The Future of Media… Again
After years of rumors, I finally understood what the playing field was going to look like when ComicBookLover released their viewer
for the iPhone yesterday. I knew that Apple’s new iPad would run on the iPhone OS, that it would be high-resolution enough to read comic books on a 10” screen. I knew it was going to become the cool platform of choice for newspapers and magazines and books that need color and graphics support.
All stuff that had been generally predicted, along with a lot of other stuff. But what I didn’t know was the price. And I don’t know if people are even interested in reading newspapers any longer, although Apple chief Steve Jobs doesn’t know that either.
If the iPad price was too high, a whole lotta people in the media racket would be out of jobs. Magazines and newspapers, and to a slightly lesser extent book publishers, cannot survive with the present distribution models. Textbook publishers would be marginally more secure. So if
I heard a figure with five nines in it, I knew there’s be quite a number of
people on Sixth Avenue selling their pencils.
Apple always prices their products high under the belief
that a BMW is worth more than a Toyota. But this time they took a turn. Pricing between $500 and $830 – the difference is in 3G connectivity and the amount of memory you get – even the high-end model is reasonably priced. AT&T’s service is low-priced; $15 a month for 250 MB of service, and only $30 for unlimited service. This includes full access to AT&T’s Wi-Fi hotspots, providing even faster service than 3G. And the iPad promises 10 hours of video use on a single charge.
Oh, and it weighs 1.5 pounds. Check out Marc Fishman’s excellent piece with all the details here.
It’s got a large on-screen keyboard and it can use Apple’s Bluetooth keyboard. You can get Apple’s word processing, spreadsheet and
presentation software – fully comparable with Microsoft Office – for $10 a
module. Doubtlessly, Microsoft will offer their far more expensive versions of the same stuff before too long.
Lots of publishers have already signed up: Penguin, Harper-Collins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster, Gameloft, Electronic Arts, the New York Times, and Major League Baseball. And the iPad will run most all iPhone and iPod apps as well.
So. Will the media thrive? Maybe. Is this a lifeline?
Absolutely. Will it be the cool thing to own? Probably. Will it save the comic book format? It will if I have anything to say about it. Will the streets of
midtown Manhattan be splattered with mediaworkers’ blood?
No more than usual.
"… even the high-end model is reasonably priced …"Speak for yourself.
With the keyboard dock, that's not too bad. I could easily use that as my main blogging machine for the summer convention season.
As with anything Apple releases, I see a ton of potential. Yes, let's just say it: The 2.0 iPad will have a camera. The next upgrade the iPad firmware will support multi-tasking. The bluetooth connectivity will continue to spread to other devices making dongles and cables a thing of the past.Specifically though to comics… this device has the ability to bring a decent sized screen with nice pretty colors that can almost replicate the beauty of the printed page. And it can hold a ton of stuff. I'm personally hoping the major and minor comicbook makers figure out a way to integrate their back catalogs, and content into this nifty device.
Actually, the iPad is already capable of handling a camera — you can attach one through the USB port and suck in everything you need. Apple always does this: even the original black and white Mac back in 1984 had color routines built-into its ROM. However, there's little doubt in my mind the iPad will have a built-in camera in next year's model, along with 128 MG or even 256 MG memory. Seems awkward to use as a camera, but I think people will want it.iPhone OS 4.0 does indeed support multi-tasking. Whereas the iPads being shown today uses 3.2, I strongly suspect 4.0 will be available before the iPad ships in March and April. Next time I fly to San Diego, I'm looking forward to watching movies at a decent size while wearing Bluetooth headphones. Particularly if I've got a middle seat, and I'm watching porno.
Dirty, dirty boy. I'm impressed with the iPad, but will want to see how it will be utlized as not only a reader of comics, but a presentation tool. An on board camera is silly to me, as would having a ton of dongles to attach non blue toothed stuff. The ONLY other report (and I won't believe it until I see it) said the movies played back in widescreen didn't look "great". Again, would determine that on my own.
128 MG: You and another 127 of you?
Confidential to Dirk Deppey (http://www.tcj.com/news/journalista-for-jan-28-20…): In a world where the typical mainstream superhero comic book retails at $3.99, a device as convenient and powerful as the iPad is reasonably priced, even at the high-end model. How long before Fantagraphics starts formatting for that platform?