Apple planning to resurrect the Newton?

In the history of Apple products, the Newton stands out for being better remembered as a punch line rather than as a product (okay, well, maybe the Lisa belongs in that category as well). Undoubtedly ahead of its time, prohibitively expensive and in many ways, poorly executed, the Newton was one of the company's most monumental failures. With the recent success of the iPhone-like Newton, however, one can't help but wonder, could Apple release a successor to the Newton? As outlandish as it sounds, that's exactly what the folks at AppleInsider claim Cupertino has brewing: an iPhone-like tablet with a full 720x480 touchscreen that would compete with UMPCs and PDAs alike. What's more, AppleInsider's "sources believe it could make an inaugural appearance during Jobs' Macworld keynote in January alongside some new Mac offerings." I've spoken about Apple's move into portable computing before but I must say, I never quite imagined something like this...

For more on the rumor:
- see this report from AppleInsider