Apple planning to release tablet-like device this Fall?

The rumor mill never stops churning for Apple. The more recent and pervasive ones have been netbooks, an iPhone nano and Steve Jobs’ declining health – and now we can add a larger iPod Touch to the list. According to TechCrunch, three independent sources have more or less said that a larger iPod Touch can be expected by Fall 2009; one of the sources even claims to have held a prototype in hand. If this is true, it could be a nice compromise between a netbook and a tablet. The device reportedly has a screen size somewhere between 7 and 9 inches and will make use of iTunes and the App Store just as the iPhone and iPod Touch do now. While watching shows, movies and browsing the web would be a pure joy on a device like this, for some apps and for use strictly as a music player it may not be be the device of choice. TechCrunch states that Apple is still shopping for a manufacturer in the Asian region so there is obviously no price point to report for the time being. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out as there are certainly plenty of people waiting for Apple to churn out a tablet – would you guys line up on release day?

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