Apple Tablet Developments: New Marketing Man and Possible January Announcement

This morning the NYTimes Bits & Bites blog reported that Apple has rehired Michael Tchao, one of the developers who helped create the Newton PDA.

Mr. Tchao gets the credit (or perhaps the blame) for convincing John Sculley, Apple’s former chief executive, to integrate the company’s handwriting-recognition technology into a consumer device.

Tchao is coming back not as a developer, but as the vice president of product marketing. And what products will he focus on marketing? No official word yet, but everyone is going to assume Apple brought him back for the tablet. If so, he’ll need to get started right away. According to this lengthy list of tablet rumors at iLounge, the official announcement will come on or before January 19th, 2010, with a release in May or June, like the iPhone.