Today's Apple tablet rumours: webcam, iWork, hospitals and Q2 launch

January 11th, 2010, 18:41 Posted By: wraggster

Another day, another fresh batch of rumours about Apple's tablet, which may or may not be codenamed or actually named iSlate.
We'll start with the biggie: seeming confirmation from Stephane Richard of France Telecom / Orange that the tablet is on its way.
Well, confirmation of a sort: all he says is 'yes' twice when asked by a TV journalist about an Apple tablet coming soon, with a webcam. And then 'of course!' when asked if Orange customers will be able to use it.
Meanwhile, an article on tablets in the New York Times offers up some new rumours about Apples, quoting a former Apple designer as saying a team at the company has "spent the past couple of years working on a multitouch version of iWork".
That'd be right: a keyboardless device with an office suite. The article also speculates on the likely multi-touch interface, quoting another anonymous source as saying "three fingers down and rotate could mean 'open an application'".

It's moments like this, you wonder if Apple is having fun at journalists' expense.
Equally speculative is tech blogger Jason Wilk's claim that the tablet may be targeted at the healthcare industry:
"My Dad plays golf with Cedas-Sanai hospital execs, who say they have been getting frequent visits from Apple about a new device in the last 6 weeks."
Whatever it is, we may not be seeing the tablet for a few months. Previous rumours have tended to assume a January unveiling followed by a March launch, but Reuters' sources claim that the aluminium cases for the initial shipment won't go into production until February.
That would mean a likely shipping date in the second quarter. Stay tuned: tomorrow there'll likely be rumours that it's a device for jockeys, with a one-thumb interface, shipping in August...

http://www.mobile-ent.biz/news/35605...-and-Q2-launch

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