iSlate is a rumored name for Apple's expected touchscreen tablet computer. Apple has an event scheduled for January 27, 2010, but has not said what the event is about. It is commonly believed that on that date will occur the announcement of the iSlate (or a tablet by another name), with units shipping in March.http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3856986

According to MacRumors and Wired.com, Apple appears to have filed for the "iSlate" trademark and purchased the iSlate.com domain name. It also appears that Apple has applied for the trademark for "iGuide." The iSlate trademark has not yet been registered in the United States, only filed, due to the requirement that a company show that a product is actually being sold under that name.http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/12/iguide-islate/

Much fanfare is being made about Apple's new product tentatively dubbed, iSLATE also known as the iTABLET and iGUIDE. So much so, that it is hard to sort fact from fiction. Apple has refused to comment on the rumors and innuendos, therefore some of the information may not be as accurate as it would be coming from the manufacturer.

What is known is that the Apple has been working on a tablet tentatively called the iSlate a multi-media device bigger than an iPod and smaller than a notebook. Steve Jobs has rented the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for the schedule unveiling of the new product on Wednesday January 27, 2010 with a release date tentatively scheduled in March 2010. It is pretty clear that there will be an announcement of some sort as this mimics Apple modus operandi of past unveilings. Additional indicators have been confirmed, albeit anonymously, by Apple's battery manufacturers Simplo Technology and Dynapack International who are gearing up production for the new battery.

An expected target market of the new Apple tablet is as a reader for books and periodicals, putting the device in competition with devices such as Amazon's Kindle, Barnes & Noble's Nook and other e-readers. The high resolution color screen would provide an advantage, particularly in displaying magazines and for web-surfing.http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/apple-tablet-everything/ It has been speculated that the CPU for the iSlate will be made by PA Semi, the CPU company Apple acquired in 2008. PA Semi is known for high performance CPUs with low power draw, but their chips have yet to be utilized in an Apple product.http://www.internetnews.com/bus-news/article.php/3856986

The iSlate features and functions are to be announced at a later date, probably at the unveiling in San Francisco. Internet buzz indicates that the iSlate will have similar functions as the iPod and Amazon's Kindle only on a larger scale to include textbooks and color applications.

Rumor according to the alleged leak specs indicate that the enclosure of the iSlate is a precision aluminum unibody. The processor will be 2.26 GHz Intel Core 2 Duo. The hard drive is 120 GB Serial ATA 4200 rpm with a 2GB memory (two 1 GB SO-DIMMs) of 1066 MHz DDR3 SDRAM supports up to 8GB. The Multi-touch display is a diagonal 7.1 screen with intelligent feedback and has fingerprint resistant oleophobic coating. The MAC OS X Clouded Leopard v10.7 which has a new UI, widget based homescreen, up to 2X faster to wake up and shut down and built-in support for Microsoft exchange server. The operating system also includes iTunes, Time Machine, Quick Look, Spaces, Spot Light, Dashboard, Mail, iChat, Safari, Address Book, Quick Time, iCal, Photo Booth and Front Row. The wireless system is built-in Airport Extreme Wi-Fi (based on IEEE 802.11n draft specification)2; built in Bluetooth 2.1+ EDR module. Did the specs come from Apple? There is a great deal of speculation on that point but Apple has not yet confirmed or denied the rumors and have not pulled the specs from the site that originally release it PhoneArena.com.

The Apple tablet is expected to be a 10-inch touchscreen device (possibly 10.7 inches diagonally). It's uncertain what operating system the tablet will run, although the iPhone OS has been rumored. Resolution has been speculated to be in the range of 720p, with 7 times the touchable surface area of an iPhone. Networking is another variable that is uncertain. It is possible that one version of the Apple tablet will be 3G network-equipped while another, non-3G version will be available. A camera may also be a variable between versions. Pricing is expected to be in the $700-$900 range, falling between the price of an iPhone and Apple's notebook line.http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2009/09/apple-tablet-everything/