Apple tablet rumors: Time Inc. in the dark, PA Semi chip, 'secret' negotiations
U.S. publishers are reportedly negotiating tablet-related content deals with Apple in New York; a list of potential component suppliers for the hardware has surfaced, including a P.A. Semi-designed processor; and new allegations claim Time Inc. has little knowledge of the tablet.
Don't expect Time Inc. at next week's event - report
Sources with Time Inc. told MediaMemo's Peter Kafka that "Apple has only recently started" sharing details about its forthcoming device, and even those discussions have minimal details. Most of the talks between Time and Apple reportedly took place within the last few weeks.
Because of this, Time Inc. doesn't have anything to show off at next week's product unveiling, when Apple has promised it will show off its "latest creation." But, Kafka said, Time remains "intensely interested" in the device.
"But for now, Time Inc. executives are thinking about this stuff in a bit of vacuum, because they don’t know exactly what Steve Jobs has up his sleeve," the report said. "Tease that out a bit and you can tell the story of most media companies: They’re excited to start taking advantage of the tablet–as soon as they find out what it is, exactly."
In December, Time Inc. released a video demonstrating how users might read Sports Illustrated on a tablet-like device. Some members of the press were also allowed to test working demos of the concept.
P.A. Semi chip rumored to power tablet, Hon Hai to manufacture
A new note Wednesday from UBS Investment Research cited industry checks in forecasting that the Apple tablet will be powered by a processor designed by P.A. Semi and built by Samsung. Analyst Maynard Um said it would likely be a complex system on a chip design.
Um pegged Hon Hai Precision Co. as the manufacturer for the tablet, and said LG Display will likely supply most of the screens, with AUO being a second source.
Other parts noted by UBS were:
Connectors from Chen Uei and Hon Hai
Wintek, Sintek and TPK as touch suppliers
Batteries from Simplo and Dynapack
NAND flash memory from Samsung
Broadcom to provide a "combo" chip for connectivity
The note said the tablet is expected to hit the market at some point in the first half of 2010.
"Key will be timing and price points, in order to asses how material it could be for suppliers," Um wrote. "In addition, how convincing the device will be could generate debate as per whether the tablet device category could be revived and help overall demand."
Apple purchased fabless chip designer P.A. Semi for $278 million in 2008. The company specialized in sophisticated but low-power designs.
Top publishers in New York for Apple negotiations
Bookseller.com, referencing a report from Publishers Marketplace, said Wednesday that "secret" negotiations are taking place between Apple and "nearly all (and most likely all) of the six largest trade publishers" in the U.S. The talks are reportedly underway in New York as Apple preps to unveil its tablet next week.
Those involved said that it's possible a deal may not be reached in time for the Jan. 27 event. It also noted that publishers could be "seeking greater control over pricing and supply of digital material."
The rumors follow a report from earlier this week that Apple was in talks with publisher HarperCollins to sell e-books on the tablet, with a business model that would follow that of the existing App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. Typical bestseller releases could cost about $9.99, and Apple would give publishers 70 percent of the revenue, while keeping a 30 percent share for itself.
Don't expect Time Inc. at next week's event - report
Sources with Time Inc. told MediaMemo's Peter Kafka that "Apple has only recently started" sharing details about its forthcoming device, and even those discussions have minimal details. Most of the talks between Time and Apple reportedly took place within the last few weeks.
Because of this, Time Inc. doesn't have anything to show off at next week's product unveiling, when Apple has promised it will show off its "latest creation." But, Kafka said, Time remains "intensely interested" in the device.
"But for now, Time Inc. executives are thinking about this stuff in a bit of vacuum, because they don’t know exactly what Steve Jobs has up his sleeve," the report said. "Tease that out a bit and you can tell the story of most media companies: They’re excited to start taking advantage of the tablet–as soon as they find out what it is, exactly."
In December, Time Inc. released a video demonstrating how users might read Sports Illustrated on a tablet-like device. Some members of the press were also allowed to test working demos of the concept.
P.A. Semi chip rumored to power tablet, Hon Hai to manufacture
A new note Wednesday from UBS Investment Research cited industry checks in forecasting that the Apple tablet will be powered by a processor designed by P.A. Semi and built by Samsung. Analyst Maynard Um said it would likely be a complex system on a chip design.
