Is Apple About to Release A Tablet PC?

A month ago, I wrote:

I am incredibly impressed with what Apple has done. If they keep making periodic upgrades and partnering with developers like this, they may be well on their way to dominating mobile computing into the foreseeable future. They could easily create a larger version of the iPhone to be used as an eBook reader/tablet PC (think of a slate running the same software with a screen twice as tall and twice as wide as the iPhone) or a small, laptop-like device that interfaces with the iPhone -- like what Palm tried to do with the Foleo. It seems like Apple is developing a scalable computing platform that is a pleasant alternative to traditional forms of computing and operating systems.

Is someone at Apple listening?

From the tipsters that brought you the wireless iTunes store before it debuted, this new rumor might just rock your socks. Apparently, Apple's making huge plans to take over that little tablet PC niche by storm with a brand new line of Macbooks with a full touchscreen covered in that lovable scratch resistant iPhone glass. If they do this right, I might just have to grab one for my kitchen to look up recipes...

More on this at MacDaily News:

Think MacBook screen, possibly a bit smaller, in glass with iPhone-like, but fuller-featured Multi-Touch. Gesture library. Full Mac OS X. This is why they bought P.A. Semi. Possibly with Immersion's haptic tech. Slot-loading SuperDrive. Accelerometer. GPS. Pretty expensive to produce initially, but sold at "low" price that will reduce margins. Apple wants to move these babies. And move they will... App Store-compatible, able to run Mac apps, too. By October at the latest.

MacDailyNews Note: This is a rumor. We have no other information. We cannot confirm this information independently at this time, but felt it plausible enough to bring to your attention.

These could just be rumors (I'm pretty sure Apple wouldn't include a slot-loading SuperDrive in something like this), but the fact that it is a possibility is exciting. Apple could easily include at least 32 GB of flash memory -- using the same memory chips they use for the 32 GB iPod Touch. Think if Apple partners with some companies for selling eBooks, makes it possible to wirelessly tether this to an iPhone for Internet access, and/or makes this similar in size and price to an Amazon Kindle. There's no technological reasons any of this couldn't be done. (Although there may be contractual/legal issues to overcome. There's also no technological limitation that Apple couldn't partner with Amazon to buy the same books that are being sold for the Kindle. It would be fantastic to buy one book and be able to read it on either device.)

Assuming something like this would run on the same operating system as the iPhone, it could be incredible. Think of being able to flick through pages in a PDF file or eBook the way you can through pictures on an iPhone. Now that would be slick!

If Apple does come out with a small tablet PC, it won't be the end of eBook readers like the Kindle (eInk will still get multiple times the battery life), but it will be some serious competition -- particularly if they are similar in size. The price reductions and innovation this might spur could be enormous. Between this rumor and the one about a new Amazon Kindle -- both due out in October, I've decided to wait before taking the plunge and buying an eBook reader.

We have no way to know what's coming down the pipepline, but it sure is fun to speculate.