Apple has been rumoured to release a portable touchscreen computer for the high-end segment for a while now.

Any data on specifications or other technical details on the tablet were unfortunately unknown, up until now.

An industry analyst has just reported to Apple Tablet the specification sheet for the Apple Tablet to be launched very soon.

• Display:
  • 9.6″ widescreen multi-touch display (by WinTek)
  • 1440-by-1050-pixel resolution at 489 ppi
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.13GHz
• Memory: DDR2 2 GB @ 667 MHz
• Video: nVidia GeForce 9400M
• Storage: 64 GB flash drive
• Optical drive: Apple SuperDrive with DVD±RW and CD-RW
• Wireless:
  • Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • 3G: HSDPA (through AT&T)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Location tools:
  • Assisted GPS (aGPS)
  • Digital compass
• Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery (by DynaPak)
• Usage time:
  • Internet: up to 6 hours on 3G
  • Internet: up to 12 hours on Wi-Fi
  • Video playback: up to 12 hours
• Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
• Colors:
  • black with silver or
  • white with silver
• Software:
  • Mac OS X 10.6 with touch-enabled interface
• Price level:
• $899  USD, 799 EUR

[Photo courtesy of Fotoboer.nl]

Rumours are all around now on the 10.1″ tablet Apple will release in September. A new music format called Cocktail is finished to be implemented in the device. ChannelWeb reports on five must-have features the Apple tablet should have.

“Premium Content Viewing Experience

If early reports are to be believed, the Apple tablet looks as if it is going to be a platform designed for consuming content. That means listening to music, watching video and surfing the Web. To that end, the Apple tablet needs to have a high-definition screen with crisp visuals. Adding speakers that don’t entirely lose their oomph if a finger happens to cover them — as is the case with the iPhone 3G — would also be a remarkable improvement.

Cocktail Needs To Deliver
While Cocktail may be an album format as opposed to a hardware innovation, it’s important to the overall well being of the platform that the format deliver. Apple’s iPod probably wouldn’t have been as wildly successful without the iTunes store; the iPhone probably would’ve survived without the App Store, but those apps are certainly helping sell hardware. In many cases, Apple supporters already own one or both — or several — iPods or iPhones. While Apple is reportedly pricing the tablet at around $800, that’s not exactly chump change. So for Apple to continue to get consumers who don’t form the core of its customer base to purchase the tablet, in addition to other devices, making Cocktail a compelling format could go a long way.

Built-In Wireless Sync
If it is assumed that an Apple tablet will be Wi-Fi-capable, then including some of features of the Time Capsule is the next logical step. Time Capsule is a wireless storage device that sits on a Wi-Fi network and allows users to sync peripherals like printers to the network, as well as perform over-the-air backup. The Apple tablet should parrot some of Time Capsule’s capabilities but should go a step further and sync to home entertainment systems — not just the Apple TV. Because the tablet places such a large emphasis on content consumption, it should come out of the box capable of streaming music to a home stereo system or HD TV.

Better Screen Technology
Apple makes strides with its touch-screen technology seemingly with each new iteration of the iPhone. But an entirely touch-screen tablet means the Cupertino Crew needs to come up with a screen that is more resistant to finger smudges. On an iPhone or iPod Touch, smudges are tolerable even while surfing the Web in line at the grocery store. But on a tablet device that could measure 10 inches diagonally, coming up with a new screen that keeps oils from sticking to it may be surprisingly important. It’s likely to get frustrating quickly if content starts to be obscured because a finger swipe was required to turn a page or surf to the next Web page.

Tablet-Specific Apps
Yes, there’s the Cocktail music format, but the tablet device will need its own apps as well. It seems unlikely that apps developed for the iPhone will function on a bigger screen. Apple, then, needs to put the call out to developers to begin creating apps that’ll take advantage of the size of the screen and — hopefully — some of the other functionalities that the Jobs Crew has built into the device.”

[Via ChannelWeb]

With Apple tablet rumours being confirmed everywhere but still no actual photos of the device, we thought it might be nice to show you a compilation of the 3d renderings made by artists all around the world of what they believe the tablet will look like. Most actually just have a flat glossy typical MacBook screen with the MacOS interface. Some however include actual physical keyboards and we have even seen some with laser projected keyboards but that seems to be quite unrealistic.

Which render do you feel is going to most close to the real thing? Tell me in the comments!

We told you a few months ago the rumors  of the Apple tablet (or iPad) would soon converge into reality. And we were right! This week, an unnamed analyst apparently played with the Apple tablet prototype. The analyst has told that the device will be announced in September and released in November. In Apple stores first, with retail stores following soon after. The screen will probably be a 10.1″ size running a 1440 by 1050 widescreen resolution.

