Apple teases with tablet patent

It is being reported in a number of places (notably Ars Technica and Engadget) that a recent Apple patent covers a dockable, tablet-like device for multi-touch computing. As Ars says, the patent has actually been around, in slightly different form, since 2005, so it is probably still too soon for speculation. (In fact, Ars is rather cynical about it—their headline states that the patent “offers hope, inevitable disappointment.)

Nonetheless, if Apple ever does come out with a tablet, a “neo-Newton” as Ars calls it, it could be good news for a lot of e-readers who prefer the responsiveness and bright colors of LCD and the responsiveness of the iPhone/iPod Touch software, but would like a bigger screen on which to read.