A lot of the book printing has already moved to China and Mexico because of cost savings. I'm not sure about magazine printing. India is getting a lot of the work for the production of the books for the same reason, and it's easy to send the files where they need to go over the internet.
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Apple's Focus on Content and Possible eBook Pricing
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Don't count on it - dedicated eBook readers have e ink which is easy on the eye for text, works well outside as well as in, and allows a very long battery life.
You are correct - right now that 5% is miniscule compared to costs of printing. MY contention is that there may be hidden costs and things we haven't even thought about that drive towards those rumored prices. What about legacy conversions for instance?
I don't have all the facts yet.
Absolutely - it might be the situation we have now with music: cheap with DRM or premium price for quality/no DRM.
True - the lossy 256kbps on iTunes vs. lossless audio is the same for all these digital mediums. We pay for different formats with different fidelity for the same content. Will this fidelity factor in the same way as with books as it does music/video? I'm not certain.
However, I think Apple can quell alot of people if they offer two versions right out of the gate, instead of waiting like they did with iTunes music.
This may be a repeat of the story that I tell my friends from time to time:
When I saw the iPod release in November of 2001 from my small freshman dorm at college, I knew it would be the next big thing. I was so excited, and received one as a present that Christmas. When I returned, one of my roommates saw it, and, while holding his Discman and pile of CDs, asks me "how much does that thing cost?" I tell him $400. He then replied with something quite memorable: "What? Who is going to pay $400 for THAT??"
After all these years, it seems silly that he didn't see it. At the same time, maybe some of us are not "seeing" whatever will be released today. I've still got a beef with it running iPhone OS....but maybe I am wrong and my expectations will be blown away. We don't know what we will get and how good/bad it will be until months down the road. So let's try to think positive and hope that whatever is released really WILL be the next big thing!
When I saw the iPod release in November of 2001 from my small freshman dorm at college, I knew it would be the next big thing. I was so excited, and received one as a present that Christmas. When I returned, one of my roommates saw it, and, while holding his Discman and pile of CDs, asks me "how much does that thing cost?" I tell him $400. He then replied with something quite memorable: "What? Who is going to pay $400 for THAT??"
After all these years, it seems silly that he didn't see it. At the same time, maybe some of us are not "seeing" whatever will be released today. I've still got a beef with it running iPhone OS....but maybe I am wrong and my expectations will be blown away. We don't know what we will get and how good/bad it will be until months down the road. So let's try to think positive and hope that whatever is released really WILL be the next big thing!
I agree he's likely just trying to drive traffic to his twitter feed for whatever reason (trying to feed viewers to his sites, I suppose)... but if he is telling the truth, and I can get a 7" (he mentions differing prices for differing sizes and configs, so presumably 7 and 10" options) device with a TV tuner and PVR built in (plus all the other features) that has option to use wireless keyboard and wireless HDMI for $600... well, I will have to find some cash as this would be absolutely amazingly perfect for my needs.
Market share?
That may be true but let's see market share in 12-15 months. There is still a Zune out there too now right?
That may be true but let's see market share in 12-15 months. There is still a Zune out there too now right?
Yeah, fact, or he wouldn't have tweeted it b/c Apple cutting him off is like you getting fired. He's not going to risk that for a few lousy peeks at his twitter a/c. Of course if you are not familiar w/ his career you are either too young or not really savvy w/ who's who in the world of tech reporting.
Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)
What you just described is what some competitor will put out in a few months on the (flawed) assumption that packing as much random tech as possible into a product will make it better than the simple, elegant, marginally under-specced tablet apple will probably release today.
Digitaldruglord said:
What you just described is what some competitor will put out in a few months on the (flawed) assumption that packing as much random tech as possible into a product will make it better than the simple, elegant, marginally under-specced tablet apple will probably release today.
Was just browsing Twitter and spotted the following tweet from Memphis Sport:
"Expect a version of Memphis Sport for the Apple Tablet any day. Please hold your breath starting - NOW!!!"
Their account: http://twitter.com/memphissport
"Expect a version of Memphis Sport for the Apple Tablet any day. Please hold your breath starting - NOW!!!"
Their account: http://twitter.com/memphissport
I can definitely see a tablet book being priced differently than either the print or Kindle edition. I can also see that it would make sense for a book (or magazine) publisher to produce three different editions -- each is a separate medium.
A hard cover version of a book is still a great product and can be put on the shelf for permanent display and storage. Hell, there are plenty of books out there that are never read that cost a fortune -- coffee table books.
A Kindle (or reader) edition would be a down and dirty text version of the book -- and the cheapest of them all.
A tablet edition would cost less than a hard cover version, but would be a different thing all together: audio, video, animation, etc.
I would go further: a publisher that creates good tablet versions of their print products will create great word-of-mouth buzz about their products. I can imagine someone saying "great book, but the tablet edition will blow you away".
The NYT has already created a new unit focused on e-editiions, no reason to think book publishers won't do the same if they don't have them already.
A hard cover version of a book is still a great product and can be put on the shelf for permanent display and storage. Hell, there are plenty of books out there that are never read that cost a fortune -- coffee table books.
A Kindle (or reader) edition would be a down and dirty text version of the book -- and the cheapest of them all.
A tablet edition would cost less than a hard cover version, but would be a different thing all together: audio, video, animation, etc.
I would go further: a publisher that creates good tablet versions of their print products will create great word-of-mouth buzz about their products. I can imagine someone saying "great book, but the tablet edition will blow you away".
The NYT has already created a new unit focused on e-editiions, no reason to think book publishers won't do the same if they don't have them already.
