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"If you haven't heard an Apple Tablet rumor by now, you've most likely been living in a cave somewhere for the past year.  It's all anybody can talk about, especially since it could launch at the end of the month.\nWith the daily deluge of rumors flooding your Twitter stream and RSS feeds, it's easy to become cynical about the mythical device.  Why should you care about a device that has no confirmation at all of its existence?\nThe answer is that its potential impact could be nothing short of revolutionary.  Like the iPod and the iPhone, an Apple-built tablet could not only become a consumer hit, but actually redefine multiple industries and how they do business.  Here are just some of the ways an Apple Tablet could spark a revolution.\n1. Publishing and Media\nLet's start with the most obvious choice: Media.  We've covered the previous rumors that Apple wants to redefine print with its rumored tablet.  While the Kindle has done a lot to bring print into digital form, a tablet could be far more suited for reading the newspaper, opening up your textbook, and even sharing notes.  Hell, Wired's already preparing for the tablet.\nThe simple point is that it's easier to carry a smart tablet than 300 hardcover books and 20 newspapers with you.  Apple's tablet will almost certainly have a focus on bringing all of print into the digital world, whether the industry is ready for it or not.\n2. Healthcare\n\n\n\n\n\nAbove: The AirStrop OB iPhone App. It allow doctors to check on their patients vitals on-the-go.\n\nA few days ago, a rumor spread that Apple was designing the tablet specifically for the healthcare industry.  While we, of course, have no idea whether the tablet is being made for doctors or whether it's being made at all, the notion is very logical.\nFirst, the iPhone is already a tool that doctors use to save lives.  If the tablet can run apps, then those tools will immediately be at their disposal.  Second, it has the capability to replace the clipboard by accessing digital records, making medical data easy-to-search, and having references built right into the tablet.\nHealthcare is a lagging industry in terms of technological adoption, but if any company has the resources to break that barrier, it's Apple.\n3. Entertainment\nEntertainment is another industry that could be immediately affected by an Apple Tablet.  It's big enough to provide easy viewing for your movies and television shows.  And if the 3G rumors are true, you could access that data via an iPhone app.  Having the ability to view TV from anywhere is no small deal.\nIt's not just the TV and movie experience that could potentially be upended, either.  Gaming would get a completely new platform, paving the way for a new wave of touchscreen games, depending on how the tablet is designed (I wouldn't want to hold the tablet in one hand and touchscreen with the other).  It probably won't have the same effect on the music industry as the iPod had, though.\n4. Finance\nThe finance industry is a giant behemoth with many arms \u2014 trading, banking, personal finance, and investment banking, just to name a few.  The tablet could have a dramatic impact on all of these areas.\n\nTrading: Traders need to have information at their fingertips and make trades in an instant.  Many use their mobile phones or specialized devices for this, but a tablet could present a lot more information and be far more dynamic.  You could see tablets everywhere on the floor eventually.\nBanking: Bank tellers could process information with the tablet and easily hand it over to someone else when the situation arises.  A tablet would be a far more effective way of sharing financial data or even making payments.  The need for paperwork would be gone.\nPersonal Finance: With apps like Mint at your fingertips, managing your finances would be a snap.  If tablets have a wireless way to communicate with one another, it could also prove to be the ultimate payment system.\nInvestment Banking: In addition to facilitating faster and more effective trading, investment banks could use them to quickly conduct research and swap notes.\n\nThe right software and the right interface could stir many financial institutions to purchase Apple Tablets in bulk.\n5. Computing\nConsider the big picture with this final industry.  For years, we've relied on desktops and laptops with bulky keyboards.  Only recently has mobile become a computing force, but even that is nothing compared to the computing industry.\nImagine that the Apple Tablet comes with a new type of tactile, gesture-based keyboard, something a recent Apple patent supports.  Imagine you can type almost as well on it as you can with a keyboard, or even 75% as well.  It immediately becomes a great device for computing on the go, an object that could be used as a primary computer if you wanted to.\nNow imagine that the devices does have a few input ports, specifically two USB ports.  Now you have a device that can be connected to your keyboard and mouse, as well as your other devices potentially.  Stick the tablet on a stand and it's a computer.  Unplug and take it with you and your computer can come with you, even easier than a laptop.\nWhile this was a thought exercise, this is the type of thing Apple has clearly thought about in the tablet process.  If the Apple Tablet proves to be real, you can expect this type of imaginative thinking to be present in every aspect of the tablet's design, interface, and functionality.  \nThis is why the media and millions of early adopters care so much about the potential tablet and the rumors: Its potential as a revolutionary device is very real.\nMore Apple resources from Mashable:\n\n- 5 Mac Apps to Boost Your Productivity- Mac Gift Guide: 10 Buying Ideas for Apple Fans- HOW TO: Create a Mac Theme for Windows 7- Top 10 iPhone Apps as Judged by Mashable Readers- APPLE TABLET: Ultimate Gallery of Concept Designs and Prototypes- 10 iPhone Apps to Avoid Work Disasters- 20 Creative Apps For Your iPhone"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2010/01/15/apple-tablet-revolution/>