Um pegged Hon Hai Precision Co. as the manufacturer for the tablet, and said LG Display will likely supply most of the screens, with AUO being a second source.
Other parts noted by UBS were:
Connectors from Chen Uei and Hon Hai
Wintek, Sintek and TPK as touch suppliers
Batteries from Simplo and Dynapack
NAND flash memory from Samsung
Broadcom to provide a "combo" chip for connectivity
The note said the tablet is expected to hit the market at some point in the first half of 2010.
"Key will be timing and price points, in order to asses how material it could be for suppliers," Um wrote. "In addition, how convincing the device will be could generate debate as per whether the tablet device category could be revived and help overall demand."
Apple purchased fabless chip designer P.A. Semi for $278 million in 2008. The company specialized in sophisticated but low-power designs.
Top publishers in New York for Apple negotiations
Bookseller.com, referencing a report from Publishers Marketplace, said Wednesday that "secret" negotiations are taking place between Apple and "nearly all (and most likely all) of the six largest trade publishers" in the U.S. The talks are reportedly underway in New York as Apple preps to unveil its tablet next week.
Those involved said that it's possible a deal may not be reached in time for the Jan. 27 event. It also noted that publishers could be "seeking greater control over pricing and supply of digital material."
The rumors follow a report from earlier this week that Apple was in talks with publisher HarperCollins to sell e-books on the tablet, with a business model that would follow that of the existing App Store for the iPhone and iPod touch. Typical bestseller releases could cost about $9.99, and Apple would give publishers 70 percent of the revenue, while keeping a 30 percent share for itself.
Comments
Don't expect Time Inc. at next week's event - report
But, Kafka said, Time remains "intensely interested" in the device.
I state it officially:
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If, by any chance, Time's content naggingly appears on the French list of subscriptions, I will boycott tablet.
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Connectors from Chen Uei and Hon Ha
I'm curious to know which connectors will be included. Will it only be a dock connector? Will there be a USB port (keyboards, cameras, GPS devices, flash drives, etc)?
How about an HD video out connector (miniDP?) like the Zune HD has? I'm still looking for an easy way to bring my iTunes video to a friend's house to watch, and you can't do that with any current iPod or iPhone, and I refuse to invest in HD video from iTunes if I can't take it with me.
I will be disappointed if the only connectors it has are a dock connector and a headphone jack.
Why would Time be apprehensive about Apples media device? I bet if it was a microsoft product they would rush head first in some sort of deal with them.
My guess is because the publishing industry does not want Apple to create a stranglehold on their products like they did with music. They just need to realize Apple is trying to do them a favor, much like with pushing music to the digital mainstream.
My guess is because the publishing industry does not want Apple to create a stranglehold on their products like they did with music. They just need to realize Apple is trying to do them a favor, much like with pushing music to the digital mainstream.
Stranglehold? Apple provided the only way forward for the music industry. They should all be kissing Jobs' ring finger for helping those worthless executives keep their positions.
I state it officially:
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If, by any chance, Time's content naggingly appears on the French list of subscriptions, I will boycott tablet.
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Is that like saying that if Rap music appears on iTunes as a voluntary purchase, I'll bin my iPod?
I will be disappointed if the only connectors it has are a dock connector and a headphone jack.
Yeah, but if that is all it has, it will be because that will be all you need. Nobody else will want any more ports. Everybody will realize that the provided ports are the best, and that any additional ports would have made the product worse.
Apple will not give users what users want. Instead, it will give users what Apple knows is best for them.
Just like a nanny. When us kids ask to drink milk, our iNanny gives us delicious Apple juice! And then we all realize that it is PERFECT.
Yeah, but if that is all it has, it will be because that will be all you need. Nobody else will want any more ports. Everybody will realize that the provided ports are the best, and that any additional ports would have made the product worse.
Apple will not give users what users want. Instead, it will give users what Apple knows is best for them.
Just like a nanny. When us kids ask to drink milk, our iNanny gives us delicious Apple juice! And then we all realize that it is PERFECT.
