Saturday, January 2, 2010

APPLE: Let the Speculative Games Begin!

For some time now Apple watchers have been served up rumor after rumor about a new large screen i-whatever to be announced towards the end of January. Here is the latest tidbit, via CNET:


"Sure, every blogger worth his salt has weighed in on the long-rumored Apple tablet that may or may not be--its possible size, shape, specs, debut date, and on and on. Now offering up a perspective on the matter is a high-profile tech industry executive, Kai-fu Lee, who until recently was the head of Google's China operations.

It seems that Lee, who's now working to foster entrepreneurship in China, wrote on his Chinese language blog earlier this week that Apple CEO Steve Jobs will be releasing a tablet PC in January, and expects to produce a voluminous 10 million in the first year, according to the IDG News Service and other media outlets.

The tablet, according to Lee's post, will have a 10.1-inch touch screen and will look like an oversize iPhone. Other features are said to include a virtual keyboard, 3D graphics, and support for videoconferencing and e-books. The price reportedly will be below $1,000.

Coincidentally, reports have emerged in recent days that Apple may have an event planned for January 26 in San Francisco, with a focus on mobile offerings, and that Apple has told software developers to conjure up versions of their iPhone apps suitable for a larger-than-iPhone screen."



I, of course, have no inside knowledge on any of this.  All I can say is that if Apple does unveil a tablet device that is worthy of Steve Jobs' insanely high standards, it will be a game changer on a level of the iPod and iPhone. Apple is already very reasonably valued (or undervalued) with their current line up of devices; one can only speculate how high the share price can go over time with a third cutting edge game changing device. (And for you doubters out there who claim that each new Apple device will just canniblize their curent line up, remember that this was not the case with the numerous iterations of iPod and iPhone.  All that has happened with each new rollout is that the brand has been extended.)


Apple is already our largest holding in growth oriented accounts.  I hate to load up even more at these high prices, but something tells me that even $210 per share is going to see like a bargain one year from now....

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