AppleInsider says that Dow Jones carried the report as well, though it comes from a paper less well-known than say, DigiTimes. The September or October launch date Apple Daily reports is slightly more aggressive and definite in its time table than the Financial Times report that came out this weekend, which simply said that Apple "racing to offer a portable, full-featured, tablet-sized computer in time for the Christmas shopping season."

A morbid thought, but if Foxconn is building the tablet, what if the tablet was the prototype Sun Danyong lost before he was driven to suicide? They wouldn't say he lost the mythical Apple tablet, after all.

AppleInsider still thinks it's coming in 2010, for what it's worth. We still think never trust rumors. [AppleInsider]

From what we've seen of PA Semi's activities in Apple, they're working on ARM chips—the same kind of chip that's in most mobile phones.

It's possible they're working on other chip designs, but given what we've heard previously, it seems to suggest the possibility that the tablet could be running on ARM chips (with some extra graphics muscle), along with the iPhone and iPod touch. If the tablet is using ARM, it'd suggest something closer to a netbook in power, definitely not the MacBook Pro Touch that Jesus strokes himself to sleep every night dreaming about. Which incidentally, would fit neatly under the recently entirely Pro-ified notebook lineup.

To take that one step further—hardware power in between the MacBook Pro and iPhone—it would also seem to suggest an OS that's somewhere in between the iPhone OS and full blown OS X. Which is in some ways a given, since the UI challenges of a tablet are not insignificant—a giant iPod touch doesn't sound that appealing or like much of a breakthrough, after all, and a standard desktop OS simply retrofitted with touch has never worked out very well before.

Either way, it seems likely that the tablet is as good a place as any for Apple to flaunt their very expensive new processor expertise. But you know what we say about rumors: Never trust them. [Venture Beat]

The story of the Apple tablet has been one of hearsay and gossip from the start, and this report, despite coming from a respectable newspaper, is no different. Translation courtesy of the MacRumors forums, and our polygot tipster:

Taiwan's high-tech supply chain companies said Apple will debut its first netbook in October; Apple will pose itself to tackle the Christmas shopping season. Three corporations – Foxconn, Wintek, Dynapack have received direct orders from Apple.

To anyone who's been following this story, this will sound familiar: Wintek was the company previously said to have supplied a bunch of touchscreen panels to Apple for use in a tablet—a narrative that lost a little steam after a no-show at WWDC. But bearing a resemblance to previous rumors could mean two things: either the China Times has been able to independently confirm something true, lending it credence; or they—or their sources—are simply echoing rumors. The pricing rumor is subject to the same suspicions:

Because Apple will adopt touch screen technology on its netbooks, Apple will not target low-end consumers, avoiding direct competition with Acer, Asus, as well as their less-than-500-dollars netbooks. Apple's netbook (or a "tablet" as many call it,) will probably be sold at around $800 USD each.

Even assuming this is true, it's strictly a hardware rumor, and doesn't answer one of the most important questions regarding the tablet: what the hell kind of OS will this thing run? Two takes. [Macrumors--Thanks, puffnstuff!]

Think about it: Right now a single, lonely model bears the name MacBook. A model that's been around forever, too. On the other hand, there are three sizes of MacBook Pros in six, count 'em, six flavors. Lopsided much? The poor thing gets no promotion, either. It was quietly updated to be as fast as the aluminium MacBook last week, warranting just a one-line mention during the WWDC Philnote. And where's the splash pic for Apple's most affordable Mac on the Mac page?

So, why is Apple basically wasting one of their most powerful brands, their "most popular Mac"?

Because they're about to call something else MacBook.

It's the only logical explanation for the muddled, complicated and totally un-Apple product line. Why all of their core notebooks are now called MacBook Pros. Why MacBook denotes a single notebook, one that perpetually seems like it's on its way out—because it very likely is on its way out.

There are two possibilities that stand out for MacBook: A new, even cheaper notebook, following the hard price cuts across the iMac and MacBook Pro lines. Or at the very least, a completely redesigned MacBook family that looks way different than what Apple is currently calling MacBook Pro, and maybe even the current MacBook. That's the more conservative take.

The other possibility is mostly in fap-fap fantasyland, but we can't rule it out: What if Apple calls that tablet thing MacBook? (Indicating it's at least somewhat different than most people have been imagining.) What better way to use one of their most iconic brands than to signify a complete shift in mainstream computers? Calling the tablet a MacBook would be incredibly ballsy, but an incredibly powerful signal, too.

Either way, we're pretty sure Apple isn't just going to let the MacBook wither and die—something new has to be coming that's gonna be called MacBook, and we'd wager relatively soon, too.

