Apple’s upcoming tablet computer is real, according to an unnamed analyst in a report in Monday’s Barron’s.
The publication said the analyst has “actually held a prototype” in his or her own hands, and that the final design will be completed within the next six weeks. The report said the tablet will be announced in September and launched in November at a price ranging from $699 to $799.
High-Definition Video
The tablet is expected to be, essentially, a 10-inch screen version of Apple’s iPod touch, and its ability to play high-definition video is a key selling point. The Barron’s report quotes the source as saying the video “is better than the average movie experience.”
The Apple tablet has been rumored for quite a while, but the rumors have been picking up in the last few weeks. In July, the Financial Times reported that Apple is “racing to offer a portable, full-featured, tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season.” The Times emphasized the deals that Apple was making with the record industry, hoping to create 21st-century versions of the music album for use on the tablet.
Sales of albums fell 14 percent in 2008, hit by the ability of consumers to cherry-pick individual songs from online stores, such as Apple’s iTunes Store. The Times said the new album form will include an interactive booklet, video clips, lyric sheets, liner notes, and other interactive features, and that Apple was working with the four largest music labels.
‘Media Consumption Device’
Whether such a device would look to the iPhone/iPod or to the MacBook operating systems and ecosystems is being contemplated by various industry observers. The iPhone/iPod route would mean the applications would be tied to Apple’s App Store, as opposed to the large supply of applications available for Mac computers.
Whether or not Apple releases a tablet, an…