Amazon's device will take on the industry leader, Apple's iPad, which see sees up to 9 million sales a quarter

Amazon.com Inc plans to unveil a cheaper, smaller $250 rival to Apple Inc’s iPad tablet device in November, industry blog TechCrunch reported on Friday.

Sporting a backlit 7-inch screen - smaller than the iPad’s and about the same as Research in Motion’s PlayBook - the device is geared toward playing music and movies off the internet, the tech blog reported.

TechCrunch, which said it had played with a testing prototype, reported that the plan was for Amazon to offer Amazon Prime - its $79-a-year Internet streaming service - for free along with the gadget. It did not cite any sources.

Amazon did not respond to requests for comment.

The Internet retailer’s first entry in the tablet computing arena - its Kindle functions more like an electronic-book reader - has been touted as a strong contender to Apple, whose cheapest tablet goes for $499.

Motorola and Samsung have only chipped away at Apple’s commanding three-quarter share of the market, while Hewlett Packard threw in the towel by announcing it will kill off its TouchPad after a final production run. This week, Sony Corp leapt into the field with its own poorly reviewed device.

Analysts have been upbeat on Amazon’s gadget, particularly if it beats the iPad on price. It may sell as many as 5 million tablets in the fourth quarter, becoming the top rival to Apple, Forrester Research estimates.

Apple sells between 7 to 9 million tablets a quarter.

The upcoming tablet, running an operating system developed from an older version of Google Inc’s Android software, will be Wi-Fi only and come with ath color touchscreen but a limited 6GB of memory, according to the blog.

TechCrunch said that was because the device is geared toward playing content off the cloud or Internet, rather than the gadget itself. The tablet’s main screen features a carousel that spins between a book-reader, a music player, movie player and other applications.

A 10-inch version may arrive 2012 if the 7-inch device sells well, the blog added without citing a source.

Apple never ceases to surprise us by providing the world with amazing inventions and innovative takes on age-old concepts. So what is the company’s newest gadget to hit the market? It’s the iPad, revealed to the public for the first time on January 27th. The iPad is a medium-sized device that allows you to do everything you could do using an iPhone and more, but with more flexibility and ease. The smart invention is a bigger version of the iPhone and a smaller version of the Macbook, and it is as light as your wallet in the middle of the month (it weighs an incredible 1.5 pounds—less than 1 kilo)! The size of the iPad can also help you use it for more purposes than the iPhone like reading e-books or watching your favorite movies or series without getting your eyes tired. The multi-touch screen and the clarity on iPad makes it easy to surf the web, watch videos, utilize GPS navigation, play games exactly the way you are meant to experience them. iPad also provides you with great sound quality with built-in speakers to make you live the game you are playing, laugh with the show you are watching or dance with the song you are listening to wherever you are, online or offline. The iPad is extremely user friends and former Apple junkies will have no problem learning their way around the device. The price of an iPad ranges from $499 to $829 depending on the features and upgrades, and is unlikely to go down in the foreseeable future. A salute once again to Mr. Jobs and the Apple team! We can’t wait to get our hands on one.

Apple never ceases to surprise us by providing the world with amazing inventions and innovative takes on age-old concepts. So what is the company’s newest gadget to hit the market? It’s the iPad, revealed to the public for the first time on January 27th. Read the full story

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