Tablet Mac Coming in Fall 2008?

[MacRumors]

Jason O'Grady revives rumors of a tablet Mac in his 'The Apple Core' blog today with claims that the long-rumored Mac Tablet would finally be arriving later this year.

Specifically, he believes that Apple will announce a 12" or 13" tablet "in the fall" of this year. The Mac Tablet will reportedly run full Mac OS X, a slot loading Superdrive, 'iPhone-type' GPS chip and an Intel Core Duo processor.

O'Grady believes September or October as the most likely months for the launch of the device and claims that his source "has been reliable in the past". While this rumor may overlap with earlier rumors of an Apple PDA, they appear to detail different features. The earlier PDA rumors suggested more of a larger iPhone rather than a tablet-ized Mac as O'Grady suggests.



Images from an Apple Patent from 2005
Rumors of a tablet Mac always spark a debate about practicality of the tablet form factor. Regardless, it's clear that Apple has been working on a tablet Mac over the years with numerous patents depicting such a device.

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[mwxiao]

I don't think so.

Apple is focusing on iPhone. I don't think they have more energy on Mac.

[UCLA-Bruin]

no service contract required means development independent of cell phone providers. also it fits into a unique market. you would buy this thing and still need an iphone and laptop and desktop. why not? priced at $799.

[notjustjay]

Hmm...



Bring it on!

[David G.]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

Specifically, he believes that Apple will announce a 12" or 13" tablet "in the fall" of this year. The Mac Tablet will reportedly run full Mac OS X, a slot loading Superdrive, 'iPhone-type' GPS chip and an Intel Core Duo processor.

Why no Core 2 Duo processor?

[cRuNcHiE]

I'd still prefer a 12" eee pc style mac.

[trip1ex]

Interesting, but I would have to doubt it.

I just don't see the market there for one.

And I can't imagine why I would need one.

Plus Apple seems to have their hands full with the new iPhone and everything else.

Of course if they make it a bigger cousin of the iPhone then maybe it's doable.

I definitely don't see a reason to put a super drive in it. If they aren't putting a super drive in the MB Air then why would they in a tablet?

[SirOmega]

I just want bluetooth so I can tether to an iPhone for internet access out in the field. It'd be great to have one out doing data collection.

[SodiumBenzoate]

I'm not a big fan of tablet PCs - I don't have any use for them - but it is an up-and-coming market, so I wouldn't be surprised if Apple comes out with one in the speculated timeframe.

[orbital]

Why do illustrations for patents have to looks so bad?

[SodiumBenzoate]

Originally Posted by orbital

Why do illustrations for patents have to looks so bad?

They're not meant for marketing, they're meant to outline an idea in as clear a way as possible.

[Nappa]

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/23/...n-route-to-us/

Does anyone else see a possible connection here

[BornAgainMac]

I wish the illustration had a black turtle neck sweater on the person.

[SodiumBenzoate]

Originally Posted by Nappa

http://www.macrumors.com/2008/05/23/...n-route-to-us/

Does anyone else see a possible connection here

I don't think so, the timing isn't right at all

[MrT8064]

If the air doesnt have a CD drive, NO WAY this will...

[husJAF]

Sounds cool but I don't see why they would put a superdrive into a tablet if they didn't have one for the MBA...

Wonder what gestures they'll integrate into OSX, can't wait

[bbydon]

the ZDnet article was still quoting that german intel executive "Germany CEO Hannes Schwaderer spilled the beans that an “iPhone” that will be using Intel’s new Atom processor after which he was quickly corrected by Apple. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire indeed."

But i thought that was debunked and that he never even mentioned apple using Atom

[neven]

Originally Posted by orbital

Why do illustrations for patents have to looks so bad?

Because you don't want to reveal too much of the actual design and give your competition a heads up. It's not marketing - it's disclosure you have to begrudgingly make. You want to make your product look as unappealing as possible - hence the ugly anatomy of people and the early 1980s look of the whole thing.

Also, a tablet with a SuperDrive? They just introduced the Air, a laptop with no optical drive, but they'd put one in a tablet Mac?

[hhaeschen]

Originally Posted by UCLA-Bruin

no service contract required means development independent of cell phone providers. also it fits into a unique market. you would buy this thing and still need an iphone and laptop and desktop. why not? priced at $799.

Nobody needs a laptop and a tablet and a desktop. It's more like either or.

[iSee]

Does Jason O'Grady have a good record on rumors? His source "has been reliable in the past", after all...

[neven]

Originally Posted by bbydon

the ZDnet article was still quoting that german intel executive "Germany CEO Hannes Schwaderer spilled the beans that an “iPhone” that will be using Intel’s new Atom processor after which he was quickly corrected by Apple. Where there’s smoke, there’s fire indeed."

But i thought that was debunked and that he never even mentioned apple using Atom

He mentioned it as a "possible use". He might have said that because he was aware of a pending deal, but that's unlikely. He just used a bad example, and I'm sure he heard from both Intel and Apple about it.

[SodiumBenzoate]

Originally Posted by neven

Also, a tablet with a SuperDrive? They just introduced the Air, a laptop with no optical drive, but they'd put one in a tablet Mac?

I wouldn't rule it out, but you're right, it doesn't really fit. Tablets are almost universally low-power thin-and-lights, so why would Apple go in a different direction with this than the MBA?

[dante@sisna.com]

Originally Posted by notjustjay

Hmm...



Bring it on!

Nice, Star Trek Overlay. I hear yah.

I think the Tablet Mac is a a very real possibility.

I expect it will do great integrative things with other apple devices from iTV to Mac Pros.

[steadivision]

Can you swallow it?

[arn]

Originally Posted by iSee

Does Jason O'Grady have a good record on rumors? His source "has been reliable in the past", after all...

He ran/runs PowerPage.org, and has had both ups and downs regarding rumors. He was targeted in Apple's Asteroid lawsuit, but also the source of the Plasma TV rumor which wasn't true.

In the end, I trust him that if he says he has a reliable source, I believe him. (vs some random blog who says the same, I would not necessarily believe it)

arn