Apple pitches tablet as e-reader to Australian media - report

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Apple has allegedly gone global in its efforts to attract publications to provide content for its long-rumored tablet device, as a new report suggests the hardware maker has been in discussions with the Australian media.



According to The Sydney Morning Herald, Apple has provided specifications of its still-unconfirmed touchscreen device to Australian media companies. The Cupertino, Calif., company has been gauging interest around the country to see who is interested in providing their content on the forthcoming hardware.



"It is understood that Apple has been in direct talks with Australian media companies to launch a new app for the tablet that would allow them to distribute their content in digital form and charge for it," the report said.



It noted that executives did not give a warm reception to the Kindle in the past, because Amazon wanted to keep 70 percent of revenue. The report cited Apple's current iPhone App Store business model, where the hardware maker keeps only 30 percent, as a model that is "expected" to be offered to media companies.



The device was described as a larger iPhone, "small enough to carry in a handbag but too big to fit in a pocket." The tablet will reportedly allow users to surf the Web, watch movies, and read books and newspapers.



The Herald also noted that Apple is "working with the major music studios to develop a new album format." First rumored as a project called "Cocktail" over the summer, iTunes LP already debuted in September.



Apple's tablet is expected to be a 10-inch, 3G connected device that will debut in the first quarter of 2010. Numerous reports in recent months have suggested that Apple has been reaching out to content publishers regarding the device.
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 92
    intenseintense Posts: 106member
    It's sound like tons of fun ... I truly would like it to be within the $500 to $600 price range in Canadian dollars and that would be for the fully optioned version
  • Reply 2 of 92
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Who knew Amazon was such an innovator?
  • Reply 3 of 92
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Man, I can't wait to buy a Tablet just so I can buy some Apple iTunes Cocktails-- NOT!!

    I want a fully functional device or fugettaboudet!
  • Reply 4 of 92
    zunxzunx Posts: 620member
    That is great, but hopefully Apple will release also a second (better and more expensive) model:



    - As light as possible (400 to 600 g would rock!). The MacBook Air is too heavy.

    - As small as possible (5-inch screen would rock!). The MacBook Air is too large.

    - Full Mac OS X (touch) inside to run NATIVE Keynote and NATIVE PowerPoint files.

    - Video-out to connect to videoprojectors.

    - USB 2 ports for USB-pendrive support and for presentations using USB-based remote controls.

    - Ethernet port.

    - Firewire port.



    Hint: OQO, Sony Vaio P, etc.
  • Reply 5 of 92
    as far as this 3g goes... its seems starting off with the kindle and now with the nook that 3g is just part of the deal. Wouldn't it be wise for apple to do the same? Having the beautiful touchscreen, multitouch, and full web browser + free 3g access would be quite a selling point!
  • Reply 6 of 92
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Who knew Amazon was such an inovator?



    They aren't. Book Readers are nothing new, and Amazon didn't reinvent the wheel much. The nook is more innovative than the Kindle, and it looks much nicer too. It's a pity that screen down the bottom is so laggy. If the Kindle was colored capacitive touch-screen E-ink you may have a point. That said, I don't think this device will be e-ink at all, so if it innovates it will be a computer innovation, not a book reader one.
  • Reply 7 of 92
    teckstudteckstud Posts: 6,476member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    They aren't. Book Readers are nothing new, and Amazon didn't reinvent the wheel much. The nook is more innovative than the Kindle, and it looks much nicer too. It's a pity that screen down the bottom is so laggy. If the Kindle was colored capacitive touch-screen E-ink you may have a point. That said, I don't think this device will be e-ink at all, so if it innovates it will be a computer innovation, not a book reader one.



    I beg to differ but I believe the seamless integration of buying books for the reader and storing them on their server with the cost of the 3g paid by them was exclusively Amazon's idea.
  • Reply 8 of 92
    carniphagecarniphage Posts: 1,984member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zunx View Post


    That is great, but hopefully Apple will release also a second (better and more expensive) model:



    - As light as possible (400 to 600 g would rock!). The MacBook Air is too heavy.

    - As small as possible (5-inch screen would rock!). The MacBook Air is too large.

    - Full Mac OS X (touch) inside to run NATIVE Keynote and NATIVE PowerPoint files.

    - Video-out to connect to videoprojectors.

    - USB 2 ports for USB-pendrive support and for presentations using USB-based remote controls.

    - Ethernet port.

    - Firewire port.




    It won't happen. Because such machines have no market.



    Hint: OQO, Sony Vaio P, etc.



    C.
  • Reply 9 of 92
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Just yesterday, I was talking about how I’m surprised that not one publication has leaked any talks with Apple if the rumors were true. I have a post making that prediction from awhile back when that rumour first hit. It’s about fricken time! This is looking more and more viable as a product.



    If true, do you think it will have an SDK at launch for developers or will Apple just work out the kinks with the default apps?





