Evidently not. During a post-earnings conference call Monday, Brocade (BRCD) CEO Michael Klayko said the company has not “quietly put itself up for sale” as people familiar with the matter told The Wall Street Journal back in October.

“That is just false,” Klayko said of the rumors, which claimed Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Oracle (ORCL) as possible suitors.

Guess those reports that Brocade had hired Frank Quattrone’s merchant banking boutique Qatalyst to shop it around were a bit off …

The report, should it prove true, will no doubt be a disappointment to overanxious tabletites awaiting the mysterious device’s arrival, but really, that’s immaterial to Apple (AAPL). In the end, a six-month delay is simply six more months of rumor and speculation with which to build the bonfire of publicity that will erupt when (and if) the tablet/slate arrives.

Moreover, the tablet market is a nascent one; it’s not as if Apple is losing market share to its rivals by delaying entry. It’s best, then, for the company to take it’s time and uncrate the tablet/slate when confident that it has everything right. As Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster wrote in a research note to investors Thursday, “the exact timing is irrelevant given Street models do not currently reflect the tablet, expectations for actual units in 2010 are low, and investors focus is more on whether the tablet is real and less on timing.”

Munster, it’s worth noting, envisions Apple’s tablet/slate as a $500-700 device about three times the size of the iPod touch.

“We expect the tablet hardware to be similar to an iPod touch but larger; we expect the key differentiator of the device to be its software,” Munster writes. “While there are several options ranging from a touch screen Mac OS X to an iPhone-like OS, we expect the tablet to be driven by a new version of Apple’s iPhone OS that runs a new category of larger apps alongside all the current apps from the App Store. We believe Apple’s tablet would compete well in the netbook category even though it would not be a netbook.”

Earlier this week, people familiar with the matter claimed that Brocade (BRCD) is seeking a buyer and that both Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Oracle (ORCL) are among its potential suitors. They said no deal is imminent, but rumor that one might be coming drove Brocade’s shares up some 15 percent.

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HP, Oracle in Alleged Brocade Bromance

People familiar with the matter tell The Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg that Brocade (BRCD) is seeking a buyer and that both Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) and Oracle (ORCL) are among its potential suitors. No deal is imminent, but rumor that one might be coming was enough to spike Brocade’s shares some 15 percent.

It’s easy to see why Oracle and HP–and IBM (IBM) as well–might be interested in Brocade. The company’s portfolio of data-networking products and services would do much to help HP take on Cisco (CSCO). It would also give Oracle its own line of networking gear, fulfilling CEO Larry Ellison’s dream of offering customers complete systems as T.J. Watson’s IBM once did.

That said, there are issues with both scenarios. As Oppenheimer & Co. analyst Ittai Kidron explained in a research note this morning, an acquisition by Oracle would require the company to really commit to hardware as a long-term growth plan. “If the company truly plans to become a systems company (one-stop shop software/hardware), then Brocade would be a nice fit, especially including Sun Microsystems with no overlap,” Kidron said, adding, “we’re a bit in the dark on strategy here.”

And what of HP? That’s potentially far more problematic, what with equipment overlap and revenue implications. “Brocade would add the missing data center switch architecture as well as a strong presence in the SAN switch market,” Kidron explained. “That said, there would be massive overlap with HP’s ProCurve networking unit, which we believe would be disruptive. Also, IBM and EMC are 10% customers for Brocade and could be lost as customers (along with HP’s 10% business of Brocade).”

So will Brocade be tech’s next big buyout?

Sources close to the company tell TheStreet.com that Verizon has reconsidered its plans to add Palm’s new smart phone to its lineup.

An interesting rumor, but clearly one that’s to be taken with a grain of salt, if not a salt lick entire.

Why? Well, Palm (PALM), which declined comment on the report, just yesterday reaffirmed its fiscal year 2010 outlook and its planned product and carrier launches. Which means it doesn’t foresee any material changes in its business in the near future. Presumably, Verizon (VZ) passing on the Pre would count as such a change.

Moreover, the same sources who told the TheStreet.com that Verizon was going to give Palm the high hat also said the company might take a more diplomatic approach to the situation and simply order just a few Pres with no intention of lending the device much marketing support.

So, as I said, to be taken with a grain of salt…

One thing’s certain, though: If the rumor does prove true, it’s a serious blow not just to Palm, but to Verizon customers pining for a decent handset as well. Unless, of course, Verizon has cut an iPhone deal with Apple (AAPL)–in which case it’s just lousy news for Palm.

