What You Need To Know About Tomorrow’s Apple Event

Photo Credit: Dustin Curtis
Let's face it, there are way too many Apple tablet rumors for anyone to understand what is going on. We're breaking all of it down for you ahead of the big show tomorrow. Whatever Apple is releasing tomorrow, we know it will be huge. iPad? iSlate? Canvas? Find out our bets on naming, specs, and availability after the break.
Although the chances are slim, these still are rumors, so don't be too surprised tomorrow if Jobs & Co. come up on stage and announce an iPod touch with a camera like last time. Don't say we never warned you.
We know thus far that most of the rumors are pointing to a 10-inch multi-touch screen, wrapped in aluminum and glass similar to the current iPhone 3GS. We've also heard that a front-facing camera may also be integrated into the bezel for video chatting and identifying who is using the device, but Daring Fireball's John Gruber has reported no camera will be seen on the tablet.
Of course, it's all up in the air when it comes to connectivity and 3G carriers. While it wouldn't be too surprising if Apple decided not to go with AT&T for the tablet, it certainly would be a welcomed improvement, whoever Apple turns to. We're hoping for an unlimited data plan; buy the device and you're set for life. The rumors haven't said much, but built-in Wi-Fi is a must.
No one seems to know what the user interface will look like, but the rumor-mill is pointing at several sources that "you will be surprised how you interact with it" according to The New York Times blogger Nick Bilton. Apparently, a new version of the iPhone OS hasn't been released because of how many references to the new device. Book publishers are also rumored to be closely involved with Apple on the product including McGraw-Hill and The New York Times. Just today, McGraw-Hill's CEO spoke on CNBC and confirmed the existence of their content showing up on the device.
"Yeah, very exciting. Yes...they'll make their announcement tomorrow on this one. We have worked with Apple for quite a while. And the Tablet will be based on the iPhone OS and so it will be transferable...The tablet is just going to be terrific."
Many sites are also reporting that developers were told to start developing "full screen" apps that are not restricted to a 320x480 resolution, for backwards compatibility with the tablet. Under the hood, you could find either a Cortex A9 ARM or a P.A. Semi processor (Apple acquired them in April of 2008). Both optimized for long battery life and multitasking, something you can't do on today's iPhone (unless you jailbreak).
In terms of the name of the new device, tablet, slate, whatever you want to call it–we've heard many reports about iPad, iSlate and Canvas. Supposedly, Apple has filed under the company name "IP Application Development" for the trademark iPad and under the name "Slate Computing" for the same trademark. However, Fujitsu owns the iPad trademark in the United States.
We're also seeing mixed reports on pricing. While we're hoping for the $600-700 range, we've seen rumors showing as much as $1200 for a OLED version of the tablet, so Apple may be aiming towards the higher end of the market.
All in all, Steve Jobs is said to be very excited for this new device, saying it's the "most important thing I've ever done." We didn't get an invite to this media event, but we will be providing meta-coverage as it happens and a wrap-up tomorrow evening.
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