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Tomohr View Post


    Having the beautiful touchscreen, multitouch, and full web browser + free 3g access would be quite a selling point!



    The Nook and Kindle have 3G access to carriers for books and updates. They aren’t doing the complex web access the iPhone is. If that device with a relatively slow CPU and 3.5” display is sucking up so much data usage then you have to wonder how much data usage a potentially more powerful* 10” device would use. I don’t think anything outside of a special iTunes Store access for books and maybe other media would be free to access. Some even say subsidized by a carrier, so that means a monthly fee for, likely, 24 months.





    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    That said, I don't think this device will be e-ink at all.



    If it’ll play movies like the rumour says then it can’t be.
  • Reply 10 of 92
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Carniphage View Post


    It won't happen. Because such machines have no market.



    Hint: OQO, Sony Vaio P, etc.



    C.



    I agree. While I am an advocate of Apple design, I think that consumers have no widespread experience or acceptance of this class of device. I don't think an Apple tablet would be popular or very profitable for several years--I suspect that it would be akin to the Apple TV or the Newton, which was ahead of its time.
  • Reply 11 of 92
    rco3rco3 Posts: 76member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zunx View Post


    That is great, but hopefully Apple will release also a second (better and more expensive) model:



    - As light as possible (400 to 600 g would rock!). The MacBook Air is too heavy.

    - As small as possible (5-inch screen would rock!). The MacBook Air is too large.

    - Full Mac OS X (touch) inside to run NATIVE Keynote and NATIVE PowerPoint files.

    - Video-out to connect to videoprojectors.

    - USB 2 ports for USB-pendrive support and for presentations using USB-based remote controls.

    - Ethernet port.

    - Firewire port.



    Hint: OQO, Sony Vaio P, etc.



    I have to ask: have you EVER commented on this site without telling us that you really want to run PowerPoint and Keynote presentations from your phone? Even once?



    I mean, we get it. We really do. You want Keynote in your pocket. (NATIVE!) We get it. WE'RE NOT STEVE JOBS. Tell him. Please. We already know.
  • Reply 12 of 92
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zunx View Post


    - As light as possible (400 to 600 g would rock!). The MacBook Air is too heavy.

    - As small as possible (5-inch screen would rock!). The MacBook Air is too large.

    - Full Mac OS X (touch) inside to run NATIVE Keynote and NATIVE PowerPoint files.

    - Video-out to connect to videoprojectors.

    - USB 2 ports for USB-pendrive support and for presentations using USB-based remote controls.

    - Ethernet port.

    - Firewire port.



    Of all of those, only the weight strikes me as plausible.
  • Reply 13 of 92
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by zunx View Post


    That is great, but hopefully Apple will release also a second (better and more expensive) model:



    - As light as possible (400 to 600 g would rock!). The MacBook Air is too heavy.

    - As small as possible (5-inch screen would rock!). The MacBook Air is too large.

    - Full Mac OS X (touch) inside to run NATIVE Keynote and NATIVE PowerPoint files.

    - Video-out to connect to videoprojectors.

    - USB 2 ports for USB-pendrive support and for presentations using USB-based remote controls.

    - Ethernet port.

    - Firewire port.



    Hint: OQO, Sony Vaio P, etc.



    sounds like you want an iphone and a macbook.
  • Reply 14 of 92
    I'm not convinced that the screen will be 10 inches diagonally. Seems to me that's overkill in light of the intention for this device, if in fact it is to serve as a good web browser, movie displayer, reader, gaming platform, etc. Screen real estate is more important for working with multiple windows and this small a device, even in the 10-inch range, would not make a good device for working with multiple windows. I have a netbook that is so useless in that regard that I don't even try doing anything that involves working with multiple windows. I switch to my Mac desktop for those activities.



    Besides, the bigger the screen, the higher the cost. A bigger screen itself costs more. It uses more power, meaning to meet a given battery-life target, you need a beefier battery. Storage? Ditto. Cost is huge because it's the difference between this being a low-volume niche product catering to a dedicated Apple fan base vs. a popular device that advances Apple into yet another market, i.e. bringing print media into the digital age. For publishing companies to buy in, they need a ton of these tablets in the hands of consumers. What's the point of offering content to a handful of Mac faithful? Even hackers ignore that demographic.



    I have used my Palm and my Touch to read and found them acceptable. A bigger screen would be welcome but bigger as in paperback size would do the trick and hit an attractive price point. I suspect that the 10-inch rumor arose out of thinking that is distinctly not Applesque. The reasoning likely is that since netbooks are gravitating towards 10-inch displays, the tablet is supposedly Apple's response to the netbook, ergo the new tablet is bound to have a 10-inch display.



