Will The Apple Tablet Be The iPod of Computers?

As we move closer to January 2010, the much anticipated Apple Tablet is starting to seem even more real every day (even though nothing has been confirmed).  It has made several top gadget lists for 2010 including our own and for what reason?  We know nothing about it, yet it is intriguing us and making us drool to no end.  I’ve been thinking about the possibilities of this mythical tablet device, trying to figure out what about it (if it even exists) makes it seem so awesome.

After much thought, I came up with the following question which I believe is the answer to all of the fascination and hype surrounding the Apple Tablet.  The question is as follows: What if the Apple Tablet is the iPod of computers?  I think that pretty much sums up what everyone is thinking and saying in blog post after blog post on this device.  If it is the iPod of computers, do you know what that will mean for the industry as a whole?  It means everything.

The iPod revolutionized not only the portable music player industry but also the music industry as a whole.  Between the iTunes Music Store and the iPod it was and still is a force to be reckon with.  Now pair the Apple Tablet which is speculated to be running either the iPhone OS or some kind of hybrid OS (iPhone + OS X) with the App Store and you already have a monster device with endless possibilities.  Not only does it create new possibilities for the App Store, but it also establishes another way to distribute software for computers (granted Linux has had software repositories for quite some time and I give them credit for that).

Aside from the software aspect of it, the Apple Tablet could also change the way computers look and more importantly it could lead the way in changing how we interact with computers all together.  The possibilities of this device are essentially endless and that is what is so intriguing, especially since Apple is not shy about pushing new concepts to its customers.  It could bring an entire new wave of computing to life.