Rumor: Apple tablet netbook in October for $800

[Chris]

This is the biggest netbook rumor of them all - the Apple netbook. I know I've written about it on numerous occasions:Here, here and as an April Fools joke - here.But this latest rumor has been the most credible since the very first murmurs of an Apple netbook. China Times is reporting that the tablet [...]

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[ThisIsNot]

People have been waiting for an Apple netbook for at least a couple years, they have been waiting for an Apple tablet for even longer. Personally, I would not purchase an Apple netbook. Apple makes some nice hardware and their software is even better. However, it is all just too expensive especially considering that the same hardware in their $999 MacBook notebook can be found in $600 notebooks.

$800 for a netbook is way beyond the upper limit. However, the Apple fanboy crowd would easily spend that much money as it is $200 cheaper than their least expensive unit. That and the Apple fanboys purchase anything with an Apple logo on it. The actual tablet/netbook market may or may not adopt this. I could see Apple taking a 13" design (hence, it will fall into the not-a-netbook netbook category), a Core 2 Solo processor (it consumes a lot less power), Nvidia 9400 graphics, 2GB of RAM, a 16GB/32GB SSD drive, no optical drive, make the screen rotate, and allow for multi-touch finger input while building in an optional pen-type device (when people want to write on the screen). HP does all of this while using an AMD dual-core processor and a hard drive for $800.

I don't know. I will have to file this in the "believe it when I see it" category since the rumor of an Apple tablet has been around for a long time. The funny thing is that the prices started at $2000, then dropped to $1500, $1000, and are now $800.

[Chris]

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

However, it is all just too expensive especially considering that the same hardware in their $999 MacBook notebook can be found in $600 notebooks.

Very true point. Needless to say, if Apple thinks they can make money on it without cannibalizing sales of it's other products - it will surely make the product.

That's partly why I believe it actually could happen. This is a product category they don't have know so the chance that it will reduce sales on their other products should be pretty low.

[ThisIsNot]

That is true. A netbook tablet (even just a plain netbook or tablet) would not really take away from the sale of Apple's other computers.

Originally Posted by ThisIsNot

I will have to file this in the "believe it when I see it" category

Same here. I'm pretty much a here and now guy, hands on, real. Let's wait until we see what the hardware allows us to do with the software Apple stuffs into it.

Price is not much of a talking point for me. Everybody gets paid for work, pays for whatever is bought, tries to get through the month.

[netkid]

I am sort of interested in a tablet for taking notes in class etc, but the T91 series from Asus seems to be CHEAPER and looks nice enough. I am waiting on windows 7 though or at least a free upgrade offer.

Apple needs to drop the price to at most $700 and yes I still want the option of a physical keyboard. Knowing Steve, he is going to say I don't need it, but no Steve I NEED a physical keyboard even its removable, attachable or whatever.

[ericinboston]

ThisIsNot pretty much summed up my feelings.

Let's remember that a netbook and/or tablet are supposed to be ultraportable computers used for certain functionality....not laptop or desktop replacements.

Anything over $500 and you pretty much are in the gray area of "should I just buy something a little more tried-and-true and more powerful?".

It's one thing if Apple actually releases this rumored product. I have the belief that Apple probably has the marketing engine and brains to do it as they do create some great products (albeit most are quite costly). Will it sell is another question. Sure, a few thousand units maybe depending on a lot of factors but actually competing in the Netbook world of what already exists...and what will exist 5 months from now...I'll believe it when I see it that Apple has more than 10% marketshare in the Netbook arena in 2011.

-Eric

Originally Posted by ericinboston

Let's remember that a netbook and/or tablet are supposed to be ultraportable computers used for certain functionality....not laptop or desktop replacements.

More and more I am reading endorsements of the netbook as the computer used *all the time* while so-called notebooks and desktops are left idle. The netbook is cheap enough (its significant appeal) that some people own more than one.