Like Elvis, there have been so many sightings and rumors of an upcoming, groundbreaking Apple tablet that it has taken on legendary status. But now the legend is undergoing revisions, with new reports that the tablet will be delayed and that a major publisher is getting ready -- and still no word from Apple.
Taiwan-based DigiTimes reported Thursday that the launch of the tablet computer is being delayed from March to the second half of 2010 so it can include a model using a 9.7-inch OLED display from LG. OLED, or Organic Liquid Crystal Display, technology is considered to have superior black levels and other features, compared to LCD screens.
As High as $2,200
DigiTimes said there will also be a 10.6-inch LCD-based model, and Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology will manufacture both models. Because of the high price of OLED, the publication said the retail price could be as high as $2,200, with the LCD model in the $800-1,000 range. The OLED screen alone is reported to cost about $500. However, the delay could help the final price, as the cost of OLEDs could drop.
Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, who has frequently said the Apple tablet is real, noted Thursday that the delay won't hurt Apple's revenue projections, since most analyses of the company's expected 2010 results don't include a tablet product.
And, he said, if Apple does release a modestly priced tablet in the fall -- in the range of $600 -- it could expect to sell about 650,000 units. If the tablet, which is expected to have 3G and Wi-Fi, is bundled with multi-year plans from a wireless carrier like AT&T  , its price could be partially subsidized. Earlier reports have speculated the price would be between $500 and $700.
Conde Nast Gearing Up?
There are also new reports about publisher interest in an Apple tablet. Conde Nast is said to be developing tablet versions of its 18 magazines for an Apple tablet, as well as for touchscreen computers by other makers, such as Hewlett-Packard .
The Financial Times reported during the summer that Apple has been working with the four largest music labels to create a 21st century tablet-oriented version of a music album.
Laura DiDio, an analyst with Information Technology Intelligence Corp., pointed out that Acer, Dell and many other computer makers are quickly moving into netbooks and similar form factors. Although Apple CEO Steve Jobs "has been specific in saying that he's not getting into the netbook business," she noted that there is also a significant "gap in Apple's product line between the high-end iPod and its lower-end laptops."
Given that opening and the market activity, she said, "the likelihood of Apple not doing anything in this space is infinitesimally small." DiDio said she expects an Apple tablet at some point, and it could be successful "with the right features, the right price point, and the right marketing."
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