Apple tablet set for Q2 launch with aluminum casing - report
Touchscreen panels for Apple's forthcoming tablet have begun shipping, and aluminum casings are expected to arrive next month, sources allegedly told Reuters.
The report, issued Friday, claims that two Taiwanese companies are supplying parts: AVY Precision Technology will begin production of the aluminum casings in February, while TPK Solutions is manufacturing the touchscreen panels. Three anonymous sources were cited in the report.
"Production of the cases will begin in February, so everything points to a second-quarter launch right now," one of the sources reportedly said. "It doesn't take that long for the company to assemble the PC together, but a second-quarter shipment date is what we're looking at now."
The alleged leaked information comes as a number of companies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are hoping to ride the wave of tablet hype that has built for months as rumors have swirled about Apple's still-unconfirmed device. Microsoft and HP introduced what was dubbed as a slate PC, Dell previewed a 5-inch tablet concept akin to an iPod touch, and Nvidia boasted that its Tegra 2 chip would be featured in numerous tablets due to arrive in 2010.
Countless hardware makers have seen CES as an opportunity to land a preemptive strike against Apple, which is expected to announce its own touchscreen device, sized between 10 inches and 11 inches, at an event on Jan. 27. Sources this week told The Wall Street Journal that Apple would unveil the product this month and ship it to customers in March.
The Journal also alleged that Apple was experimenting with "two different material finishes" for the hardware. Friday's report, if true, would suggest that Apple settled on an aluminum backing for the device.
As Apple prepares to officially announce its tablet, reports from supposed suppliers have continued to leak. In December, it was alleged that the Cupertino, Calif., company had been seeking solutions to strengthen the glass of the 10-inch tablet displays it outsourced, which was said to delay the product's launch.
The report, issued Friday, claims that two Taiwanese companies are supplying parts: AVY Precision Technology will begin production of the aluminum casings in February, while TPK Solutions is manufacturing the touchscreen panels. Three anonymous sources were cited in the report.
"Production of the cases will begin in February, so everything points to a second-quarter launch right now," one of the sources reportedly said. "It doesn't take that long for the company to assemble the PC together, but a second-quarter shipment date is what we're looking at now."
The alleged leaked information comes as a number of companies at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas are hoping to ride the wave of tablet hype that has built for months as rumors have swirled about Apple's still-unconfirmed device. Microsoft and HP introduced what was dubbed as a slate PC, Dell previewed a 5-inch tablet concept akin to an iPod touch, and Nvidia boasted that its Tegra 2 chip would be featured in numerous tablets due to arrive in 2010.
Countless hardware makers have seen CES as an opportunity to land a preemptive strike against Apple, which is expected to announce its own touchscreen device, sized between 10 inches and 11 inches, at an event on Jan. 27. Sources this week told The Wall Street Journal that Apple would unveil the product this month and ship it to customers in March.
The Journal also alleged that Apple was experimenting with "two different material finishes" for the hardware. Friday's report, if true, would suggest that Apple settled on an aluminum backing for the device.
As Apple prepares to officially announce its tablet, reports from supposed suppliers have continued to leak. In December, it was alleged that the Cupertino, Calif., company had been seeking solutions to strengthen the glass of the 10-inch tablet displays it outsourced, which was said to delay the product's launch.
Comments
BTW, did teckstud get banned - haven't heard from him in a while? Kinda miss his acerbity.
Just a thought.
... BTW, did teckstud get banned - haven't heard from him in a while? Kinda miss his acerbity.
If by acerbity you mean in the sense of "acerbic wit" then you must be joking. One needs to be both very insightful, very intelligent, and have a good sense of humour for that.
If you mean in the sense of just being "sour or bitter" then I think you've nailed his style of comments perfectly.
Personally, I don't miss him at all. If I feel the need I can just suck a lemon or drop a hammer on my toe or something similar.
Personally, I don't miss him at all. If I feel the need I can just suck a lemon or drop a hammer on my toe or something similar.
Maybe they will use plastic for a low-end model and aluminum for a high-end model like the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
my guess is probably not. I somehow think the tablet will be a one-size-fits-all approach, at least at the start. Who knows, though.
Wonder if the tablet will follow the same progression as the iPhone: aluminum case 1st gen -> plastic case 2nd gen...
