Hasta La Gadget!

Rumors of a touchscreen tablet from Apple are gaining momentum — again.

Three independent sources close to Apple told TechCrunch that a large-screen iPod Touch is slated for a Fall of 2009 release.

The device will feature a 7- or 9-inch screen, sources told TechCrunch. One of the sources even claims holding a prototype of the tablet.

The first rumor of a Mac tablet surfaced in July at MacDailyNews. But that rumor was slightly different: Rather than describing the rumored device as a larger iPod Touch, the source said the Mac tablet would have a MacBook screen, an optical drive and run a full version of Mac OS X. The source said this device would launch October. Clearly this was an inaccurate report.

Gartner analyst Ken Dulaney said a Mac touchscreen tablet would be a logical step, since all Apple would have to do is blow up the screen of an iPod Touch and slightly tweak the software.

As always, we should take rumors with a grain of salt. But this time around — with TechCrunch’s Michael Arrington citing three sources — the fabled device has more hope.

TechCrunch did not have details on pricing for the rumored device. But we estimate the device, if real, would cost around $700 to $800 — positioning it in between the low-end MacBook ($999) and the iPod Touch ($230).

Illustration of a fake, large-screen iPhone: vernhart/Flickr

Some are speculating that Apple’s top-of-the-line notebook could receive a significant chip upgrade at January’s Macworld Expo.

When Apple refreshed its MacBook family in October, it mysteriously left out the 17-inch MacBook Pro — Apple’s high-end notebook designed for creative professionals. Incidentally, APC noticed Intel quietly added a new quad-core mobile processor to its CPU line.

APC deduces that it’s likely Apple stalled on upgrading the 17-inch MacBook Pro to await Intel’s quad-core mobile processor, dubbed the Core 2 Extreme Q9000, which costs $350. That chip partners four 2GHz cores — a pretty major bump from the current 2.5GHz, dual-core (Core 2 Duo) processor.

The idea of a quad-core MacBook Pro coming January is pure speculation, but it’s a plausible theory. Apple wouldn’t want to wait too long to release an upgrade for its seemingly neglected 17-inch MacBook Pro; January’s Macworld Expo would be a good time to announce one. And a quad-core processor would justify the premium pricing of the 17-inch MacBook Pro. (The current model starts at $2,800.)

Also, it would make sense for a quad-core MacBook Pro to be introduced soon, since OS X Snow Leopard is expected for a 2009 release. Apple says its new operating system will optimize multi-core systems.

Photo: f0rcerec0n/Flickr

According to a previously reliable source, Apple misrepresented the reasons behind Macworld and Jobs’ keynote cancellation. Allegedly, the real cause is his rapidly declining health. In fact, it may be even worse than we imagined:

Steves health is rapidly declining. Apple is choosing to remove the hype factor strategically vs letting the hype destroy apple when the inevitable news comes later this spring.

This strategic loss will be less of a bang with investors. This is why Macworld is a no-go anymore. No more Steve means no more hype. Saying they are no longer needing [Macworld] is the cover designed by the worldwide “loyalty” department.

This source has repeatedly been 100% correct before. Those times, however, were always related to news and images of unreleased Apple products. I can only hope that, in this more personal matter, it is absolutely wrong. And that if he is not, that sentence just means that Steve Jobs is retiring according to his plan.

While Steve Jobs’ health is nobody’s business—not the press, not investors, not the public—we believe that there’s a line between saying “no-comment” and plainly misleading—once again—the public.

Steve Jobs have been giving Macworld Expo keynotes since he came back as interim CEO of the company in 1997. Since then he has never failed once, always introducing notable products both at Macworld San Francisco and Macworld New York. During his latest Macworld keynote, in 2008, he introduced the MacBook Air. Later this year, he used his WWDC presentation to announce the new iPhone 3G. In his last two show-n-tells, for the new iPods and the new MacBooks, he used less time on stage, giving more limelight to key members of Apple’s executive team.

According to our Deep Throat’s report, the fact seems to be that whether or not Apple had other reasons to pull out of Macworld, they weren’t the only ones, and they certainly weren’t the same ones used for not putting Steve Jobs through the ordeal of a two-hour presentation.

Apple did not comment on this story after being contacted.

We love HP’s new Time Machine-compatible MediaSmart Home Server. 9to5Mac reports that Apple is working on something similar, but it’ll be tied into MobileMe and will share music, movies and more over the internet.

Here’s the full list of features 9to5Mac has heard will make it to Apple’s SpaceTime Thing:

• The device will tie in MobileMe with an Apple built-in Dynamic DNS system. For instance, if your MobileMe account was “9to5mac”, your domain name would be “9to5mac.me.com”. This is how you’d reach your filesystem throughout the Internet. Your media would also reside here.
• Built in AFP filesharing for Time Machine backups and centralized file stores.
• iTunes shared Library Database for not just music, but also video. Access over the Internet to all of your media.
• Photo database and tie in with with MobileMe.
• Sharing media with iPod Touch and iPhones both over the Internet and while at home. AppleTV as well.
• The box will be based on the Time Machine platform (ARM), not a more expensive Intel/Leopard Server configuration.
• Lots of power saving features like turning off hard drives when not in use.
• Multiple hard drive configurations would be made available with RAID 5 redundancy.

Essentially, easy centralized media sharing and access—including video—not just over your home network, but over the internet, for all of your computers and iThings, plus a multi-drive backup server. Interestingly, it’ll be running on the Time Machine platform, not as a Leopard server. Questions left to answer: How will it interface with Windows boxes? Will you need a MobileMe account? (Seems so. It would make the service a much better value proposition, and perhaps a must-buy.)

The larger picture makes sense to us, even if some of the details don’t turn out quite right: Apple (main)streamlined backups and media streaming over the home network, this seems like a logical step from its Time Capsule, especially since they’ve got a bunch of the infrastructure in place. Constant access to your stuff from anywhere, like Apple’s version of Windows Home Server. What would you want to see in an Apple SpaceTime Capsule media server thinger? [9to5Mac via MacRumors]

More details have surfaced about Apple’s new iMac rumored for release next month.

Economic Daily News, a Chinese publication that reported the iMac rumor last week, says the new all-in-one desktops will sport magnesium-aluminum alloy chassis. Further backing the rumor of new iMacs, the publication also cited the suppliers of the machine’s cooling module.

The publication says component providers Foxconn and Catcher Technology are supplying the aluminum chassis. And Foxconn is partnering with Auras Technology to provide the cooling module, the report says.

Though these details are still rumors, it’s highly likely a new iMac will be launched January. It’s been about eight months since Apple last refreshed its iMac; January’s Macworld Expo 2009 would be a prime opportunity to announce upgrades.

We’re guessing the iMacs will ship with a quad-core CPU — in anticipation of Mac OS X Snow Leopard, which Apple says will optimize multi-core systems.

Foxconn Group biggest winner over new Apple iMac, says paper [Digitimes]

See Also:

• Rumor: New Mac Mini Coming to Macworld 2009
• Jobs Won’t Appear at Macworld 2009 to Be Apple’s Last Show …
• Rumor: New iMacs to Ship January 2009

Photo: ~nathan/Flickr

Correction (2:30 PDT): Despite what’s being said in various reports, there are no indications that the cooling module will be different from the current iMac’s.