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Apple’s iPad, iBooks Stir Excitement...and More Speculation

Yesterday’s unveiling of Apple’s long-awaited tablet computer, dubbed the iPad, generated the expected rush of media coverage, blogging and tweeting—including much speculation about unanswered points, such as exactly how magazines, as opposed to books, will fit into the model.

The device itself, which “appears to fall somewhere in between an iPod Touch and a laptop,” will allow consumers to browse the Web, read e-books, watch videos, listen to music, play games and view photos, noted Audience Development. It also features a calendar, compass, accelerometer, Google Maps and access to the iTunes store where consumers can download music, movies, TV shows and podcasts.

The iPad’s pricing stirred interest – at $499, the entry-level version “is quite a bit more expensive than the $259 Kindle, which has a six-inch black-and-white display, compared with the iPad's 10-inch, multitouch screen,” reports Advertising Age. “But the price is in-line with the $489 Kindle DX. Prices for the iPad escalate to $829 for 64 gigs of memory and 3G connectivity to go with basic Wi-Fi.”

Books from Hachette, Harper Collins, Macmillan, Penguin and Simon & Schuster are already available via the store for the iPad's reader app, dubbed iBooks,

However, Apple CEO Steve Jobs did not mention magazines per se during the unveiling, leading Ad Age to pose questions about how fast magazine content (including high-res photos, videos) will download via wi-fi, potential publisher costs for delivering ample online content, and what prices can realistically be charged for such content.

Borders Group CEO Ron Marshall Steps Down

Ron Marshall has resigned as CEO of Borders Group Inc., reportedly to become CEO of A&P, the Wall Street Journal reported. The move “comes a week after Borders posted a steep drop in company revenue and same-store sales for the crucial holiday period,” WSJ noted.
 
Borders named EVP, chief merchandising officer Michael Edwards as interim CEO. The company’s board of directors has hired Korn/Ferry Intenational to lead the search for a new CEO, per the report.

Niesyto Named Category Manager for Kroger Books, Magazines and Newspapers

Kroger Co. has announced that Bob Niesyto will become its category manager for books, magazines and newspapers, effective Jan. 28.

Niesyto, who joined Kroger in 1983, served in numerous HBC, GM and grocery positions during his 15 years in the Atlanta division, joining the corporate team in 1998. His most recent positions have been drug/GM merchandiser and HBC merchandising manager.  --K. Lukovitz