Apple Buys iSlate.com, Domain Hunters Swoop In

MacRumors has uncovered evidence which reveals Apple is the registered owner of the "iSlate" domain name. Although it seems Apple may have taken ownership of the domain around 2007, MacRumors' founder Arnold Kim asserts that iSlate seems likely as Apple's choice of names for their rumored tablet.

"Apple is rumored to be announcing an Apple tablet in early 2010 and given this evidence "iSlate" seems a likely candidate for the device's name." Arnold Kim writes for his MacRumors website.

The iPhone Savior news team has learned that Mr. Kim, who also pens the wildly popular blogs TouchArcade and AppShopper is so convinced by his iSlate discovery, that he immediately purchased the domain name iSlateRumors.com on December 25th under his Normalkid LLC moniker.

There's no telling how many speculative tablet domain names Kim may be nesting on since he's also listed as the registrant for TabletRumors.com, iSlateArcade.com and SlateArcade.com.

On Christmas day hundreds of iSlate domain names were being snatched up faster than nudey picts of Megan Fox. TechCrunch has also jumped into the iSlate name game by studying the topic ad nauseam in a very long post waxing on about "what ifs". Quickly making iSlate news more popular than Christmas ham for many Apple aficionados.

"The evidence is overwhelming: if there’s going to be a new tablet from Apple coming out next month, chances are that it’ll be christened iSlate." Robin Wauters writes for TechCrunch.

Apple managed to register the iPhone.org URL back in December of 1999, several years before it launched the the iPhone as a product. But the company reportedly paid Michael Kovatch, the owner of iPhone.com upwards of one million dollars for the iPhone domain name in early July 2007.

You can expect an even bigger rush on speculative domain name purchases once Apple finally announces the true name of their new tablet device. By then all of the good names will be taken if iSlate is crowned king. MacRumors is also reporting that "Apple is indeed behind Slate Computing, LLC and the iSlate trademark."

"It also seems likely that Apple also filed for an iSlate trademark under a dummy corporation. Given that, it seems "iSlate" is very likely going to be the name of the upcoming Apple tablet." Kim writes for MacRumors.

You'll be happy to learn that the iTabletRumors.com domain is available. Nobody owns that one yet! iSlateInsider.com was also nabbed on 12-25-09. But iSlateCrunch.com is still up for grabs if you hurry.

[via MacRumors]

Comments

[ClubPenguinCheats]

But the company reportedly paid Michael Kovatch, the owner of iPhone.com upwards of one million dollars for the iPhone domain name in early July 2007.

[Apple Islates]

I agree that iSlate sounds like the name that Apple has picked, the fact that others have taken on the slate theory, is secondhand. I think Apple will still go with it.

[Apple iSlate]

Most of them have already been snagged up.