Industry Execs Weigh In on iPad

(photo courtesy of Apple Inc.)

by Mike Shields and Lucia Moses, Mediaweek

Traditional media — notably representatives from the reeling print world — were conspicuously absent from Apple’s elaborate rollout of the iPad, its highl -anticipated tablet computing device.

But publishers, advertisers and analysts remain optimistic that magazines and newspapers will ultimately receive a readership and business boost from the new product, which was unveiled during a press event in San Francisco yesterday.

Expressing a desire to create a third category between laptop computers and smartphones, Apple CEO Steve Jobs finally revealed specifics on the iPad: it features a 9.7-inch display screen, weighs 1.5 pounds and is a half-inch thick. And despite rumors of prices in the thousand-dollar range, consumers can snag one for as low as $499.

FOR THE COMPLETE STORY CLICK HERE