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By David Rothman

image The rumored Apple tablet, shown in the unofficial concept image, could go on sale March 1 in Germany for $500-$600 with a contract and perhaps $999 without.

So go reports that MacRumors is passing on from Europe.

Note the operative word here, the name of the publication; but at least this is fun water-cooler talk. Significantly, the info is based on a tweet that a major Germany electronic retailer went on to delete. Standard media line is that the tablet could remake the e-book business. Perhaps: I’ve always liked multiuse devices with decent screens. But at $1,000 without a contract—assuming the rumors are true? Just what will Apple need to make the tablet a success in e-books and other areas?

[Update: The MacRumors report turned out to be from a fake Twitter account that did not actually belong to the business magazine it was named for. —C.M.]

Other links of interest today:

–As expected, many developers are gung ho on the Apple tablet’s possibilities. Hmm. I wonder if the tablet could finally be the excuse for Amazon to unleash a version of Stanza that could read the Kindle’s DRMed format. Stanza is far, far more customizable than Amazon’s current Kindle for the iPhone.

–The Kindle, especially the DX, flunks as a news e-reader for students—at least for now, when it lacks the color touch screen that young people cherish on smart phones.  So finds a study at the University of Georgia. What do you think, gang? I say, “Depends on the user, and college students are on the go and don’t want to worry about toting a larger device, especially a DX-sized one. And yet the Kindle could be fine for some stay-at-home retirees.”

–And speaking of news readers, the New York Times has appointed someone to oversee reader apps—sorry: I can’t find the item with  the link. Her Job Number One, as I see it, might be to give the Times Reader for desktops and laptops a truly bigger-font option, especially since many of its users are older. Also I wonder if the Times couldn’t bundle the news app with a book reader app and work out special deals with book publishers. One way to help boost revenue from the book review?

–The Washington Post hopes to have an iPhone app out this quarter.

–News people are hoping that users will be more inclined to pay for news when read on an Apple tablet than on a desktop. Will you?

 
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