Apple Tablet Pretty Much Promised For 1/27 Introduction
In case you haven't heard, Apple has an even planned for the 27th of this month. No one knows for sure except for those who aren't saying,
but all signs are pointing the release of the oft-rumored Apple Tablet
that has been whispered about for months on end now. For those still
doubting that such a product exists, you should probably have a look at
a fresh piece from the Wall Street Journal.
According to the article, famed publishing house HarperCollins is in talks with Apple to make e-books available for the introduction "of a new tablet device from Apple." Granted, these are still just rumors from people inside, but when the WSJ reports it, there's a good chance that truth is behind it. If all of this pans out, Apple's so-called Tablet could actually pose a serious threat to Amazon's Kindle--not to mention all of those other e-readers that were just introduced at CES.
Most every reader out (and coming out soon) is based on e-ink technology; it's great for battery life, it's relatively cheap and it serves the purpose. But when shown beside a real, live color screen, there's really no comparison. Apple has never been one to battle for market share at the low-end, so it's pretty safe to assume that the Apple Tablet will be pricier than most. That said, it will also be likely to handle more applications than most, and it should be more like a multi-functional computer than strictly a reading device.
What's still to be revealed is exactly how these books will be sold. Will they be sold via iTunes, or by some other HarperCollins-approved method? We'd guess that Apple would want to continue its iTunes ecosystem into the world of e-books, but who knows what compromises will have to be made to make this all work. Either way, Apple has promised a new "creation" for consumers on the 27th, and at this point, we can only imagine the global disappointment if Apple were to not unveil a tablet during the keynote. Hold on tight--this whole Tablet/e-reader revolution is about to get crazy. Or so we think.
According to the article, famed publishing house HarperCollins is in talks with Apple to make e-books available for the introduction "of a new tablet device from Apple." Granted, these are still just rumors from people inside, but when the WSJ reports it, there's a good chance that truth is behind it. If all of this pans out, Apple's so-called Tablet could actually pose a serious threat to Amazon's Kindle--not to mention all of those other e-readers that were just introduced at CES.
Most every reader out (and coming out soon) is based on e-ink technology; it's great for battery life, it's relatively cheap and it serves the purpose. But when shown beside a real, live color screen, there's really no comparison. Apple has never been one to battle for market share at the low-end, so it's pretty safe to assume that the Apple Tablet will be pricier than most. That said, it will also be likely to handle more applications than most, and it should be more like a multi-functional computer than strictly a reading device.
What's still to be revealed is exactly how these books will be sold. Will they be sold via iTunes, or by some other HarperCollins-approved method? We'd guess that Apple would want to continue its iTunes ecosystem into the world of e-books, but who knows what compromises will have to be made to make this all work. Either way, Apple has promised a new "creation" for consumers on the 27th, and at this point, we can only imagine the global disappointment if Apple were to not unveil a tablet during the keynote. Hold on tight--this whole Tablet/e-reader revolution is about to get crazy. Or so we think.