Or maybe Apple's just becoming a little bit more like every other PC maker and doesn't know what the hell they're doing with their brands anymore. But I somehow doubt that.

Apple fans are an expectant bunch, and one thing or another has gotten their hopes up nearly every year since the death of the Newton. But more recent—and especially post-iPhone—tablet rumors have become so intense, varied and inconsistent that it's hard to come away with a coherent picture of what to expect. Here's what we've got, and what it means.

Patents
Patent applications have kindled more bizarre Apple rumors than I can count, but there has been an undeniable cluster of activity around tablet-oriented tech as of late.

The earliest seeds of the current tablet frenzy can be traced back to 2004, when Apple filed for a European design trademark on a device that looked like "an iBook screen minus the body of the computer." It was much larger than what people are expecting now, but in some ways the design prefigured the aesthetic of the next few generations of iMac, and even the iPhone.

Skip forward to 2006, when Apple filed for a patent for an onscreen keyboard, gesture recognition and a virtual scroll wheel. Again, some of these technologies would find their way into the iPhone before too long, but the application contained a telling mockup of a tablet-esque product, smaller than the 2004 version, but which fit most of its description.

A flurry of offhand "tablet" shout-outs in tangentially related patents followed, but none carried much weight. It wasn't until August of '08 that something truly momentous passed in front of the weary eyes of a Patent Office employee: A huge, generously illustrated filing describing how OS X could be adapted to touch input. In it were descriptions of iPhone-like interface element magnification, a full-sized multitouch onscreen keyboard, and finally, plenty of drawings of a tablet device being prodded by inexplicably troll-like horror-fingers (shown at left). A hardware patent—kind of like the 2004 tablet patent—surfaced a few months later, outlining a keyboardless device not unlike the one sketched previously.

In a nutshell, even though an Apple touchscreen tablet doesn't yet exist, your lawyer would probably still advise you against trying to knock one off.

Rumors (and Facts)
Companies file patents for all kind of reasons, and when you're as big as Apple plenty of them go unused. They only provide context for other juicier rumors—employee leaks, coded statements from company leadership, hardware orders processed through three layers of Taiwanese press—that can really grow legs. Apple tablet rumors have short lifespans—they either come true within a reasonable timeframe or they fizzle out. Point is, right now there's a glut of them.

The current groundswell of wild speculation harks back to late 2007, when AppleInsider conjured a rumor that Apple was working on a slightly larger version of the iPhone. This was the first time in a while that anyone had talked about such a product, and it was exciting: Jesus mocked up a beautiful version himself, which led to a massively popular Photoshop contest.

In 2008, a loose-lipped German Intel executive let slip that Apple may be working on an Atom-based unit, which he referred to as a "version of the iPhone." This odd outburst was quickly minimized, but was soon followed by a full-throated alert from MacDailyNews that an OS X-equipped MacBook Touch would drop by October.

Next came a NYT report in October that a "Macbook Nano or iPhone Slate" device had been discovered in the traffic logs of a major search engine. As was the tendency those days, people honed in on the possibility of a Mac netbook, to which Steve Jobs cryptically replied that Apple would "wait and see" how sales held up, and that in the event that they enter the ultraportable market, they've "got some pretty interesting ideas..." Oh good gracious, what could that mean?

This is when things really picked up. TechCrunch stuck their necks out too, saying that they'd talked to "three different sources" close to Apple, all of whom confirmed an iPod Touch-like device. This means—counter to MacDailyNews' talk of a fully operational tablet computer—that it would run a stripped down mobile OS X like the one in the iPhone.

Just a few months ago, something resembling hard evidence emerged: The Commercial Times, Dow Jones news wire and Reuters all reported that Apple had ordered 9.7" multitouch panels from Wintek. These would be the displays in a device set for a Q3 release. Shortly after, the WSJ reminded us that Steve Jobs was still pulling all the strings at Apple, and went out on a limb to say that he was working on something:

People privy to the company's strategy say Apple is working on new iPhone models and a portable device that is smaller than its current laptop computers but bigger than the iPhone or iPod Touch.

BusinessWeek then put on their rumor-blog hat too, recently corroborated these rumors with sourced rumors of their own, fingering Verizon as a potential carrier for a 3G-enabled "Media Pad". They were even so bold as to peg the summer of '09 as a possible release date.

