John Markoff at the New York Times has updated his article on a potential Apple netbook with an interesting piece of news that reminds me of the first days of the JesusPhone, when an unidentified Apple device was detected for the first time online, in the traffic logs of some sites. Markoff even provides vague specifics of this potential MacBook nano/MacBook touch/iPhone slate or whatever you want to call it:

UPDATED: That would seem to confirm findings that a search engine company shared with me on condition that I not reveal its name: The company spotted Web visits from an unannounced Apple product with a display somewhere between an iPhone and a MacBook. Is it the iPhone 3.0 or the NetMac 1.0

Unlike Markoff, however, I believe Steve was completely honest when he said “we don’t know how to build a sub-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk”, arguing that the company mission was to give more at the same price points and that the iPhone was already an entry point into the small computing category.

So out of pure instinct, I think we can rule out a MacBook nano and instead think about an iPhone HD with updated 800 x 480 pixel display. Specially since other cellphones, like the HTC Touch HD, are going that route, it’s only logical for Apple to keep the progress of the iPhone with a higher dot per inch count in the next model.

Of course, I will always keep dreaming about the MacBook touch or iPhone slate, even while I’m sure it won’t be very popular. [NYT]