Apple's iPad tablet computer will be available with 30,000 free books when it launches on April 3rd, dpa quoted reports as saying today on a US technology website. According to the site Appadvice.com, which focuses on Apple products, the books will come from the free digital library run by Project Gutenberg, which digitizes literature that's in the public domain because its copyright has expired. The books will add to thousands of paid titles and magazines that are also expected to be available at the much anticipated launch. Newspapers like The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times are to launch new editions designed to take advantage of the device's mobility and touch screen features, while developers are expected to release thousands of iPad applications. Analysts predict that the iPad could ignite demand for tablet computers, with manufacturers expected to sell 50 million of the devices annually by 2014 in addition to sales of smartphones and netbooks. "Tablets have quickly become a high priority for competitors across the value chain, including mobile operators," said Jim McGregor, an In-Stat analyst last month. "Even more important is that the opportunity in tablets is complementary to other mobile devices, particularly smartphones and netbooks." Tablet computers currently sell only about 1 million units per year.
