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Apple Working on Tablet Since 2003, Print Industry Preparing?

October 6, 2009 By Alex Jordan 2 Comments

The New York Times has recapped several of the rumors surrounding Apple’s mythical tablet device. In doing this, they bring some new sources into the fold, most notably former Apple engineer, Joshua A. Strickland.

Mr. Strickland suggests Apple has been working on the tablet since at least 2003. Early prototypes were PowerPC chip equipped, and consumed more power than the device’s battery could practically supply.

“It couldn’t be built. The battery life wasn’t long enough, the graphics performance was not enough to do anything and the components themselves cost more than $500.

In addition, an Apple exec stated that the project was halted several times due to Steve Jobs’ one question: “what they were good for besides surfing the Web in the bathroom.”

Regardless if the device exists or not, it appears the magazine industry is interested in just such a device. Ad Age is reporting that the print industry is gearing up for the possible launch of the tablet.

What is the print industry doing you ask? Well, it appears they are worried that Apple will dominate the print industry much like they did with the music industry. So, publishers are coming together to form an industry-wide digital storefront to offer their content, thereby forming a direct competitor to whatever hypothetical solution Apple may create.

It’s true that magazine and newspaper publishers are eager to sell digital editions tailored for the tablet and other devices — but they’re just as determined to prevent Apple from getting between them and their readers along the way.

This fear doesn’t seem unfounded as it is rumored that Apple has approached The New York times in regards to supplying content to the new device.

Filed Under Developers, Rumors Tagged With , , , , , ,

Tablet to Run iPhone OS, Launch in May or June?

September 30, 2009 By Alex Jordan 1 Comment

iLounge is reporting that they have received several tips regarding Apple’s rumored tablet from the same source that tipped them of about the fifth-generation iPod nano. The source goes on to claim that the device will run iPhone OS, and not Mac OS X. Additionally, the device will have a 10.7 inch screen, and a resolution of about 720p. Lastly, this device, according to the source, will be announced on or before January 19th, 2010, and will ship by May or June.

The report further suggests that the device will be ascetically similar to the iPhone, and will come in two variants, one with 3G cellular capabilities, and one without. Furthermore, the device is not targeted for the ‘netbook’ market, and will feature substantial book and magazine reading abilities, and other enhancements that set this device apart from the iPhone.

To finish up, the report claims this device has not yet been finalized, and work on the device is at the 80% completion mark.

Mockup courtesy of AppleInsider.

Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , , , , , , ,

Survey Says: Apple has sales momentum, customers interested in tablet

September 24, 2009 By Alex Jordan Leave a Comment

MacRumors is reporting on a recent note from esearch analyst Mike Abramsky to his clients elaborating on results from a series of RBC IQ/ChangeWave survey questions that show increased Mac and iPhone sales momentum, and a strong consumer interest in an Apple tablet.

In the survey 25% of consumers were purchasing Mac. This is up from 18% in July, and as Abramsky speculates may be due to recent price cuts and Apple’s back-to-school program. Other reasons the Mac may be gaining momentum include: spillover from the iPhone, the Snow Leopard launch, increased brand awareness, and improved consumer electronic sales.

As for the iPhone, a massive 30% of smartphone owners chose iPhone, that’s up from 25% in June. RBC is projecting iPhone will take 2% of global, mobile phone sales, that is a whopping 22.8 million devices. They also expect those numbers to rise to 54.7 million or 4% of the market by 2012.

The survey wraps up with a question regarding a hypothetical Apple tablet device in the $500-$700 price range. A significant 21% of buyers showed interest in just such a device. This compares to just 9% interest in the iPhone prior to it’s 2007 launch.

Story and images courtesy of MacRumors.

Filed Under All News Tagged With , , , ,

Predictions for Tomorrow’s “Rock and Roll” Media Event

September 8, 2009 By Alex Jordan 3 Comments

I am going to shamelessly copy John Gruber’s format, and tell you how much you should wager on certain rumors regarding tomorrow’s media event.

