The rumors have been floating around the Internet, and with each passing day as we get closer to Apple’s January 27th media announcement, they get more and more elaborate and realistic.
The most recent rumors turning out have been about an Apple-branded tablet device. Pretty much a Macbook without a keyboard, but with a touch screen, or (as some have described the device) an over-sized iPod touch.
I have no doubt that Apple has been working on a tablet over the past few years, as rumors of the long awaited device have been circling the Internet for a number of years. And, in typical Apple fashion, Apple has neither confirmed nor denied the existence of the device.
A multi-touchscreen tablet Internet device is just one of the boosts Apple needs at the beginning of this new decade. Apple’s product line has slowly been settling down, and in some cases, shrinking. While the company touts 8 consumer-based computing devices, not including the multiple iPods or the iPhone. I have found that I have actually lost interest in the iMac and Mac Pro computers, and have really found the MacBook Pro and iPhone to be the only two major computers Apple advertises the most.
I had my doubts in 2008 regarding an “ultra-portable” notebook from Apple. I just didn’t see the need or the demand for Apple to enter this segment of mobile computing. But, alas, Apple did enter the ultra-thin, ultra-portable notebook market. Since then, I have less skeptical of Apple rumors, while taking in the practicality factor.
While I do see Apple announcing a Sub-$1000 tablet computer, I’d rather see the Cupertino-based company release a 10” netbook, say a “MacBook Mini” or something. I think that if they focused their attention on a $400-$600 sub notebook, they could generate more interest in snatching up Windows users whom don’t want to ‘take the plunge’ into spending nearly a grand on an Apple they may use sparingly.
As I stated before, an Apple tablet is coming down the pipeline, and if Apple can maintain it’s growth better than the Mac Mini or the Apple TV, Apple could not only reignite the tablet computing, but lead the way. Apple has already done this in 4 short years after releasing the iPhone, which set the standard for a couple of years until clones, knock-offs, and legitimate competitors reached the market.
