Apple's 'latest creation' heralds a new age for publishing industry

By making the iPad more affordable, Apple was planning to create a strong user base for the device and more importantly for the online media and entertainment distribution platforms to be integrated with it — such as the iTunes Store for movies and music, App Store for “apps” or native applications for handheld devices, as well as the new iBook for e-Books.

The success of the iTunes Store and App Store had shown that users are willing to pay for contents they might otherwise get for free (through pirating or other means) if the merchandise browsing and purchasing experiences are smooth and simple. Even more importantly, as the number of users in these platforms increase it will create a momentum for the company to bargain with media providers.

Whether such a plan will succeed within the new field of electronic publishing depends on the iPad's sales volume and on how much ground Apple can gain on the negotiation table with publishers.

The boom of the online content distribution platforms would present the publishing industry, especially the newspaper industry, with a much needed sales channel.

An easy-to-use tablet device that puts online contents such as text, interactive graphics, audio and video devices at users' fingertips could have the potential to transform the news reading experience. However, the news media would need to make use of such technology and rethink their presentation formats to make the news reading experience more integrated.

iPad's success is not a sure thing. Many are already complaining about the shortcomings of the device, such as its lack of multitasking ability, 16:9 widescreen and camera.

Nevertheless, regardless of how iPad will fare, the device has already opened the door for the next stage of online publishing. Even before Apple's announcement, competitors were beefing up for their versions of tablet-PCs or devices. Learning from Apple's online store, other producers will also be thinking about creating their own distribution platform or cooperating with existing ones.

What the news media need to do is to look beyond Apple, and find the right combination of text and multimedia for the next age of news presentation.

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