Wager heavily upon:

  • At bare minimum, the announcement of camera equipped iPods. I can almost guarantee the nano and touch will have cameras, I can only assume the iPod classic will too. The evidence for the former is overwhelming, while evidence for the latter is scarce. I also expect the iPod touch to receive the same processor and RAM upgrades the iPhone 3GS received in June. Lastly, I suspect the camera on the iPod touch will be able to capture video.
  • Price drops – I’ve heard both major and/or minor price drops are a possibility. This is to maintain Apple’s sales volumes while the iPhone continues to eat away at the iPod market.

Wager minimally upon:

Would wager agianst:

As a whole, I suspect tomorrow’s announcements will be pretty standard. Nothing ground breaking, just the next logical step in Apple’s media strategies.

Filed Under Apple TV, Editorials, Rumors, iPod, iTunes Tagged With , , , , , , , , , ,

10, 13, and 15-Inch Apple Tablets In the Works?

August 31, 2009 By Alex Jordan 4 Comments

Gizmodo is reporting that Apple is currently working on more than the previously rumored 10-inch tablet. In addition to the 10-inch model there would also be 13, and 15-inch models. The same “100% reliable” source that provided this information also claims that one of the devices would run a full version of Mac OS X.

This source claims that the two touchscreen prototypes — made of aluminum, but on the shape of big iPhones — were in a factory in Shenzuen, China. One of them “was running Mac OS X 10.5.” When I asked, the source didn’t know if these were built for demonstration purposes, or if they were preproduction units. The company has a tight relation with Apple but “it’s not FoxConn.”

Ok, now it’s time for me to punch holes in this rumor.

First off, Apple only releases one version of a device at at time. There was only one version of the iPod from 2001-2004, and there is still only one version of the iPhone, but with multiple storage capacities of course. One could argue that Apple has released multiple sized notebooks at one time, but even then they are not launched with a mishmash of operating systems. Apple has one operating system for each of it’s product categories. Mac OS X for it’s computers, iPhone OS X for it’s iPhone and iPod Touch lines.

In short, this rumor is claiming Apple is going to dump several sizes of this mythical tablet on the market at once, with multiple operating systems. This something Microsoft would do, not Apple.

Mock-up courtesy of htootayzar.com.

Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , , ,

Apple Special Event Slated for September 9th, No Tablet?

August 18, 2009 By Alex Jordan 3 Comments

Banners outside the Yerba Buena Center at last year's 'Let's Rock' event.

All Things Digital is reporting that Apple has scheduled a media event for September 9th, at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. The event will primarily focus on iPods and iTunes (imagine that), and there has been no mention of the long rumored tablet device. This falls in line with other recent rumors claiming the same thing.

The event will be held in San Francisco — most likely at Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, where it has occurred in years past — and is expected to showcase upgrades to the iPod line and an update to iTunes that may involve some sort of social element. Our sources insist it will not involve any discussion whatsoever of the tablet that Apple is reportedly developing.

There has also been no word on who will deliver the keynote. This is purely speculation on my part, but I assume it will not be Steve Jobs.

Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , , ,

Leaked Video of the Apple Tablet?

August 14, 2009 By Alex Jordan 2 Comments

By now you have probably heard one of the many Apple tablet rumors. Well, AppleTell has come across an interesting video claiming to be footage of the Apple tablet at work.

I will agree with the article, if this is a fake (more than likely is), it’s a damn good one. Someone would have had to put a lot of time and effort into it. With that said, there are some questions I have about it, which could prove or disprove it legitimacy.

First off, it’s fairly blurry, which is almost always the case with hoax videos. It makes it easier to hide CGI effects and what have you.

Secondly, Why would it run iPhone apps in their native size? I mean they have an entire screen, that is rumored to be as large as 10 inches in size. People complain about typing on an iPhone as it is. Now imagine that same keyboard, remaining the same size but on a 10-inch screen. That’s crap.

Lastly, notice when the user touches the screen. Notice the color change/bruising thing it does. You know, kinda like when you touch a matte LCD screen. Why would Apple ship a “touch” product with a screen that can be easily “bruised” or otherwise damaged?

