Confession: Yes, when one of these crazy AT&T or Intel rumors come up, I draft a rumor-smasher just as soon as I finish the post. Chalk it up to experience.
Case in point: yesterday we (and everyone else in the blogsphere) reported that Intel Germany Geschäftsführer Hannes Schwaderer done let slip word of an Atom-powered iTablet. Or done did he?
"No Intel exec has said anything about any future Apple product, Atom processor or otherwise," an Intel spokesperson told AppleInsider. "I think that’s important to note as everyone speculates on future products from Apple."
And more awkwardly:
“Intel knows nothing over future products of other manufacturers and can therefore over it also nothing say,” press spokesman Mike Cato told ZDNet
Of course, just like AT&T leaking and un-leaking the iPhone Black, this could just be Intel desperately spinning damage control following a "phone call" from Apple CEO Steve Jobs.
So, basically, either the interwebs have gone slappy-happy bonkers with pent-up pre-WWDC mania, or a large-screen, Atom-powered, iChat'ing iPhone Tablet 3G Black is coming our way very, very shortly?
MacRumors, source of the original hubbub, is standing firm on the latter, and offers up further corroboration-by-way-of-translation:
"PCGH-Editor Daniel Waadt was there as well an can attest, that Schwaderer referred to the iPhone as an example for the use of the atom-processor from Intel. The Intel CEO mentioned furthermore, that the display on iPhone 2 would be bigger than on iPhone 1 (although it is already quite big). iPhone 2 is also thinner than iPhone 1."
My bet? iPhone 3G sans-Intel takes stage at WWDC, ships sometime soonish thereafter, and while an iTablet certainly exists, and certainly furthers Apple's mobile WiFi platform and App Store program, we won't hear about it until sometime between Thanksgiving 2008 and Macworld 2009. Only way it makes sense anytime soon is if Steve Jobs smells blood in the water and is willing to sacrifice short-term roadmaps for the ultra-mobile kill.
What do you think?
Reader comments
Intel Un-leaks: Smashes Puny iTablet Rumors! (Or Do They...?)
"So, basically, either the interwebs have gone slappy-happy bonkers with pent-up pre-WWDC mania"
Is anyone willing to say that this ISNT happening? I've loved being a part of Mac communities for a little more than 15 years now, but all the rumor BS is just annoying. WTF is wrong with people that they can't simply wait for an announcement from Apple? Who cares what anyone "thinks will be announced?" And why is anyone reporting on this nonsense? OK, I know the answer to that one, but come on isn't there a single site out there that isn't willing to pander to the salivating, rumor-seeking half wits? OK, I know the answer to that one too, it's www.macintouch.com and it's boring, but at least it isn't filled with crap. All these rumors do is drive expectations to levels that no product will meet.