14 DAY TRIAL // A report over at Barron’s citing a "veteran analyst" reveals that Apple’s rumored tablet device is, indeed, real, with original device makers (ODM) in Asia holding their own releases until Apple makes the announcement, which could hit as soon as September, with the release being (allegedly) slated for November.
According to the person cited in the report, the device is tailored for an impeccable viewing experience, while others speculate that gaming will also be the focus of this next-gen device. An excerpt from the Barron’s report in question (via 9to5mac) can be found below.
... The computer industry is so anxious to see what Apple introduces that it has held off on competing designs until Apple CEO Steve Jobs gives the device his final blessing. "It's close enough now to a final design that in Asia, there's no other product in the waiting room or in the bullpen," said the analyst. "There are dozens of ODMs [original device makers] making products for Lenovo and other PC makers that are all waiting to see what the Apple product is." [...] The machine impresses with its display of hi-def video content, says the veteran analyst, who asked not to be identified. "It's better than the average movie experience, when you hold this thing in your hands."
Allegedly, a second source has been able to confirm that Apple is, indeed, working on a revolutionary device. In fact, the source claims, news of the tablet device "is all over the supply chain in Asia."
The same report speculates that Apple will be going below the $1,000 price point with this device, setting the price between $699 and $799. The move would undoubtedly be a huge blow to competitors, whose success is partially due to Apple’s high pricing across its entire product line.
Also, the next-gen device "could fulfill a variety of multimedia functions currently taken up by a gaggle of individual consumer electronics devices," the report outlines. "It could be a home media center, somewhat like the current Apple TV, and it could be a gaming machine," a forecast from Jon Peddie, head of Jon Peddie Research in Tiburon, Calif., goes, Barron’s reports. "Gaming will be a big part of what this is about," he adds.
It is also worth noting that the Financial Times earlier speculated that Apple was gearing up for the release of "a portable tablet-sized computer" in time for Christmas.