Publishers Anxious About H.P.
A CES report from The New York Times last week highlights an issue that many in the media are having with technology companies: do the companies that make the hardware really understand the media landscape well enough to solicit content for their new devices?
The article, which is a report on small-size Android tablet tht H.P. is reportedly developing, quotes a magazine editor who says he has seen the device. Here’s what The Times had to say about him: “The magazine company employee added that H.P. was working diligently to create unique content for these devices, but he cautioned that partners worry about H.P.’s understanding of the media landscape. He said, ‘H.P. is a great hardware company, they make excellent hardware experiences, but I worry about their ability to introduce and work with media.'”
This is another reason why the rumored Apple tablet is so exciting: Apple knows how to partner with media, if iTunes is any indication. It’s a safe bet that Apple will get good content, it will look good, and the company will know how to present it to consumers. And that may be what helps buyers swallow the $1000 price tag: Apple will do the work of finding and curating the content for them, whereas with many other devices, they might end up trolling the net for eBooks, videos, and who-knows-what-else.
What do you think? Which eBook manufacturers have an “understanding of the media landscape?”