* There will be 10x more iTabs than kindles in about 3 months. This is aside from any technical differences; Apple will sell tons more because they are masterful marketers.
* Nobody seems to mind spending most of their waking hours staring at LCD displays (TV, computer, phone): the iTab isn't going to be any different.
* People don't seem to mind too much charging thier smart phones every day. If Apple can get the battery life up to ~20 hrs for non-video I think they'll be OK. I agree this is where e-ink is a real advantage but if the battery life is "good enough" this isn't going to slow down the iTab much.
* Reading outside w/o shade available is a fringe activity for a device that is too big for a pocket. And it's not like LCDs are unusable outside. With no e-ink, Apple is giving up the reading-a-novel-on-the-beach-while-getting-a-tan market. Meanwhile, they gain the watch-a-video-or-play-a-game-or-view-any-other-kind-of-rich-media market. It's a no brainer.
Sorry, the kindle is already dead, relatively speaking.
Quoting myself from Jan 1...
The only thing I would add is that when I say that the tablet's price will be based on the market, I should say that it will be primarily based on anticipated production and carrier capacity. Which of course means it could be anything, but I seriously doubt the $1000 figure. My prediction is a $499 initial price.
The only thing I would add is that when I say that the tablet's price will be based on the market, I should say that it will be primarily based on anticipated production and carrier capacity. Which of course means it could be anything, but I seriously doubt the $1000 figure. My prediction is a $499 initial price.
I still don't get it.
Why wouldn't a laptop be able to 'reinvent' media? Its about the content surely? You could browse using a multitouch trackpad with gestures, or click on items of interest.
The fact you use your fingers can't be the killer app. The fact that you can hold it portrait can't be either, surely?
At least not enough to justify another expensive device (I'm assuming you alreayd have a laptop)
Why wouldn't a laptop be able to 'reinvent' media? Its about the content surely? You could browse using a multitouch trackpad with gestures, or click on items of interest.
The fact you use your fingers can't be the killer app. The fact that you can hold it portrait can't be either, surely?
At least not enough to justify another expensive device (I'm assuming you alreayd have a laptop)
Good god, typical bummer Swede. Seasonal Affective Disorder. Go find some sunlight somewhere. At least turn on the lights. It'll be OK.
If you can't see the significant difference between using a multitouch trackpad vs. using a 10" touchscreen, then I'd say you don't get it.
As a mainstream consumer device, using your fingers could actually be the killer app. I'm expecting more than that, but for a lot of people, it could be considered an innovation (regardless of what tablets are already available from other companies).
The problem I have with all this is iTunes. It's becoming a mess.
iLife used to be simple. iPhoto for photos, iMovie for your videos, iTunes for music and managing your iPod.
Then iTunes got a music store. OK, sure, that makes sense.
Then the iPod started handling photos, so iTunes got a conduit into iPhoto.
Then the iTunes store got TV shows and movies. OK, a little bit broader in scope, but it still makes sense.
Then iTunes got an app store. Even broader in sense.
Right around then, iTunes became the clearinghouse for all things iPhone related. OK, I guess because the iPhone has iPod heritage, but...
Now we're talking about digital books and magazine subscriptions and PDF content?
iTunes is becoming Apple's "iEverything" app. It's starting to make less sense. I already feel a little strange about using my music app to manage my phone.
iLife used to be simple. iPhoto for photos, iMovie for your videos, iTunes for music and managing your iPod.
Then iTunes got a music store. OK, sure, that makes sense.
Then the iPod started handling photos, so iTunes got a conduit into iPhoto.
Then the iTunes store got TV shows and movies. OK, a little bit broader in scope, but it still makes sense.
Then iTunes got an app store. Even broader in sense.
Right around then, iTunes became the clearinghouse for all things iPhone related. OK, I guess because the iPhone has iPod heritage, but...
Now we're talking about digital books and magazine subscriptions and PDF content?
iTunes is becoming Apple's "iEverything" app. It's starting to make less sense. I already feel a little strange about using my music app to manage my phone.
First, the laptop (and the computer generally) did reinvent media. Sometimes its hard to see the significant changes that have occurred over time. When I entered the media business (way too long ago) computers were only used to process copy and ads. Layouts were still done with knives and glue.
The desktop publishing reinvented print media.
Then computers and the web did it again about a decade or so later, creating online publishing.
Smart phones are doing it again, and the tablet will do it, as well.
Web publishing is essentially print in a new format. Tablet publishing promises to finally bring a true multimedia experience to publishing in a way web publishing has not.
Some would argue that html should be able to do this now. But the reader experience of the web is far different than what is imagined on tablets. Web reading is about headlines, links and jumping from place to place. Your attention span is limited (there are exceptions to everything, of course).
Tablet publishing would be more like print in that it would require more of your attention. But it would be more like web in that you could jump from place to place and customize the experience in a way print does not allow.
At least, that is the theory.
Edit: sorry for the weird mistakes on this post -- I think the MacRumors servers are straining under the load.
Yeah and how many iPhones did they sell again in that time when it was still $600 compared to today? A phone has an entirely different mass-market possibility than any tablet device and therefore they were able to lower their prices and sell more of them. Pretty much everyone has a phone and wants a phone for obvious reasons.
I don't see the same compelling obvious reasons why a similar huge amount of people would want a tablet device. Maybe Apple will tell me later, but I simply think it is a complete mistake to assume the same kind of success story that the iPhone had.
The tablet will be a niche device, and as that the price will be a major factor in deciding how big that niche will be.
Bad analogy. You can carry an MP3 player in your pocket and have it with you everywhere you go and it will not bother you. Try that with a laptop or a tablet.