It's Apple tablet day, and since Apple has a level of security that beats the C.I.A., no one really what these things will actually be like, but that doesn't stop a wave of a wild speculation. 

However, with the general success and market domination of Apple products (seriously, do you spend much time thinking about Zunes?), you'd have to believe that the existing producers of e-book readers are sitting on the edge of their plush, executive seats today.  Publishers are on edge as well...how will this change the market for electronically distributed books?  How will Amazon react?  Will there be a price war on titles?  It's a lot to think about and it will likely take a while for the smoke to clear to actually know what will happen next, but what we can be happy about as authors, editors, publishers, agents, and readers is that people are excited for an innovate device that will likely help them read more. 

While it could be argued that the iPod/MP3 revolution was a mixed blessing for the music industry, in a number of ways, the breakdown of existing distribution methods for music (the record store and physical product) meant that anyone could get their music out for the public to hear, for better or worse.  If the Apple tablet (whatever it'll be called) offers the richer, more interactive reading experience some expect it will, publishers can offer super-books, with author interviews, updated content, and enhanced audio and video.  On the other hand, maybe the tablet will allow the author frustrated by an agent/publisher system that won't recognize the genius of his or her work to go direct to the consumer, without the significant overhead of self-publishing and possibly make some money from their work.  Paper bound and sold will always hold a certain appeal, but a publishing world without limits has a different, more expansive charm.