Apple Tablet Later This Year?

Reports have Apple preparing to release a tablet netbook later this year.

Can it be true? After shunning the tablet because of quality concerns, it would seem that Apple is going to jump into the market later this year with their own entry.

InfoTimes, a Taiwanese news site, says that Apple has been placing orders for components with hardware manufacturers on the island that lead to the belief it will function as a tablet and have a netbook-sized 9.7” screen.

So what can we expect? Reports have the device as something like a netbook, but with no keyboard or trackpad, functioning instead with a touch screen, much like the iPhone.

It could arrive as early as October and cost $800, according to V3. It’s though Apple will use chip designs from PA Semi, which it bought last year.