Steve Jobs: iPad to offer Word support, $10 eBooks, 6 days of music
Apple co-founder Steve Jobs revealed after Wednesday's iPad unveiling that the device will offer "the same" prices on e-books as Amazon's Kindle, the Pages app can export documents in Microsoft Word format, and it will offer nearly 6 days of continuous music playback.
The conversation between Walt Mossberg, of The Wall Street Journal, and Jobs was captured on video by BoomTown's Kara Swisher. Mossberg asked Jobs why customers would want to purchase books for the iPad, when they were rumored to cost between $13 and $15 while Amazon charges $9.99. Jobs responded by saying, "the prices will be the same."
"Publishers are actually withholding their books from Amazon, because they're not happy with it," Jobs added. The comment carried a different tone from his keynote, when Jobs complimented Amazon for pioneering the e-book market with the Kindle.
Mossberg also asked Jobs if he should write his review of the iPad in the Pages application, which will cost $9.99 in the App Store. The journalist said he would need to save it as a Microsoft Word document, though, because his editors "don't know anything about Pages."
Jobs told Mossberg that the mobile version of Pages would allow him to save the file as a Microsoft Word document.
"Write it in Pages, you could make a Word version and send it to your editors," Jobs said.
Mossberg also inquired about battery life on the iPad, and Jobs revealed the device will offer "140-something hours" of continuous music playback with the screen off, or nearly six days.
"It's all about the display," the Apple co-founder said of battery life. "Our chips don't use hardly any power."
As for the device's uptime when reading e-books, Jobs said he believes the 10 hours provided will be more than enough for most users. He discredited Mossberg's suggestion that a backlit LCD display, versus the e-ink on the Amazon Kindle, produces a "battery cost."
"You know, there isn't," Jobs said. "Because you just end up plugging it in. You end up docking it or whatever you're going to do with it. It's not a big deal. Ten hours is a long time. Because you're not going to read for 10 hours."
The iPad has a 9.7-inch LCD display that features IPS technology. The Hitachi-developed feature allows improved viewing angles and superior color reproductions on screens.
Later in the video, Mossberg also revealed that Jobs personally told him that the iPad would carry a price under $1,000. The statement suggests that the Apple CEO confirmed the existence of the device to Mossberg before it was formally announced Wednesday.
While the Journal reporter had assumed that the device would cost $999, Apple revealed Wednesday that the starting price of the iPad will be $499, with the most expensive model costing $829.
The conversation between Walt Mossberg, of The Wall Street Journal, and Jobs was captured on video by BoomTown's Kara Swisher. Mossberg asked Jobs why customers would want to purchase books for the iPad, when they were rumored to cost between $13 and $15 while Amazon charges $9.99. Jobs responded by saying, "the prices will be the same."
"Publishers are actually withholding their books from Amazon, because they're not happy with it," Jobs added. The comment carried a different tone from his keynote, when Jobs complimented Amazon for pioneering the e-book market with the Kindle.
Mossberg also asked Jobs if he should write his review of the iPad in the Pages application, which will cost $9.99 in the App Store. The journalist said he would need to save it as a Microsoft Word document, though, because his editors "don't know anything about Pages."
Jobs told Mossberg that the mobile version of Pages would allow him to save the file as a Microsoft Word document.
"Write it in Pages, you could make a Word version and send it to your editors," Jobs said.
Mossberg also inquired about battery life on the iPad, and Jobs revealed the device will offer "140-something hours" of continuous music playback with the screen off, or nearly six days.
"It's all about the display," the Apple co-founder said of battery life. "Our chips don't use hardly any power."
As for the device's uptime when reading e-books, Jobs said he believes the 10 hours provided will be more than enough for most users. He discredited Mossberg's suggestion that a backlit LCD display, versus the e-ink on the Amazon Kindle, produces a "battery cost."
"You know, there isn't," Jobs said. "Because you just end up plugging it in. You end up docking it or whatever you're going to do with it. It's not a big deal. Ten hours is a long time. Because you're not going to read for 10 hours."
The iPad has a 9.7-inch LCD display that features IPS technology. The Hitachi-developed feature allows improved viewing angles and superior color reproductions on screens.
Later in the video, Mossberg also revealed that Jobs personally told him that the iPad would carry a price under $1,000. The statement suggests that the Apple CEO confirmed the existence of the device to Mossberg before it was formally announced Wednesday.
While the Journal reporter had assumed that the device would cost $999, Apple revealed Wednesday that the starting price of the iPad will be $499, with the most expensive model costing $829.
Comments
P.S. BTW, I can hardly imagine an editor who would agree to receive MS Word document.
P.P.S. I'd be hugely obliged to Steve, if he explained to that ummm... interviewer how to physically export created documents (DOC, PDF, "whatever") from iPad...
Jobs wasn't implying that Apple's eBooks would be $10, he was implying that the Kindle eBooks were going to go up in price.
Absolutely correct.
At the expense of sounding ideological, can your netbook do that? In that manner? Isn't that what we're really looking at here? You can never satisfy everyone, but the implications that you're creating something that you later polish on a desktop (or even laptop on your desk) seems far beyond the accepted practice that a tablet computer *must* have a full-fledged desktop OS, replete with menu bars and other such stuff.
This thing is beginning to sound more and more interesting.
"?beginning to??"
Sent you private message.
Why does the pages file format even exist? Why couldn't Apple (who supposedly love open standards) have used ODF? Or at least have made pages a simple wrapper for ODF. You can't even export in ODF. Almost no one uses Pages and it's not compatible with any other program.
Means it uses a lot of power.
Stevo needs to improve his english.
I would buy iPad if there was a Microsoft Word app. Though others may disagree, i am very tempted to fulfill the role of Desktop computer with iPad. My current Dell from 2003 belongs in a Housing Works or Salvation Army.
Or you could get pages for 10 bucks and use that to create word docs
Good. I completely agree that compatibility with Word is necessary. Although this may not be direct indication of it, it still goes toward catering toward the business crowd. It has to if the iPad is to be success in the long run. I agree with the following artilce's message concerning the need to shape the iPad into a business machine (or at least make it more attractive to business customers):
I thought iPhones already can handle Word and Excel?
Anyway, Excel will be next no doubt.
I would buy iPad if there was a Microsoft Word app. Though others may disagree, i am very tempted to fulfill the role of Desktop computer with iPad. My current Dell from 2003 belongs in a Housing Works or Salvation Army.
As an accountant and I am sure for millions of other business people- no Excel app - 100%, NO deal.
Then I have to pay for iWork, when I already have OpenOffice.
So we see what's going on, your locking the machine down so you can sell your programs.
Will you allow a version of the free Open Office to appear on the App Store?
I thought iPhones already can handle Word and Excel?
Anyway, Excel will be next no doubt.
Numbers files can import XLS files, and can also be saved/exported as such (as Keynote can PPT). I imagine these would be obvious functionalities.
Will you allow a version of the free Open Office to appear on the App Store?
Is there any evidence that it has been blocked by the App Store? Or is it that they've not written an App yet?
Really?