BTW, did teckstud get banned - haven't heard from him in a while? Kinda miss his acerbity.
He's not even in the membership database anymore. There is another TECHSTUD (all caps) who only has five posts and hasn't posted in years. So it looks like he is gone for good. Of course, there's always the possibility of his sock puppet being alive and well here, but I think we would all recognize the "style".
Maybe they will use plastic for a low-end model and aluminum for a high-end model like the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
My personal preference would be for a perfect, seamless, aluminium back with just a plastic Apple logo for the Wi-Fi antenna. No camera hole, no ports, no volume rocker, and no silent switch. Just a power button on one edge and a home button on the (glass) front.
This observation isn't overly original or thought-provoking, but what if the January 27 event is used to introduce a super new iPhone?
Just a thought.
I would suspect much more than a tablet at this debut. I'm thinking iPhone OS 4, MBP revs and yes possibly more iPhone models.
Apple needs more iPhone models to meet the needs of different users. Like it or not I think a clam shell iPhone with a keyboard would sell like hotcakes. Woman would like a smaller iPhone and guys could always use something bigger.
As to that clam shell design think of it this way. The screen is a transparent OLED that functions like a normal iPhone when closed. When open you go to horizontal mode and have an expansive screen that is free of keyboard clutter. Note that I don't think a real keyboard makes text entry any better, my experience is that they aren't any better than Apples keyboards. What this does do though is give you a much larger view of E-Mails and other documents you may be generating. Better yet would be a clam shell with a folding screen but we aren't there yet.
Dave
Maybe they will use plastic for a low-end model and aluminum for a high-end model like the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
Well, then you would have everybody griping about the lower end model having so much better WiFi reception then the high-end model.
Wonder if the tablet will follow the same progression as the iPhone: aluminum case 1st gen -> plastic case 2nd gen...
not likely. to do that would be reinvent the wheel in part. they nixed the aluminum, they say, do to issues with the antennae. if this thing has any 3g/4g/wifi in it, they won't want similar issues.
BTW, did teckstud get banned - haven't heard from him in a while? K
I've had him on my ignore list for ages, I'd forgot about him in truth.
Maybe they will use plastic for a low-end model and aluminum for a high-end model like the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
or perhaps the 2 finish issue was an attempt to mix two materials in a pleasing design without signal issues, over heating etc.
my guess is probably not. I somehow think the tablet will be a one-size-fits-all approach, at least at the start. Who knows, though.
i'm thinking if there are two models it will be size or color not finish.
My personal preference would be for a perfect, seamless, aluminium back with just a plastic Apple logo for the Wi-Fi antenna. No camera hole, no ports, no volume rocker, and no silent switch. Just a power button on one edge and a home button on the (glass) front.
won't happen.
for one, it's a rechargeable battery, you have to have a way to charge it. that's one port right there. and getting content onto it. that's perhaps the same one or another port. plus headphones. you can be sure there will be a jack for head phones.
and there will be some kind of camera. either back side like the phone and nano or front like the laptop.
that said, I could see 2 ports -- dock connector and headphone, the camera and that's it. other than the speaker area. no toggle, no rocker. perhaps the power and home will be the same button.
i don't really see them making this device, at least at this time, into a wacom style tablet or a second display. so there's really no need for much else.
If by acerbity you mean in the sense of "acerbic wit" then you must be joking. One needs to be both very insightful, very intelligent, and have a good sense of humour for that.
If you mean in the sense of just being "sour or bitter" then I think you've nailed his style of comments perfectly.
Personally, I don't miss him at all. If I feel the need I can just suck a lemon or drop a hammer on my toe or something similar.
Actually, despite his inability to police himself, Teckstud made plenty of valid arguments around here that you and the rest of the fanboy troll circus never could or would admit to.
Maybe they will use plastic for a low-end model and aluminum for a high-end model like the MacBook and MacBook Pro.
"1984" is probably the best username I've seen in a while! Congrats.
I thought I read that some TV manufacturers were designing 3-D televisions that don't require the glasses. If so, wouldn't it be sweet if this new iSlate had that polarized film on it? Imagine navigating around the UI when it looks like it's 10 inches deep into the glass.
I've known of some companies trying to develop 3D TV sets since the early 90's, and who knows, it may go back further. There is just no satisfactory way to view a 3D display without glasses, short of a holographic display, and then you've got color shift issues.