Apple Tablet Rumor: Spring 2010 Release Date?

Who’s scared of the big bad Nook when Apple tablet is on the horizon? As much as B&N needs to be respected for its effort with the Nook, the device is not going to single handedly dethrone Amazon Kindle as one of the hottest gadgets around. We have been hearing about the iPad (or iTablet) for months now. Apple certainly hasn’t given us the smallest clue about what it’s planning. There were a few leaks here and there, but until a month ago not many were sure whether Apple tablet was going to become reality. It now seems that Apple is putting the final touches to its tablet, and we may see this exciting piece of technology in the Spring of 2010.

Apple tablet is expected to come equipped with a 10.1 inch screen and will be much more than a reading device. It will probably be a gaming, business, entertainment, and navigation device all in one package. Here is what an analyst had to say about the prospects of Apple tablet:

Our checks into Apple’s supply chain indicate the manufacturing cogs for the tablet are creaking into action and should begin to hit a mass market stride in February, At this stage Apple appears to be sizing its supply chain to support production of as many as 1M units per month.

Apple is not stopping there. It seems the company realizes that it needs to work with publishers if it wants to truly challenge Amazon Kindle in the e-book market.

… Apple is approaching book publishers with a very attractive proposal for distributing their content. Apple will split revenue 30/70 (Apple/publisher); give the same deal to all comers; and not request exclusivity. We believe the typical Kindle split is 50/50, rising to 30/70 if Kindle is given ebook exclusivity.

Who knows. Maybe Apple can bring a disgruntled News Corp and other top publishers on board with this seemingly attractive deal. The downside is that the device will probably cost close to $1000. That’s going to be too much for most folks. But considering that you are getting a multi-dimensional device that is capable of displaying ebooks and more, it might actually be worth it.

What’s your take? Would you invest in such a device? Is it worth $1000?