Don't believe the tablet hype. The only people who want such a thing are the few people blogging about it all the time. (And of course hype is good for getting readers/attention/subscribers etc) (Or trying to justify their own tablet - crunchpad? "Best product of 2009"?!?? http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/upgrade/4332415.h...)

The usefulness of a 'too big for your pocket, half a laptop that you have to hold' device are minimal. Maybe they'll surprise everyone and come out with a tablet, but I really doubt it.

I agree - remember the "iphone nano": much talked about, didn't even make sense as a product and totally non-existant.

If it is true - the noises that do kind of make sense - like Apple being in talks with publishers make me wonder if they are going to compete with the Kindle rather than the netbook.

I'm not disagreeing, but just remember - I heard tons of comments like this about the "iPhone" years before it was actually released. So there very well may be a "iTab" on its way.

Apple was almost forced to create the iPhone, though: much of it's access came from the iPod, but phones were getting better and better at playing music, too.

There have been rumours pinning the releasedate of the tablet to somewhere in the fall of 2009:

http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/12/rumor-large-for/

So it wouldn't surprise me one bit if they delayed that for a couple of days just to be able to steal microsofts thunder.

The general reception of the latest batch of 'mac stuff' was pretty underwhelmed, if they top it off with a tablet then that will turn around to endless press coverage.

Competition is good.

I doubt they would announce the tablet without a special press event