Apple to Launch Tablet Computer Jan. 27

Posted: January 24, 2010

Wednesday, Jan. 27, Apple is set to unveil a new tablet computer that investors hope will be as huge a phenomenon as its iconic iPod and iPhone.

What's a tablet? According to CNN, experts at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show could not agree ...

"Some say a computer just needs a touch-sensitive screen to be a tablet. Others say a person should be able to write on it with a pen. Still others say it's screen size that's important -- tablets must fit somewhere between phones and laptops. For Philip McKinney, vice president and chief technology officer at Hewlett-Packard, it's partly the keyboard -- a tablet should have one of those," CNN reported.

We heard the term tablet computer years ago ... but what we knew then and what we're about to see emerge promise to be somewhat different animals -- experts think.

With the invasion and popularity of the iPhone, touchscreen technology and its capabilities are mainstream. So, tablet computers may well be devices similar, yet more powerful than the iPhone, that are still significantly smaller than full-size laptops.

There's little doubt that Apple's introduction will define much of the potential for "tablet computer" success.