Posted on 01/24/2010 8:42:29 PM PST by Ernest_at_the_Beach
The tech giant hasn't announced that it will offer such a device, but the anticipation that it will do so this week has already caused a stir in the newspaper, book and magazine world.
Not since biblical times has the arrival of a tablet been greeted with such anticipation.
Apple Inc. won't reveal the details of what is widely expected to be a new tablet computer until Wednesday but it has already shaken up the publishing world, whose executives wonder whether the device will revolutionize the distribution of newspapers, magazines and books in the same way that the iPod transformed the music industry.
Fueling widespread speculation, Apple last week invited reporters to "come see our latest creation" but provided no other information. Pundits and analysts have guessed the gadget will feature a 10-inch touch screen color display that's designed for reading, watching video, browsing the Web and even playing games.
How the device connects to the Internet, whether through wireless hot spots or already congested high-speed mobile networks, remains an open question. Analysts believe the device would sell for as much as $1,000, and reach stores in March.
Apple has been slowly amassing digital reading material for the forthcoming device. A team from the New York Times has been working in Apple's Cupertino headquarters in recent weeks, developing a large-screen version of the newspaper's iPhone application that incorporates video for the yet-to-be unveiled device, according to one person with knowledge of the matter. A Times spokeswoman declined to comment.
Condé Nast Publications, publisher of 18 magazines, and HarperCollins Publishers have been approached about developing content for Apple's tablet, according to the Wall Street Journal.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Oh and whether it would impact Kindle and thus Amazon....
that is the most realistic photo I have seen yet - and probably is quite close to the real-deal in my opinion (and may very well be the real deal)...
Make something like this that is durable to bang around on a beach and stick in a bookbag, waterproof enough to use in a bathtub or a sauna and lightweight enough to carry in a handbag, and you might have something.
Seriously, what is the real difference between this and an airbook?
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