Apple

Tech stocks typically have to break significant price milestones or have dramatic dips to make CNET's news story queue. Likewise, we try not hop on the Apple rumor bandwagon unless there's something credible or/and novel to report.

But being as it's Christmas Eve and all, we'll go out on a limb and offer you this nugget anyway. Apple's stock closed Thursday at an all time high of $209.04, up 6.94 points (3.43 percent) in a shortened day of trading on unconfirmed rumors that the company might unveil a long-awaited portable tablet computer next month.

The Apple blogosphere went wild Wednesday following several reports that the company told some of its key developers to prepare versions of their iPhone apps that will work on a device with a larger screen, in time for an event next month.

And Financial Times cited "people familiar with the plans" saying that Apple has booked the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco "for several days in late January." That's the very venue where Apple CEO Steve Jobs made his first public appearance in September following his medical leave.

For what it's worth, Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster also said in a research note Wednesday that there's a 50 percent chance Apple will announce a tablet at a January event.

More "details" have emerged about the supposed upcoming Apple tablet. iLounge says a trusted source has provided 10 bits of info about the device, including a notably specific announcement date: Tuesday, January 19, with the product shipping in May or June.

This potential product has been discussed ad nauseum. But Apple isn't the only one pondering this market. As more companies start offering their own versions of tablets in anticipation of Apple jumping in later, and as more tidbits leak out about what Apple might be cooking up, it's useful to look at how it would stack up with what's already available to buy.

• First, iLounge's source says Apple has created three different prototypes. The Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year that two previous prototypes were killed for battery and memory problems. Though the iLounge source says the first version's 7-inch screen was judged to be too small, it doesn't give the size of the second version. The third prototype apparently has a 10.7-inch screen.

• 10.7, or really 11 inches when you round up, would put it on the small side of the better tablets--according to our expert reviewers here at CNET--currently on the market. 7 inches, which was apparently dismissed, is the same as Toshiba's new JournE Touch tablet, and slightly smaller than the 9-inch Windows 7-based Archos media tablet.

• 10 and 11 inches is judged to be the so-called sweet spot of Netbooks. This is "not supposed to compete with Netbooks," but rather is supposed to be a media player and a "light communication device." That's exactly how Michael Arrington describes the tablet he has partnered with Fusion Garage to develop.

• It's supposed to look like an iPhone, but "with a curved back." Most tablets currently available look like a regular laptop that when the screen is twisted and closed converts to looking like a tablet. A slate-style design with perhaps one physical button, like the iPhone/iPod Touch would make it stand out.

• There will be an option for 3G networking. If it is like an oversized iPhone, that makes sense. Though most of the tablets available now rely on Wi-Fi. As Harry McCracken at Technologizer points out, the more interesting thing here is which wireless carrier will be supplying the service.

• It's not a Netbook, but supposed to be a replacement for full-sized books, magazine pages, and even newspapers. Plus you should be able to play games, view videos and photos, and surf the Web. As a result, the resolution will be "5 to 6 times" that of the iPhone or iPod Touch, putting it at 720p, or high-definition resolution. There are a few tablets, like the smaller Archos 5, that can do HD already.

• Obviously the biggest differentiator with an Apple tablet would be its software. iLounge's source says it would come loaded with iPhone OS. That will open it up to the App Store universe, which is growing exponentially. While other smartphone makers have developed their own online application stores, there aren't any traditional tablets with access to them yet.

• The gating factor here--which we've heard before--is Jobs. He gets the final say and it's been reported that he killed previous versions that didn't meet his standards. iLounge's source reports that there's still a 20 percent chance this latest prototype could be killed before its supposed January release date. Frankly, other tablet makers would probably be wise to be as circumspect about the pitfalls of this market. As my colleague Rafe Needleman pointed out in a column last month, there has never been a tablet that's been commercially successful. If the Apple tablet were a success, it would be the first.

A Borders customer survey asks about a mystery Apple iPad large-screen reading device.

(Credit: Borders/Screenshot by Michelle Meyers/CNET)

This story was updated Tuesday with some clarification about the origin of the iPad reference. See details below.

