April 13th, 2009

WSJ: Jobs heading up Apple netbook project

Posted by Jason D. O'Grady @ 8:05 am

Categories: Netbook, Steve Jobs, Tablet

Tags: Job, Wall Street Journal, Apple Inc., Netbook, Netbooks, Nettops & MIDs, Hardware, Jason D. O'Grady

In 2008 Steve Jobs called the netbook market “nascent” and in October he dismissed the entire category saying “We don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that.” Since then Jobs has come around, upgrading his remarks to take a “wait-and-see” approach on the diminutive notebook computers.

According to NPD Group netbooks accounted for 12 percent of (notebook computer) unit volume in December, their highest total of the year. Nearly 50 percent of all netbook sales for 2008 occurred in December.

Less than a year after Apple dismissed netbooks as a “wait-and-see” product it may be getting upgraded to an actively-developed project overseen by none other that Apple’s mercurial CEO Steve Jobs. According to the WSJ the Apple’s netbook-like device will come in at a size larger than the iPhone/iPod touches, yet smaller than any of its laptops.

Wall Street Journal reports that while Jobs is technically on medical leave from his duties as CEO, he remains actively involved with business decisions and has completed a 180-degree turn and is taking a more critical look at a netbook device.

Last month Reuters reported that Apple ordered a substantial batch of 10-inch touchscreens from Taiwan for delivery in the third-quarter of 2009. Taken at face value this would indicate that Apple’s leaning more toward developing a tablet Mac than a MacBook mini (nee netbook) – however one doesn’t preclude the other. Apple’s tablet Mac could also morph into a “convertible” form-factor with the addition of a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

Personally I’m hoping for an Apple netbook (to replace my Mini 9) and the tablet Mac I had a dream about in 2006.