Apple Pitching Tablet to Publishing Industry; Spring Launch Expected
Apple will ramp up production on its long-rumored tablet in February with an eye toward a spring launch.
That’s the word from Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Yair Reiner, who says his checks into Apple’s supply chain indicate that “the manufacturing cogs for the [device] are creaking into action.” According to Reiner, the tablet will have a 10.1-inch multitouch LCD display and a price of $1,000.
Apple (AAPL) plans to produce as many as one million units per month. So assuming Apple needs to build five to six weeks of inventory before launch, we can expect the tablet to arrive at market some time in March or April 2010. In preparation, the company has evidently been evangelizing about the device to the publishing industry.
“Contacts in the US tell us Apple is approaching book publishers with a very attractive proposal for distributing their content,” Reiner wrote in a note to clients today. “Apple will split revenue 30/70 (Apple/publisher); give the same deal to all comers; and not request exclusivity. We believe the typical Kindle/publisher split is 50/50, rising to 30/70 if Kindle is given ebook exclusivity.”
Noting dissension in the ranks, Reiner adds, “As innovative as it is, we believe the Kindle has disgruntled the publishing industry (book, newspaper, and magazine) by demanding exclusivity, disallowing advertising, and demanding a wolfish cut of revenue. The tablet is set to change that. It should also make ebooks more relevant for education by simplifying functions such as scribbling marginalia.”
PREVIOUSLY:
- The Apple Tablet Is Delayed? So What?
- $1.9 Billion in Capex? What’s Apple Planning?
- Apple’s Tablet: Read Different?
- Imaginary Demand for Mythical Apple Tablet Exceeds All Estimates
- Apple Tablet Coming to AT&T?
- New From Piper Jaffray Analyst Gene Munster: The Apple iPad
- Rumored Apple Netbook Actually an E-book?
- iTablet: Apple’s Killer App for Higher Ed
- iFugly
Comments
No one will be scribbling marginalia with a capacitive touchscreen.
Posted by imagitec at December 9th, 2009 at 4:01 pm$1000 is probably the unsubsidized price of a “big iPhone” model with cell radio that would sell for $699 with contract. There will also likely be a “big iPod touch” model with Wi-Fi only that would be $499 with no contract, and hopefully tether to an iPhone. The iPhone and iPod touch thing has been really successful for iPhone OS.
Posted by Fred Hamranhansenhansen at December 9th, 2009 at 11:40 pmThere's no reason you couldn't hand write notes into the margin with your finger. If you've used a drawing app on iPhone you know it is easy to draw very fine 1 pixel lines with your finger.
But more likely you would simply type a little sticky note that sits in the margin. The thumb typewriter has succeeded in replacing the touch typewriter where years and years of styli and handwriting recognition failed.
Posted by Fred Hamranhansenhansen at December 9th, 2009 at 11:42 pmthat looks really neat, I wonder if it will come through?
Posted by CAMNIO Media at January 5th, 2010 at 4:39 amI'm really looking forward to seeing that in stores. It may appear to be a good helper in trading.
Posted by Forex Signals at January 12th, 2010 at 9:12 amthey should come up with the mobile which writes down your sms while you talking it up. It could be good product i think
Posted by forexsignal at January 15th, 2010 at 3:24 pmwhat about mobile phones which would write down and send your sms while you are talking it up. It could be revolution
Posted by forexsignal at January 15th, 2010 at 3:27 pm