WSJ: Apple and HarperCollins negotiating e-book deal for tablet
By Ross Miller 
posted January 18th 2010 7:35PM
posted January 18th 2010 7:35PM
Here's the skinny from The Wall Street Journal: major publishing company HarperCollins is in talks with Apple about bringing e-books to the oft-rumored, still-unconfirmed tablet that's expected to be the focus of its January 27th event. The article also states that other publishing companies have been in talks with Cupertino HQ. That jibes with what we've heard through the grapevine, specifically with Time Inc. property Sports Illustrated, and fits comfortably well with the New York Times conjecture from earlier today. E-book readers are all the rage these days, but like we said just after CES, we'd wager the future of the medium integrated into slates to provide rich, color multimedia presentations. Seems someone might be sharing in our perspective, but of course, this is just one of many, many, many Apple rumors we expect to see in the buildup to next week.
@fatslug You said products, not computers.
"who cares about CrApple and their niche products that no one buys"
@IvanP91
+1000
@IvanP91
I think engadget is just trying to piss you off....it is very amusing though so i see why they do it.
@d0mth0ma5 Oh and I wasn't saying that Apple make crap computers. @fatslug did, again.
@d0mth0ma5 So its D day for Apple's unicorn-like gadgets huh? I guess some of us will be there to be wowed and scrutinize at the same
time of what does the Apple Tablet really has to offer for us, users. iPhone 4G, Apple Tablet and iLife details: http://bit.ly/iphone-4g-apple-tablet-details
As they say, "expect the unexpected".
@jovilynovavich Is that a generic plug for your site, or a reply to my comment?
Okay, NOW this is getting ridiculous. Can't you just update the original article ?
@SarnGate
No, they haven't met their Apple quota for today.
@SarnGate Totally agree. I enjoy Apple's products, but this is ridiculous. Surely something else must be going on in the world besides WSJ and NYT "leaking" information.
@SarnGate
lol engadget is excited. fanboys will be fanboys.
@SarnGate You can't really blame them for reporting on this so much. These posts always get them most comments so people must be interested. Plus, I personally find it to be more convenient to have a new post rather than having to scroll to the old updated post.
@SarnGate No joke, I'm gonna go take a comma. Wake me up on Jan 28th or 29th. This should have run it course by then. Besides its not like I'm going to miss 2 or 3 articles in that time frame that aren't about the iTablet, iSlate or what i they are calling it today.
@SarnGate Rename engadget to entablet
@KAL326 No point in entering a coma. If Apple launches the tablet, the next day will be filled with raging speculation about iTablet 3G or v.2, or whatever..
Although I find their products useless to me, I'm looking forward to this event. At least, they'll shake things up with their polished UI, making the market advance to more usable products, i.e. tablets. Since I'm a power user, I have no need for those nanny OSs, but I will benefit indirectly with this event, no doubt in that, even if it doesn't sell much.
Now, this rumors are just that, and Engadget is clever enough to keep posting them and making money that way.
@KAL326
Will you be taking that comma up your semi-colon?
This tablet is truly going to revolutionize digital magazines and books.
@werty1432k I really hope you are being sarcastic.
@SarnGate why should I be.
@werty1432k How on earth is it going to truly revolutionize anything ? You haven't even seen the bloody thing yet.
@werty1432k
because it won't
@SarnGate wait until they release it, I bet you anything that its got some amazing ebook/emagazine functionality.
@fatslug and you, you are just weird.
@werty1432k
And by "revolutionize" you mean, taking existing technology and repackaging it as something new. And with a higher price tag.
@R revolutionize as in the distribution, the interface and the overall experience.
@fatslug do you own an iPod?
@fatslug
LOL, you PC guys are so insecure you're clinging to the least interesting market of all...the one which is 70% Corporate PC sales, where Apple doesn't even compete.
That was really interesting, like, back in the 90s. How fitting that you would be longing for MS's glory days of old, before the iPod and iPhone existed.
Go hug your PC jr, you luddites.
@werty1432k
What, we cant read this stuff already?
The only thing going on here is that Apple needs content for this, and book makers and magazine writers need revenue.
@werty1432k
"revolutionize as in the distribution, the interface and the overall experience"
But you are making this claim without actually seeing it at all?
@LAY EVERY claim about it right now is COMPLETELY baseless and pointless.
These are all rumours.
But for some reason, we continue ...
Let it be said, this product is not going to be revolutionary; it is going to continue the revolution. It will sell over 1 million units long before anyone knows its usefulness.
@Kirtay Stop trying to convince them Kirtay.
@werty1432k
"revolutionize as in the distribution, the interface and the overall experience."
So, DRM and shiny icons with rounded corners?
@Thinker
"Let it be said, this product is not going to be revolutionary; it is going to continue the revolution. It will sell over 1 million units long before anyone knows its usefulness."
Once more in English?
