Coming Soon: Apple Tablet May Be Called iSlate

choi

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I am reluctant to chase rumors.

So I decided against posting this news about Apple tablet. I then thought it
over, again and again. I change my mind, and let you decide the merits (of
the latest rumors).

(1) Apple has bought the name iSlate. Maybe this will be the name of a new
product, a tablet. Then again, Apple may have a pre-emptive strike,
forestalling other manufacturers or merchants from using this name for a
similar product.

(2) Rumours mount over January launch of Apple's new 'iSlate;'
First came the iPod, then the iPhone, now Apple is believed to be just weeks
away from the launch of its latest gadget: a tablet computer that will
allow users to surf the web, download books, magazines and newspapers and
watch streaming video. Telegraph, Dec. 28, 2009.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/apple/6897904/Rumours-mount-over-January-launch-of-Apples-new-iSlate.html

My comment:
(a) Around midnight early this morning, there was a burst of rumors (all
online; none went to press yet--except 經濟日報 of Taiwan) starting with
(i) 詹惠珠, 蘋果平板電腦 正崴通吃; 蘋果的平板電腦將在元月上市，正崴精密在連
接器大獲全勝，取得平板電腦連接器的大訂單，並為蘋果專設由機器人組裝的生產線，
正崴成為蘋果電腦最大的連接器供應廠。. 經濟日報, Dec. 28, 2009.
http://mag.udn.com/mag/digital/storypage.jsp?f_MAIN_ID=315&f_SUB_ID=2928&f_ART_ID=228469

Note: 經濟日報 is part of United Daily News Group 聯合新聞網.

(ii) Innolux to supply panels for Apple tablet. DigiTimes (Taipei), Dec. 28, 2009.
http://www.digitimes.com/news/a20091228PD212.html

(b) Telegraph is a London-based newspaper. The above report identifies
MacRumours.com, which is in fact Macrumors.com, whose sources are none
other than 經濟日報 and DigiTimes.

I select the Telegraph report as the reference point, because it summarizes
the current situation, which is very in flux.

(c) The web site (and its search engine) of New York Times has not had
anything like "Let's just say Steve is extremely happy about the new tablet."

However, I found this:

Nick Bilton, 2010: The Year of the Tablet. New York Times, Dec. 23, 2009 (
blog).
http://bits.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/12/23/2010-the-year-of-the-tablet/?scp=1&sq=apple%20tablet&st=cse

Please remember that Technology section of this newspaper has a habit of
publishing something first as a blog, put the toe in water (and possibly get
readers' response, some of which will be published in print a few days
later together with the modified blog).

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choi

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A likely price range for tablet, see

Martin Peers, A Hard-to-Swallow Tablet From Apple. Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Dec. 30, 2009.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703510304574626213985068436.html

My comment:
(a) The "tablet" in the WSJ title is a pun. A tablet can also be a pill, as medicine that is hard to swallow (due to its bitter taste).
(b) The last sentence has an idiom "putting the apple cart before the horse" which means wrong order as a horse should be placed BEFORE a cart.
(c) In my view, it is meaningless to speculate about price. Nobody is sure of the functions of apple tablet. Some hint it has computer function. Without known function, I gather, one can only speculate the price.

【 在 choi 的大作中提到: 】
: I am reluctant to chase rumors.
: So I decided against posting this news about Apple tablet. I then thought it
: over, again and again. I change my mind, and let you decide the merits (of
: the latest rumors).
: (1) Apple has bought the name iSlate. Maybe this w
: (以下引言省略...)

--

choi

本文通过一路BBS站telnet客户端发布

(1) Jon Swartz, Speculation grows about Apple tablet, which could land in March. USA Today, Jan. 5, 2010 (available now).
http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-01-04-apple-tablet-march_N.htm

The bottom line is it is all speculation.

(2) David Carr, A Savior in the Form of a Tablet. New York Times, Jan. 4, 2010.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/04/business/media/04carr.html?scp=1&sq=apple%20tablet%20lee%20&st=cse

This is a LONG article which manages to say nothing, except a few cute words. It does mention Mr. Lee in passing. "Kai-Fu Lee, the former head of Google in China, posted an item on his personal blog suggesting the Apple tablet would feature a 10.1-inch multitouch screen with three-dimensional graphics."

Just like you and me, Mr Lee is no saint.

【 在 choi 的大作中提到: 】
: A likely price range for tablet, see
: Martin Peers, A Hard-to-Swallow Tablet From Apple. Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Dec. 30, 2009.
: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703510304574626213985068436.html
: My comment:
: (a) The "tablet" in the WSJ title is a pun. A tabl
: (以下引言省略...)

--

joshua

本文通过一路BBS站telnet客户端发布

Here is John Gruber's opinion: http://daringfireball.net/2009/12/the_tablet

"I think The Tablet is nothing short of Apple’s reconception of personal computing."


【 在 choi 的大作中提到: 】
: (1) Jon Swartz, Speculation grows about Apple tablet, which could land in March. USA Today, Jan. 5, 2010 (available now).
: http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/2010-01-04-apple-tablet-march_N.htm
: The bottom line is it is all speculation.
: (2) David Carr, A Savior in the Form of a Tablet.
: (以下引言省略...)

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