What, oh what, is the ever mysterious Apple planning for the end of this month?
Kara Swisher of All Things Digital broke the news that Apple is reportedly planning an event for January. It's not what you're thinking: Swisher emphasized that the event would not feature the unveiling of the iPad 3, the next-gen tablet that has long been rumored for a release some time between February and April 2012. Also off the table is any kind of announcement surrounding Apple's television, the much-hyped product, teased by Steve Jobs' biographer Walter Isaacson in several interviews, that will supposedly revolutionize TVs with its reported radical new interface and potential integration with voice assistant Siri.
No, neither the so-called "iTV" nor the iPad 3 are the subject of January's event, per Swisher. Instead, according to TechCrunch's Alexia Tsotsis, the stars of the event at month's end will be iBooks and book publishing.
From Tsotsis' post, on our Aol sister site TechCrunch:
According to the source the event will not involve any hardware at all and instead will focus on publishing and eBooks (sold through Apple’s iBooks platform) rather than iAds. Attendance will also be more publishing industry-oriented than consumer-focused.
Past that, details remain scant, but several ideas that have been floated in the blogosphere.
Apple blog TUAW is hoping that iBooks will become available to read on Mac laptops and desktops; Mac Rumors wonders whether Apple might begin selling textbooks, as Jobs told his biographer Isaacson he hoped to revolutionize the textbook industry; and another Apple site, TiPb, is wishing for a better selection of iBooks, one that could compete with Amazon's selection for the Kindle (per the two companies, Amazon has over a million titles, while Apple has over 700,000). A partnership with Barnes & Noble, a once-rumored acquisition target for Apple, could help with the latter; however, given B&N's own hardware (including the recently released NOOK Tablet), this seems unlikely.
Apple, as is its wont, is staying quiet, and has not responded to a request for comment nor confirmed that it is holding any kind of event in New York City this January. We'll keep you updated as details emerge.
What do you think Apple is planning for this mysterious event? Do you think there will be one at all? Let us know in the comments.
Check out the slideshow (below) for a look at the worst Apple rumors from 2011.
