In April 2010, Apple launched the iPad, its multifunctional tablet, in
the U.S. for US$499, with an iBookstore of 60,000 ebooks, and many more
to come from partnerships with publishers. The iPad was available in a
few European countries in June 2010. After the iPod (launched in
October 2001) and the iPhone (launched in January 2007), two cult
devices for a whole generation, Apple has also become a key player for
digital books.
April 2010 > A quote by Catherine Domain, bookseller and publisher of
travel books
Catherine Domain, founder in 1971 of the Ulysses bookstore, the oldest
travel bookstore in the world, has become a publisher of travel books
in April 2010. She wrote in an email: "The internet has taken more and
more space in my life! On April 1st, I started being a publisher after
some painful training in Photoshop, InDesign, and others. This is also
great to see that the political will to keep people in front of their
computers - for them not to start a revolution - can be defeated by
giant and spontaneous happy hours [in Europe, through Facebook] with
thousands of people who want to see - and speak with - each other in
person. There will always be unexpected developments to new inventions.
When I started using the internet [in 1999, to create the bookstore's
website], I really didn't expect to become a publisher."