Has NYT executive editor Bill Keller accidentally let slip details of Apple’s upcoming tablet? That’s the big question after video footage of the paper’s Internal Neiman Jornalism Lab leaked out, in which Keller mentions delivering journalism to “the impending Apple slate”. Some sites are seeing this as confirmation not only that Apple are developing the tablet and working with news organisations, but of the name of the device itself.
Video after the cut
The ongoing Apple Tablet rumors may have taken a rest last week as the company’s new iPod range held the stage, but if you expected much respite then think again. According to the usual unnamed industry sources – this time talking to CENS – Apple are planning to launch the new tablet in February 2010, with component deliveries expected to begin in December this year. In addition to the new timeline, many of the specifications we’ve already heard have been reconfirmed.
The Apple Tablet rumors had been flagging over the past few days, so it’s handy that the Wall Street Journal has come along with a shot of adrenaline and some interesting suggestions about the scale of Steve Jobs’ involvement. In a piece that has already seen Jobs fire off an email suggesting “much of your information is incorrect”, the paper claims two iterations of the tablet project have been euthanized by the outspoken CEO in recent years; first, because battery life proved unsatisfactory, and second because of “insufficient memory”.
The idea that an Apple tablet may not arrive in September and may in fact only be forthcoming in early 2010 seems pretty well accepted now, but according to one market research group we should be expecting two devices from the Cupertino company. According to Richard Doherty of the Envisioneering Group, Apple have been working on two prototype tablets: one with a 6-inch touchscreen, which resembles a large iPod touch, and another with a bigger touchscreen.
The problem with quoting your “insider” at Apple – or any company for that matter – is that somebody else can come along and quote their own, seemingly higher-placed insider back at you. Daring Fireball’s John Gruber has taken Gizmodo’s Brian Lam to task on some of the Apple Tablet “leaked details” published this week, and the phrase “So Lam’s source is an “insider” but has no idea what the OS is and has the ship date wrong. Sure” gives a good indication of how legitimate he thinks it is.
Much argument and debate today, as various photos and videos purporting to show Apple’s upcoming tablet (aka the Apple Media Pad) emerge. The short clips demonstrate various applications – seemingly from the standard Apple App Store – being run concurrently on the same device, together with boot-up and what’s said to be the development platform.
Videos after the cut
It’s been a few months since we last heard Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster’s opinion on Apple’s much-rumored tablet, so happily the always-opinionated man is back with not only some pricing, sales and hardware predictions, but a slick render too. According to Munster, his sources in Asia have tipped an unnamed manufacturer winning the contract from Apple to produce the touchscreen device, with fulfillment at the end of 2009; that, he says, underscores his previous assertions of an early 2010 launch.
Mention of a new device in the latest beta of iPhone OS 3.1 has prompted further speculation that Apple’s much-rumored tablet will run the mobile platform rather than a full build of OS X. The device – listed as iProd1.1 – was spotted in the USBDeviceConfiguration.plist file, complete with a new product ID.
The Apple tablet runaway rumor train continues, with word from Barron’s that an unnamed “veteran” analyst has seen first-hand the upcoming touchscreen slate. In keeping with earlier speculation and leaks, the device is tipped to arrive in November after a September announcement, and is potentially being positioned as a home media and gaming platform. According to the analyst, “it’s better than the average movie experience, when you hold this thing in your hands.”
The September launch speculation for Apple’s tablet – aka the Apple Media Pad - continues, with Chinese newspaper Apple Daily reporting that Wintek have won the contract for the touchscreen device’s display, while Dynapack ITC will be supplying the battery. The paper goes on to describe the device as having a 10-inch display and 3G connectivity, tipping its launch at the same time as Apple’s iPod refresh in September.
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