An Apple tablet for Australia Day?

David Heath
Thursday, 24 December 2009 07:22

Your IT - Home IT

Rumours are intensifying that January 26th will be the launch date for the much-hyped Apple tablet.

There have been many reports over the past few weeks of a soon-to-be released Apple tablet computer.

The latest, from the Financial Times technology blog makes a strong suggestion that a major event is booked to take place at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the same place that Steve Jobs made his first public appearance in September this year after extended medical leave.

The Boy Genius blog is strongly of the opinion that there will be a 7 inch tablet followed some time later by a 10 inch unit.  The January announcement is consistent with previously rumoured shipment dates of late March or early April.

If a Bluetooth headset was included, this would also end up being an over-sized iPhone, and it is fairly obvious that it would be able to make full use of the Apps Store.

A tablet device would give Apple an entre into the burgeoning mobile content market, currently occupied by Kindle and its ilk.  In addition, the Apple tablet would be an ideal platform to deliver the content arising from the rumoured deals being signed with TV studios.  Content, and lots of it, will be the key to the success of this device.  However, as in other market sectors, the entry of Apple could cause existing arrangements to undergo significant reorganisation; in this case, it would be the pay TV industry to feel the heat.

Roll on Australia Day; let's see what the Apple fairy brings.