Manufacturers: Apple Tablet in March for $1,000 US

[Paul Daniel Ash]

Computer industry observers have been leaning on their contacts for months trying to divine when (or if) the long-rumored, never-yet-seen Apple tablet might be coming to reality. Now an analyst with ties to the suppliers who would likely be involved says that the wheels are being set in motion for manufacturing to begin in February, with a likely release in March or April.

Analyst Yair Reiner frequently reports on Apple's plans for the investment bank Oppenheimer. Since he provides advice to people who are moving billions of dollars around, he has a lot of motivation to avoid wild speculation. AppleInsider revealed the contents of a note from Reiner to investors this morning that said his informants in the supply chain in Taiwan and China indicate that “the manufacturing cogs for the [device] are creaking into action” to begin production in February of a device that resembles what Apple-watchers have been predicting for some time. The people Reiner is talking to say that the tablet will have a 10.1-inch multi-touch LCD display and carry a street price of $1,000 US.

He says that Apple plans to produce as many as one million units per month, which means Apple will want to build up five to six weeks of inventory before announcing the device. This would put the product launch in March or April of 2010. Reiner noted that Apple has been busily promoting the device in the publishing industry, in line with persistent reports that the initial launch of the tablet will focus on its capabilities as an e-book (and e-magazine) reader.

Contacts in the US tell us Apple is approaching book publishers with a very attractive proposal for distributing their content. Apple will split revenue 30/70 (Apple/publisher); give the same deal to all comers; and not request exclusivity. We believe the typical Kindle/publisher split is 50/50, rising to 30/70 if Kindle is given ebook exclusivity.

Reiner also asserted that the royalty deals were likely to calm the publishing industry's dissatisfaction with the way that Amazon has handled its distribution arrangements with the Kindle.

As innovative as it is, we believe the Kindle has disgruntled the publishing industry (book, newspaper, and magazine) by demanding exclusivity, disallowing advertising, and demanding a wolfish cut of revenue. The tablet is set to change that. It should also make ebooks more relevant for education by simplifying functions such as scribbling marginalia.

"Marginalia" refers to notes in the margins of books, which would potentially make the tablet attractive to students and to colleges. The profit margins on titles in college bookstores is often as high as 30 or 40 percent. If Apple could get a piece of that market, it would provide an enormous new revenue stream.

Another analyst came forward today with more details on the tablet’s hardware, indicating that the reports of a super-tablet with a high-resolution OLED display were wide of the mark. According to ThinkEquity analyst Vijay Rakesh, the tablet could include 64GB flash and would ship in the March quarter. Rakesh said Apple could build 1 million to 3 million tablets between February and March with 8 million to 10 million for the year 2010. The analyst also agreed with Reiner that the tablet would include a 10.1-inch multi-touch LTPS LCD display and not OLED technology, which some reported could delay production until late 2010 and raise the price over $2,000 US.

image via SlashGear

[xxfr0stbytexx]

interesting...

[rwin84]

More tablet smoke. I wanna see the fire already

[adp]

I think we're setting a new record on rumors on a single electronic device...

$1K is not bad as the $2K+ rumors posted before - but I'm still not convinced on spending that much money on something which may not entirely replace a laptop.

[nmejunkie]

i would show u my prototype but im just not allowed ))

I think we're setting a new record on rumors on a single electronic device...

$1K is not bad as the $2K+ rumors posted before - but I'm still not convinced on spending that much money on something which may not entirely replace a laptop.

thats what i said about the iphone.... just think if the iphone makes u think twice about bringing ur laptop. this thing is UR NEW laptop.

[JailbrokeniPodKing]

sorry apple, all you've done is got the iPod touch, made it a bit bigger, a bit thinner, added a new dock and keyboard and upped the price $800 try something a little more creative :P

[ima80baby]

Lol @ $1,000.

[TooSlo]

And here I thought they might actually want to take on the netbook market.

Guess I will be buying the new Asus with the dual core proc and Ion video for 1/2 the price.

I'd actually wanted to be interested in the tablet, but for a grand, there is no way I'm paying that just to test out something from Apple.

