The Channel Wire

August 14, 2009

Apple is gearing up for its annual September keynote and speculation is reaching a fever pitch due to new information surrounding a new Apple tablet device.

Brian Lam, editorial director for Gizmodo, yesterday wrote that an Apple insider confirmed details about the forthcoming device. In addition to confirming that Apple is, in fact, preparing to release a tablet into the market, the source inside Apple also leaked several details that put a new spin on things.

According to Lam and the Apple insider, the tablet will have a 10-inch screen with a single button on the front and will likely cost between $700 and $900. Most of that had already been guessed at.

However, the source also indicated that Apple is developing the tablet for educational use as well as a secondary screen for laptops.

"To make up for that cost and make the device more than just a big iPod there was, this person claimed, talk of making the device act as a secondary screen/touchpad for iMacs and MacBooks, much like a few of the USB screens that have come out in recent months from Chinese companies," Lam wrote.

The Apple source also indicated that the tablet would come in two versions. One would have a Webcam and the other would be made specifically for the education market.

Rumors of Apple's tablet first began to appear in July. The speculation as kicked up to another level earlier in August when Piper Jaffary analyst Gene Munster predicted the device could account for $1.2 billion in sales.

Early indications are that a non-educational tablet will be paired with a new music format called 'Cocktail' that will include full album downloads, including liner notes and art.

A continuous point of contention is the release date of an Apple tablet. Lam and his tipster point to later this year. Meanwhile, Munster believes that the device won't land on shelves until early 2010. Apple's keynote is currently scheduled for Sept. 7, making that a day the whole Web will likely circle on its calendar.