Digital Home Thoughts: Apple Files Trademark For Tablet Computer

This rumor has been floating around ever since Apple first developed "Inkwell", a sophisticated handwriting recognition system for touch screen devices. Now it appears that rumor may well prove to be fact. According to well known technology tabloid The Register, Apple filed a design Trademark in Europe earlier this year on a "handheld computer". The filing even includes some crude sketchings that eerily resemble a Mac laptop sans keyboard. It's interesting to note the timing of this publication, as the upcoming Apple Expo in France draws near (August 31). One long standing speculation is that the next generation iMac might in fact have a detachable wireless display that acts as an independent computing device, or Tablet PC.

Could this be Apple's answer to Microsoft's Tablet PC, or a whole new category of computing device? Draw your own conclusions.