Behind Your Business

The most eagerly awaited tablet since Moses delivered the Ten Commandments may be only weeks away from launch. Speculation about Apple's touchscreen reader and viewer -- essentially a big iPod mated with a Kindle -- exploded after the computer giant rented the Yerba Beuna Center for the Arts in San Francisco, the site of previous product launches, for a few days in late January.

Because new versions of the iPod and iPhone were released in the past year, analysts expect the January event will showcase a brand-new product.

"We believe there is a 75 percent likelihood that Apple will have an event in January and a 50 percent chance that it will be held to launch the Apple tablet," wrote Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster in a widely quoted research note. "If Apple announced the tablet in January, it would likely ship later in the March quarter."

While there are reports that a fourth-generation iPhone is being tested, Apple's handset launches have typically been slated for June or July, said Michael Gartenberg, a vice president at Interpret.

Hard To Predict

Published reports say an "iTablet" will likely have either a seven-inch or 10-inch display, and the device could break new ground with a color display that rivals the appearance of printed photos, which would require a lot of battery power.

But Gartenberg noted that in 2006, rumors about the iPhone were as persistent as the current chatter about the tablet, and most of the details about its features didn't pan out.

"Apple may or may not have a tablet planned, but most predictions will likely be wrong in the ways that matter," Gartenberg said.

But even without any significant details, Gartenberg said the unseen iTablet is a sensation. "Apple, without announcing any feature, service or price, garners more mindshare about a tablet than competitors with shipping and...