Cook: No Apple netbook

There remains little or no interest at Apple in developing a netbook, the company's COO remarks. In response to a question from Barclay analyst Ben Reitzes, asked during the company's Q2 results call, Tim Cook has expressed disappointment with the current state of netbooks. "When I look at what is being sold in the netbook space today, I see cramped keyboards, terrible software, junky hardware, very small screens," says Cook. "And just not a consumer experience and not something that we would put the Mac brand on, quite frankly."

The statements appear to fly in the face of industry reports, which have strongly suggested that Apple is developing a netbook. Manufacturers such as Quanta and Foxconn are rumored to be competing for a production contract, while multiple sources claim that Apple has requested 10-inch touchscreens best suited to a netbook-like device. The popularity of Linux- and Windows- based systems would appear to make a Mac option a logical next step; Cook suggests, however, that the iPhone and iPod touch already serve in the role of a small Internet-capable product. If an opening for innovative hardware appears, Apple will jump in, Cook adds.

by MacNN Staff