There are a gazillion rumors swirling out there about a forthcoming Apple tablet of some sort. And while we certainly don't feel the need to point you to each and every supposed leaked photo or tip from a super-secret inside source, this potential clue is too interesting to pass on.

MacLife appears to be the first to have noticed that a survey Borders e-mailed to customers, for which those willing to participate earn a coupon for 20 percent off, referenced a device called the Apple iPad.

More specifically, after getting a sense of my taste in books and buying habits, Borders asked about my familiarity with digital-reading devices and whether "I plan to buy an Apple iPad (large-screen reading device) this year." Hmmm, that was a toughie.

It's hard to know what to make of this reference. Perhaps Borders has some sort of inside knowledge, or perhaps the third-party producer of this survey reads Apple fan blogs. Or maybe Borders is just listening to CNET readers, who seemed to like the name iPad in our "Name that Netbook" poll.

Only time (and Apple's anticipated September event) will tell.

Updated at 3:15 p.m. PDT on Tuesday: A Borders representative said book audience research firm Codex Group conducted the poll on behalf of Borders and "included the term iPad in the survey." However, Codex Group founder and CEO Peter Hildick-Smith declined to explain the origin of the term, deferring to his client, Borders.

In other words, we still don't know if someone was trying to predict the future, has inside knowledge, or is simply having fun with Apple watchers.

It's happened every September for the past few years, and it appears it's on track again: Apple is planning a keynote event rumored to take place the second week of September, according to AllThingsD's Peter Kafka.

Almost time for a tuneup for the iPod Touch?

(Credit: CNET)

He says he has heard from "multiple music industry sources" that there will be an Apple event held sometime during the week of September 7. Now, this isn't a huge surprise since Apple has held an event announcing the latest upgrade to the iPod and iTunes around this same time every year. But this year there are some interesting variables in play.

It's essentially guaranteed that Apple will announce upgrades across the iPod line, including the iPod Touch and Nano, and perhaps even kill off some older models.The iPod Touch is rumored to be getting a camera, digital compass, and microphone. Other clues have pointed to the Nano also getting equipped with a camera.

Of more interest perhaps is whether Apple will use this event to debut the oft-discussed and long-rumored Apple tablet. Different sources have pointed to a 10-inch touch-screen device that's essentially a giant iPod Touch being available either this fall or in early 2010. It's rumored to have a music element to it, through a new album format supposedly called "Cocktail," making its introduction at a music-focused event seem plausible. The timing would also make sense if Apple wanted to establish some solid pre-holiday buzz before the annual winter shopping season.

And finally, many are wondering if Apple CEO Steve Jobs will use the September event--if it happens--to make his first public appearance since returning from medical leave earlier this year. Apple executive Phil Schiller has filled in for Jobs at these keynote-style events since January, but since Jobs has been officially back at the company's helm since the end of June, the September event would be the first opportunity for him to return to the spotlight.

Concept art for an Apple touch-screen Netbook.

(Credit: Gizmodo)

If you've been following the Apple Netbook gossip along with us the last few months, here's the latest tidbit, courtesy of Barron's:

A "veteran analyst," albeit a very anonymous one, has allegedly seen and touched Apple's rumored "slate-style" PC, which we like to call the jumbo iPod Touch. According to Barron's source, the new product will be announced in September, released in November, and carry a price tag of between $699 and $799. As previously reported, the tablet (or whatever Apple plans on calling) is ready to go but has been awaiting final approval from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.

As for concrete details about the device itself, the veteran analyst had only one thing to say about his or her hands-on experience: "The machine impresses with its display of hi-def video content. It's better than the average movie experience, when you hold this thing in your hands."

Now there's a shocker. (I don't think you'd have to be a veteran analyst to predict that).

The article also goes on to say that the PC industry is basically on pins and needles as it waits to see what Apple puts out. According to the phantom analyst, PC makers have paused production on next-generation Netbooks until they see what Apple's come up with.

