Apple contacted print publications about tablet - report
The focus of Apple's long-rumored tablet device could be the transformation of newspapers, magazines and other print media, a new rumor suggests.
With anonymous information from people within various facets of the publishing world, Gizmodo has said that Apple has been reaching out to print publications about putting their products for sale on iTunes via a new piece of hardware. The report cited people familiar with The New York Times, publishers McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press, and a trip that "several executives from one of the largest magazine groups" took to the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.
Apple's tablet has been through a number of different iterations, and the project has been reset numerous times by company co-founder Steve Jobs. The report said that Jobs was presented with a tablet device that ran a modified version of OS X years ago, but the device was shelved because the company could not determine what use people would have for the hardware.
The focus of the hardware now is said to not be the playback of media, which the iPod and iPhone lines already handle well. Instead, Apple is reportedly working to have publishers place their print content on iTunes.
"The eventual goal is to have publishers create hybridized content that draws from audio, video, interactive graphics in books, magazines and newspapers, where paper layouts would be static," the report said. "And with release dates for Microsoft's Courier set to be quite far away and Kindle stuck with relatively static e-ink, it appears that Apple is moving towards a pole position in distribution of this next-generation print content. First, it'll get its feet wet with more basic repurposing of the stuff found on dead trees today."
Gizmodo also corroborates what sources have told AppleInsider -- that the device will debut in early 2010.
Two people from The New York Times were allegedly contacted by Apple in June about putting their product on a "new device." And McGraw Hilll and Oberlin Press are said to be working to put their textbooks on iTunes, possibly in a DRMed format that would allow use for a period of time. And magazine executives are alleged to have presented their ideas on the future of publishing on Apple's campus. Given the evidence, the report asserts that Apple is looking to go beyond e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle, to "redefine print."
With anonymous information from people within various facets of the publishing world, Gizmodo has said that Apple has been reaching out to print publications about putting their products for sale on iTunes via a new piece of hardware. The report cited people familiar with The New York Times, publishers McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press, and a trip that "several executives from one of the largest magazine groups" took to the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.
Apple's tablet has been through a number of different iterations, and the project has been reset numerous times by company co-founder Steve Jobs. The report said that Jobs was presented with a tablet device that ran a modified version of OS X years ago, but the device was shelved because the company could not determine what use people would have for the hardware.
The focus of the hardware now is said to not be the playback of media, which the iPod and iPhone lines already handle well. Instead, Apple is reportedly working to have publishers place their print content on iTunes.
"The eventual goal is to have publishers create hybridized content that draws from audio, video, interactive graphics in books, magazines and newspapers, where paper layouts would be static," the report said. "And with release dates for Microsoft's Courier set to be quite far away and Kindle stuck with relatively static e-ink, it appears that Apple is moving towards a pole position in distribution of this next-generation print content. First, it'll get its feet wet with more basic repurposing of the stuff found on dead trees today."
Gizmodo also corroborates what sources have told AppleInsider -- that the device will debut in early 2010.
Two people from The New York Times were allegedly contacted by Apple in June about putting their product on a "new device." And McGraw Hilll and Oberlin Press are said to be working to put their textbooks on iTunes, possibly in a DRMed format that would allow use for a period of time. And magazine executives are alleged to have presented their ideas on the future of publishing on Apple's campus. Given the evidence, the report asserts that Apple is looking to go beyond e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle, to "redefine print."
Comments
Apple's tablet has been through a number of different iterations, and the project has been reset numerous times by company co-founder Steve Jobs. The report said that Jobs was presented with a tablet device that ran a modified version of OS X years ago, but the device was shelved because the company could not determine what use people would have for the hardware.
I hate to say that such thinking is where the future lies, but so much garbage is dumped out there without so much as a *hint* of this kind of questioning. The fact so few companies even bother with this step is why s many cool, but eventually useless items leave their labs.
I think this is the best green thinking that any company can hope to achieve in its senior executives...to realease products that you intend to see becomes very successful, and that people have a use for. Bravo!
I know, I'd love to see my Newton come back too. I bought it when all I had was a 1000 bucks. Beautiful piece of hardware even if it wasn't a commercial success. However I have to bow to reasonable thinking if it means a long-awaited product comes along that I plan on using all the time. My iPhone has replaced every gadget I used to own for casual use - GPS, Photos, Cell phone, Day Planning (PDA), etc.
If Apple is making the same case for their netbook being a true reader I'm in! I'll have one small bag and two devices to replace every gizmo and book I can carry.
However don't underestimate the readability of the Kindle's ePaper display. Except in dark rooms, of course!
An Apple tablet targeted for magazines and papers could have a display optimised for low power consumption rather than quality, even if it stayed with being an LCD.
