That’s enough to convince some the I-reader is on its way
The Apple guru told the New York Times that, “I’m sure there will always be dedicated devices, and they may have a few advantages in doing just one thing, but I think the general-purpose devices will win the day. Because I think people just probably aren’t willing to pay for a dedicated device.” Apple, he declared, just doesn’t see e-books as a big market at this point, and pointed out that Amazon.com, for example, doesn’t ever say how many Kindles it sells. “Usually, if they sell a lot of something, you want to tell everybody.” Clear enough, but then again, over the years, Jobs and his lieutenants have routinely suggested that certain features or products are a no-go area—before jumping in, in a big way. Back in 2004, Jobs said that Apple wasn’t working on a video iPod because consumers didn’t want to watch long movies on tiny screens. A year later, Apple released the video-capable fifth-generation iPod. In 2005, when Apple announced its ill-fated partnership to create iTunes-compatible phones with Motorola, senior Apple executive Eddy Cue said that not only did the company not want to move into the phone market, it also wanted to avoid the high-end market. Two years later, partially because of frustrations of working with Motorola, the company announced a little product called the iPhone. And then there is the almost mythical tablet Mac: something that Jobs has denied for years, but that numerous, well-sourced reports have said is all but certain in the coming months. Even if it never emerges, it’s clear that the staff in Cupertino are working feverishly on a product that fits the bill. Only one thing’s certain: when Steve Jobs says people don’t want e-book readers, that doesn’t mean Apple won’t make one.