Your trolling fails in the light of Firewire, which was restored owing to user demand.
Stranglehold? Apple provided the only way forward for the music industry. They should all be kissing Jobs' ring finger for helping those worthless executives keep their positions.
I completely agree with you, which is why the publishing comanies should be doing the same. But the music companies consider Apple a necessary evil, seeing as how they are much more in favor of giving Amazon, last.fm, et al much better licensing deals.
Don't think of "Time" as just a magazine anymore
Also includes the Time/Warner/et al Media Conglomerate
And if they have the same Corporate Smarts as that other famous Media Conglomerate currently in the news
G.E./NBC
Well, we all see how well they're doing these days in the foresight and intelligence department
(smile)
BC
.
Is that like saying that if Rap music appears on iTunes as a voluntary purchase, I'll bin my iPod?
No. What I've said matches the statement "if iTunes Store favors the rapper, I will trash my iPod" (well, I don't own iPod, but I will urge my family to do so)
In either case, it would have to be pretty damn impressive to compete with the Tegra 2 with its dual Cortex A9 goodness, or the future Snapdragon with two 1.5GHz Snapdragon cores.
The inner hardware geek in me is hoping Apple reveals a quad-CortexA9 design with dual SGX graphics cores. But thats just wishful thinking :-P
Yeah, but if that is all it has, it will be because that will be all you need. Nobody else will want any more ports. Everybody will realize that the provided ports are the best, and that any additional ports would have made the product worse.
Apple will not give users what users want. Instead, it will give users what Apple knows is best for them.
Just like a nanny. When us kids ask to drink milk, our iNanny gives us delicious Apple juice! And then we all realize that it is PERFECT.
Nice English, Genius.
All your bases are belong to us?
not have a deal with publishers in place;
not have a deal with networks for a tv subscription model;
have a quirky multitasking implementation;
have bing as the default search engine;
be released for sale in june;
cost $999 and still require a carrier.
that's a deal-breaker: i cannot justify buying a device that has bing as a default search engine.
My guess is because the publishing industry does not want Apple to create a stranglehold on their products like they did with music. They just need to realize Apple is trying to do them a favor, much like with pushing music to the digital mainstream.
It probably went like this:
Apple: Prepare your content/app to these specs and to function in this manner...
Time: But, what will it run on? How will it work? What are the specs? We need to see/use it first.
Apple: You will see it on 27 January, just like everybody else. Prepare your content/app to these specs and to function in this manner... That's all the info anyone is getting right now.
Time: We'll just let that ship sail, and whine about it.
Who want another system like the kindle where they stiff you by having you pay twice the price to get the same print and electronic content. Free digital content with every print content you buy is the only way to go. Yet somehow the publishing biz wants to be the music biz and have us buy two and three times in different formats (digital, vinyl, cassete, cd) what we already own. F. that. I have promised myself I will never buy a digital book unless they give me the option to include a print book with that for a nominal fee. Somehow these geniuses would like us to believe that a print copy with all the time and money and material and shipment costs should cost $20 say and the digital kindle version $18. What a load of rubbish. As long as I buy something in print I should rightfully purchase the right to use it in my electronic devices.
let's see, if we look at the latest rumors, as of 27 january the tablet will:
not have a deal with publishers in place;
not have a deal with networks for a tv subscription model;
have a quirky multitasking implementation;
have bing as the default search engine;
be released for sale in june;
cost $999 and still require a carrier.
that's a deal-breaker: i cannot justify buying a device that has bing as a default search engine.
Of all those complaints, bing is the deal-breaker?
It would only take a few seconds to switch to google or yahoo.
Besides, why judge a tablet by its rumors?
The music industry needs to come up with a better business model than they had in the 1980's ($18 CD's) and better than the model Apple has right now! Good luck with that.
The publishers are in the same boat. Get on board with Apple or come up with a better business model than they currently have which is basically, cutting down trees and putting most of their product produced unread in a landfill or recycle bins!
Of all those complaints, bing is the deal-breaker?
It would only take a few seconds to switch to google or yahoo.
Besides, why judge a tablet by its rumors?
[sarcasm]