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"The fabled Apple Tablet - it's a rumor that has been around for years.  Yet it's looking more and more like the Apple iTablet is no joke.  A 10-inch portable movie-playing, book-reading iPod Touch on steroids?  Oh yeah.\nYet while the Tablet may drop in stores in September, that doesn't mean that it'll be a success.  Yes, Apple has an incredible track record with its Macbooks, iPods, and the iPhone, but a ten inch tablet that's something between an iPhone and a Macbook leaves a lot of questions - and a lot of possible flaws.  So will you, the consumer, grab one of these tablets?  We want to know.  But first, here are the likely pros and cons of the device to help you decide:\nPros: \nThe rumored Apple iTablet features highlighted in two articles by the Financial Times provide the best insight into what we're likely looking to see in Apple stores come September. Here are some of the best features that we've been able to dissect:\n- 10 inch screen- Internet connectivity- The ability to run iPhone apps- Book-reading abilities\nOkay, so we really know almost nothing about this fabled device.  But the essential point is that it's a slim touch-screen device that could compete in the Netbook space.  They are rising in popularity and are surprisingly useful (I'll admit that I love my HP netbook), but an Apple tablet could blow away any netbook in speed and functionality.  Make it portable and include Apple's take on design and you could have a winner. \nCons: \nAll of the criticism volleyed towards the still-unreleased Apple tablet can be summed up in one scathing article by PCWorld's Michael Scalisi.  I'm just going to quote him on some of his many points:\n\n- \"There are lots of things that tablets are not good at. Take watching movies, for example. Since a tablet is designed for lying flat, you have to be looking straight down to view the computer. Actually, that makes it suck for most things.\"\n- \"While I think a multi-touch display is a great idea, using it to host a virtual keyboard takes too much real estate on a petite 10-inch display.\"\n- \"While the iPhone OS might seem like an obvious choice due to its small footprint and contribution toward long battery life, it has glaring limitations on a larger device.\"\n- \"Bundling it with wireless broadband service would find a limited audience.\"\n\nReally, there's not much more we can add to the con side.\nOur Take\nLet's get two simple truths out of the way first:\n\n1. All of this is rumor.  We really have no idea what the iTablet will look like, how it will work, or what features it will offer.  In fact, we can't even be sure at all it exists.  Steve Jobs could be laughing his ass off in a comfy chair at Apple HQ for all we know.\n2. As a rule, Apple does its research.  They perform intensive testing, undergo multiple iterations, and push the boundaries of usability and design.  There is a reason that its products have been hits since Steve Jobs returned to the helm.\n\nWhile we think Scalisi's points are all valid, they're all towards a product none of us have ever seen.  It is unfathomable to us that Apple wouldn't realize that a tablet can't be seen at a flat angle and wouldn't take measures to fix it.  We'd be shocked if they didn't modify the iPhone OS to perform admirably on a tablet.  These are things Apple tests and tweaks constantly.  \nWe're going to wait until the tablet is in our hands until we give it a review, but we're going to repeat our very simple point: Apple doesn't build crappy products.\nWhat do you think?\nWe voiced our opinion, so now it's time for yours.  From what you know about the Apple iTablet now, would you buy it?  Do you think it's a smart move by Apple?  Or will it flop?  Vote on our poll, and then leave all of your thoughts in the comments.\n\n\n\nWill you buy the Apple iTablet?(online surveys)\n\n\n\nTop right image by PC World"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://mashable.com/2009/07/27/apple-itablet/>