Apple Tablet PC Expected March or April, Claims Analyst

Whatever the case, Apple is likely devoting resources for a product push in 2010. In an October 10-K filing with the SEC, Apple indicated that it plans on allocating $1.9 billion (£1.1 billion) for “capital asset purchases during 2010,” including “approximately $1.5 billion (£923 million) for corporate facilities, infrastructure, and product tooling and manufacturing process equipment.” By contrast, the company spent around $1.5 billion for capital asset purchases in 2009, including $1.1 billion on corporate facilities and infrastructure.

Apple has also filed a number of patent applications throughout 2009 for technologies that could be integrated into a tablet. One application, filed in June, described a device that could be manipulated not only with the fingers of both hands, but also palms – in theory, allowing for a broader range of activities such as drawing. The underlying electronics described in that patent would allow the device to sense various hand configurations, offer an ergonomic surface that adjusted to different hand sizes and offer feedback.

According to an August article in The Wall Street Journal, which cites unnamed sources, Apple CEO Steve Jobs has been focusing a lion’s share of his attention on the device. Jobs later emailed the Journal to state, “Most of your information is incorrect” in terms of the story.

Denials from Apple and Jobs, however, have not managed to tamp the rampant speculation from the media and analysts.