New Apple Tablet rumors point to possible trouble for the Amazon Kindle
The rumors of a new product from Apple are continuing to build momentum, and if the latest ones are even close to being true, the Amazon Kindle may be in for some serious competition.
The time period leading up to an Apple product launch is always a dicey one at best as rumors fly all over of what consumers can expect from the Cupertino, California based company. In the case of the Apple Tablet, no one is even 100 percent positive that the product even exists – although the evidence is getting pretty overwhelming – but the rumors continue to fly about non-stop as to what it will be able to do.
Typically the rumors on new Apple products stay contained within the huge Apple fan blogosphere, but now that the Financial Times (free registration required) has weighed in, there is a much more serious gravity to all of the talk. Ticking off the fact that the paper spoke with four separate sources, the publication reports that Apple is in talks with the four biggest record labels (EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group) to reward those who purchase full albums with an interactive version of the albums traditional booklet that will provide the consumer with the lyrics, liner notes and possibly even videos. This service would not be limited to the table it seems, but the launch of the new service would be timed with it.
The most tantalizing morsel of news is that not only is the device the long rumored 10-inch device we have heard so much about, but it reports that Apple is in serious talks with book publishers. This is a fairly new rumor, and if true, Amazon will be quacking in its collective boots pretty soon over the future of the Kindle ebook reader. One of the biggest complaints about the Kindle has been the continued use of the gray scale screen even into the second generation of the device. The Apple Tablet, now known to be codenamed “Cocktail”, will have a full-color screen, which, while not important for standard books, imagine text books, newspapers and magazines being displayed on it.
Right now it looks like the Apple Tablet/Cocktail is on track for a September release, which would put it in position to be a huge seller for the holiday season, and would also tie it into the annual iPod announcement press event that happens that month. The only key component we still seem to be missing is how much the device will cost, but the current rumors put it at $549 or above.
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