It’s unlike Apple to announce or even hint of new, but during their financial results conference call, however, executives from the Cupertino company were reportedly more enthusiastic than normal about a “product transition” in Q4 of 2008 and a new, innovative product or product line that would introduce fresh “technologies and features”. It’s highly possible that we’ll see the birth of Apple’s new Mac touch.

Steve Jobs, CEO of Apple commented, “We’re proud to report the best June quarter for both revenue and earnings in Apple’s history. We set a new record for Mac sales, we think we have a real winner with our new iPhone 3G, and we’re busy finishing several more wonderful new products to launch in the coming months”. If you read between the lines, the wonderful new products will include the Mac touch, which is one key-missing product from Apple’s product line.

Apple executives described the “product transition” as potentially affecting Q4 revenues, and the immediate conclusion many have come to be that the MacBook and/or MacBook Pro product lines will get refreshed. Any new notebooks or Mac touch are likely to use Intel’s Centrino 2 chipset, which was officially announced last week.

Meanwhile, Apple was keen to discuss its trend of releasing “state of the art new products at prices [our] competitors can’t match”, with initial high-end pricing being justified by the degree of new technology they involved. As with the iPhone 3G, falling manufacturing costs then does its work in bringing prices down to more mainstream levels. Describing themselves as “very excited” about the upcoming product(s), the executives involved would not be drawn on the exact nature of the release; however, the ongoing rumors of a Mac Touch or, alternatively, a slightly bigger iPhone-style form-factor or UMPC device that is 100% touch-centric have once again been awakened.

Shortly after Apple reignited rumors of a touchscreen Mac touch with the disclosure that the company is “very excited” about a new project incorporating fresh “technologies and features”, MacDailyNews has heard from a trusted source that the product is indeed a multi-touch keyboard-free tablet. Describing the device - MacBook touch or Mac touch - as a little smaller than a MacBook display with an iPhone-style glass surface, advanced gesture library, slot-loading SuperDrive, accelerometer and GPS, the source claims the new tablet [Mac touch] will launch “by October at the latest”.

“Think MacBook screen, possibly a bit smaller, in glass with iPhone-like, but fuller-featured Multi-Touch. Gesture library. Full Mac OS X. This is why they bought P.A. Semi. Possibly with Immersion’s haptic tech. Slot-loading SuperDrive. Accelerometer. GPS. Pretty expensive to produce initially, but sold at “low” price that will reduce margins. Apple wants to move these babies. And move they will. This is some sick shit. App Store-compatible, able to run Mac apps, too. By October at the latest” MacDailyNews source

The source has previously tipped Apple’s introduction of wireless iTunes downloads direct to the device, a week before the company themselves announced it. MacDailyNews has offered no suggestion as to whether the news comes from inside Apple, from a supplier or from another source; they are also unable to substantiate the rumor independently."

Source: Macbooktouch