1. What criteria drove Amazon’s decision of where to produce the different components that go into the Kindle? Were these the right criteria? Should these be the same criteria today, with a stronger focus on the tablet market as opposed to just the e-reader market?
2. Some have argued that the fact that only $40–$50 of the value associated with manufacturing the Kindle went to U.S. companies was a sign of the decline of American competitiveness. Do you agree with this assessment?
3. If Amazon had decided to design and manufacture the Kindle and all its components in the United States, what do you think the consequences would have been for Amazon? What about the Fire HDX (and any subsequent “Kindle” products)?