Apple still working on content for iPad

While the Wall Street Journal says that Apple has pre-sold hundreds of thousands of iPads, it adds that there's still a piece missing in this picture. That piece is content.

According to the WSJ, with only slightly more than two weeks left before the iPad hits Apple retail stores (April 3rd), the company is still in deep negotiations in attempts to tie up licensing deals pre-launch. In particular, Apple is trying to get the price lowered on TV shows that users could downloaded directly to the iPad.

Because of the need to complete these deals, Apple has toned down its expectations for the launch of the device, specifically around the area of newspaper, magazines, book and textbook content to focus on other media.

Despite the hold Apple has over much media with the iTunes Store, negotiations have been difficult, the WSJ said. The iPad is an unknown quantity, and the paper reported that deals have dragged out as "some potential collaborators weigh the advantages of working with Apple against the potential threats to their current sources of revenue."

As with statements made by some of those eschewing the earliest 3DTVs, without content, the case for new technology, whether iPad or 3DTV, is lessened.