Interestingly, while there's been a lot of talk about this being a media-centric device with a little Apple TV mixed in (what you'd expect from a giant iPod Touch), Barron's quotes Jon Peddie, head of Jon Peddie Research in Tiburon, Calif., as saying it will be a gaming machine as well.

"Gaming will be a big part of what this [the new device] is about," Peddie said.

However, as far as we know, unlike the veteran analyst, he has not seen or touched the device.

Comments?

Via Engadget via 9to5Mac via Barron's (subscription required to view full article)

The Apple tablet has been rumored for years, but bits of information leaking here and there over the last few months indicate it could be for real. A new report from AppleInsider now says the device is on track to be introduced early next year.

The report on Friday said that the last few important hurdles in bringing the tablet to fruition have been cleared. As the Wall Street Journal reported earlier this year, AppleInsider says CEO Steve Jobs has personally been overseeing the project, and is on schedule for a launch sometime between January and March 2010. AppleInsider says its source is well respected "for their striking accuracy in Apple's internal affairs."

It follows a VentureBeat report last week that PA Semi, the chip company Apple purchased last year, had been working in two teams: one on chips for iPhones and iPods, and the other on a tablet device.

There are now multiple rumors/reports/speculation that an Apple tablet would be essentially an oversize iPod Touch, and will cost somewhere between a $299 iPhone/iPod Touch and the $999 MacBook.

Regarding timing, we've heard the 2010 time frame before--back before the Worldwide Developers Conference when Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster said he'd heard "early next year" from Asian suppliers for the device.

The new iPod Touch could have very similar features to the iPhone 3G S.

(Credit: Apple)

Apple is getting ready to launch a new iPod Touch with a built-in camera and microphone, according to former CNET editor and MP3 Insider Eliot Van Buskirk, who now writes a Wired blog.

This rumor has been circulating for a while, but Van Buskirk writes: "A well-connected source tells us those rumors are on the money, and that Apple's factories in China are already manufacturing iPod Touch models with integrated cameras and microphones."

The short piece talks up the fact that with inclusion of a microphone and a quick download of Skype for iPhone, the iPod Touch would become a nifty VoIP phone wherever you can get a Wi-Fi connection. The new iPod would most likely be enhanced with voice commands just as the iPhone is.

There's nothing in the post about the possibility of a 64GB iPod Touch, but we're still counting on Apple to produce one when the line is upgraded--most likely this fall. (Last year's new Touch roll out was September 10.) A lot of folks are hoping Apple will introduce a jumbo iPod Touch/Netbook in September as well.

Comments?

(Source: Wired via Gizmodo)

Additional reading: Is iPod Touch getting a camera?

Apple seems almost ready to bridge the gap between the iPhone and the MacBook with a new type of mobile computer. What will it look like?

(Credit: Tom Krazit/CNET News)

Apple is rumored to be working on something bigger than an iPod Touch, but smaller than a MacBook. Past patent applications filed by the company and whispers from contract manufacturers point to a midsize gadget with a screen of 7 to 8 inches in the works, perhaps scheduled to debut early next year. It's been variously described as a tablet-like device, a "media pad," and an iPod Touch on steroids.

But the middle ground between handheld device and traditional laptop has historically been a hard sell to mainstream consumers. Apple has some experience reinventing what were thought to be staid or failed product categories, and is known for its stringent product review process, so if anyone has potential to make something compelling for this "tweener" category, it's the company to do so.

For Apple, this could be its answer to the Netbook craze--20 million of those scaled-down PCs will be shipped to retailers this year, doubling last year's output. Apple has been fairly clear in its distaste for them, using descriptors like "junky," and the average selling price of around $400 wouldn't allow Apple to keep its margins as high as it's used to.

But there is clearly a market, particularly given the current state of the economy, for a device in that middle range between a smartphone and a laptop. Interim CEO Tim Cook recently admitted that Apple has "some interesting ideas in this space."

Let's say it does make one. What exactly should a tablet from Apple do and what kind of features does it need to sport to avoid the pitfalls of every other failed tablet PC, ultramobile PC, and mobile Internet device now gathering dust in the basements and desk drawers of early adopters?

Some suggestions: