Video after the cut

“I’m hoping we can get the newsroom more actively involved in the challenge of delivering our best journalism in the form of Times Reader, iPhone apps, WAP, or the impending Apple slate…” Bill Keller, Executive Editor, New York Times

In their favor, the NYT has a (recent) history of working with technology companies to deliver non-traditional media.  The paper is already available for digital, wireless download to Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader, and if the rumors suggesting that Apple are looking to position their tablet as – among other things – an ebook reader are true, it seems likely that the two companies will have worked together.

On the other hand, Keller’s mention of the Apple slate could merely be a reference to the ongoing rumors about the unconfirmed hardware, rumors that the NYT’s own technology section have commented on.  As a name “Apple slate” seems reasonably uninspiring, but if the speculation is to be believed we’ll have to wait until early 2010 to find out exactly what the official title is.

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/7166514[/vimeo]

[via Twitter and via 9to5Mac]

Those specs include a 9.7-inch capacitive touchscreen, integrated HSDPA module and a “long lasting” battery, though no claims on actual runtime have been made.  The Apple tablet is expected to use a P.A. Semi processor, again no huge surprise now that the company is under Cupertino’s broad umbrella.

As for pricing, that’s believed to fall somewhere in-between $799 and $999.  DynaPack are tipped to be providing the battery technology – complete with estimates of an ambitious 300,000 units per month – while Winktek will supply the touch panels.  The latter is already supplier for iPhone and iPod touch panels.

[via Engadget]

While the latter goes unexplained, it’s possible that the prices of flash memory meant outfitting the tablet with the sort of capacity that would differentiate it from the iPod touch, as well as avoid stepping on the toes of the SSD-equipped MacBook Air, proved economically unfeasible for the price point Apple have in mind.  Given that the tablet will, according to the WSJ and others, be positioned in no small part as a video consumption device, it will need sufficient capacity to store several hours of content.

Apple have declined to comment on the WSJ report, though leaks from staff have apparently indicated that employees on the tablet project are having to “readjust” to Jobs’ micro-management style.  Still, if Apple are to carve success out of the tablet niche, that sort of attention to detail is likely to be exactly what’s needed.

[Hat tip to @Gartenberg]

“One of Apple’s prototype devices is able to run all Mac applications, and allows for video and audio editing and graphic animation, Doherty says. Another, which looks like a larger iPod, lends itself to watching videos, playing games, and reading e-books.” BusinessWeek

Those two form-factors, Doherty suggests, would allow Apple to position their new tablets more specifically, and perhaps solve one of the biggest struggles rivals have experienced in their marketing: telling people exactly what to do with larger-scale touchscreen devices.  The smaller tablet, therefore, could be used as an ebook reader and gaming device, challenging Amazon’s Kindle, while the larger version would “run all Mac applications” (suggesting full OS X compatibility) and could be used as a touch-controlled AV and animation workstation.

The smaller device could also retail for around $679, Doherty speculates, taking a sizable bite out of netbook sales which lack the Apple brand-name.  Unsurprisingly Apple declined to comment on the rumors.

[via GottaBeMobile]

Gruber’s key complaint is that his own sources are telling him it won’t be until 2010 until the Apple Tablet arrives, which doesn’t tally with Lam’s insider.  That timescale is also shared by Jim Dalrymple, as we reported yesterday.

That given, and considering Lam’s source also doesn’t know what OS the tablet is running, is enough for Gruber to write-off the information.  Of course, it’s entirely possible that Gizmodo’s insider might have little or nothing to do with the hardware side of the tablet, and instead be on the marketing or design side of the project, in which case the gaps in knowledge might be more readily explained.  Still, we’re unlikely to find out until late in 2009 at the earliest and – if the current mood pans out – more likely early 2010.

Videos after the cut

As you might expect, the general opinion is that these are neatly-executed (though alluring) fakes.  ZDNet are concentrating on the technical faults, such as the text alignment and choice of fonts, while over at Gizmodo there’s internal revolt as Jesus Diaz suggests you’re looking at a series of emulator windows coupled together while Brian Lam argues that Apple’s usage paradigm may see more of a shift in the translation to a larger device from the iPod touch model.

The images, meanwhile, come from MacForums, where there’s talk of them being distributed by the same author of the video.  Fake or authentic – and the former does seem the most likely – they’ve restarted discussion about how Apple might manage the transition to a larger-screen device: simply inflate the iPod touch, as Lam describes “a zack morris sized version of the iPhone” or look to bring some more of OS X’s usability to the version of the platform currently seen on mobile devices.