Deja Vu?
Something striking about these rumors is how conceptually similar they are to rumors from 7 or 8 years ago. This is from a 2002 eWeek "hunch" post, the last time that Mac tablets seemed "inevitable", mostly on account of Apple's rival Microsoft, and its over-hyped promotion of all things tablety:

This pre-release hardware combines a next-generation, low-power Motorola PowerPC chip and formidable screen real estate into a typically impressive Apple industrial design. The hardware is lightweight and slender, and the battery life skunks comparable Tablet PCs...the software is homegrown, pairing Mac OS X with the company's impressive handwriting-recognition technology

The writer, Matthew Rothenberg, later specified:

[It's a] device that superficially resembles a large iPod with an 8-inch diagonal screen, lacks a keyboard, packs USB and FireWire ports and runs Mac OS X along with a variety of multimedia goodies

A large screen that serves as the primary input device, a minimalist design, a proprietary Apple input system and better-than-average battery life? That describes the theoretical devices of 2009 nearly as well as it does those of 2002. Anyway.

The Most Compelling Evidence
Hidden somewhere amidst all the patent-filing and reputation-staking are some legitimately convincing pieces of information:

• Steady allegatons of Apple's long, storied interest in tablets—buoyed by occasional patent filings—count for something, as does their consistent cynicism about netbooks (the only real alternative to tablets in the ultramobile computing space).
• The late 2008 patent app for a multitouch tablet interface is thorough, practical, timely and contains a plausible (if basic) mockup.
• The Wintek 9.7" panel order is the closest thing to hard evidence that we've got. It's a good bet that Apple has them, or will soon, and that they're putting them to use—but not a sure one.
• That the device has no keyboard, is moderately sized, and that it's media-centric are all ideas shared by those who've separately floated sourced tablet rumors (TechCrunch, BusinessWeek, MacNewDaily).

It looks like there's a good chance a tablet is on its way. Separate rumors point to similar launch dates: Some say Q3, some say June, but they all could be talking about the same date, or at least the same swath of time.

What to expect as an OS is more difficult to divine from the above speculation, but common sense is instructive: iPhone OS wouldn't work on a larger device. It'd be more trouble than it's worth to reconfigure the core interface for a 10" screen, and all the thousands of third-party apps written with the iPhone's screen size and shape in mind would becoming all but useless. Barring some kind of app-in-a-window workaround—which doesn't sound very Apple-like—or an entirely new version of OS X—which doesn't seem necessary—desktop OS X with a modified shell, as shown in the 2008 interface patents, stands as the most likely candidate. It works pretty well on 9" netbooks as is, so a 10" screen with smart multitouch interface would make for a solid user experience.

Another common thread that runs through most of these rumors is the sense that this device would (or will) be a disruptive, industry-altering product, like the iPhone or iPod. But it's difficult to see exactly how it would be: Far from setting new standards for smartphones or revolutionizing the portable music player industry, an Apple tablet would be treading where many others have before. It will be smaller than older tablet PCs and lack the keyboard, but that's not worlds different, functionality-wise than MIDs and UMPCs like the OQO. It'd be thinner, wouldn't have a keyboard and would pack OS X, sure, but it might not be distinguishable enough from existing hardware to really shake things up.

On the other hand, the disruption could come from the way it is introduced. Wireless carriers are eager to expand revenue streams and keep people under contract, and many rumors and abstract executive comments focus around the idea that tablets—not just Apple's—will be inherently wireless devices, and they will be sold by carriers. That may seem far fetched now, since we're generally used to buying laptops without a service plan, but it could easily be the next revolution in wireless hardware.

There is plenty we don't know, and very little we can depend on. In the end, we have a screen size, a likely form-factor, an OS and a probable release window. Past that, the info is all chaff, and your guess as to how this thing will look—or if it will ever come out—is as good as ours. And guess you have—over the past few years everyone and their mom has mocked up an Apple Tablet. Here are our favorites from readers and industry insiders alike:

Specifically, the Journal says he "regularly reviews products and product plans," which is something we'd expect, really. Like the fabled MacBook touch tablet/netbook/thing: "People privy to the company's strategy say Apple is working on new iPhone models and a portable device that is smaller than its current laptop computers but bigger than the iPhone or iPod Touch."

Which is what's been spotted online, described as a giant iPod touch and also reported by Dow Jones as having a 10-inch touchscreen.

Turning back to Steve, the Journal says that "people familiar with Apple's operations" still expect him to be back in June. But then there's this weird little bit from some of those same people: "Members of Apple's board of directors are monitoring the situation directly, communicating regularly with Mr. Jobs's physicians." Why are they talking to Steve's doctors? Hmm.

But then again, I actually think the whole article smells a little weird. [WSJ]

Axiotron Launches Modservice, New MacBook-to-Modbook Conversion Service

Innovative service enables customers to transform their existing Apple MacBook into an Axiotron Modbook.

