual speakers with Dolby Digital sound for improved audio which impressed Consumer Reports, calling it "the best we've heard from a 7-inch tablet, including surprisingly distinct stereo separation for speakers that are only a few inches apart."

Features appeal to large buying segments: families

    The parental control features in the Kindle Fire HD are easy to overlook, but speak to the surfeit of uses of these devices have across age groups. Anyone who has seen the intuitive action children take with tablets knows they are powerful devices. Media consumption and the ability to regulate its use is a very smart tactic by Amazon, showing again it comprehends and anticipates its customer's needs.

    Let the tablet wars begin!