According to a report by an Asian industry-watching website, a touch-screen netbook from Apple is coming later this year. The report, which was relayed by DigiTimes, says that the Taiwan-based Wintek will start shipping the panels to the Cupertino-based Mac maker sometime during the third quarter of the year for an official launch at an unknown date.

"Wintek revealed that it is currently working with Apple to develop some new products, but it said it does not know what applications the new products are for," the DigiTimes report said. "Wintek added that no shipment schedule has been worked out yet, but shipments are likely to begin in the second half of the year."

The whole fuss revolves around two entirely new products that may or may not exist at all: An Apple netbook and an Apple tablet. With no dimensions given, they may even be for a new iPhone. But the Taiwan-based Commercial Times thinks differently. It believes that Apple is working on a netbook, to be built with the help of Quanta Computer, using touch panels made by Wintek, according to DigiTimes.

It’s possible that by “netbook,” the paper actually means tablet computer. It has been rumored for a while that Apple is working on a device that would be similar to a large version of an iPod touch. And such a device seems more in line with the products Apple likes to make — meaning that it would likely be full of quality components and thus, not cheap, while maintaining the all-important high margins.

Meanwhile, Silicon Alley Reporter is sticking with its earlier speculation that Apple will simply do a larger version of the iPod Touch (it's calling the device the iPod Touch HD). However the “netbook” path feels like a better path for Apple because the device would be another one-of-a-kind, and as such could command a one-of-a-kind price tag, which is what Apple likes. Apps designed for the iPhone would likely not work because of the larger screen, this would be a small tweak for developers.