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Orange exec says Apple Tablet is on its way

By | January 11, 2010, 6:41am PST

Summary: Perhaps we finally have the first concrete confirmation of the heavily-rumored Apple Tablet/iSlate. Several tech outlets are reporting that France Télécom-Orange executive Stéphane Richard said we’ll be seeing the real thing within the next few days.

Perhaps we finally have the first concrete confirmation of the heavily-rumored Apple Tablet/iSlate. Or maybe we just have someone overly excited about one.

Several tech outlets are reporting that France Télécom-Orange executive Stéphane Richard said we’ll be seeing the real thing within the next few days.

NowhereElse.Fr has a video clip (in French, naturellement) and TechCrunch has an English translation, in which Richard confirmed the Apple Tablet will be released in the next few days, it will have a webcam, and Orange customers will be getting access to it. (Orange currently has legal domain over iPhone users and contracts in France, including myself.)

To be honest, I have my doubts about this. While the translation is relatively accurate and all, he could really mean it will be released some time from now, which could be a few days to a few weeks.

It also isn’t clear if only Orange has exclusive rights to Internet usage contracts (although its highly likely). If they do open it up like Apple did in the U.K. with Vodaphone, some other contenders could be SFR and Virgin Mobile.

Regardless, I just want to see this darn thing already. I’m sick of waiting. Aren’t you?

[Screenshot via Engadget]

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Topics

Apple Inc., NowhereElse.Fr, Tablets, Notebooks, Hardware, Notebooks & Tablets, Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for ZDNet based in San Francisco.

Disclosure

Rachel King

Rachel King has no business relationships, affiliations, investments, or other potential conflicts of interest relating to the content posted in this blog.

Biography

Rachel King

Rachel King is a staff writer for CBS Interactive in San Francisco. Before serving as a contributing editor at ZDNet in New York City for two years, she previously worked for The Business Insider, FastCompany.com, CNN's San Francisco bureau and the U.S. Department of State. Rachel has also written for MainStreet.com, Irish America Magazine and the New York Daily News, among others. Rachel has a B.A. in Mass Communications and History from the University of California, Berkeley and a M.S. in Journalism from Columbia University, where she served as art director for the student magazine, Plated.

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Apple Who?
BigJohnLg 11th Jan 2010
I finally got rid of my antique Apple Crate and upgraded to a wonderful Win7 laptop. A real pleasure and runs circles around that 3 year old laptrash box.
View in thread
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Dear ZDNet, Please stop. nt
T1Oracle 11th Jan 2010
nt
0 Votes
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Yes ZDnet, please stop
jaypeg 11th Jan 2010
Instead please bring us something more sensable, more exciting ...like, tell us
more about what Steve Balmer predicts for the tablet space in the near future.
0 Votes
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Come on...
mitch.reg@... 11th Jan 2010
Apple fan boy or not, what could Ballmer actually say after that sorry excuse for a tablet/slate that he presented at the CES? So far the PC tablet space has just been more of the same. If he had introduced the Courier, like many were hoping he would, then THAT would be worth a second look.
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There are a billion ZDNet post about this speculation already
T1Oracle Updated - 11th Jan 2010
none have any info since this iTablet is vaporware created for the sole purpose of sustaining an interest in Apple. Apple hasn't had any real news since the iPhone 3GS and that was just a small upgrade.

But of course the fan boys will click with glee completely oblivious to the fact that they are being used.
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No News since the 3GS from Apple? Are you kidding?
Christian C Spence 11th Jan 2010
While the tablet does have a lot of hype one can't quite dismiss the new
iMac as un-noteworthy. Unibody, quad core, up to 16G Ram and the best
looking 27" screen you will find. Like it or not Apple continues to build
the coolest most innovative, with quality and service matched by none.

FYI I was a PC guy since the beginning. Then came the iPhone and Intel
Mac. Sometimes you just gotta let go of what you know and realize
there's something better. MUCH BETTER!
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no Linux on it....
Linux Geek 11th Jan 2010
no interest from me!
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RE: Orange exec says Apple Tablet is on its way
aldux 11th Jan 2010
This blog is defined as "The latest gadgets and gear -- because even busy business professionals need their playtime.".

Just because you are MS and Linux fans doesn't mean that "The Toy Box" blog shouldn't blog on what Apple may or may not produce. Some of us find it interesting. We also like to speculate on who will win football games, who will be the next President/Prime Minister etc. It's just the sign of an inquiring mind.

Anyway the title was quite clear, so why did you bother to read it?
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Update: the tablet is neither confirmed nor denied...
Snowy_River Updated - 11th Jan 2010
Word from Orange clarifying that Richard
was simply acknowledging the speculation regarding a tablet and
the company's wish to support it if it does exist.

"These responses in no way reflect Orange's confirmation of the
existence of the rumoured device. The spokesperson was merely
confirming that he is aware of the speculation surrounding a
launch and that Orange would be delighted to have such a product
were it ever to be available."
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RE: Orange exec says Apple Tablet is on its way
tbird264 11th Jan 2010
It is obvious...whatever gets released will no doubt be underpowered and fall far short of its potential. I want a tablet that can do more than display a book, a web page or a music video!
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Get real
frabjous 11th Jan 2010
Since whatever Apple may release is not out yet, nothing is
obvious about it--except it will be Apple branded. Beyond that,
"no doubt" your speculation is pure nonsense. Pray tell us what it
is you DO want in a tablet, that might be of interest...
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Lenovo IdeaPad U1 Hybrid seems to have it covered for $1K
tgschmidt 11th Jan 2010
This form factir seems like a good direction for "tablets". Best of both worlds & for under a $1K price.
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Problems with Tablets
gypkap@... 11th Jan 2010
As a guy in his 50s with older eyes that studied human factors design in CS grad school, I like my Toshiba PC laptop with its real keyboard and 15 inch diagonal screen.
Tablets are computers used mostly in niche applications like taking inventory, medical record management and so forth. No, I don't like Apple's iPhone (effectively a tiny tablet with a phone), just because it's too small. Same problem with many tablets.
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Bad Translation / Interpretation
Eleutherios 11th Jan 2010
I happened to be a native French speaker. At minute 6:10,
Stephane Richard is asked if the future Apple iTablet [sic] with
a webcam will benefit French customers (the question is really
about the webcam feature, not the iTablet). Richard's answer
("sure") is about "the webcam benefiting customers" not the
"iTablet" itself. If you follow the conversation closely, Richard
never makes a comment on the iTablet itself.
This blog is extremely misleading...
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RE: Orange exec says Apple Tablet is on its way
pajcastle Updated - 11th Jan 2010
I just love how the article,(with the word, "CONCRETE" in the
very same sentence), STARTS with the word, "PERHAPS".
It's just delicious!

LOLOL!!!

"Perhaps, oh Concrete?"
"Yea, mayhaps, forsooth."

silly
0 Votes
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Apple Who?
BigJohnLg 11th Jan 2010
I finally got rid of my antique Apple Crate and upgraded to a wonderful Win7 laptop. A real pleasure and runs circles around that 3 year old laptrash box.

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