Apple’s Focus on Content and Possible eBook Pricing
Last night Derek Powazek of Fray published an opinion piece called “What I Hope Apple Unleashes Tomorrow”. As both a print and online publisher, Powazek provides some excellent insight into the promise of a mainstream Apple tablet with regard to content providers. He concludes:
It’s the same hole they filled with the iPod. When it came out, there were CDs on one side (physical media for sale) and file-sharing on the other (free but dodgy). The iPod filled the media experience gap, and the iTunes store filled the payment side. Many pundits said it wouldn’t work. It worked.
The same could happen here. Apple could release a device that makes consuming media fun, is able to show any PDF beautifully (just like the iPod would play any MP3), and offers new media for sale in the iTunes store. If they did it right, publishers like me might finally be able to sell something digital that people would actually buy.