[via TechCrunch]

As for sales, Munster is buoyant about the Apple tablet’s success.  He expects – like most other people – it to cost between $500 and $700, and to sell better than the Apple TV did in its first year.  He also tips an integrated 3G modem, with either A&T or Verizon the likely carrier partners and potentially subsidizing the device.  In fact, Munster predicts it will sell around two million units in its first 12 months of availability, generating $1.2bn and adding around 3-percent to Apple’s revenue stream in the 2010 calendar year.

That’s strong performance for something Gene describes as similar to an iPod touch, only larger, although he does suggest that it will have access not only to most of the existing 70,000 App Store titles but “a new category of apps designed for the bigger screen.”  He also believes it will compete with netbooks – being primarily for internet, email and digital media access – but not actually be a netbook, thus not contradicting Apple’s various enthusiastic denials that they have any intention of entering the budget ultraportable space.

This is not the first time the “iProd” identifier has been seen – in fact it was first flagged up back in March 2009 – but for the first time in the newest beta its been given a 1.1 version number.  The first iProd was 0.1, which is Apple shorthand for an internal or development project; the switch to 1.1 indicates that it is destined for release.

Of course, there’s no guarantee that this refers to the Apple tablet (aka Apple Media Pad) rather than another, more traditionally mobile device.  It could be linked to the upcoming iPod nano 5G which is tipped to include a camera, though it is perhaps unlikely that such a device would run the iPhone OS.

The final decision is now said to rest on Steve Jobs, with whose “final blessing” the factories will begin manufacture.  “It’s close enough now to a final design that in Asia, there’s no other product in the waiting room or in the bullpen” suggested the analyst, going on to fuel speculation that development of the device is an “open-secret” among ODMs there who are “all waiting to see what the Apple product is.”

Barron’s have also attached a price to the speculation – $699 to $799 – along with the presumption from Jon Peddie Research analyst Jon Peddie that the Apple tablet (aka the Apple Media Pad) “could fulfill a variety of multimedia functions currently taken up by a gaggle of individual consumer electronics devices.”   Prime among those is integration with Apple TV and the sort of casual gaming that has become popular with the iPhone and iPod touch.

[via 9to5Mac; via Twitter]

Those size and functionality details match up with Apple Insider’s sources, but they claim – and the Chinese-language paper reiterates – to have heard that the device is still not expected to arrive “before early 2010″.  There’s speculation that Apple Daily may be confusing the Media Pad with the new iPod touch, but the report specifically describes the unconfirmed device as “an enlarged iPod”.

Either way, it’s expected to arrive on the market in September or October, so as to hit the lucrative holiday market.  Foxconn is the manufacturer tipped to be assembling the device, the same company – Hon Hai Precision Industry – as manufacturers Apple’s existing iPod range.

[via Apple Insider]

Unlike existing digital artwork which can accompany media downloads, which general amount to the image file counterparts of a CD cover, Cocktail will apparently be far more interactive and – so the industry hopes – compelling.  “It’s not just a bunch of PDFs” an executive is quoted as saying, “there’s real engagement with the ancillary stuff.”  With Cocktail in place, which could come as early as September – the same timeframe as Apple’s usual iPod launch event – the hope is that consumers will move to buying full albums rather than cherry-picking individual tracks.

As for the Apple Media Pad, it’s tipped to connect to the internet via WiFi but be unlikely to have a 3G connection, and an unnamed entertainment executive has said “it’s going to be fabulous for watching movies.”  Another possibility is that it will offer ebook functionality, taking on Amazon’s Kindle.

[Thanks Alexander!]

Sanada expects the device to be B5-sized, or approximately 5 x 7.25 inches, and with similar styling to the iPod touch and iPhone.  In keeping with the recent rumors about the Apple Media Pad, it would be dominated by a large, capacitive touchscreen and bridge the gap between Apple’s smartphone and PMP range and their full-sized notebooks.

Interestingly, the concept shows a mixture of both desktop OS X and the cut-down version of the platform used on the iPod touch.  The standard icon screen from the PMP is more a launcher here, with the usual Apple-logo menu up in the top left-hand corner. 

Whether this is what the tipped 8 to 9-inch touchscreen device will actually be like is anyone’s guess, but we’re suckers for a decent mock-up.  According to the latest leaks, however, we could find out before the end of the year; a launch with Verizon providing integrated EVDO Rev.A connectivity is suggested.

