The Wall Street Journal is reporting that - as expected - Apple is to debut a tablet device next week, going as far as to state what it is Steve Jobs wants from the new launch.

"Steve Jobs is betting he can reshape businesses like textbooks, newspapers and television much the way his iPod revamped the music industry - and expand Apple's influence and revenue as a content middleman", says the WSJ.

Quoting anonymous "people familiar with the situation", the paper says that the device is angled for use by "multiple family members" to use in the home but also suggests Apple is looking to the student market in what would be a challenge to Amazon's Kindle DX ebook reader.

This may well be the case - Amazon has just announced it is opening up its Kindle platform to developers to create apps for its ebook readers, with the timing of the news thought to be a pre-emptive bid to fight off competition from an Apple device.

Further to previous reports that Apple has been in talks with book, magazine and newspaper publishers, this latest report suggests Apple is also looking to television networks for tablet content, and is working with EA on the device, likely to show off the tablet's gaming capabilities at the 27 January media event.

Via: online.wsj.com

Recommended articles