Are Apple about to make a major product announcement regarding the much speculated about Apple Tablet we keep hearing rumours about?
Well the latest whisperings around the Net would seem to suggest so, and Apple shares rose to an all time high as news of the new Apple Tablet spread. So what have we heard?
According to people “familiar with the plans” the Financial Times reported that Apple has reserved the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for a big product announcement on January 26th 2010.
Remember Steve Jobs hired the same venue back in September when he revealed information on Apple’s new line of iPods.
The Financial Times are not the only ones talking about Apple either; the New York Times quoted a senior Apple employee, “Let’s just say (Apple CEO) Steve (Jobs) is extremely happy with the new tablet” they reported.
Then we have the bloggers and the analysts having their say too.
The gadget blog (Boy Genius Report) reckon its 100 percent certain that Apple will launch a 7 inch tablet either along with or instead of the 10 inch tablet that others are predicting.
Apple have always made it clear that they don’t like Netbooks, those cheap and cheerful devices used to access the Net and perform simple processing tasks.
As Netbooks have been so incredibly popular, some have speculated that Apple are being left behind as practically all the other computer companies on the planet have produced their own netbook to cash in on the netbook wave.
As it is almost unthinkable that Apple would ever sit back and be left behind they must have something else in mind and a new Tablet might be just that thing.
“We believe Apple’s tablet would compete well in the Netbook category even though it would not be a netbook” said Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster. “Rather it would focus more on apps, entertainment content and web surfing”.
One thing’s for sure. Any Apple Tablet that Apple unveils in January or any other time could well put Apple way out in front as a leader in small entertainment and net devices.
Perhaps where Netbooks are concerned and Apple’s refusal to be drawn into the netbook war it’s a case of he who laughs last laughs the loudest.