According to their unnamed source, the device may also have a keyboard, but Apple and Verizon “won’t be as tightly integrated” as the Cupertino company is with AT&T on the iPhone.  Apparently the prototype Media Pad has been ready for nearly twelve months, while Apple debated which market was ready for such a device and how best to deal with the expected high purchase price.

What’s now expected is that Verizon will subsidize the Media Pad with a data-only contract, though it’s unclear to what extent that will bring the cost down.  The Street seem to suggest it might be more in line with $300 netbooks, but that seems merely speculation rather than information from any particular source.  Apple and Verizon’s collaboration has already been suggested, back in April this year; we wrote:

“As for the Apple Media Pad, details are similarly scant [as the rumored Verizon iPhone Lite] but it’s described as being smaller physically than the Amazon Kindle 2, but with a proportionally larger display.  That touchscreen – which is likely to be a capacitive panel in keeping with the iPod touch and iPhone – can be used to navigate music and photos, together with watching high-definition videos.  The Apple Media Pad would also support VoIP over its WiFi connection, and might be based on the same SoC as in the Verizon iPhone Lite.”

[via CrunchGear]

Other manufacturers involved include Foxconn and Dynapack, the report continues, and suggests that Apple will unsurprisingly position their device as a premium model rather than a direct competitor to touchscreen netbooks such as the ASUS Eee PC T91.  While it will be announced in October, they claim, it may ship a little later; Apple are tipped to be looking to corner the holiday market with the new device.

The Apple Tablet (aka Apple Media Pad, aka Apple Netbook) was rumored to make an appearance at the WWDC back in March, but failed to materialize.  Apple traditionally announce their new iPod range in September, so the October rumors indicate the Tablet could be a more distinct product line.

[via Gizmodo; Image credit Adam Benton]

That excitement is tempered with the ongoing rumors that stocks may be severely curtailed on launch day.  Not only have Best Buy and RadioShack insiders been talking of minimal handset numbers come June 6th, Sprint’s own CEO is warning that the Pre will likely be in short supply for the first couple of months.  The concern is that all of Palm’s momentum since CES back in January could fizzle out, as Apple are expected to announce a third-generation iPhone two days after the Pre’s launch.

Elsewhere in the Apple ecosystem, notorious analyst Gene Munster pooh-pooh’d talk of an Apple Media Pad anytime before 2010.  That leaves the stage free for some less impressive, but undoubtedly less expensive alternatives, and the best are coming from little-known names in the Far East.  SmartQ’s 7 MID has a bargain $189 sticker and we saw the first unit unboxed earlier this week, while Korean firm mintpass are talking about their second-gen mintpad.  Slightly closer to launch, Archos are expected to announce their Android 3G PMP/MID on June 11th.

If something larger, with a full hardware keyboard, is your preference, then we’ve seen a few interesting netbooks this week.  Dell’s Latitude 2100 has a serious education bent to it, but could still find favor with mainstream buyers, while ASUS did their best to swell Eee PC ranks with the 1005HA and 1000HV, the latter toting a discrete ATI Radeon graphics chipset.

Finally, Pentax’s K-7 DSLR finished lurking about in the shadows and instead got all official, while Google pushed out v2 of their Chrome browser.  Plus we unboxed and brought you a video demo of the BenQ Joybee GP1 pocket-projector; slightly bigger than a pico-projector, but promising higher quality along with the extra size.  We’ll tell you whether it lives up to the promise in the full review this week.

This round of leaks throws in the news that the Apple device is an “e-book form factor netbook product”, which fits in with the recent talk of a handheld touchscreen slate-format device.  Expected to slot in-between the iPod touch and a normal Apple notebook, the Media Pad will prioritize internet access and VoIP, and have integrated WiFi.

Foxconn have been suggested as the likely OEM responsible for the manufacturer of the Media Pad.  Recently an analyst predicted that the device, while in development, would not reach the market until 2010 because of issues stabilizing mobile OS X.

“We expect the development of such an OS to be underway currently, but its complexity, along with our conversations with a key company in the mobile space, leads us to believe it will not launch until CY10″ Gene Munster, analyst, Piper Jaffray

Apple execs have been vocal regarding their disdain for the netbook segment, with Tim Cook notably describing the budget ultraportables as “junky hardware” with “cramped keyboards” and “bad software”.  Nonetheless, he told investors and analysts that the company has “some interesting ideas” on how to deliver “an innovative product that really makes a contribution.”

