Mac touch ‘confirmed’ for October at $800
Is this confirmation of the real deal from Taiwan’s notoriously leaking component suppliers and product assemblers? When the mere rumor of a deal with Apple can see your company’s stock price double almost overnight, there are big incentives for people to get the news out, regardless of its veracity, though the source and story all seem solid enough.
Taiwan’s Information Times (Google Translation, via MacRumors Forums) reports that Hon Hai, Wintek and Sunda have all received orders relating to the long-rumored and hoped for Mac touch (aka iPod touch on steroids). According to the report:
• Announcement expected in September, with shipments coming in October
• 10.1 or 10.2-inch, an alternate size is said to be a 9.7 inch display
• Similarity of the device’s design to the iPhone will see assembled by Hon Hai
• The asking price is said to $800 or, more likely, $799.99
It’s entirely reasonable that Wintek, which has previously been rumored to be the “Mac touch” panel supplier, and Hon Hai (i.e. all of Apple’s media players and handhelds) would be chosen to take part.
However, who is Shunda? The one tangentially meaningful reference I can find is to a Chinese photovoltaic cell maker, but their products don’t appear to be either sophisticated or small enough for a 10 inch, give or take, portable computer.
Then again, the Web lists dozens of mostly small Taiwanese and Chinese companies with “Shunda” in their names, so it’s best not to jump to conclusions (tantalizing prospect, eh?).
I’ll take three…
So, is this the confirmation we’ve all been waiting for? Information Times is part of the China Times Group, which is Taiwan’s oldest, largest and most-respected news organization, so I feel pretty confident about its authenticity.
Nevertheless, as CNN, The New York Times and a host of other reputable news organizations have shown time and again, anyone can be played…
What’s your take?
See also:
— ‘iPod touch on steroids’—Yet another interesting take
— Does a 32GB iPhone mean a 64GB iPod touch?
— Verizon, Apple in talks regarding ‘media pad,’ ‘iPhone lite …
— More fun [and games]: iPod touch marketing refreshed
— ‘iPod touch on steroids’ [aka Mac touch] not until 2010?
Related Posts:
July 13th, 2009
Those who know, don’t talk.
Those who talk, don’t know.
July 13th, 2009
I’d rather have something like this:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-10185351-1.html
and save $400 bucks. But as usual, it depends on Apple’s implementation. There are a slew of touch screen tablets due out this fall.