Publishers are reportedly eying the rumored Apple tablet, which is said to have a screen of 10-inch, as an alternative to electronic readers like the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader as well as hardcopy and print editions of journals, magazines, and other publications.

The latest report stems from a news story from the Financial Times, which states that Time Inc. is evaluating the Apple tablet as a publishing medium for digital content. This latest report corroborates an earlier rumor and leak that states that Apple is actually reaching out to content publishers to have their works published on iTunes for a new piece of hardware. For those unfamiliar, iTunes is the software that synchronizes Apple’s portable products like the iPod and iPhone with digital contents like music (either user loaded via CDs or purchased through the iTunes Music Store online), apps, audiobooks, movies, and TV shows. Books and digital works would add to the large digital catalog that the iTunes Store already offers for purchase.

It seems now that the focus has shifted for Apple. Instead of highlighting the rumored tablet for music and video playback, Apple seems to be reaching out to print content creators, like newspapers and magazines, according to Gizmodo.

Apple’s latest consumer-centric tablet will also receive some competition from rival Microsoft. While Microsoft already is working with PC manufacturers to release devices that run on Windows XP, Windows Vista, and Windows 7 as Tablet PCs, the company is said to be working on its own hardware and software, which will run on Windows 7, in a prototype device called the Courier.

Source: AppleInsider