The last six months of our journey through time are filled with rumours about the mythical Apple Tablet computer. This journey continues with the rumours I gathered and posted on iTabletFreakz in the last couple of months. Instead of going through the different posts chronologically, I’d like to discuss the different features of the device. I’ve put the different rumours in several categories, ranging from the size of the screen to the actual specs of the device.
The screen size:
On November 29, 2009, iLounge posted a report with some details about Apple latest toy. They claim the screen size will be 10.7-inches diagonally. Most reports talking about the size of the screen estimate it to be 9, 10, or 11 inches big. The most recent report talks about 10-11 inches.
The name:
Although most people use the name iTablet, in December last year MacRumors found out that the name of the device could be iSlate. It was some kind of turning point. People stopped calling the device iTablet and started naming it the iSlate. Still iSlate could be the wrong name as well. Again MacRumor discovered a new piece of evidence that stated the name of Apple’s latest creation will likely be iPad. It’s stil unclear what the name will really be, but there are so many names circling around the web, one of those names must be the right one.
The media event:
Early reports stated the launch date of the Apple Tablet will be during the holidays, but iLounge reported a January 19, 2010 launch date. It was later announced that Apple will hold a media event on three days: January 24, 25 and 26. Not long after, a new report said, a special media event will be held on January 26 and was later confirmed. Apple usually delivers certain events on Tuesdays and the 26th is no exception. However, on January 5, 2010, All Things Digital reported that the event will take place on the 27th of January. This date was eventually officially confirmed by Apple themselves by sending colorful invitations for the media event with the following tag line that got many people even more excited: “come see our latest creation”.
Tech specs:
There are so many rumours about the specs of the device, so I made a list of the most returning rumours below:
- Wi-Fi and 3G connectivity
- Camera (yes, no, yes again)
- LCD and OLED screen with a size ranging from 9-inch to 11-inch
- P A Semi processor
- Aluminum casing
- iPhone OS or Mac OS (or maybe a hybrid between the two)
- App Store support
- E-book reader
- Subsidized by AT&T or Verizon (or other mobile carriers)
- 3.5 mm stereo headphone jack
- Bluetooth
- Built-in speaker grills
- Microphone
- GPS (that could be cool, watching TomTom or Navigon on such a big screen)
- Virtual keyboard (no real one)
click on image for a larger version
Price of the device:
Personally I don’t want to pay more than $800 for the tablet computer. I’m probably one of the few people who’s prepared to pay more than $600. A survey conducted by Retrevo has shown that only 20% of Microsoft users and 41% of Apple users are willing to pay more than $800. Most people will only buy the device if the price is $600 or less. A more recent survey, also conducted by Retrevo, shows that the statistics have slightly changed. People are now willing to pay more than $600, but not more than $700. No matter how much the tablet can do, Apple has to come up with a really good price to convince people to buy it.
Conclusion:
People can no longer say the device isn’t coming. It’s as clear as it can get. The iTablet, iSlate, iPad or whatever it’s name might be, is going to enter our world with never before seen force. It will shake the world. It will redefine our way of reading newspapers, magazines, cartoons and other print media. Apple will deliver a device so beautiful, you can hardly say no to it.
