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Apple Working With Old Media To Reshape Content Delivery

Yukari Iwatani Kane and Ethan Smith write that Steve Jobs' ambitions for the new tablet device he will unveil next week are perhaps even grander than what Apple has achieved in reshaping the music distribution business with its iPod devices and iTunes e-store. This time, he's looking to redefine the way we read newspapers and magazines, study textbooks, check our email, watch our television and play our videogames.

At the same time, Jobs is not out to bury traditional media, it would appear, but rather to help it to transform itself into a lucrative digital business. Jobs is "supportive of the old guard and [he] looks to help them by giving them new forms of distribution," says a person who has worked with him. "What drives all of these changes is technology, and Apple has an ability to influence that."

One hump Apple faces is convincing consumers that they need yet another device that is rumored to cost about $1,000. Others say that the tablet will be marketed as device that can be readily shared by family members, with innovations such as a built-in camera that automatically recognizes individuals.

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