Apple owns 'TabletMac' trademark, fuels Mac tablet rumours

Apple is now listed as the owner of the trademark previously owned by Axiotron

Apple is now listed as the owner of the trademark 'TabletMac,' after Macbook mod company Axiotron previously owned the name.

Axiotron's Modbook, an Apple MacBook laptop, which has been converted to work as a tablet computer, has been available in the UK since earlier this year following a tie-up with Computer Warehouse (CW).

According to MacRumors, Axiotron first used the name in a 2007 press release, announcing a deal with a Canadian distributor, and filed a trademark for the term.

To continue reading, register here and become an Insider. You'll get free access to premium content from CIO, Computerworld, CSO, InfoWorld, and Network World. See more Insider content or sign in.

Apple is now listed as the owner of the trademark 'TabletMac,' after Macbook mod company Axiotron previously owned the name.

Axiotron's Modbook, an Apple MacBook laptop, which has been converted to work as a tablet computer, has been available in the UK since earlier this year following a tie-up with Computer Warehouse (CW).

According to MacRumors, Axiotron first used the name in a 2007 press release, announcing a deal with a Canadian distributor, and filed a trademark for the term.

"A high-tech solution hardware manufacturing company, Axiotron, Inc. (www.axiotron.com) is the maker of the award-winning ModBook, the one and only TabletMac solution," ran the press release.

MacRumors Arnold Kim notes Apple's ownership of the name may or may not have future significance: "Transfer of ownership may not mean Apple has plans on using the term. Apple may have simply contested the trademark due to the potential for confusion between "TabletMac" and their own trademarks. But now Apple could potentially release a product called the TabletMac, and given the overwhelming number of reports of an Apple-branded tablet device, it certainly raises that question."

The website also notes a recent report that Apple's long rumoured tablet might run on a version of the iPhone OS rather than the full Mac OS X used by desktop and laptop Macs.

Meanwhile, the award-winning Axiotron Modbook is still billed as currently the one and only Mac tablet - "a portable all-in-one studio that enables you to create wherever you go."

The revolutionary slate-style tablet enables users to draw, sketch and write directly on the screen via a built in Wacom tablet. The Axiotron Modbook 2.13GHz costs £1,298.99 at Computer Warehouse.

Full details can be found at www.computerwarehouse.co.uk or by calling CW Business sales team on 0208 400 1234.