Tablet OS "has a good bit of new sexy to it"

Didn't Apple buy fingerworks a few years ago? My prediction is that learning the coordinated "finger chords" involved with that UI, or a variant, is the "steep learning curve" part.

Casual, mobile computing. If there is an Apple tablet/slate it will not just be a stripped down laptop. It needs to be completely different. I don't want word on it. I don't need Word on it. I want magazine and newspaper subscriptions that are easy to get and look great. I want to have access to digital download books through apps or built in. I want access to apps and entertainment. I want email and web. But I don't want to run Photoshop on it. I don't need to run After Effects on it. One would purchase a Macbook Pro for that. Video conference? Maybe...maybe an AV offering with it. A back side camera...Ah, why? I'm going to carry my tablet around and hold it up (all 10 inches or flatness) to take pictures? My phone is for taking pictures on the go :>
The device is not a laptop. It doesn't need to be. If Microsoft wants to write some version of Word for it, fine. But i you just want a touch sensitive laptop wait and buy the thing from HP with Windows 7. A device that will fail in the marketplace because it is set up to run an old school OS.
It has to be completely different or it fails.
The battle is now for the a platform for mobile, casual computing. Even the phone isn't the point. While all these other companies are chasing phones, Apple seems to understand that the platform is key. The iPod Touch is the important reminder. Not one other of the major companies in the smartphone space has a good casual device separate from a phone offering.
This wil make the difference. The Tablet, the iPod Touch expanding on an on-the-go platform for digital communications.

But will it have photo and movie editing and the rest of iLife? And office compatable word processing capability? I love my iPod touch and find just wifi, with no tie in to any contracts, sufficient for life in urban areas but I want to be able to play with and sort out photos on the move. Who has time to sit at home and do that? I really hoped iphoto would get adapted to iPhone but even this 64Gb version way too small memory. And it needs to be able to run firefox and not just safari. Then I can justify replacing my notepad.

I agree with Janichsan. Let's stop speculating on what we simply don't know and wait until January 27th.

okay so I know this isn't about specs. but my roommate's cousin's girlfriend's next door neighbor is an assistant at the security firm that handles all of Robert Pattinsons personal protection details (he's the guy from Twilight with the wild hair that all the tweens, teens and their mothers think is so sexy).

Anyhoo, so we were having this party over the weekend and he was there and after we got him a bit drunk and a bit more stoned he revealed that they just booked 8 guards to be with Robert, and his two co-stars for an event on the rumored Apple even days in San Francisco.

Coincidence, I think not. I mean even Ballmer was pimping Twilight yesterday. Why wouldn't Apple see their book cover and raise them the movie stars.

Why can't it just be full OS X... I dont want a giant iPod Touch, I see no point in it. Sure it would be pretty cool to run existing iPhone/Touch apps, but lets be real here, most of those things are cool cause they are being done by a cell phone, most computers can do all that plus WAY WAY more. I think this thing will be a failure if they dont implement a fully working OS X, though maybe with a Front Row type thing to optimize the Tablet qualities.

Maybe "new sexy" just means it finds pron really, really fast.

*sigh* Yet another unsubstantial report of hear-say. Please, TUAW, could you add an not-tablet-rumours category, similar to the not-iPhone category? That would be nice.

Anyway: are you aware that "a steep learning curve" can actually mean *anything*? The original meaning of a steep learning curve is that you learn something very fast – so it denotes something that is *easy* to learn.

Maybe some "new sexy" the the iPhone OS 4.0 too !! Hopefully...

Can't wait. Looking for a couch potato device!