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Tuesday, March 10, 2009 12:00 AM

Apple netbook rumors heat up- what would it be like?

Kevin was all over the rumors out of Asia yesterday that Apple is ready to produce a netbook this year.  The unconfirmed rumors have Apple getting a bunch of 10-inch touch-screens for inclusion on their netbook, even though they have stated emphatically they don’t do netbooks.

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Tuesday, March 10, 2009 11:51 AM

Apple will have a well made, high-end, inexpensive netbook. Here's how:

I predict it will be available with internal wireless broadband service from a variety of cellular providers.

This will enable Apple to make an expensive "go anywhere" netbook and sell it cheaply - the monthly subscriber fees will subsidize the higher prices, just like cellphones.

This will also enable Apple to start doing business with other wireless players, while sticking to the terms of its agreement with AT&T.

In the end, Apple will be able to pit these telcos against each other in business deals to its advantage, much the same way it did with the recording industry and the iTunes Music Store.

Their netbook (the iNet?) will run the iPhone/iPod touch MacOS, optimized for the same applications and games available from the App Store.

It will leverage the GPS and motion sensing capabilities of the smaller iPhone platform, with the better performance of the larger Mac Books. The mobile apps will drive mobile data plan subscriptions, and vice-versa.

The (more or less) locked down nature of the platform will reduce piracy and give Apple even greater control over what its clients see, hear, use and buy.

Their netbook will be the razor, and cellular broadband and apps will be the blades...

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