Additionally, other manufacturers are reportedly waiting on the release of the Apple tablet to see if they are still continuing with their product line up. Like usual when Apple releases a new product, it sends shockwaves through the consumer and business marketplace and manufacturers quickly step up their game. It happened with the huge influx of touchscreen smartphones after the launch of the Apple iPhone and obviously it will happen again with the release of the Apple tablet.

Finally, HTC, Nokia, Intel and Dell are reportedly working on their own tablets to compete with Apple. Now it seems pretty logical Apple did not want to admit they were working on a tablet, huh? They did not want the competition to be ahead of them.

To inform you, we have updated the specifications for you.

Apple tablet specifications:

• Release date:
  • Apple stores: November 2009
  • Retail stores: December 2009
• Display:
  • 10.1″ widescreen multi-touch display
  • 1440-by-1050-pixel resolution at 489 ppi
  • Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating
• Processor: Intel Core 2 Duo @ 2.13GHz
• Memory: DDR2 2 GB @ 667 MHz
• Video: nVidia GeForce 9400M
• Storage: 64 GB flash drive
• Optical drive: Apple SuperDrive with DVD±RW and CD-RW
• Wireless:
  • Integrated Wi-Fi 802.11b/g
  • 3G: UMTS/HSDPA (850, 1900, 2100 MHz)
  • Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR
• Location tools:
  • Assisted GPS (aGPS)
  • Digital compass
• Battery: Built-in rechargeable lithium-ion battery
• Usage time:
  • Internet: up to 6 hours on 3G
  • Internet: up to 12 hours on Wi-Fi
  • Video playback:  up to 12 hours
• Sensors:
  • Accelerometer
  • Proximity sensor
  • Ambient light sensor
• Colors:
  • black with silver or
  • white with silver
• Software:
  • Mac OS X 10.6 with touch-enabled interface

(Specifications are unconfirmed by Apple)

[First photo courtesy of Fotoboer.nl]

Apple iPad (16GB, Wifi)

The possibly upcoming Apple tablet computer will definitely not be priced below $500, Apple’s Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook told TechCrunch during its quarterly earnings conference call.

Cook mentioned that he thinks most people buying portable devices want to have a full-featured notebook, not a slow low-specced netbook. This is quite disputable though as netbooks are making a big dent in the entire computing market now.

Cook said Apple had no interest in entering the low-end consumer computing market as the margins in this segment would be too low for Apple. He called computer products with a price below $499 ‘junky’. He did not reject the possibility though that Apple is working on a new portable computer device.  But if it is, it will be priced above $500.

It is obvious that Apple is really not coming out with a netbook. They have repeated this numerous times. They do not have any belief in the market segment.

If there is a tablet in the pipeline however, it will be be a fully-featured highly-specced large touchscreen tablet with a price tag of around $800 at least, if you think in Apple’s regular prices.

[Via TechCrunch]

Apple just filed a patent for “identifying fingerprint signature” gestures. The patent describes how a future device will be able to detect which finger is touching the screen. This can be handy in for example screen gestures, where when more fingers are enabled, countless more gestures become available.

Many people believe this patent will be used in the iPhone, but they are wrong. When do you use more than two fingers on an iPhone? The device size is too small for that. You got it right…We are talking about a patent made for the Apple tablet here.

In addition the patent includes haptic feedback technology. When you touch the screen, you can feel where the on screen buttons are without actually seeing them. This will be useful for both the iPhone and the MacBook tablet.

The fingerprint ID can theoretically act as a security device so that only you can activate your phone.

Via MacRumors.com

Gene Munster, investment analyst for Piper Jaffray, believes Apple will release a low-cost tablet PC in 2010. He writes this in a letter sent out to its clients. He based his information on a confirmation from people in the loop with Apple’s product plans.

“We expect Apple to fill the gap between the iPod touch and the MacBook with a new tablet device (not a netbook) priced at about $500-$700. Apple will likely leverage its multi-touch patents to differentiate its product from the typical netbook,”

New pictures of the Apple tablet PC have appeared online:

Renderings courtesy of Factory Joe

Apple has recently filed for a patent which looks surprisingly like a mobile internet device or tablet PC. It is cryptically titled “Display Housing for Computing Device”. The device has a touchscreen display and looks very flat. It holds the Apple logo on the slightly curvy bottom. In the patent, an optical CD, DVD or Blu-Ray drive is not described.