Analyst says Apple Tablet is a go for 2010

First, bloggers predicted that the Apple Tablet would launch in the fall of 2009. Later, they rejiggered the time-frame: Maybe it would be early December, or even Christmas before the much-buzzed-about touch-screen computer touched down. Now, a top industry analyst says the Apple Tablet is definitely going to arrive – sometime next year. Sigh.

The prognosticator behind this most recent predication is Frank Gens, chief analyst at IDC. IDC has been wrong before – they originally thought the Apple Tablet would hit in 2009, which it probably won't, unless Apple pulls something seriously fantastic out of its hat. But Gens' statement on the Tablet looks pretty sound to us:

This prediction is a no-brainer: there's enormous appeal in sizing up the iPhone/Touch for a variety of applications and activities that people already use those devices for but would jump at the chance to have a larger screen — watching videos/movies, reading books/magazines/newspapers (it would take a big bite from the Kindle), surfing the Web, videophone, and online gaming. Look for Apple's "iPad" by year-end 2010.

So what will this Apple Tablet look like? Best guess: Something like an oversized iPod Touch, or a consumer-ready version of that cool computer from “Minority Report.” For a while, industry insiders thought the tablet might be priced under $800, which would make it palatable to budget-minded consumers. Now some folks think the price tag might be nearer to $1000, in line with the MacBook.

Here's the UK Mirror, waxing hopeful on the hardware:

Eagle eyed Cupertino fans will know much of the Apple tablet noise has been coming out of Taiwan, where screen manufacturers are said to be hard at work on a 10.7-inch slab, which will handle multitouch gestures. Will it be OLED? Or eInk? No one’s sure, but expect Apple to deliver something peerless.

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