Publishing techies like myself have been waiting for a long time for Apple to launch their tablet device. With the accelerating interest in eBooks, and the ignition of the eBook marketplace with devices such as the Kindle and Sony reader, I’ve been keen to see how Apple’s entry into the tablet marketplace will change the landscape. And the conclusion I’ve come to is that Apple stand a good chance of stealing the consumer eBook show.

The iPad

Apple have approached the challenge of creating a tablet computer from the opposite direction to most established devices on the market. Instead of stripping down a laptop or netbook they have chosen to create a device which is essentially a scaled up iPhone. The iPad runs the iPhone OS, and consequently runs all of the 140,000+ currently available iPhone applications. The user experience is very similar to the iPhone, albeit with all of the advantages of a much larger screen, faster processor and more memory.

The iBookstore

OK, lets cut straight to the chase. For publishers the iBookstore is the iPad’s main event. Apple have signed deals with Penguin, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette to seed the iBookstore with content in the EPUB format. Apple are planning to offer 70% of the sales revenue to publishers, following closely the model already in place for application developers in their app store. This compares very favourably to the cut of up to 50% which Amazon take from titles sold on the Kindle.

The business model is a one-time purchase of the content which will be downloaded to the user’s iPad device. The iBookstore uses the EPUB format, which allows the iBook reader application to reflow the text according to screen orientation and to change fonts and font sizes.

The iBookstore will be the only way of purchasing eBook content to use with the built in iBook application, although other applications, such as Stanza, will be free to compete with Apple’s business model. If they can.

The DRM issue

Digital rights management will not be needed with the iPad because content, once downloaded from the iBookstore, cannot be copied from one device to another. This is because Apple have followed the iPhone model in making the iPad an essentially closed, locked device. There is no user access to the underlying file system, and moreover only books purchased from the iBookstore can be read with the built in iBook reader application.

A device I’d give my grandmother

Apple know a thing or two about usability. This device neatly fills the gap between the iPhone and a MacBook. It is essentially a laptop for those who don’t want a laptop or a smartphone. The iPhone OS is so simple and intuitive to use that it would really be suitable for even the most computer phobic. And this weighs heavily in my thinking that it will win out as a consumer eBook device.

Although at $499 it is twice the cost of the Kindle or Sony readers (for an entry level model) the extra cost is extremely easy to understand. Colour, smooth graphics and the availability of 140,000 applications make it clear this is much more than a single function device. In this respect it simply can’t be compared to the Kindle or Sony reader.

Conclusion

In many ways Apple are attempting to replicate the situation which led to the huge success of the iPod/iTunes combination in disrupting the offline music sales and distribution industry nine years ago. By providing sexy, easy to use commoditised hardware at the right price point, combined with a single simple way to purchase content, they stand an extremely good chance of disrupting the established eBook readers. Furthermore the sheer appeal of the device can only fuel the further growth of the eBook marketplace.