Apple tablet PC in early 2010?

Apple logo in blue - SmallPiper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster is the latest to suggest that Apple is working on a tablet PC. The device would address fit neatly between the iPod touch and Macbook notebooks in Apple’s lineup.

Munster expects that this tablet will be more than a larger iPod touch. Instead, it will be powered by a new version of OS X offering more functionality and optimization for a multi-touch interface. At the same time, it would be less powerful than Apple’s notebooks to prevent cannibalization of that market. It would feature a 7- to 10-inch touchscreen display, run applications from the App Store, and cost between US$500 adn US$700.

According to some “component contacts” in Asia, Munster expects that Apple could release this tablet in the first half of 2010.

Apple tablet rumours go as far back as January 2007.

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