Apple finally leaks 7.85-inch iPad rumor to New York Times on eve of Nexus 7 launch

Apple finally leaks 7.85-inch iPad rumor to New York Times on eve of Nexus 7 launch:

You’ve got to feel for the NYTimes.  I mean, Apple was leaking the 7-inch iPad info to the WSJ and Bloomberg over a week ago as orders for Google’s 7-inch tablet were opening up.  Perhaps Apple wasn’t pleased with that iEconomy series that the NYTimes insists on running.
But Apple’s PR machine has a message to get out (even that turncoat Walt Mossberg loves the Nexus 7!) and finally this week as the Google Nexus 7′s are shipping, it’s the NYTimes’ chance to ‘shine’.

Katie Cotton, my email is skovach@businessinsider.com if you want to give me more info than you gave NYT.
—
Steve Kovach (@stevekovach) July 16, 2012

Sadly, that’s all the NYTimes got. Except they are saying….wait for it…

The company is developing a new tablet with a 7.85-inch screen that is likely to sell for significantly less than the latest $499 iPad, with its 9.7-inch display, according to several people with knowledge of the project who declined to be named discussing confidential plans. The product is expected to be announced this year.

Recap: the new smaller iPad will cost less than the $499 iPad third generation.  They wouldn’t even go out on a limb and say it would cost less than the $399 iPad 2?
[Slow clap]

OK besides the snark, I like the Times and the writers. Plus, they did come up with something new:

But the first tablet prototype Apple began developing in the mid-2000s had a seven-inch screen, said a former engineer at the company who helped build the smaller prototype and declined to be named to avoid upsetting people at the company today. Mr. Jobs thought the device was too small and wondered aloud what it was good for “besides surfing the Web in the bathroom,” this person said

So all that Stuff that Steve Jobs said about the 7-inch iPad was from a substantial amount of experience?