Apple tablet/netbook rumoured for October launch at $800

There have been numerous rumours over whether or not Apple plans to launch a ‘netbook’ type device, to attack the lower-end of the computing market. Today’s rumour is that an Apple ‘tablet’ is coming and will launch in October costing around the $800 mark.

The story comes from The China Times, where it reports that Apple is trying to launch the device in time for the Christmas shopping season. It also says that Wintek will be providing the touch panels, whilst Foxconn will be manufacturing the tablet. Both of these names have been mentioned before in these rumours, adding to the likelihood of their involvement. Read more

Wintek once again touted as touchscreen supplier for Apple tablet

They very first rumours of a proposed Apple netbook or tablet were kicked off at the beginning of March, when reports surfaced that Wintek was to supply touch panels for the rumoured netbook. This news is being reaffirmed today according to a Digitimes report that suggests Wintek has been confirmed as the “panel module supplier for Apple’s upcoming e-book form factor netbook product.”

There ‘s not much more to the report than that. The original story suggested that shipments of these touch panels were expected in Q3 2009. If this rumour is true, it would put paid to rumours that Apple was working on an OLED tablet with the screen supplied by LG. Although, according to analysts, the rumoured netbook, tablet or Media Pad will not arrive until the first half of 2010.

Analyst: Apple tablet to cost $500 – $700, launch in H1 2010

There have been many rumours regarding what a rumoured Apple netbook / tablet / Media Pad will look like. Now an analyst at Piper Jaffray’s has thrown his views into the mix. According to Gene Munster, Apple’s tablet device will fill the gap between the iPod touch and the MacBook. It will cost between $500 and $700, run App Store apps and arrive in the first half of 2010.

“We are anticipating a new category of Apple products, with an operating system more robust than the iPhone’s but optimized for multi-touch. We expect the end result to be launched later but with more dramatic differentiation than the Street is expecting,” Munster said. Read more

Rumour: Apple lowering Mac prices to fend off netbooks

Apple is planning to cut prices on its iMac and MacBook lines “according to people who’ve proven extremely reliable in predicting Apple’s future business directions,” AppleInsider reports. The real juice from the report though is that the move isn’t a response to Microsoft’s recent advertising blitz, but more to combat the growth of netbooks.

Apple’s COO Tim Cook recently described the netbook in its current form as “junky”, the same sources for the report maintain that Apple has no plans to cater for the netbook market as it exists today.

This would be seen as interim solution until Apple is ready to introduce its own take of what a netbook should be. This is a project that is taking longer to complete than anticipated says the report. So it looks like we may be waiting a bit longer for that rumoured 10-inch Apple tablet.

Apple readying wireless “media pad” for Verizon?

Apple has consistently denied rumours that it plans to enter the netbook segment as we know it. During its latest quarterly results, an Apple executive even went as far as dismissing netbooks as “junky”. At the same time, Apple said it would look to make an “innovative product” and had some interesting ideas of its own. We are now hearing a rumour that Apple is set to launch a “media pad” in conjunction with Verizon Wireless.

A report from BusinessWeek suggests that this Apple media pad will be used to listen to music, view photos and watch HD content. It could also be used to make phone calls over a wireless connection. It is unknown what type of form this media pad would take, but could this be the Apple tablet that has been rumoured for so long? Read more

Apple: Netbooks are ‘junky’, has ideas of its own

There has been many rumours in recent months over whether Apple will release its own entry into the netbook space. However, during its latest quarterly results Apple appeared to shoot down any ideas that we will see a netbook as exists in its current form. In fact, Apple tore into current netbooks which half bordered into rant territory.

“For us, it’s about doing great products. And when I look at what is being sold in the netbook space today, I see cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, very small screens, and just not a consumer experience, and not something that we would put the Mac brand on quite frankly. And so, it’s not a space as it exists today that we are interested in, nor do we believe that customers in the long term would be interested in. It’s a segment we would choose not to play in,” said Apple’s Chief Operating Officer, Tim Cook. Read more

Steve Jobs working on Apple’s rumoured netbook?

Apple’s head honcho, Steve Jobs, is apparently working on Apple’s new portable device according to the Wall Street Journal. The report suggests that Apple is working on a netbook/tablet that is smaller than its current laptop computers but larger than the iPhone (kind of obvious!) It’s hard to say what this Apple netbook would look like exactly — it seems none of the Apple tipster sites have yet to get a good grasp on it, but that hasn’t stopped the speculation.

We have already heard a number of rumours regarding an Apple netbook or tablet device. This includes the news that Apple has apparently placed an order with Wintek to supply 10-inch touch panels, with shipments of the panel expected in Q3 2009. There have also been rumours that the device will use flash storage and even rumours that it will have an OLED screen.

MacRumors suggests: “Apple’s ongoing research into multi-touch, however, has generated speculation that Apple may incorporate more advanced gesturing into a future device.” This may point to a tablet device without physical keyboard. Steve Jobs, who has been absent from the public arena due to health troubles, is expected to take up a full time roll again from June. Could this coincide with the release of Apple’s rumoured portable device?