That innovation is expected to be a roughly 10-inch capacitive touchscreen device, similar in design to a larger iPod touch.  This would focus on internet access, with WiFi and VoIP functionality.

Meanwhile, Motorola’s Calgary was tipped to be the company’s first Android device – and Verizon Wireless’ first, to boot – which made up for the manufacturer canning two other upcoming handsets.  Samsung’s Omnia HD i8910 was reviewed, and managed to whet our appetite for the rumored Omnia Pro complete with a slide-out QWERTY keyboard.  If that wasn’t enough, leaks from the Palm camp tipped the upcoming Eos, a candybar-format replacement to the aging Centro.  Remember, you can keep up with all the latest Android and Palm news at Android Community and My Pre, respectively.

Apple have made their usual rumor round this week, with word that the company have been negotiating with Verizon for an exclusive cellphone.  Hot speculation tips it as an LTE iPhone, though there’s also talk of an “iPhone Lite” and a UMPC-rivaling Apple Media Pad.  Just to keep us on the very edges of our seats, a fan mockup of the latter managed to make us forget the name and manufacturer of every Windows UMPC on the market from the past two years.

Acer’s Aspire One nettop hit review benches, and proved a mixed bag.  The NVIDIA Ion 1080p-capable GPU is every bit as impressive as we were warned to expect, but it’s let down by the single-core Intel Atom CPU they’ve paired it up with.  Not everyone is disappointed with Atom, however: this stunning Filofax MID concept is based on the low-power Intel chip, while ASRock and Pegatron have both based NVIDIA Ion nettops on the processor.

Meanwhile Acer’s Aspire One 751 11.6-inch netbook launched officially, finally including a full spec list, and Microsoft released Windows 7 RC to MSDN subscribers; the general public can expect the OS RC on May 5th, while Acer tip the full release as happening on October 23rd.  While you’re waiting for that, you can read our review of the AAXA P1 pico-projector; can you see it fitting into your life?  Our A/V expert Daniel Lim wasn’t sure.

It’s enough to prompt the magazine’s futurologists into making some predictions, anyway.  They reckon the Media Pad will have integrated HSUPA for constant contact with Apple’s servers, storing all documents and media in the ‘cloud’ and allowing the device itself to make do with a smaller SSD.  The dock would have USB and FireWire, plus Mini DisplayPort, and Bluetooth would be used for peripherals like headsets and keyboards.  OS would be the same as found on the iPhone and iPod touch, scaled up to suit a larger display.

Of course, all that is speculation.  What’s believed so far – according to BusinessWeek – is that the Apple Media Pad is a roughly Kindle-sized device dominated by a large touchscreen, and having WiFi and VoIP functionality. 

[via 9to5Mac; thanks Steve!]

According to the sources, the iPhone Lite is smaller and thinner than the current iPhone 3G, and built around a SoC (System on a Chip) that combines and reduces the bulk of the standard components.  It would be less expensive than the iPhone 3G, and be intended predominantly for calls rather than the full gamut of smartphone functionality.

As for the Apple Media Pad, details are similarly scant but it’s described as being smaller physically than the Amazon Kindle 2, but with a proportionally larger display.  That touchscreen – which is likely to be a capacitive panel in keeping with the iPod touch and iPhone – can be used to navigate music and photos, together with watching high-definition videos.  The Apple Media Pad would also support VoIP over its WiFi connection, and might be based on the same SoC as in the Verizon iPhone Lite.

The sources suggest that one of the devices could launch as early as this Summer, and given the AT&T exclusivity agreement – which ends in 2010 – there’s speculation that the Apple Media Pad may be the first to arrive.  However the terms of Apple’s contract with AT&T are not fully known, and if they can argue that the iPhone Lite for Verizon is a separate category of product then they may be able to deliver it to the rival network sooner.  It’s unlikely that the Apple iPhone Lite is a CDMA device, though, given the company’s public antipathy toward the US-centric technology, leaving either GSM – which Verizon do not support in the US – or LTE, the first network roll-out of which is promised by the carrier in 2010.

Rumors have circulated for months now about orders for 10-inch displays and capacitive touch panels placed by Apple.  The early assumption was that the company planned a touchscreen netbook, but it now looks as though the panels could be intended for the Apple Media Pad.  It’s also possible that the recent talk of a 5-megapixel camera could refer to the same device.

[mockup image via]