WSJ: Apple still 'racing' to complete iPad content deals before launch
By Donald Melanson 
posted March 18th 2010 4:46PM
posted March 18th 2010 4:46PM
The iPad launch may finally be right around the corner, but it looks like Apple might still have some considerable work cut out for itself before the big day. According to The Wall Street Journal, Apple is still negotiating with various media companies in an effort to drop the price on TV shows offered on the device, and it's even reportedly put some potential deals with newspaper, magazine and textbook publishers on the backburner as it focuses on other content. That word comes from the usual, unnamed "people with the matter," who go on to say that it's proven to be difficult to convince potential content partners of the advantages of working with Apple on the iPad versus the possible threats to their current sources of revenue.
It's hardly all bad news for the magical device though, as some other people familiar with the matter say that Apple has already sold "hundreds of thousands" of iPads. For its part, Apple is naturally staying mum on both counts.
It's hardly all bad news for the magical device though, as some other people familiar with the matter say that Apple has already sold "hundreds of thousands" of iPads. For its part, Apple is naturally staying mum on both counts.
@pukerocket
i just wanted to prove my point, and show that intelligent people also are of this opinion
Why would these old media companies want to stay with their current method? The only reason I can think of is that Apple's fee is larger than printing, shipping, and unsold copy expenses.
In the long run, this will be better, and I would like to get magazines auto-downloaded to my Mac.
As a college student, with no money to begin with and no source of income, how am I supposed to be excited for this undoubtedly expensive content.
......I still can't believe they don't intend to sell a stylus. I mean, come on, what is a tablet? Before tablet pc's the only tablets around were used to write notes and stuff on. Did we redefine the word tablet?
/rant
@Jeff
I think it might be cos nobody bought them?
The Ipad has probably sold more in 1 week than every tablet-with-stylus has in the last 10 years
@Jeff .. then just use the iPad to browse websites, watch your own videos and to download just the free apps.
As for stylus you CAN get capacitive ones so just buy your own !
@pukerocket
That is just a plain stupid thing to say even for you Apple cheerleaders.
What wont you people distort in order to make them look better?
@Kunta Kinte
"The tablet market is at like 4 million units a year, looks like iPad alone will probably outsell all of them."
That is your post made below.
The iPad has 150,000 pre-orders.
I'm not even counting all of The other tablets coming out later this year.
The poster before you said it will outsell The number of tablets for "the past 10 years" .
So which one of you two are wrong?
@LAY
LOL
I'm so sorry my throwaway comment upset you so much.
@LAY
Sorry my throwaway comment upset you so much.
BTW, how's that $200 tablet of yours from 1997 doing? The battery still holding a charge?
@LAY
Oh LAY, I don't know what your problem is, but your constant pessimism on the iPad is getting old.
A few days ago, you were confident that there would be severe drop in the iPad pre-orders because it was driven by nothing but fanboys. I think you referenced an article of some kind that predicted it. Clearly, you want to latch on to any negative buzz that the iPad will receive.
Unfortunately, the drop-off that you predicted does not appear to be true. There are reports of 150K iPads being ordered in Apple stores alone, and another 200K pre-orders possible online now.
I get it, you have yourself a traditional tablet PC (the type consumers continually insist they don't want), stylus and all, and you like it. You really, really don't like the iPad. That's fine, but why make so many statements on here that will look laughably ignorant for anyone that reads them a year from now?
@Jeff , hey ranter, if it was supposed to be a tablet, I'm sure they would have called it a tablet. It's called an iPad, and it was designed so as not to have carry a pointer to get were you're going. Did you just crawl out of a cave?
@commonman well...someone doesn't know anything about productivity.
@Jeff. try this on for size. as a college student you spend as much as $500 a term on books. many of which are text books that get revised every year and thus no buy back. And even those that aren't you get pennies on the dollar so you are still out. Plus all that weight to carry around is a pain.
Now imagine a $500 investment in an ipad. perhaps less if by summer they do an education price. Now with that ipad you can get your texts ebook style for a lot less money and automatic updates. And they could end up using a custom ereader that allows you to bookmark, highlight, make notes etc. All things we college students love to do in our books.
Plus while the UI was designed for finger use, you can use a stylus. I have a Pogo that works great with my touch. And someone will likely come out with a notepad app that you can write on if something isn't already out.
Add to it that you can check email in between classes, drop last night's Lost on it for when you are chilling in the quad after lunch etc and it could get a lot of college love
@Charlik
Personally, I have never had any of those problems. I'm not denying they exist. My Uni buys our books back for at least half the cost and what books my classes require are all light. I'm lucky I guess.
My point is that Apple should admit that they are not perfect and acknowledge that past values or decisions were indeed wrong. I want my stylus and notepad app to come from Apple, not from a 3rd party (again not doubting there will be one or saying that it will suck). That is stuff that should be inherent in a device like this and should be supported by the Company.
