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12.30.09 Apple iSlate, Apple iTablet, Or Maybe Even iTab?  By Dave Taylor I've been hearing rumors for months about Apple releasing a tablet computer but they give me very odd looks when I ask about it at the Apple Store. Then at Christmas dinner someone told me that it's on the way and it's going to be called the iSlate. What? How could they know, and what's your best information about what an iSlate will be? Dave's Answer: Holy moly, you're asking a tough one, but since it is Christmas and you're probably still hanging around with your family member or friend who seems to be so plugged into the Apple pipeline, I'll give it a shot and try to explain what's going on and how people tap into the Apple rumor mill to learn about the iSlate, iTab, iTablet, whatever it's going to be called. Unlike most other computer systems, Apple's created a culture of enthusiastic fans called "fanboys" (and fangirls, of course). I admit, I'm probably one of 'em with my multiple Mac computers, iPhone, iPods, and so on. As a result, lots of people in the Apple community spend a lot of time digging through the digital dumpsters, trying to ascertain what's going on at 1 Infinity Loop, the street address in Cupertino, CA, of Apple's corporate HQ. First things first. The name: a rumor site called MacRumors.com has been digging around domain name registrations and found what it suggests is compelling evidence that Apple has registered a domain called islate.com. Since the company already owns domains like ipod.com, comparing the registrations does show a curious similarity. In addition, analysts have heard insiders refer to an Apple tablet by referring to "the Apple Slate", which adds fuel to the rumor fire. Let's look at a few mockup pictures people have posted to the net too, starting with what might or might not be a legit picture from a Japanese magazine:  Possibility #1, but it's way too expensive. As you can see on my caption, it's impossible to believe that an Apple tablet, whether called the Apple iSlate or not, is going to cost $2,499 as suggested in the picture. In fact, anything over $1000 is going to miss its mark and I personally hope that we'll see something come in at closer to $500 or thereabouts. Continue reading this article. About the Author: Dave Taylor is known as an expert on both business and technology issues. Holder of an MSEd and MBA, author of twenty books and founder of four startups, he also runs a marketing company and consults with firms seeking the best approach to working with weblogs and social networks. Dave is an award-winning speaker and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs. AskDaveTaylor.com http://www.intuitive.com/blog/ |
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