UPDATE: Analysts who follow Palm are already lining up to debunk TheStreet.com’s report.

The latest, from China Economic News, claims the device is being prepped for a February debut at a price somewhere between $799 and $999. Supply chain sources tell the publication the tablet will be built around a 9.6-inch Wintek capacitive touch panel and a mystery processor engineered by P.A. Semi, the boutique semiconductor design company Apple acquired in 2008. DynaPack International Technology will supply batteries, which are said to be “long lasting.”

Finally, the Apple (AAPL) device is said to support the high-speed downlink packet access 3G protocol. Interesting, since this likely means the tablet is destined for AT&T’s (T) network, not Verizon’s (VZ), as had been previously rumored, and lends credence to predictions that Apple will extend AT&T’s iPhone exclusivity deal rather than allow it to lapse.

And that makes perfect sense really. A touch with an integrated camera and mic is more an inevitability than anything else at this point. And the rumored September launch jibes with the timing of Apple’s (AAPL) iPod announcements for the past several years.

So, if the rumor proves true, we’ll soon see the touch transform from a media-player to a media-creator and VoIP device as well. Outfitted with Skype or a similar application, the touch would make a slick home phone–and give a nice little sting to AT&T (T).

[Image Credit: TechAu]

“Between indications from our component contacts in Asia, recent patents relating to multi-touch sensitivity for more complex computing devices, comments from Tim Cook on the April 22nd conference call, and Apple’s acquisition of P.A. Semi along with other recent chip-related hires, it is increasingly clear that Apple is investing more in its mobile computing franchise,” he writes. “Specifically, we expect this to result in a larger (7″-10″) touchscreen tablet that will launch in 1H CY10. Additionally, Apple’s consistent message that it refuses to launch a ‘cheap’ portable netbook, and its desire to differentiate itself in a maturing market before it’s too late, plus its gradual addition of multi-touch technology to all of its core products (iPhones, iPods and Macs) leads us to conclude this product will be a touchscreen tablet.”

Munster theorizes that the device will use a third version of Mac OS X to offer a sort of middle ground between the iPod touch and the MacBook. “The device’s OS could bear a close resemblance to Apple’s iPhone OS and run App Store apps,” he wrote. “Key apps, like Safari and Mail, could make use of the larger screen resolution, making Apple’s tablet appealing for more extended use, but the company could continue to leverage its primary asset in mobile computing, the App Store, in this scenario.”

The design of that OS, however, has been time-consuming and will keep the device from market until the first half of next year. “We expect the development of such an OS to be underway currently,” Munster says, “but its complexity, along with our conversations with a key company in the mobile space, leads us to believe it will not launch until CY10.”

[Image Credit: MacBlogz]

• 600 MHz Samsung ARM processor
• 256MB system RAM
• a 3.2-megapixel camera with autofocus
• 32GB of storage
• a digital compass
• FM

These specs were submitted to a rumor site by someone who claims to have a friend inside Apple manufacturing partner Foxconn who has handled iPhone “model MB717LL 9.” As such, they should be taken with a grain of salt, if not an entire salt flat.

That said, the rumors do seem reasonable. A 600 MHz chip is a nice improvement over the a 400 MHz part in the current iPhone, as is the doubling of RAM to 256MB. FM transmission and reception capabilities have been rumored before as has the compass. What’s missing, however, is an improved battery, a better GPU–perhaps the PowerVR SGX that’s been rumored to be heading for the device, a new, more elegant housing less prone to those hairline cracks that seem to plague the current one, and–in a perfect world–an OLED display and a second front-facing camera for video conferencing. Of course if OS 3.0 proves to be even a third as robust as Apple claims, we’ll be so enamored of the device we might not notice any of those things are missing.

According to Sacconaghi, the smartphone market isn’t a natural fit for Dell, which could see its efforts hamstrung by its historically lousy industrial design sensibility and lack of software development experience and wireless technology, not to mention unenthusiastic carriers hesitant to add a Dell phone to their lineups.

“We believe Dell’s foray into the smartphone market is risky and its success uncertain,” Sacconaghi writes. “In our view, the biggest risks are that (1) Dell invests a disproportionate amount in the initiative…; (2) the high margins earned on smartphones today collapse by the time Dell establishes itself in the market…; (3) it causes too much management distraction…; (4) the business simply fails.”

(4) the business simply fails.

