Today there's a small nugget of fuel to add to the Tablet fire, with Apple rehiring former Newton developer Michael Tchao as VP of Product Marketing according to The New York Times.
For those unfamiliar, the Apple Newton was the progenitor of the personal digital assistant (PDA) class of devices that outlived the Newton project itself, which was eventually canceled. Still, it was a groundbreaking platform for its time and presaged the age of handheld mobile devices. A truly amazing tablet device from Apple would in some ways finally do the original Newton vision justice.
Now, one of the original ideators behind the Newton platform is back after a 15-year absence. He'll be reporting to SVP Phil Schiller and carrying out unspecified duties, but it seems highly logical that Tchao might be involved in the marketing strategy for the still-mythical tablet that everybody is convinced is in the works. What do you think: is the new-but-old hire related to the Apple Tablet?