Michael Tchao, one of the original developers of Apple’s Newton personal digital assistant, has returned to Apple after a 15-year absence as vice president of product marketing, according to Steve Dowling, an Apple spokesman. Tchao will report to Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of product marketing, according to The New York Times.

The report continues to outline that, “It is not clear what his new duties at Apple will entail,” with both Tchao and Apple refusing to comment on the matter. “He’s got the scars and the great ideas” about tablet computing, another former Apple employee who worked with Mr. Tchao adds.

Industry watchers strongly believe Apple is working on some kind of tablet device set to ship sometime next year. The hiring of Mr. Tchao can only further fuel such rumors of a touchscreen portable device that’s bigger and more powerful than Apple’ iPod touch, yet smaller, and more portable than the company’s notebooks. While the Mac maker doesn’t want to make a traditional notebook bearing its Apple logo, analysts believe the company will tap into this market too, with its revolutionary tablet.

According to The New York Times, during his absence from Apple, Tchao has had a high-profile career. Tchao worked at Apple from 1986 until 1994, holding three different positions during that time. He eventually advanced to Group Manager for Product Planning and Strategy in the company's Personal Interactive Electronics division. He was then appointed a position in consulting and product development. His most recent employer, Nike, offered him a position as the general manager of the company’s Techlab, where Tchao oversees design equipment that integrates with the iPod.

As for the Newton, it was an early personal digital assistant embodying both hardware and software that was focused on handwriting recognition. The device was based on the ARM 610 RISC processor.