If you want to know what's coming down the pike in the tech world, the place to investigate is the supply chain. It's here where details about the impending Apple tablet computer -- positioned by many as a Kindle-killer -- are emerging.
DigiTimes, based in the Far East, is reporting that Foxconn's Innolux subsidiary will be supplying touch panels for a 10-inch Apple tablet, with Wintek supplying panels down the line when demand increases. One issue that has delayed the release of the device: initial prototypes had touchscreens that were too flimsy, so the challenge for Apple and Innolux has been to strengthen them. Other Foxconn subsidiaries will supply other components, with Foxcomm providing final manufacturing.
The latest rumors have Apple unveiling the tablet in January, with release in March or April.
Whether the new device is a Kindle-killer remains to be seen; we're not sure Amazon will be impacted too dearly. Rather, we see the Apple tablet as a shot in the arm for magazine and newspaper publishers; many of the cool publishing prototypes we've seen lately rely on something with a form factor and color capabilities inherent in a 10-inch Apple slate. --Kevin Reichard
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