Apple Netbook Confirmed?

[Sonist]

Hm, Apple might support "open" formats...?

According to BusinessInsider, "Apple Not Building An 'iTunes For e-Books."

Some of the reasons they list:

"The e-book market is still rather small, and even if Apple's tablet is a huge hit, it'll be hard to make enough revenue selling e-books to make the huge project -- setting up and running an e-book store -- worthwhile.

Apple's iTunes music, video, and apps stores are designed as break-even businesses to help sell more Apple hardware, like iPhones, iPods, and Macs.

There's already a ton of e-book vendors in the App Store that could provide a good-enough e-book shopping and reading experience to fulfill the "help sell more Apple hardware" mission. Better ones are showing up all the time.

E-book stores that use Apple's iTunes e-commerce platform -- or are standalone e-book apps -- generate a very nice 30% revenue cut for Apple. The company probably wouldn't get enough additional revenue selling e-books on its own to be worthwhile...."

[Sonist]

LOL, everyone is waiting to see what Apple will bring out. I like the bullpen analogy :-)

From MacRumors:

"Barron's chimes in (subscription required) with its contribution to recent Apple tablet rumors, claiming to have spoken with an unnamed "veteran analyst" who has seen firsthand a prototype of the forthcoming device. Unfortunately, the source provides little detail on the device other than to note that it will excel at displaying video content.
The machine impresses with its display of hi-def video content, says the veteran analyst, who asked not to be identified. "It's better than the average movie experience, when you hold this thing in your hands."

The source also notes that anticipation for an announcement regarding the device in the near future is so high that competing tablet manufacturers are holding off on new designs until they are able to see what Apple has to offer.
"It's close enough now to a final design that in Asia, there's no other product in the waiting room or in the bullpen," said the analyst. "There are dozens of ODMs [original device makers] making products for Lenovo and other PC makers that are all waiting to see what the Apple product is."

Barron's also cites a second source who confirms that news of the Apple tablet "is all over the supply chain in Asia."

..."

[fugazied]

9.7" is great. Very good for comics imo. With wireless, the apple app store and color touch screen, it's going to be very interesting.

I like Apple gear (I use a macbook pro for work, and have an iPhone), so I will look at this as a nice potential upgrade from my kindle!

[Kali Yuga]

IMO there is no tablet, there probably never will be a tablet. Rumors that are just as (un)substantiated as the latest crop have been around since 2002:

http://www.intomobile.com/2009/08/03...ch-laptop.html

Warning: bad language included in the article, for those with sensitive eyes.

[Sonist]

Border Survey Mentions Apple iPAD

MacLife reports, that a Borders Survey mentions "an Apple iPAD (large screen reading device.)"

Interesting, me thinks....

[Kali Yuga]

Would you like some tea leaves to read? Perhaps Nostradamus references an Apple tablet somewhere?

By the way, the rumors actually go back to 2001, not 2002: http://www.maclife.com/article/featu...e_tablet_rumor

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

Would you like some tea leaves to read? Perhaps Nostradamus references an Apple tablet somewhere?

By the way, the rumors actually go back to 2001, not 2002: http://www.maclife.com/article/featu...e_tablet_rumor

Hm, I am sure Borders stocks a copy or two of Nostradamus, and I am positive you can find a reference to an Apple tablet in it, as well as in the scripture.

But, Borders listing a "large-screen reading device" and referring to it as IPAD, is possibly sightly more notable, don't you think?

[Abecedary]

Towards the end of the article they mention that the survey also calls the iPod Touch the iTouch, so it's pretty likely that they're just listing the iPad/MacTablet/MacPad/iTablet-Touch as an "if this rumored device does appear, would you buy one" option. They don't know anything more than anyone else. Trust me, the last people Apple would notify about an unannounced device is a survey company.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Abecedary

Towards the end of the article they mention that the survey also calls the iPod Touch the iTouch, so it's pretty likely that they're just listing the iPad/MacTablet/MacPad/iTablet-Touch as an "if this rumored device does appear, would you buy one" option. They don't know anything more than anyone else. Trust me, the last people Apple would notify about an unannounced device is a survey company.

You may well be correct.

But, while it is easy to make a mistake and refer to the iPod Touch as "iTouch," it take a little more effort to dedicate a separate line item to a device, and also to come up a name (iPAD.)

It is also possible, that Apple has partnered with Borders to distribute the device and provide content, and someone slipped and dropped the name.

What gives me a pause, is the reference to a "reader," which would contradict most other rumors about the tablet. Unless, they simply emphasize the fact that we'll be able to read e-books on it, among other things.

I guess we'll find out soon, one way or the other.

[Abecedary]

True enough. True enough. I personally think they're just jumping on the rumor speculation bandwagon (cos hey, isn't it fun to do that?). We'll probably know in another 2 or 3 months. But I think it would be pretty funny if nothing comes out at all and this whole thing is just another one in the long line of tablet/pad rumors.

[fugazied]

Because it's Apple we can safely say the price will be 'what we think is reasonable to pay for it' + 25%.

So my guess is yeah, around $800. It's more than just a ebook reader though, we are talking portable TV/Movie/Internet/Chat/Twitter/Apps device. It's for people who like ebooks but want the device to do EVERYTHING else as well. It will be good but definitely expensive.

[dmaul1114]

Originally Posted by fugazied

It's for people who like ebooks but want the device to do EVERYTHING else as well. It will be good but definitely expensive.

It's just for people who want a fancy all in one tablet, ebooks aside.

If it comes out, the average person buying it won't be thinking about eBooks at all, unless Apple's marketing really highlights that feature.

[Kali Yuga]

Originally Posted by Sonist

It is also possible, that Apple has partnered with Borders to distribute the device and provide content, and someone slipped and dropped the name.

I'm sorry to say that sounds rather absurd. Apple has no reason whatsoever to partner with Borders, any more than they had any reason to partner with Tower Records prior to launching the iTunes Music Store. And given Apple's fanaticism about locking down product data prior to launch, the possibility that some low-level Borders employee in market research who writes up a survey getting inside info about an Apple "reading device" is pretty much zilch.

If you plan to clutch at straws, I'm sure the Apple rumor mill will be happy to provide them to you for the next 8 years....

[carlobee]

i would agree with it being expensive. all i know is that Apple continues to produce innovative products with very great quality.

[Sonist]

Originally Posted by Kali Yuga

I'm sorry to say that sounds rather absurd. Apple has no reason whatsoever to partner with Borders, any more than they had any reason to partner with Tower Records prior to launching the iTunes Music Store....

If you plan to clutch at straws, I'm sure the Apple rumor mill will be happy to provide them to you for the next 8 years....

Except that, while Apple intended to sell music when they introduced the iTunes Store, they don't seem to be planning to sell ebooks.... Thus, a partner, or partners, is a more likely scenario in this case.

Are you having a bad day?