I believe a study said it was cheaper for the NYT to give each subscriber a Kindle and an e-subscription over a period of a year than to print and deliver a physical paper.
However don't underestimate the readability of the Kindle's ePaper display. Except in dark rooms, of course!
An Apple tablet targeted for magazines and papers could have a display optimised for low power consumption rather than quality, even if it stayed with being an LCD.
ePaper is great...I like the readability and long battery life. Kindle lacks the interactivity option (you can't put notes into your text, which is important "feature" of plain paper and marker or pencil) and is too attached to Amazon's content (I'd like to be able to view my own PDF files, plus webpages).
It would be great to have a tablet as complimentary device to iPhone (connected through bluetooth), all the "brain" would be in the iPhone, tablet would serve as extra screen estate for iPhone..but I doubt this is going to happen.
For instance, I recently took a class. The e-text was $80 and the traditional text was $100. why would I pay $80 for an e-text book, when I could buy the new book at a $100? With the hundred dollar book, I can generally sell it for 40 to 60 percent of it's value when I am done whereas with the e-text you cannot.
I fear if these books catch on, budget conscious students will have no choice but to buy the much more costlier e-texts.
And McGraw Hilll and Oberlin Press are said to be working to put their textbooks on iTunes, possibly in a DRMed format that would allow use for a period of time.
Apart from media playback, and nice colors, I can't see what advantage this would have over an eBook, and therefore why it would be even near a succes.
When the NY times brought out their 'select' service a few years ago, I signed up and paid. At the time I felt that there was more than enough content in their paper that it was worth paying for. I still feel that way.
I subscribe to 2 magazines, 1 monthly and the other bi-monthly.
If these 3 publications were available to me on a portable apple device via a subscription service, I would be inclined to buy the device, subscribe to the publications and read the issues on the device.
I would be 'satisfied' with receiving my subscriptions via the itunes store similar to how I receive and load into my ipod the podcasts that i subscribe to now. I don't feel I would need cellular (3g) access. If I had 3g access, it would certainly be more convenient, as updates to my subscriptions (such as weblog comments, letters to the editor, breaking stories et al) would be available to me post itunes synch without connecting to the itunes store via my workstation. But I don't feel it would required for this device and service to be of value to me.
I read a ton of books each year, and since I work in a technical field, having reference books with me (and not have to carry bulky books would be convenient as well.
If this article is accurate, I see strong similarities between the strategy as presented and the history of itunes, ipods, digital music and music publishers.
I feel that subscribing to online content such as weblogs, as well as loading my own collection of static content( PDF's) into this device would be of value to me,
I see that apple could be leveraging their existing infrastructure and leveraging the consumer's familiarity with itunes and the synching process..
Clever on apples part....
Chop chop Apple, if you dont mind, im waiting...
Students should be very leery of this type of service catching on. First, from what I have seen so far, e-textbooks don't cost significantly less, which is strange since they 1) have virtually no cost to make [most books are sent as PDFs to printers for printing], 2) usually expire, and 3) have no resale value.
For instance, I recently took a class. The e-text was $80 and the traditional text was $100. why would I pay $80 for an e-text book, when I could buy the new book at a $100? With the hundred dollar book, I can generally sell it for 40 to 60 percent of it's value when I am done whereas with the e-text you cannot.
I fear if these books catch on, budget conscious students will have no choice but to buy the much more costlier e-texts.
Well, that said, the traditional text books are a freakin rip off in their own right.
Well, that said, the traditional text books are a freakin rip off in their own right.
Text books are so expensive because publishers have to pay rather obscene amounts to the authors to get them to write something. My advisor once received $5K for writing a 30 page book chapter... the book itself was about 10 chapters long and cost $130. Textbooks are even worse, but publishers know they'll sell more so they lower the price a bit. Ideally most professors would prepare their own class notes and distribute them for free like I had some of my undergrad and graduate professors do.
As for the tablet. I can't see Steve ever putting it out as an e-reader. That would be way too uni-purpose. The iPhone is a hit because it's more multi-purpose than any other phone out there. I could see this being sold with e-new/magazine subscriptions as a feature, but not as the focus.
Well, that said, the traditional text books are a freakin rip off in their own right.
Should be a business opportunity in there, scanning and cleaning up existing texts and adding hyperlinks and active media - anyone interested?
Just as the iPhone was sold as 3 things in 1, this tablet will be marketed in a similar fashion, with print books and text books "done right" being one of them. It's high time kids didn't have to carry around all those heavy books. Pity their eyes though.
Apart from media playback, and nice colors, I can't see what advantage this would have over an eBook, and therefore why it would be even near a succes.
To be always in contact with the internet and thus always have up to date info and be able to watch and listen to streaming media could be somewhat of a plus maybe...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRH8eimU_20