by , 12:35 PM EST, January 4th, 2007

Steve Jobs has no interest in an Apple tablet computer, according to former Apple exec David Sobotta. In an editorial for the Guardian, Mr. Sobotta said that a cell phone from Apple is probable, and that it would be a perfect product for the company's current strategy.

Mr. Sobotta, who had been at Apple for 22 years, had several occasions to observe Mr. Jobs with customers. In one instance, senior officials and high ranking technology officers from the National Institutes of Health asked Apple for a tablet computer to support medical research.

According to the article, Mr. Jobs said, "...tablet computers were not a big enough market for Apple to spend its limited resources chasing. And even if the market grew, it would not reach a size to be of interest. The form factor was all wrong. Apple was more interested in defining markets than trying to catch other companies that were busy trying to create a market for questionable products."

When pressed further by NIH, Mr. Jobs offered up the clinchers showing how he understood the issues more deeply than anyone else, even the customer.

The article offers what may be a rare glimpse of Mr. Jobs in front of customers, recounted by an Apple employee and confirmed by discussions with the customers later.

[Edit: The article and title were edited for clarity. - Editor]