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macrumors bot
Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
63,287
30,352


Over the years, there have always been those rumored Apple products and announcements that seem to take on a life of their own. Products that have been rumored for so long that you never actually think they will ever arrive. We can remember three other moments like this:

- PowerMac G5 (2003)
- Macintosh Moving to Intel Processors (2005)
- The iPhone (2007)

The Tablet easily falls into that category. Apple fans have been demanding a tablet-sized device from Apple as far back as the Newton days (15 years ago). Later interest in such a device morphed into a Mac version which we were convinced was poised to be released in 2003 but killed at the last minute. But over the past year, the Apple tablet has once again become the focus of the rumor community -- and this time it seems certain.

The rumors for the tablet have been scattered all over the place with claims from analysts and other questionable sources taking the headlines. Instead of providing an exhaustive list of rumors, here's what we feel are most credible and most likely.

The Wall Street Journal provides an overall image of what an Apple tablet will offer:
The tablet is expected to be a multimedia device that will let people watch movies and television shows, play games, surf the Internet and read electronic books and newspapers. Though companies like Toshiba Corp. and Hewlett-Packard Co. have introduced Windows-based tablet computers before and Amazon.com Inc. and others sell similarly-sized digital-book readers, people briefed by Apple say the company intends to carve out a new product category.
Apple is said to be looking to change the way consumers interact with content. This would presumably be accomplished with live updating information and Apple's multi-touch technology. Multiple reports have indicated that Apple is meeting with book publishers, newspapers and other companies to provide content for the device.

All reports have pointed to the use of the advanced Cortex A9 ARM processor in Apple's upcoming tablet. The use of this next generation processor should allow for good performance and relatively long battery life. It will also allow the tablet to run existing iPhone and iPod Touch apps unaltered -- a feature that has been rumored. The added horsepower could also allow for long rumored iPhone OS features such as multi-tasking. While some may be holding out hope for a Mac OS X based experience, there has been absolutely no evidence that the tablet will run anything related to Apple's desktop operating system, and the use of the ARM processor would eliminate the possibility of direct Mac application compatibility. It seems certain that the tablet will run an evolution of the iPhone operating system which has been designed for multi-touch interfaces.

The device, itself, has been pegged at around 10" in size according to multiple reports with an appearance very similar to the current iPhone. A front facing camera may also be included with the device which would open the door to video conferencing. Optional 3G wireless connectivity in addition to built-in Wi-Fi is expected, though through which carrier remains uncertain.

Apple has applied for trademarks for both iSlate and iPad. While it's possible Apple may have ultimately decided to go a different direction, the iPad application process remains ongoing with filings as recent as this month, making this seem to be the most likely candidate.

Finally, the interface remains one of the most important pieces of the puzzle, but little has leaked about this. Patent applications over the years have provided hints at what might be possible, but the best reports simply describe it as "a good bit of new sexy" and that people will be surprised at how you interact with it.

Steve Jobs seems to be very excited about the new product with second hand quotes describing it as the most important thing he's ever done. The last time we'd heard that Steve Jobs was excited about a product launch it was immediately prior to the launch of the iPhone in 2007.

MacRumors will provide consolidated coverage of the event which takes place Wednesday, January 27th at 10 am Pacific, 1 pm Eastern. Live Twitter updates can be followed at @MacRumors, with news stories appearing on @MacRumorsRSS. We also offer a Spoiler Free page if you prefer to watch a time-delay of the video feed.

Article Link: The Apple Tablet Rumor Roundup
 

rhett7660

macrumors G5
Jan 9, 2008
14,219
4,294
Sunny, Southern California
I can't wait to hear what Apple has up their sleeve.. I have a ton of ideas running through my head and if any of them come true I am going to be a very happy camper. My checkbook won't be, but I will!!
 

iOrlando

macrumors 68000
Jul 20, 2008
1,811
1
this is somewhat sad reading it (sad as in sorrow). years and years of thoughts, ideas, talk, all coming down to tomorrow. thats sad, like a life-long friend going away forever.
 

ppdix

macrumors 6502a
Jul 6, 2001
616
171
Miami Beach
Nobody "really" knows anything...

As always, rumors are just rumors. Nobody knows jack until the rumored item is actually released. It has always been like this. It's nice to see what some people have come up with and I hope this time :apple: is listening and they will give us what we want... Not like the iPhone, still without Flash after 3 years and 2 year wait for Copy & Paste...
 

BornAgainMac

macrumors 604
Feb 4, 2004
7,275
5,212
Florida Resident
"and that people will be surprised at how you interact with it. "

I don't know what to think of that statement. Surprised would be if I had to use the back of my hand or my nose or elbow. I am expecting to use my fingers. Maybe the video camera will see gestures and that is what the surprise is.
 

derek1984

macrumors 6502a
Nov 5, 2008
720
58
Will Macrumors provide a live text feed like they have in the past for things? Or just Engadget?
 

RichTF

macrumors regular
Nov 11, 2007
217
526
London, UK
Very excited to see what happens, will be following on my train home after work...

(6pm UTC, for those this side of the pond)
 

Virtuon

macrumors member
Jan 25, 2010
52
0
Utopia
Yeah, this is Steve's most important accomplishment: him retiring.

Jokes on us then, and mister sad Orlando can go cry away...
 

Sky Blue

Guest
Jan 8, 2005
6,856
11
This post in the PPC to Intel thread is hilarious:

"Apple have betrayed us all never again will i use a mac and no more will they be as pc users flock to buy osx for pentium 4s :mad::mad: i wish i was there i would have bood"
 

Ironduke

Suspended
Nov 12, 2006
1,364
266
England
this device sounds fantastic.....















I just have no idea why i would need one since I have an iphone & a macbook
 

Peace

Cancelled
Apr 1, 2005
19,546
4,556
Space The Only Frontier
"and that people will be surprised at how you interact with it. "

I don't know what to think of that statement. Surprised would be if I had to use the back of my hand or my nose or elbow. I am expecting to use my fingers. Maybe the video camera will see gestures and that is what the surprise is.

I think what will be surprising is the fact that you interact with it exactly the same way you interact with the iPhone/iPodTouch.
 

WLS

macrumors 65816
Jul 10, 2008
1,288
109
"and that people will be surprised at how you interact with it. "

I don't know what to think of that statement. Surprised would be if I had to use the back of my hand or my nose or elbow. I am expecting to use my fingers. Maybe the video camera will see gestures and that is what the surprise is.

Wasn't there a patent application for cameras on or behind the screen material itself? I'm starting to think that the surprise is as you say- that it will use gestures without having to touch the display. Cool stuff indeed!
 

smartaleck

macrumors newbie
Apr 26, 2008
25
0
It's taken me a while to understand the reason or the point of the tablet, but I'm starting to see it. It's about the shift in the way we get content. Media industry talks about 3 TV's-- traditional TV, PC and now mobile phone... the tablet is indeed a new product category that circumvents these three existing spaces and creates a hybrid of them, a logical convergence of portability, unlimited access, and features. It's evolutionary and revolutionary at the same time. Assuming what we have is a mini-computer, a media/entertainment player, a reader, and a game machine, it basically assigns every media task to one personal device in a way that is truly usable for all those things. It gets rid of the small screen of an iphone, the bulk of a traditional pc or laptop, and acknowledges the death of TV broadcasting as we know it.

Of course no one knows anything about it, but assuming the rumors are mostly correct, it is, in a sense, the most obvious product in the world.
 
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