iLounge’s Jeremy Horwitz, citing “a reliable source—who correctly called the iPod nano 5G, iPhone 3GS and Chinese iPhone 3G months ago,” reports that Apple has so far created at least three separate prototypes of its tablet computer.
Version 1 was designed with a 7” screen, which was judged to be too small. The latest version has a 10.7” screen, according to the report.
Horwitz lists 10 bullet points:
• It runs iPhone OS.
• Looks like an iPhone 3G, complete with a curved back.
• 2 models: one with 3G networking capabilities and one without (think bigscreen iPhone 3GS and bigscreen iPod touch).
• 5-6 times the screen resolution of an iPod touch or iPhone screen (720p or thereabouts) and 7 times the touchable surface area.
• Designed to be a slate-like replacement for books and magazines, plus all of the media, gaming, app, and web functionality of the iPhone or iPod touch depending on the model.
• Not a netbook competitor per se. It’s an iPhone OS media player and light communication device.
• Announced on or before January 19, 2010, goes on sale in May or June.
• Project awaits Steve Jobs’ approval; chances of it appearing in the market are believed to be 80% at this point.
Full article here.
I so need to find a job soon so i can afford this.
Just ordered mine on store.apple.com/uk
Part of this is in error. It will be more powerful than just a media pad and will not be limited to just iPhone OS. This rumor is just one toe of the elephant.
why would it have a curved back? so it can rock like a rocking chair when you set it on a table? huh?
Timeline makes sense…
Remember they can’t suddenly spring it on the market since the FCC submission becomes public information, just like the iPhone in 2007.
Will be fun to see the scrambling by the competition…
IPhone mega?
Bull! Nothing over 7 inches wide screen, max! Apple isn’t that stupid. A 5 year old playing games on a Touch is like me playing the same on something just less than twice as big. 10 inches…no way…somebody brainfarted bigtime. Carry around a 10 inch piece of cardboard and tap it with your finger for an hour. You will WEAR OUT! Add the weight of a tablet and it is impossible to use!
Only a slightly bigger Touch would work.
I need this thing to have a small keyboard. Screen keyboards are fine for pocket devices, but when the screen gets bigger — and we need to do some serioius work while travelling — we need a small keyboard.
The biggest thing that depresses me about all this talk of tablets is the notion that they’re not going to have a physical keyboard.
When writing an article, e.g. MS Word, I don’t want to be writing on a glass screen.
These small devices would be great for travellers who need to do some serious work, e.g. word processing of documents.
I just need an Apple netbook. Nothing fancy. Nothing inventive. Just give us a 10″ MacBook Pro with good keyboard. Can’t Apple just do the normal thing. Why do they have to be so darn creative.
@Jamie
I beat you to it. Already ordered mine months before you did from this Chinese street vendor in Hong Kong. It’s awesome!
@J^3,
It’s kind of not a tablet if it has a physical keyboard. At that point, it’s more of a notebook computer… Maybe you need an Air. What if the “iTablet” had the touchscreen keyboard for casual unencumbered use, but a cool, thin portable BlueTooth keyboard for more intensive writing.
Just rumours…….don’t believe it people. No iTablet…..iCal this comment.
Wow, every week the mythical Apple tablet gets a little bit bigger! Just last week it was 9.6″!
By January it should hit 24″!
Me, I’m hoping there will be a 6″ or 7″model. 10″ would be a honker to lug around and use.
@JJJ Save some money on hankies and buy a 13″ MacBook Pro! They’re surprisingly small. (I have one sitting next to my 15-inch MBP) They even have real, full-sized keyboards. Imagine that!
@JJJ
Just wait until someone invents a hard keyboard for it then. Someone already invented one for the iPhone. If it comes with a USB port, then no need to wait.
Please, someone to give me the formula to calculate Any height and width of the screen based on the diagonal measure of inches? What? I forgot it, allright?
Thank you.
Mesa have a bombad feelin’ bout’ this!
To those who need a physical keyboard:
This device, if it ever exists, may not be right for you. You want a sports car, but with four doors. No can do.
However, perhaps this device will work with a Bluetooth wireless keyboard.
why would it have a curved back? so it can rock like a rocking chair when you set it on a table? huh?
—
LOL!
It rocks like butter!… er…huh??
I’m sure it will have a keyboard and I’m sure it won’t have a USB port. Did everyone forget about the patent applications showing the screen-on-an-easle design? I guess it will sit in a cradle and wirelessly connect to everything.
Unless Apple plans on also releasing a version of iWork for the iPhone OS… then I am not so excited. My applications for this type of machine would be for teaching and training, and maybe some remote work. Plus watching movies on a kick-a$$ sized screen.
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I hope they are able to get OSX working on this, or at least port some common productivity apps over.
Some body has been sniff’n too much of their own own butt oder.
1) Apple as no reason to announce a product in January that is not going to be available until May or June.
2) a curved back on a that is 10″+ would make is unusable and unstable..
3) I still think that Apple is using the Tablet rumors to flush out internal leaks.
4) Too many trusted sources with so called go track records have all gotten it wrong so far. Why is this guess any more creditable? In my opinion this is one is even less creditable then all the pervious rumors combined.
Why a curved back?
Yeah.
Why are the tops of arches curved?
Why do electric lines curve between poles?
Why are fingernails curved?
Why are eggshells curved?
Why are the roofs of large arenas curved?
Why curve a piece of paper when you want to smack someone?
That’s your answer.
@alansky
“You want a sports car, but with four doors.”
Dude, you’ve definitely forgotten about the Pontiac Sunfire. Get your head in the game.
I’d love too see an “iPad” that docks like a laptop screen to a keyboard module that contains a battery, large HD/SSD drive, speakers, and standard I/O ports. It will close just like a laptop, but if I want go light, I can just remove the “iPad”. Seems kind of un-Apple in its complexity, but I’d love to see it.
Let’s see.. Newton.. tablet…
Stylus? Handwriting recognition? I too would go for a 10-inch Apple netbook- unless you could draw on the tablet.
So long, Kindle.