[zinjen]

Umm is this suppose to have a Phone on it too? So you can use via AT&T Or what?

[adp]

Umm is this suppose to have a Phone on it too? So you can use via AT&T Or what?

I think you can use cellular data (by subscription) but I'm not sure about carrying this thing as a cell phone all over...It would be hilarious talking with such a huge device (reminds me of Trigger Happy TV). And carrying a separate headset device...I just don't see it convenient.

[s4mb4]

a $1000 ebook reader... i will stick with my Kindle 2.

If the device looks like that picture above, it would be the biggest business blunder since Coke announce a "new" recipe.

[xwinger]

I don't know why anyone would want that. I also don't know why people buy netbooks. My 13" laptop is a perfect size. Netbooks and this tablet thing are a joke.

[n00neimp0rtant]

OH **** YES TRACKPAD OMG

I realize this is, for the most part, irrelevant to the post, but that picture of the keyboard+trackpad hybrid turned me on a little. I HATE mouses (yes i said "mouses") anymore. I wish Apple would just start selling standalone trackpads instead of this "Magic Mouse" crap. You can't even zoom with it!

Umm is this suppose to have a Phone on it too? So you can use via AT&T Or what?

Don't know about a "phone," but it would probably have mobile broadband through a cellular provider, kinda like this: Dell Netbook now 3G-enabled in the U.S. | Crave - CNET

I don't know why anyone would want that. I also don't know why people buy netbooks. My 13" laptop is a perfect size. Netbooks and this tablet thing are a joke.

In my opinion, netbooks are for anti-Apple-fanboys who have too much pride to buy an iPod touch. Either that, or you absolutely NEED some way to do some word processing on the go.

Apologies in advance to the administration/moderatistratoration(?) if that pic is too big. :3

[gthugballin]

I wont pay 1000 dollars unless its has a 2ghz processor, 200 gigs of Hard drive space, and 2 gigs of ram....

[hollow0]

why is it that every tablet picture looks like some gigantic iphone or ipod touch? i'm sure it wont have a giant home button like those devices...

lol and is that a rocker switch on the left side?

I wont pay 1000 dollars unless its has a 2ghz processor, 200 gigs of Hard drive space, and 2 gigs of ram....

lol i like your signiture

[Melech518]

People, people, people...
These pictures are MOCK-UPS. Nowhere has there been an "official" photo released. Stop commenting on the picture as if it is what the tablet is going to be. Stick to the Tablet articles from now on and ignore the pictures...

[GTOpilot]

Truly baffling considering the laptop I am typing on now has 4gig of Ram, 250gig of drive space, 15" screen, and a dual core processor....all for $750 brand new at Best Buy 8 months ago.

What happened to the $600 pricing we were told about?

This looks like a really cool device but at $1000 it aint so cool.

Hopefully this is another inaccurate rumor.

[TooSlo]

..Netbooks and this tablet thing are a joke.

Wow, that's just an uneducated response right there.

Sub 12" netbooks have a growing market share. They really are the beginning of "disposable computers." For $299-499 you can get anywhere from a 8-12" netbook that ranges from being a basic portable internet device to something that even some modern games can be played on.

The new dual-core processor that's making it's way into many netbooks in the coming months, as well as the Ion video are going to push that performance even further in a package that weighs significantly less than even a 13" Mac.

I don't have a need for a CD/DVD drive, that alone makes the weight savings worth it for me. Tether that into the cost savings in comparison while retaining fairly serious processing power in next gen netbooks and one can easily justify spending a couple hundred dollars on a device such as this.

Considering I can tether while charging my phone, and I'll end up with damn near 6-7 hours of portable internet in a sub 1kg package.

I'm confident in saying "your Mac can't do that."

[rhekt]

yeah $1000 seems steep. but you never know till it rolls out what your willing to pay for.

[TooSlo]

yeah $1000 seems steep. but you never know till it rolls out what your willing to pay for.

I can guarantee that I would never spend $1000 on a tablet. The day that I do, I will be more than happy to eat my shoe.