@Charlik now add to this a wiki of annotation ("notes" we call them) or maybe competing textbook makers offering a better version of a specific content item so that students force instructors/departments to switch to them. (all on the word-as-token paragraph-level hypertext vision of the greats using the same RDF magic that Firefox does to enable extensions)
Ahh wow ummm hmph! I'm going to admit that apple COULD of packed the ipa. With more features like Front facing Camera BUT it isn't a total Fail because people want more than an E-reader they want entertainment also because you read a book to be entertained not board that's y I think the ipad is going good FOR NOW
@Crack it
...what? 'Crack it' does seem fitting.
@Kunta Kinte So was the Apple TV LOL
Why in the world would anyone want to watch TV episodes on a 4:3 screen? Unless it's an old show it's going to be horribly letterboxed or Crappy pan and scan
@pdanders .. Apple is caught between a rock and a hard place. 16:9 is perfect for video but 4:3 is perfect for books/websites. I think they are trying to position the iPad as mainly a competitor to Kindle so 4:3 makes sense.
@pdanders
I think the 4:3 just lends itself to ergonomics when you're talking about a device of this size, especially when you consider that magazines and books will be an integral component of is marketing push.
The other thing to consider is just the simple mass distribution of a tablet. A device that is 16:9 and the size of an iPad might feel heavy if held in one hand because the center of mass is further from the point you are holding it at.
One this is for sure - Apple's designers and engineers considered a variety of screen aspect ratios and configurations before settling on the final iPad design. I wouldn't doubt that there was a 16:9 prototype floating around at some point that was scrapped due to ergonomics or other reasons.
@Pedro0792
um
the Apple TV wasn't successful before it was launched.
@Kunta Kinte
its not selling 'major'... its selling at a normal rate...
only time will tell if they decline or improve...
I'm not overly worried by Apple's last minute dealings. Apple has an established track record of rolling things out slow but steady. We'll see some good content on day 1 with more stuff rolling out in the coming months.
@padgadget
Agreed.
I'm hoping for a free Kindle app on Day 1, because I already have content for that. I will probably get the iWorks apps. I'm subscribed to several TV seasons already in iTunes. I'll have my photos and music.
I won't be hurting for new content immediately.
@ddddd
There are various aspects of the iPad that are deal-breakers for various people.
That's to be expected. But none of the things you mentioned is a deal-breaker for me. I've already made my deal, and look forward to using my new iPad come April 3.
And, it's selling like hotcakes.
@ddddd
Probably too expensive for consumer devices so far, but this kind of technology is going to make future Apple devices, and Android devices, and Microsoft devices, etc, really awesome.
Okay, imagine all medical students with and iPad and;
http://www.modality.com/apps/Netters-Anatomy-Flash-Cards_p_93.html/utm_iTunes
Instead of everyone comparing this to a net book, ereader, iPod Touch, iPhone, etc.... try thinking of it as Newton II. And this is just one (1) app.
Do you really think Apple's not working with more developers?
No disrespect, but the vast majority of complaints about this seem to be coming from tech sites that need flash ads for revenue.
In my daily usage of AOL/Weblogs sites, which are *notoriously ad heavy* anyway, this seems to be a weekly pissing/moaning issue.
Vimeo, Daily Motion, youtube et al have perfectly working and workable content solutions on the platform...and Jilion SublimeVideo is known to be kickin azz and takin names for video for everyone else.
I mean, really now...what is REALLY going on with the no-Flash pissing and moaning editorial?
Even on the desktop, Flash is set to be on demand on all of my browsers. If you want money from that 100million plus iPhone OS eyeballs out there, time to come up with some new plans, eh?
-K
@KaiCherry. dropping the whole resource hog v no it isn't stuff. Flash simply doesn't work in a multitouch environment because it wasn't made to work in one. All the various hover etc stuff is made for a mouse. Adobe even admits this
@Lord Vader Dont worry Lord Vader. We'll find them. Alert all commands - deploy the fleet.
@ddddd Everyone says"it's just a bigger iPod touch", like it's a derogatory statement. Sure, you meant it to be derogatory/inflammatory, but in reality that's a huge compliment.
the iPod touch is an awesome PMP.
The iPad takes that awesomeness, everything that's good about it, and makes it several times better.
With all the hype going on, I think it is safe to say that the iPads userbase would be enormous
William, theamazingipad.com
@williamsipad quite possibly. although i'm holding out for real sales numbers. right now it's just best guess talk. If I see a press release from Apple that the presales plus launch day sales are a quarter million or whatever, then I'll cheer.
Though I do wonder about this Easter Weekend launch thing. Are they perhaps thinking folks will be likely to pull out/carry along something they just bought the day before to show off. hmmmm.
@Charlik you know what I think will end up happening -- there will be a shortage on release day, driving the hype even more. The people who pre-ordered an iPad will make the people who don't have one jealous, and then next week Apple will have an amazing sale of iPads