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Friday, October 12, 2012, 06:39 pm
Rumored 'iPad mini' event to focus on iBooks, report says
Shortly after it was reported that Apple is "likely" to unveil a 7.85-inch iPad at an as-yet-unannounced event on Oct. 23, a separate report claims the alleged product announcement will focus on the purported tablet's e-book capabilities.
According to "multiple sources," Apple's rumored "iPad mini" special event is expected to showcase the unannounced device's media support, especially in regard to iBooks, suggesting the company is planning on marketing the tablet as a content consumption vehicle, reports The Next Web.
Lead by Amazon's Kindle Fire, the small form factor tablet market has seen success by luring in a wide base of users with low-cost devices to push content sales. Pundits speculate that Apple will take a similar tack and offer the iPad mini at a price comparable to rival offerings like Google's Nexus 7, boosting margins by leveraging content sales from iTunes.
The sources' claims are in line with previous reports saying that Apple is attempting to keep the unit's retail price down by using a non-Retina display, as well as other relatively low-cost components.
Earlier this week it was reported that Apple had tasked its Asian suppliers to build over ten million iPad minis for the fourth quarter, signaling the company's confidence in high sales for the holiday shopping season.
It is rumored that Apple will unveil the iPad mini at an event on Oct. 23, with a product rollout expected to follow shortly after.
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Previous Comments View All
Wasn't that the same focus they put on the original iPad?
Pundits. What do they know for sure?
C'mon Apple do this right and make the fire and nexus 7 look cheap (and not in a good way). If they start competing in a race to the bottom they dilute their brand. If Apple is going to compete on price I fear we'll get an inferior quality device so Apple can sell it cheap yet make decent margins on it.
The new "iBook" instead of "iPad mini"?
I doubt it, but I would much prefer iBook over iPad mini as I've posted previously.
Wasn't that the same focus they put on the original iPad?
Not really. It was included, as an App Store app, not as a default app, when they announced the iPad in 2010, and they didn't even have iBooks Author until January of this year.
Then it better NOT be a backlit glossy LED screen (retina or not) because as any Kindle reader will tell you - that's an epic FAIL for book reading.
Because anyone that uses "epic fail" is someone we can trust to have a reasonable and balanced opinion¡
Not really. It was included, as an App Store app, not as a default app, when they announced the iPad in 2010, and they didn't even have iBooks Author until January of this year.
It still is just another app in the App Store right? I think there is some legal or monopoly avoidance issue as to why it is not a core app.
If this is made for reading I don't think they can skimp out on the screen quality.
If you expect the iPad mini to have anything other than the same kind of LED screen than the iPad and iPhones have, you're delusional.
The e-ink Kindle is a single use device, so it has the luxury of being able to just be the best thing for reading. The iPad (and presumably Mini) is multi-use: video, games, internet... Which e-ink does not do so well.
I'm sure Apple is quite happy to let Amazon have the sub-$100 e-ink reader market.
It still is just another app in the App Store right? I think there is some legal or monopoly avoidance issue as to why it is not a core app.
I wonder about that.
Was the original iPad at 132 PPI bad for reading? Was the iPhone 3GS at 163 PPI bad for reading? Now I get why people have stated that it will be 7.85" as it will allow Apple to use their 163 PPI process and get a 1024x768 display which means that pre-iPad (3) apps will look alright and iPhone apps will do 1x at the exact same size and 2x reasonably. They will still optimize the UI for the display and update Xocde accordingly but it will be the best way to lessen the upset.
Now, this has all been speculation. It makes sense that Apple would consider going this route but that also means it's something others could have conceived because it's the path of least resistance, so who knows.
Personally, I think it's going to happen. I also doubt I'd buy on based on the rumors.
It simply cannot compete with the new innovative, groundbreaking PaperWhite display of a KindlePW
unless someone here can tell me how? That is for book reading.
We are into an 'apple and pears' (pun sort of intended) argument here. The iPad is a multi-functional device whereas the Kindle (in all its forms) is for reading books, so we really shouldn't be comparing them. As far as 'innovative, groundbreaking' goes I think that's a bit extreme see http://daringfireball.net/2012/10/kindle_paperwhite
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The new "iBook" instead of "iPad mini"?