The long-rumored Apple tablet device that builds on the Newton MessagePad is on course for an early 2010 release, a popular Apple enthusiast blog reported Friday. Such a device would likely propel Apple's already booming App Store into new and potentially lucrative heights.
According to AppleInsider, the 3G-enabled device will feature a 10-inch screen and be akin to an outsized version of the iPod Touch.
Despite his illness, Steve Jobs has been overseeing the project with customary meticulousness, as evidenced by the project being reset at least six times over the past two years for adjustments, AppleInsider reported.
Sales of the iPod Touch grew 130 percent year-on-year during Apple's recent quarter, and that's a direct result of its being able to access the App Store. An Apple tablet device would provide another conduit to the App Store and help the company continue shaping mobile applications as a strategic differentiator.
The App Store had 1.5 billion downloads in its first year, and although Apple hasn't revealed how much money it made from these, people are clearly buying iPhones and iPod Touches in order to get access to App Store content.
In Apple's recent quarterly earnings call, COO Tim Cook proudly described the head start Apple enjoys in this space. The App Store currently has 65,000 applications, while the RIM and Nokia app stores have just 1,000 and 2,000 respectively, while Google's Android market has less than 5,000.
"We feel extremely good about our competitive position and continue to believe that we are years ahead" of competitors in the mobile applications market, Cook said.
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