U.S. Internet giant Amazon.com Wednesday it was gearing up for a launch of a tablet computer that undercuts the price of Apple's iPad by a wide margin.
With the most popular tablet computer on the market miles ahead of the competition, Apple has been able to ward off other threats to its tablet market share before.
Amazon, however, is getting ready for a huge launch of the Kindle Fire, which is like a turbo-charged, 7-inch color screen Kindle e-reader, which was sold as a reading platform.
The Kindle Fire would also have access to Amazon's 18 million songs, books and movies, but it would be priced at $199, as opposed to the iPad, which starts at $499, The New York Times reported.
Amazon founder and Chief Executive Officer Jeffrey Bezos said in at a press event in New York City that Amazon, which quickly ran out of the first Kindle readers when they were introduced, was "making many millions of these," referring to the Kindle Fire.
The device will be able to run Android applications, which makes it compatible with Google's operating system, which is used in a variety of mobile devices.
The Kindle Fire also has no end of marketing arrangements, given Amazon is a retailer, not primarily a manufacturer.
Bezos said, "We're building premium products at non-premium prices. We are determined to do that."
Amazon said it would accept pre-orders for the Kindle Fire immediately. They would be ready for shipping Nov. 15, the company said.