    The flaw in that reasoning is that the tablet, in my view, is not a response to the netbook. Let's face it, the reason so many netbooks have been sold is that a lot of people were hoping that they could get away with spending very little to wind up with a computer. Netbooks have their place but as a proper replacement for a legit laptop or desktop for a fraction of the cost? Total failure. If I had bought my netbook to use as my main machine, the thing would have been hurled against an immovable object months ago. It did what I needed to do - copy massive video files from a hybrid camera while I was on vacation - and it's not a bad browser. As long as I use it for what it's suited, no problem.



    The tablet, in my view, will be a natural progression evolving out of the iPod line. Seems to me that if you want a device that does everything the Touch does only with the advantages of doing it on a larger screen, the rumored tablet gets it done. If, however, this device is set up to tackle a task that can't be tackled, namely offering full computer functionality for less money and in a more compact form, Apple will wind up with a ton of disappointed customers, just as many netbook manufacturers have.



    I'm sure that if this tablet does come with a 10-inch screen, it will be nicely executed. Apple does industrial design like no other company. But I suspect the device will not debut with such a screen. I see a case for the device instead coming in somewhere between 10 inches and the current Touch. Keep the price below $700 Cdn., and I'm lining up for the thing.



    One more thing. Here in Canada, the problem is that carriers gouge us. I own a Touch instead of an iPhone for that reason. But the Touch is quite useful, if limited, because I'm not connected all the time. Hopefully there will be a version of the tablet that will not require me handing over a limb or two to the likes of Bell or Rogers. Afterall, with a Wifi connection, one could download connect and take on the road, including magazines, books. etc. There's no need for anywhere connectivity, at least not considering the insane cost of such connectivity in this country.
  • Reply 15 of 92
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by teckstud View Post


    Man, I can't wait to buy a Tablet just so I can buy some Apple iTunes Cocktails-- NOT!!

    I want a fully functional device or fugettaboudet!



    There is such a device. It's called the MacBook.
  • Reply 16 of 92
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Y'all remember that joke picture Phil Schiller put up on the big screen at the September event?

    He was trying to make a joke that netbooks are clumsy and can't fit into a back pocket of a pants. Well, unless this new apple product has a very unique design or feature we're not expecting then Apple is going to look dumb when they come out with a mobile device that can't fit in a back pocket either.



    I was hoping in the back of my mind that Apple was going to surprise us somehow. Something tells me they are going to underwhelm come Q1 2010.
  • Reply 17 of 92
    If this thing is really all about being an e-reader, I'm prepared for a big letdown. I just don't see a big iPhone that you can read books on (but can't put in your pocket) being a huge seller (especially if its expensive). E-readers are a niche market. One that everyone seems to be scrambling to cater to lately, even though only a small minority of people are asking for it.



    If this thing really does run a new version of the iPhone OS, instead of full OS X, I suppose they will make a new category of apps in the app store for it and allow it to run the iPhone apps in some sort of capacity. For this thing to sell like gangbusters, I think it needs to have more than an e-reader as it's killer app. In other-words, I think it needs to be more than a big iPhone with an e-reader to be compelling to the mainstream market. Maybe way more advanced apps (iLife suite or something)? I also don't see how to convince the mainstream market to pay for yet ANOTHER 3G data plan for a device that would require a bag to bring along with you.



    At any rate, it will be interesting to see what they have in store.
  • Reply 18 of 92
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post


    Y'all remember that joke picture Phil Schiller put up on the big screen at the September event?

    He was trying to make a joke that netbooks are clumsy and can't fit into a back pocket of a pants. Well, unless this new apple product has a very unique design or feature we're not expecting then Apple is going to look dumb when they come out with a mobile device that can't fit in a back pocket either.



    He was referring to the iPhone. It fits.
  • Reply 19 of 92
    maestro64maestro64 Posts: 5,043member
    Considering the whole paper media eco-system is shirking year over year, just this week the whole publishing industry announce their subscription rates dropped by almost 10% from last year tells me either Apple is on to something to provide a product that allows interactive media which will might breath new life into the publishing industry, or they are making a product which is going after an industry which will not survey and people have found that reading is no longer enjoyable past time or they get their information from other sources like TV with its 24 hours of news and entertainment.



    However, if publishing industry is hurting this much they will be hard pressed to hold out against Apple since make their own online stores for you to subscribe too may not help. You know a few publisher will sign on with apple and see success and the others will come running since they are hurting already and they will do anything at that point to try and survey.
  • Reply 20 of 92
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by utsava View Post


    If this thing is really all about being an e-reader, I'm prepared for a big letdown. I just don't see a big iPhone that you can read books on (but can't put in your pocket) being a huge seller (especially if its expensive). E-readers are a niche market. One that everyone seems to be scrambling to cater to lately, even though only a small minority of people are asking for it.



    eReaders are another segment where no one has quite gotten it right yet. Granted, whatever tablet must be more than an eReader but the current readers simply suck on anything but power usage because it only does one thing semi-well.



    And worst of all, the ebooks cost too much from Amazon.
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