"zomg Apple Tablet will be out RSN" rumors have been around for years. I seriously doubt it will happen, it's a pretty useless device -- as the floundering of tablet PC's to find an audience has already demonstrated.
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Originally Posted by fugazied
However if Apple don't push that aspect, it means less publisher integration with the itunes store and that means a missed opportunity to provide a lot more competition in the marketplace. Once you have a B&N vs Amazon vs iTunes standoff in the ebook marketplace you can expect prices to come down much faster.
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1) Amazon is the primary driver for getting publishers to lower the cost of ebooks. The less clout they have, the longer it will take for publishers to knuckle under.
(And keep in mind that in most cases, the cost of making an ebook is only about 12-15% lower than making a paper book. So there really isn't that much lower ebook pricing can go.)
2) Publishers repeatedly say they don't want the ebook biz to wind up like, well... the iTunes Store situation. I doubt the publishers will rush forth to work with Apple, especially since Apple will set their own pricing and do everything it can to jam it down the publisher's throats.
3) There is no particular reason for Apple to set up its own bookstore. The iTunes store makes some money, but the main goal is to drive iPhone sales. Why bang your head against a bunch of ornery Luddite publishers, when Amazon and B&N already do that for you, and drive your sales? And why should a publisher bother to go through the iTunes Store, when they can just make their own books into iPhone apps, and sell it for whatever price they want?