It's the iTablet, stupid!

One report says that not since Moses came down from Mount Sinai has there been this much excitement over a bunch of tablets. Though no one knows if something like this even exists (Apple refuses to comment officially) it has been described as an "iPhone on steroids", as "some sick shit" with "out of control" multi-touch gestures (all serious compliments in geek-speak). It was the undisputable star at the recent Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas, the biggest and most influential consumer electronics exposition in the world, and the thing (if it exists) was not even on show! (Apple Inc, does not participate in the annual CES nor, of late, even at the (privately organised) MacWorld Expo, a show devoted to products manufactured by the company.)

It is as if one cannot read a single tech site without running into another iTablet or iSlate rumour. Even the Wall Street Journal and several other non-tech newspapers and magazines seem to be in the act. Chris Maxcer of MacNewsworld writes: "As the Apple tablet rumour frenzy blows way past the level of a fever pitch, I'm starting to reconcile myself with the notion that we may -- within a few weeks -- finally hear from Apple. The company is widely expected to make a public announcement Jan 27 or so, though again, the expectation isn't due to Apple, it's due to a report stating the company has rented a stage at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco ... What might Apple announce?"

Exactly. So, what might Apple announce? Its first quarter results? At this year's CES, there were three tablet PCs on offer: one HP tablet running Windows 7 that supports multitouch and an accelerometer (like the iPhone and the iPod Touch) that will be released in mid year selling for around USD500, and others from Pegatron and Archos -- no info. I watched a video of Steve Balmer (CEO of Microsoft) introduce the HP device at the end of his keynote address. The device looked like a Kindle wannabe that had been hijacked for the show just to beat an Apple announcement, in case there is one. The devices looked lame, and the charade was sad.

The ebook is, of course, the gadget of the moment and everyone wants to ride the bandwagon. (Amazon announced that they sold more ebook downloads than physical books for the first time on Chrismas Day, 2009, though they didn't give out numbers or details. They are good with smoke and mirrors.) Among the ebooks out in the market, Barnes & Noble has the Nook at USD259, Amazon the new Kindle DX that will cost USD489, Samsung has announced E6 and E101 selling at USD399 and USD699, respectively, and Plastic Logic will be selling two Que proReader units for USD649 (4 GB) and USD799 (8 GB).

Over all these looms the huge shadow of the Apple iTablet, a gadget that does not yet exists in any shape or form, but one which everyone is sure will be announced soon. Speculated to cost between USD700-USD900, it has spooked an entire industry. No one dares to breathe, no one dares to make a sudden movement, or any movement. The whole scene is almost comical. No, it is all so hilariously funny. No one can prove it is there, but everyone is sure it is, and they all wait with bated breaths for Zeus to hurl his thunderbolt, and change the game. Once again.

Or, it might be like Waiting for Godot where (as someone said) nothing happens, twice.