A new week, a new Apple rumour (I'm going with the UK spelling here since I'm in London). This one is about the fabled Apple Tablet, which is basically the same rehashed rumour about the Apple netbook that surfaced earlier this year.
In this version, China Times has an article (translated here) about the upcoming plans for Apple to release such a device in October.
eWeek interviewed me yesterday to find out my opinion on if these rumours were possibly going to come true.
My opinion? This rumour smells about right. Why? Because of a convergence of a number of factors: user demand, technology, and developer energy. The point where these things converge is where Apple plays best.
Factor #1: Apple needs a product that's hot for the holidays, and with the release of the iPhone 3GS, it's not going to be in the iPhone line. It's unlikely that it's going to be an iPod, that product line has been quietly marginalised by the iPhone anyway. And people aren't queuing up to buy lots of new computers - it's a recession after all.
Factor #2: As I mentioned in my previous post "My response to Apple Netbook rumours" Apple must be developing a device which can fit nicely into that $500-$1,000 space. More expensive than a top of the line iPod touch but less expensive than the plastic MacBook 13" (but much cooler), an Apple iPad or iTablet (they've already used iBook unfortunately) would be the perfect stocking stuffer for those of us with big stockings and a desire for the latest gadgetry.
But what else fits?
Factor #3: The developer community. By then, developers will have been developing for iPhone's 3.0 for 9+ months. As I've mentioned in my other blog post "Apple's Secret Weapon is Energizing", those developers are the key to success, and they'll be ready to spread their wings to 10" of touch-enabled screen space vs. the restrictive 3" of the iPhone. Because of this money-infused, hyperactive throng of developers, this Apple device will have better applications on day one than any Windows Tablet ever did, including a kick-ass version of touch solitaire.
Factor #4: Then there's the "Kindle factor" - where ebooks are finally reaching the collective awareness, giving this device yet another reason to exist.
Factor #5: Finally, there's my "Netbook 2.0 theory." Throughout 2009, Netbooks have been all the rage, but Apple is skipping version 1.0 of the market opportunity. Netbook 2.0 users will be people who realise that Intel-Atom powered, Linux/XP-running netbooks are only really useful at surfing the web and Google Docs, and little else. They'll be ready for something else, and ready to spend a little bit more money.
Factor #6: "One last thing" - by then, people will be talking about the end of the recession - and ready to spend some of their money that they've saved up during these hard times. About $800 worth, I'm thinking.
Yes, it's time for this device. Finally. Whether Apple agrees or not is a different story.