El Segundo, CA (PRWEB) October 28, 2008 — Axiotron® today launched Axiotron Modservice™, a one-of-a-kind service exclusively performed by Axiotron Authorized Service Providers that enables Apple® MacBook® owners to transform their existing computer into an Axiotron Modbook® complete tablet Mac® solution. Order requests for Axiotron Modservice can be placed beginning today at 10 a.m. PDT at http://www.axiotron.com/modservice.

Customers taking advantage of Axiotron Modservice can get a new, full-featured Modbook for as low as $1,299.

The award-winning Modbook's state-of-the-art pen-based digitizer technology gives users drawing and writing functionality along with the ability to manipulate the Mac OS® X operating system environment without a keyboard or mouse. Through Axiotron Modservice, almost any Intel® Core™ 2 Duo-based Apple MacBook computer can be transformed into an Axiotron Modbook.

"Customers have been requesting a program like our Modservice," said Andreas E. Haas, Axiotron's CEO. "There is something intrinsically appealing about the idea of taking your computer and turning it into a new and exciting product like the Modbook."

How to Place an Order Request:

Customers can enter an order request for Axiotron Modservice at http://www.axiotron.com/modservice beginning today at 10 a.m. PDT. No payment is necessary to place an order request. Customers must provide contact information and their Apple MacBook serial number. The website has information to help customers determine if their MacBook is eligible for conversion. Most non-aluminum Intel® Core™ 2 Duo-based MacBooks are eligible.

Order requests are taken on a first come, first served basis. The first Axiotron Modservice conversions will be performed in late November.

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In the coming weeks Axiotron will announce an expansion of its U.S. service and support network with the addition of Axiotron Authorized Service Providers who have been trained to be the exclusive providers of Modservice.

Axiotron will forward Modservice order requests to the Axiotron Authorized Service Provider closest to the customer that has openings available to perform the service. This designated service provider will contact customers to verify eligibility of their MacBook, arrange payment and set a service performance date. Customers can also request upgrades to their MacBook base system such as more memory and larger hard drives. Customers with MacBooks running Mac OS X version 10.4 ("Tiger") or earlier will be required to purchase an operating system license for Mac OS X version 10.5 ("Leopard").

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Every Axiotron Modbook comes with a one-year limited hardware warranty that applies to the Modbook's Axiotron components. Additional warranty options for Modservice will be announced soon.

For more information about Axiotron Modservice and to initiate an order request for the service, customers can visit http://www.axiotron.com/modservice.

About Axiotron:

A high-tech solution hardware manufacturing company and an Apple Premier Developer, Axiotron produces the Modbook, the one and only tablet Mac solution. Following its unique vision of Customizing Your World™, Axiotron is dedicated to becoming a leading high-tech innovator through the conception and development of intriguing digital lifestyle products. In addition, Axiotron offers its product development expertise to companies in need of custom hardware solutions. Founded in January 2005, Axiotron is a publicly traded company listed on the TSX Venture Exchange (TSX-V: AXO) in Toronto, Canada, with headquarters in El Segundo, California.

Axiotron, Modbook, Modservice and Customizing Your World are trademarks or registered trademarks of Axiotron, Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Apple, Mac, Mac OS and MacBook are trademarks or registered trademarks of Apple Inc. in the U.S. and other countries. Intel and Intel Core are trademarks or registered trademarks of Intel Corporation in the U.S. and other countries. Other company and product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

This news release is based on current expectations and contains forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Such statements are not guarantees of future performance and the respective actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements. Risks and uncertainties about Axiotron's business are more fully discussed in Axiotron's disclosure materials filed with the securities regulatory authorities in Canada and available at SEDAR. Axiotron assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from such statements.

###

Axiotron Corp.

Mark Perlstein

(310) 426-2674

The full QWERTY keyboard above has provisions not just for multiple finger keystrokes, but for accepting inputs from all fingers of both hands for touch typing, including multiple key combinations like ctrl-alt-delete and shift/option commands.

As for solving the problem of the many places in OS X where tiny buttons may be difficult to tap (window control buttons, for instance), it looks like we'll see the same pop-up monocle zoom as the iPhone for getting a clearer view of what needs to get tapped.

And a virtual scroll wheel design element can pop up when needed, and be manipulated with single finger swipes, or moved around the desktop with a double-finger drag.

This seems like the most fleshed-out set of multitouch tablet tech we've seen from Apple. It's just a patent filing (dated April 15, 2008), but it seems like things are getting a bit more serious on the Mac Tablet front. And I maintain, being a patent filing illustrator has got to be one of the weirdest, if not best, jobs for someone handy with drawing.
More at: [Appleinsider]

First Look: ModBook [Macworld]