I wouldn’t want to take away your joy and surprise on Wednesday when you see our latest creation.

Apple COO Tim Cook

You know what? I’ve been entirely blasé about this whole remodel-the-universe Apple Tablet stuff. I have an iPhone, and a MacBook, and a Mac Mini media centre, and in this Apple-loving mesh I cannot work out where I’m supposed to fit a third handheld device and get a valuable amount of use from it.

But, I also have confidence in Apple only releasing hardware that has a strong initial use case. So, whilst I’m sure whatever it is will be outstanding in the aesthetic, my interest is less concerned with the reveal of a beautiful artifact, but to discover why I’m supposed to want one; the design of the product experience; the very reasons for this device to even exist in a world where tablet computers have been a stupid (or at best, niche) idea.

A few weeks before the iPhone came out, strong rumours emerged that Apple were indeed building a phone, but that it would be made using ‘off the shelf parts’. It had weight, and was a successful downplay to the crazy full screen, touch screen rumours that were flying around at the time. Then, they released a single device that exceeded the rumours.

This time, there is no downplaying of the crazy predictions; rumours built up over years by people desperate for Apple to build a tablet device just on the assumption that it would be useful. Instead of downplaying rumour, Tim Cook is making humorous, taunting remarks about it during an earnings call. I can’t help but find that quite exciting, to see just what it is that has Apple so irresistibly pleased with themselves.

All this said, I of course reserve the right to lose my calm, considerate demeanour during the event, and indulge in ecstatic fanboy tongue-speaking once it’s all in progress.

And if nothing else, at least everyone will shut the fuck up with their unsubstantiated rumours. All we’ll have to deal with next is crap tech publications racing to be first to denounce the Tablet as worthless/pointless/overpriced. Via: Gizmodo.