Talk of an Apple netbook isn't new, but the details from the story in today's fit the vision that analysts like Technology Business Research's Ezra Gottheil have had for nearly a year. (A translation of the original Chinese was posted by a commenter on .)

"The screen size, the fact that it will be a touch screen, is pretty much along the route I think Apple should take," said Gottheil. "The price point, though, is pretty high if Apple wants to do with [a netbook] what I think it wants to do.

"But then, Apple has never been above squeezing early adopters," Gottheil added.

According to InfoTimes, Apple has placed orders with three Taiwanese electronics manufacturers -- Dynapack International Technology, Foxconn and Wintek -- for components that will be assembled into a netbook. Wintek, said InfoTimes will produce the 9.7-in. touch screens. Foxconn is a contract netbook and notebook maker, and will be the primary manufacturer for Apple's netbook.

This isn't the first time that talk of an Apple netbook has fingered Wintek as a possible supplier. Last March, the Dow Jones financial news service reported that Wintek was working with Apple and another major netbook/notebook maker, Quanta Computer, on a netbook. At the time, Dow Jones said that the netbook would sport a Wintek touch screen in the 9.7-to-10-in. range, and .