By Allen Tsai | Mon Jan 18, 2010 5:29 pm |
Apple is widely expect to unveil the iPad, its long-awaited tablet computer for surfing the Web and playing movies and music, at a special event in San Francisco on January 27.
Apple has never acknowledged the existence of the iPad, but people familiar with the device say it resembles a large version of the iPhone -- with a 10- to 11-inch touch screen display that is able to surf the Web, watch movies and television shows and can double as an electronic book reader. There has been plenty of skepticism about the tablet industry as a whole, but analysts say if consumers do gravitate to the iPad, the device could propel Apple into the digital book market popularized by Amazon's Kindle e-reader. Apple has also been in negotiations with major publishers, including HarperCollins, to make "enhanced" e-books available for its new device. Last December, HarperCollins Chief Executive Brian Murray said that e-books enhanced with author interviews, videos and social-networking applications could command higher retail prices than current e-books -- selling them for $15 to $20 instead of $10 that Amazon charges for bestsellers, a person familiar with the situation said. Suppliers of the iPad have already started delivering touch screen panels and will begin shipping aluminum casings in February, implying a second-quarter product launch. Sources say the tablet computer may start selling in March for as much as $1,000.
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