With the recent announcement of the new tablet from Amazon, analysts around the world are busy predicting whether this will signify the end of the iPad's dominance or merely be another tablet to enter the market but quietly fade away into obscurity. The simple truth is such predictions are both vacuous and of limited value to most.

The iPad has enjoyed a huge level of success because Apple got the pricing, the product and the timing so brilliantly right. It seems competitors have been all too willing to simply attempt to copy Apple's formula, but in doing so losing some of the key ingredients. Amazon, thankfully, have taken a different approach.

The new Amazon Fire is not specifically designed to go head to head with the iPad in the same size division. The deminutive Fire sports a more pocket friendly 7 inch display for instance. This puts it in a similar category to the so close yet so far Samsung Galaxy Tab. Where the Galaxy Tab went wrong was pricing, it was more expensive than even the base model iPad at launch, a price point that simply doesn't look too appealing for a smaller device.

No Amazon took the idea of a smaller device and have run with it. Instead of merely providing a product like Samsung and others have done, Amazon are promoting a complete package. Hardware, software, apps and of course Kindle goodness. To add a final nail, the new Amazon Fire will cost a tasty looking $199, half the price of the iPad. This gives Apple some serious food for thought, but I wouldn't exactly predict the demise of the iPad just yet. Rather this could prove more problematic for the other tablet manufacturers. As they have not been able to make any significant in-roads into the market, Amazon could literally be about to take the rug from under their feet.

With the performance of the Fire looking good so far and a price point that enters it aggressively into the market place, it's hard to find anything of concern for Amazon here. It's possible they have found the winning formula to compete in the tablet market. That formula isn't to go head to head against Apple in exactly the same part of the market, rather to set up shop in a different area, addressing a different set of needs and appealing to a different audience. This may well be a sensible move that could set Amazon up to enjoy similar success to the iPad while the iPad will likely continue to flourish.

As always, only time will tell us whether the future is looking bright for Amazon or if the company is yet another casualty of the tablet market. Either way, right now this is genuinely one product to watch very very closely.