A rumour that just won’t go away continues to make the rounds, thanks to patents that Apple registers. Noah Dylan Goldblatt predicts we’ll see an Apple tablet as soon as fall 2006 or early 2007. But Noah doesn’t just give idle predictions, he adds drawings and even describes possible hardware connectivity for the tablet:

The machine would dock to the docking bay, but do so through the “video latch” that Apple recently received a patent for, that would be connected to the chassis of the tablet itself, allow secure and stable positioning of the screen while docked (think floating flat screen iMac), and of course using iChat AV wherever WiFi is available. The tablet would run off of Apple’s latest battery technology, a low power Intel chip, FireWireless, Bluetooth, and the most compatible wireless internet standard. And I personally believe they will integrate options for sound emulation through the surface of the screen itself, and maybe even allow an ipod nano or the like to dock to the system itself as a PC card would, according to a patent Engadget mentioned a while ago.

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating that an Apple tablet would be good for the platform. As odd as it may sound, Apple could help legitimize the platform and make it cooler. Existing tablet owners already know how cool it is to ink, but Apple has the whole iPod chic crowd to market their “new” innovations.

As for the Linux crowd and tablets? Running Linux on a tablet has already been tried but that hasn’t worked out so well.

I’m also encouraged by the confirmation of news that came out of last week’s PDC that the Tablet OS will be part of Vista. I think if more folks can access tablet functionality it will help sales for the platform.

Some might wonder why I care about the tablet doing well? For one, I own one and don’t want it to become a doorstop any time soon, despite the manufacturer of the Tablet I own wanting to stop selling accessories after 2007. It’s common sense that if the Tablet doesn’t gain enough financial support it will go away. I’m hoping the Tablet story will be like the Xbox story at Microsoft. That their determination to push through the platform will win out in the end.

Time is the enemy and Apple entering the Tablet space would help. Heck, I might even buy one.

Did this post make you go hmm?

Maybe Related Posts (plugin generated)

• Microsoft taking “a step back” with Tablet PC
• Apple to unveil 60 GB iPod with color screen?
• Article ponders: Will Tablet PCs ever become mainstream?
• iPod and iBook class action lawsuits?
• iPod nano = nah, no thanks
• WikiPodLinux - Linux on iPod!