If the iPad fails to transform the economics of the media business within hours of its Saturday release, it won't be for want of sufficient hype. For a more balanced assessment of the iPad's potential, I consulted some top thinkers on media and technology. Listen closely...
Driven by anticipation of the upcoming iPad release, Apple shares hit an all-time high of $239 this week, and have tripled since the market bottom last year. But even after popping 5% in the past two weeks, Apple still looks compelling.
The iPad release is less than 24 hours away, the reviews are largely good, and presales are in the hundreds of thousands. But for publishers and other e-book sellers, the iPad is a game-changer in a way they aren't quite ready for: It's totally altering the way they'll do digital business.
In a rush to woo publishers ahead of the launch of the iPad, Amazon is signing new agreements allowing them to charge higher prices for some books downloaded to Kindle e-readers. But not yet: Amazon has halted e-book sales from Hachette while it adjusts its system.
Apple launches its new iPad on April 3, but people who order the tablet computer now won't get their iPads right away.
From investors to tech geeks, people are getting excited about Apple's new tablet. Analysts have raised Apple's projected quarterly earnings in advance of the iPad launch, and its shares have hit a new 52-week high.
Apple shares soared on news that its much-hyped iPad is less than a month away. But Microsoft is fighting back with Courier, a nifty-looking tablet that the software giant expects to have on the shelves in time for the holidays. Still, it'll take a lot to shake Apple's grip.
As Apple's notoriously secretive CEO turns 55 on Feb. 24, he's evidently thinking about his legacy -- and apparently cooperating on an authorized bio. But while Jobs is clearly a iconic figure, his legacy is unlikely to consist purely of magic and light. In recent years, a more nuanced picture of a complex -- and perhaps contradictory -- person has emerged.