Taiwanese leak on new Apple netbook

The local Chinese newspaper Commercial Times carried a report that a local supplier had won a contract to provide components for a forthcoming Apple netbook.

"Taiwan-based Wintek will supply touch panels for Apple's new netbook, and shipments will start in the third quarter this year," said the report.

"Quanta Computer will be the maker of Apple's new netbook".

The netbooks would be manufactured by Taiwanese systems builder Quanta Computer the report said. Wintek would be providing touch screen panels for the new device.

Apple has consistently said that it will not provide a netbook, citing the low purchase price as a reason.

“We don't know how to make a $500 computer that's not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that," said Steve Jobs in October.

Nevertheless Jobs is now no longer in charge of Apple and management may have been looking at the continuing popularity of netbooks and decided to take the plunge.

The other possibility is that Apple is considering either a computing tablet or possibly a larger video iPod.