Could this be a prototype? Sure, but I still think my points hold strong even if it was in the earliest stages of development.

Have an opinion? Leave a comment!

Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , ,

Analyst Mockup and Sales Estimates for the Rumored Apple Tablet

August 8, 2009 By Alex Jordan 1 Comment

Fortune is reporting on research from a Piper Jaffray analyst named Gene Munster who has provided a mockup of what he thinks the rumored Apple tablet will look like.

In addition to the mockup he offers sales estimates for 2010, the year he believes the device will launch. How many many will they sell you ask? Two million. That would add an additional 3% to Apple’s current revenue stream.

Here’s an except from the report outlining munster’s estimates:

- Be similar to an iPod touch, only larger, capable of running most of the 70,000 applications on the iPhone App Store plus a new category of apps designed for the bigger screen.
- Will be used primarily for Web surfing, e-mail, and digital media, competing with netbooks without being a netbook.
- Will be priced between an iPhone and a MacBook — between $500 and $700.
- Is likely to include a 3G cellular modem and could be subsidized by a carrier — either AT&T or Verizon.
- Will sell better than Apple TV did its first year (1.2 million units).
- Could in fact sell 2 million units at $600 each to generate $1.2 billion and add about 3% to Apple’s revenue stream in calendar 2010.

Opinion: This is crap. He’s making all of these blind guesses on a mythical product few people, if anyone, outside of Apple have ever seen. And that’s if this thing actually exists. Simply put, we won’t know what this thing looks like, or costs, or does, until it’s introduced by Apple.

Image courtesy of Piper Jaffray

Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , , ,

New ‘iProd1,1′ Reference Found in iPhone OS 3.1 Beta Configuration File

August 5, 2009 By Alex Jordan 3 Comments

Ars Technica is reporting that the most recent developer seed of iPhone OS 3.1 beta contains an updated configuration file that features references to two different unknown products. The references are simply know as ”iProd0,1″ and “iProd1,1″. The “iProd0,1″ was originally spotted all the way back in March, the “iProd 1,1″ seems to be a new addition.

Ars Technica:

The iProd1,1 device has been assigned a new productID of 4762 (versus 4757 of iProd0,1) and assigned a different ConfigurationDescriptor of “standardMuxPTPEthernet.” iPhone models also have this designation, and the additional interface identified in the plist for this configuration is “AppleUSBEthernet.” The consensus here seems to be that the new device may have gained high-speed networking capabilities — though the iPhone uses the interface to tether to a laptop to share its 3G connection.

The iProd0,1 number could very well have stood for a prototype device, and iProd 1,1 could be a final version ready for release. With that said, no one knows for sure what this reference may be for. The best guess is the rumored Apple Tablet  expected for release somtime in the next six months. Other possibilites include a new iPod nano, or the rumored iPhone Nano. All of this is purely speculation on Are Technica’s part.
Image courtesy of Ars Technica.
Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , , , ,

Apple With Help of Record Labels to Bundle Interactive Booklets with Albums on iTunes?

July 28, 2009 By Alex Jordan 1 Comment

Financial Times is reporting that Apple is working with the four major music labels to bundle new interactive booklets, sleeve notes and other interactive features to spur whole album downloads in the iTunes Music store.

Digital downloads are a popular means of acquiring music. That said, most downloads are individual tracks and not entire albums. If this rumor would come to fruition, it would be used as an incentive for customers to download entire albums, instead of single tracks. All of this is rumored to have a September launch alongside the iPod refresh and possible tablet release.

Here’s an excerpt:

It’s all about re-creating the heyday of the album when you would sit around with your friends looking at the artwork, while you listened to the music,” said one executive familiar with the plans.

Consumers would be able to play songs directly from the interactive book without clicking back into Apple’s iTunes software, executives said. “It’s not just a bunch of PDFs,” said one executive. “There’s real engagement with the ancillary stuff.”

Filed Under Rumors Tagged With , , ,
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