Rumors has confirmed that Apple is indeed working on a tablet device to bridge the iPod/iPhone to the entry-level Macs -- and to provide an inexpensive, flexible interface device to manage the many devices that the company is delivering in 2007. (Cont'd)
After struggling for almost four years with changing roadmaps, the Intel transition, office politics and the ever-shifting tides of the technology industry....T-7 was approved and given an official place on Apple's Mac roadmap.
Alternately envisioned as an iDevice, or an entry-level/innovative-design Mac, the final state of the project appears to be a meshing of the two but officially categorized as the latter.
One name frequently mentioned in the documents Rumors has acquired (and it is important to note that these documents do not include the Marketing division's input; they are strictly design and product-roadmap documents) is MacPortal. A derivative name, emphasizing the device's status as existing on the "Mac" side of the Mac/iDevice divide, mentioned on the grapevine is "MacTablet" or sometimes "tMac". None of these are confirmable as any sort of final shipping name, and none have much in the way of the grapevine's confidence as likely.
But, while the concept of a tablet Mac may not seem all that exciting -- and in fact, that is the very reason why the first several concept proposals and prototypes delivered to the Executive suite were turned down -- there is a lot more to T-7 than that.
First and foremost, T-7 is a convergence of every product category that Apple is working on. Smaller than most tablet computers in the PC industry today but bearing just as many pixels in its modestly-sized (approximately 10 inches diagonal, 1280x720 resolution) display, T-7 is intended to provide all the facilities of a full-blown Mac -- and indeed, can be connected to a standard keyboard, propped up on an included stand, and used as a desktop system if desired -- with all of the low cost and portability of an iDevice.
It is also intended to give the "Switcher," or other user new to the Mac world, the option of a very low-cost, ultraportable Mac to serve as the heart of their iDevice-laden home in place of a more full-featured high end Macintosh or PC.
It is the ultimate solution for everyone who wants an iDevice-equipped home but may not be prepared to invest in a MacBook, iMac or even a Mini. It is an all-in-one, touch/stylus-controlled solution (using Apple's InkWell technology for handwriting recognition, and in that way serving as a derivative of the Newton) that offers all of the flexibility of a true Mac without the bulk or expense.
We will be publishing a more complete specification list in the coming weeks as a key source-embargo expires -- but suffice to say that its specs are somewhere between AppleTV, Mac Mini, and MacBook. It is likely to use a combination of a Flash RAM-based boot volume for Mac OS X and a small, 5G iPod-sized hard disk (20-80GB) for file storage. The enclosure will be about 11 inches diagonal and initial pricing will range from $599 to $899....rapidly settling into the $499-$799 range within a year's time after introduction to the market.
Stay tuned for more detailed specifications and descriptions of T-7, and the many changes to Apple's product lineup which will round out the "Anniversary 2007 Initiative" which Infinite Loop, and indeed the Grapevine, are so very excited about.
There is much, much more about T-7 to come in the days and weeks ahead -- don't miss a beat!
