Tablet market could be a lucrative investment for Apple

Apple may be preparing to delve into the world of mini laptops by launching a tablet computer in the near future.

Having long been a pioneer in the world of computer technology, it does not come as a surprise that Apple has yet to throw itself into the “netbook” market, a relatively new market of mini laptops that sell in the $300-$500 range.

The cheap laptops have become increasingly popular in the current economic climate, accounting for a fifth of all laptops sold in the first quarter of the year.

As recently as April, Apple’s chief operating officer, Tim Cook, derided netbooks as “cramped” and “junky,” going on to say that “[i]t’s just not a good consumer experience and not something we would put the Mac brand on.”

Despite Cook’s dismissal of netbooks, Piper Jaffray’s Gene Munster has suggested that Apple is looking to carve its own market of mini laptops by introducing a touchscreen enabled tablet.

“We expect Apple to fill the gap between the iPod touch and the MacBook with a new tablet device,” said Munster.

The rumored device is expected to have a 7”-10” touchscreen, and Munster reports that the operating system, said to be still in the devlopment, will be a hybrid between the iPhone’s operating system and Mac OSX.

As for the release date? Details are sketchy, but Wintek is rumored to begin supplying display panels for the device in the third quarter this year, with analysts speculating that Apple will launch its new product sometime in the first quarter of 2010.

Apple had no comment on recent reports.