@Wesscoast "the one which is 70% Corporate PC sales, where Apple doesn't even compete." By Apple not competing you mean that they have such a small market share that they might as well not continue to try? Or are you saying that Apple doesn't compete because they don't have corporate focused products? Because I'm pretty sure Apple makes professional oriented machines called Mac Pros, oh and servers. Servers in Mac Mini and rack mount flavors.
@SarnGate
Why not? Didn't the iPod and iPhone change the course of digital music and the cellphone industry? Why is that sarcasm or arrogance? It's the truth. You don't know for certain that a lot of publishers won't jump on the Apple tablet train. Most of the other companies were crap-scared to take the risk with a full-media tablet. That's why they're holding back production and waiting to see if the Apple tablet succeeds (It appeared as though a few companies at the CES had the hardware to rush a full-media tablet out before Apple). If it does, then they can get their copiers working 24/7 and duplicate whatever Apple does.
@LAY I have a very formal streak; this here my statement [Old English], is no exception!
@LAY
My point is that Apple has found a way to hold on to its customers. In the 1980s and 1990s, the Mac faithful were quite passionate about their Mac PCs. So also have been their iPod and iPhone customers, who ended up buying the next Apple product iteration with reckless abandon (“time to upgrade my iPhone to the iPhone 3GS”, they exclaim!). This army is anxiously awaiting the next product from Jobs and Co. No one cared about the Tablet PC for years. Now suddenly they are all waiting expectantly. I am surprised the lines have not yet started forming.
@KAL326 Now why would anyone buy a Apple server when a linux or unix server at a fraction of the cost and with more functionality and support?
@werty1432k
I agree with you 100%.
It might take a few years for this device to become mainstream, since this device will likely debut at $599+, but within 3 years when it's down to $149 for the price of entry, they'll be just as ubiquitous as the iPod Touch is. People will buy them and have one on the coffee table, and one in the bathroom.
Apple WILL get books onto iTunes, and on top of it, the device will do everything else the iPhone does and more.
The tablet form factor has the potential to be incredibly sexy, if it's kept thin, with a thin and seamless bezel. Give it a kickstand or a nice landscape-oriented dock, and it becomes even more awesome.
There's no doubt that it'll be "overpriced" when it first comes out, but that won't stop people from buying it. Apple will own the tablet/reader segment the same way it owns the pmp/digital music store market. No doubt about it. Especially when 10" e-ink readers are $400+.
@Everkeen
Having never used an Apple server (I run a Linux server), I would venture to say that it's probably easier to set up the basic features that most home users desire in a server with the Mac. Just one look at Apple's website for their Mac Mini Server clearly shows that Linux isn't even in the same league with regards to ease of setup.
Sure, Linux is more powerful and free. It also only has forums as its primary source of support. And despite all its features, the vast majority of them just serve as a source of confusion to someone that just wants to run a media server in their home and not deal with any headaches.
I'm a big fan of Linux, but I can't imagine handing a Live CD to someone who isn't into computers and saying "here, go get your server going." That same person could probably follow Apple's nicely laid out instructions and have their home server up and running with little trouble.
A lot of people are willing to pay more for something that "just works". They don't have the time, or the interest, to sit around trying to figure out how to make cheap/free solutions work.
@R Yeah because that's all the iphone did for the smartphone market right?
This constant bitching about apple is getting just as annoying as the fanboyism they bitch about.
Another controlled rumor? Come on, Apple.
@IvanP91 +1
@IvanP91 let me just be the first to say: ...whoa..
Lots of cruise control in that post
@IvanP91
Try not to take it too personally..
Hey Engadget, sorry for some of the rude and obnoxious comments here. However, what people are saying does hold some truth. There are 3 Apple-Tablet related posts just on this page alone. Not to mention that all of these articles are rumor based.
Next time there is a heavily hyped product that will inevitably be released it would be extremely convenient for people who are interested in the product and non-interested to have another page work as a hub for all relating rumors up until the product's release.
@sammymoho
Rumor? Sure. But this is the Wall Street Journal saying this... not RandomAppleBlog.com
Did the WSJ report on the tablet rumors in the past?
It just seems like the WSJ is putting themselves on the line with all this Apple Tablet talk.
The first line of the article is "HarperCollins Publishers is negotiating with Apple Inc. to make electronic books available for the introduction of a new tablet device from Apple..."
That's pretty serious stuff... I hope the journal isn't merely guessing.
@Michael Scrip
Michael, I am not intending to disregard the legitimacy, accuracy, credibility and reliability of the Wall Street Journal. I'm sure they do know a few truths truth about the Apple tablet. However, the Apple tablet has yet to be announced and is still a rumored device. In fact there have been pictures of this Apple tablet many months ago that many regarded as the real thing. (http://www.engadget.com/2009/08/15/apple-tablet-pic-leaked-this-is-the-real-one-we-can-feel-it/).
"Did the WSJ report on the tablet rumors in the past?"
Yes in fact they have had articles in the past concerning the Apple tablet.
@sammymoho
I disagree. I like the rumours and I'm happy to hear them all.
Keep them coming, Engadget.