You're the Pundit: Will Apple ditch the iPad home button?

When it comes to forecasting the next big thing, we turn to our secret weapon: the TUAW braintrust. We put the question to you and let you have your go at it. Today's topic is the iPad.

Apple's intriguing invite for next week's iPad event seems to be missing a home button.

As the biggest mechanical element on iOS devices, some have long felt that the button was a harsh intrusion of device engineering into an otherwise flawless touch-based system. Could Apple have re-engineered its button for better ergonomics, flipping the iPad to deliberately hide it? Or is the button gone for good?

You tell us. Place your vote in this poll and then join in the comments with all your predictions.

What\'s up with the iPad Next Gen\'s Home button?
It's gone, Jim. You just don't know what you've got till it's gone. It's all gestures from here on out. Multi-touch will rule the day.	1221 (25.1%)
One word: Haptics. We don't need no steenkin' buttons.	363 (7.5%)
Why use buttons when you can shake the iPad up and down and twirl it like a frisbee? Think acceleration control.	50 (1.0%)
There will always be an England--and a button. But it's going to be a virtual non-mechanical one. (The button, not England.) (Maybe England too.)	523 (10.8%)
The button is there, but expect to see a wider (still mechanical) version to allow less tension and better life expectancy.	254 (5.2%)
Same button as always. Apple just flipped around the iPad because it looks cooler.	2133 (43.9%)
Belly buttons!	217 (4.5%)
Something else. I'll tell you in the comments.	94 (1.9%)