A harsh prediction–especially when we don’t even know if the business will ever exist. Clearly, Sacconaghi doesn’t have much faith in Dell’s ability to execute on an initiative like this. And why should he? Dell’s track record in adjacent electronics businesses is littered with the corpses of PDAs, MP3 players and TVs.

Also making the rounds today are reports claiming iPhone 3.0 will support on-board video editing. Seems there are some resources in the latest beta of the OS suggesting that video capture and manipulation will figure large in the next device–things like “UIMovie Scrubber Editing Right,” “UIMovieScrubberMaskLeft” and whatnot. Now, while these resources could be pointing to something else entirely, it seems plausible that they are referencing some sort of video tool (iMovie Mobile? iMovie Light? iMoviePhone?)–particularly when considered with the MobileMe “Publish Video” feature also found concealed in the 3.0 beta. That said, no mention of video editing was made during Apple’s recent iPhone 3.0 event. Perhaps Apple (AAPL) hopes to keep it under wraps until the device’s official debut. Or perhaps there’s nothing to keep under wraps in the first place.

Confirming recent speculation, Sony this morning said that it’s dropping the price of the PlayStation 2 from $129 to $99.99 as of April 1. “With this new price, we intend to introduce a new generation of consumers–some of whom weren’t even alive when the system was first introduced in 2000–to the immense entertainment value offered by PlayStation 2,” John Koller, Sony’s director of hardware marketing, explained in a blog post. “In the gaming industry, the typical lifecycle for a console is around five years, but because we build each of our platforms for a large and diverse consumer base, we design our platforms differently. With the original PlayStation and now PlayStation 2, we’ve proven that consumers can rely on our platforms for their gaming and entertainment needs for at least a decade.”

And that does indeed seem to be the case. Though nearly 10 years old, the PS2 remains quite popular. Indeed, Sony expects to sell eight million of the consoles in its current financial year–not so far off from the 10 million PlayStation 3s it expects to sell in the same period. And it will certainly grow in popularity at this lower price point, giving Sony (SNE) a means to really take Nintendo’s Wii to the mat.

Now, about that PlayStation 3 price cut rumor: Sony isn’t planning one, though arguably that’s exactly what the console, which is being outsold two-to-one by the Xbox 360 and the Wii, needs. “As we have stated previously, we do not have plans for a PS3 price drop, and any rumors to that effect are false and are the result of speculation,” Sony Computer Entertainment America said in a statement. “SCEA remains focused on the long-term momentum of PS3. With the industry’s best software lineup this year, combined with our most aggressive marketing campaign to date, we remain confident in our approach and the value we’re delivering with PS3.”

And that would seem to belie claims by the company’s leadership that the term “Apple netbook” is an oxymoron. Asked during Apple’s Q4 earnings call last year if the company will ever enter the netbook market, CEO Steve Jobs said, “We don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk, and our DNA will not let us ship that….As we look at the NetBook category, that’s a nascent category. There’s as best as we can tell not a lot of them getting sold. You know, one of our entrants into that category, if you will, is the iPhone for browsing the Internet and doing e-mail and all the other things that a NetBook lets you do, and being connected via the cellular net wherever you are, an iPhone is a pretty good solution for that, and it fits in your pocket. But we’ll wait and see how that nascent category evolves and we’ve got some pretty interesting ideas if it does evolve.”

Certainly a kiss-off, yet one delivered with that “we could build a netbook that would blow your head off if we wanted to” caveat: We’ve got some pretty interesting ideas.

Apple COO Tim Cook was similarly dismissive of the netbook category during the company’s Q1 earnings call this year. “We’re watching [the netbook] space,” he said. “But, right now from our point of view, the products in there are principally based on hardware that’s much less powerful than we think customers want. Software technology that is not good, cramped keyboards small displays….And so, we don’t think that people are going to be pleased with those types of products. But we’ll see…it’s a category we watch. We’ve got some ideas here. But, right now we think the products there are inferior and will not provide an experience to customers that they’re happy with.”

Another harsh Apple kiss-off for the netbook category, yet like Jobs’s, it’s delivered with that “we’ve got some ideas” caveat–one that might just as easily be interpreted as “we’re going to redefine the category when we’re ready to.”

So what to make of this Commercial Times report? Like all Apple (AAPL) rumors, it could be something, could be nothing. But two things are certain: If Apple is planning to release a netbook it won’t be piece of junk. And it won’t sell it for $500, either.

[Image credit: Gizmodo]