BitDestroyer

Over the past few months, as Apple Tablet rumors and speculation have heated to a feverish pitch, I've noticed two trends that really caught my eye, first during the coverage of CES. The first trend is a combination of many factors that have caused an interesting response from people who are excited about the potential for a tablet computer.

I've observed, in listening to interviews and even in my own excitement about the devices potential, that many people have risen the idea of a tablet computer from Apple into an almost god-like symbol that solves all of their computing problems. This is, more or less (probably more), a result of the track record Apple has had in recent history regarding the success of it's products, putting Apple devices on a plateau of excellence that few companies have succeeded in achieving. People expect Apple products to fill a gap in their life in an elegant, efficient, and beautiful way.

I don't claim to be any exception from this rule, I have my visions of gradeur about the device as well. I personally feel that one aspect of the device that some people have not taken into consideration is one of the key demographics that Apple is most popular with: college students. The speculation that Apple's tablet will attack the Ebook market, much as it did the music market, brings up the potential for the Apple tablet to become a successor for college students who purchase Macbooks. Think of having all of your textbooks and notes on an elegant and light device... I'd buy that for a dollar.

And this is exactly what I'm talking about. As I am currently a student (and gadget whore, there, I said it...) with a desire to streamline the process of attending school and managing all of the information contained therein, I've imbued the tablet with all of the traits that I see as being useful to me. I've seen countless people from all interests do the same thing. Obviously we can't expect it to solve everyones problems. Hell, to be completely honest, we don't even know what it is but I think that this explosion of theoretical thinking regarding what problems this device can solve for people is ultimately a very important thing, which brings me to my second observation.

Anyone who followed the coverage at CES will have certainly noticed that many device makers were preempting Apple's tablet release. Some were even brazen enough to name their devices after a few of its rumored names. While many of the devices will fade into the ether without ever hitting the shelves, I do honestly believe that the interest people have taken in crafting devices in their minds-eye that will solve whatever problems they have will ultimately drive innovation. We've already seen a slew of innovative devices that have tried to solve each of those problems, such as the Lenovo U1 and the plethora of third-party Ebook readers, each with their own unique take on the direction of the device.

All things considered, I find it particularly interesting that when rumors of an anticipated device begin to fly, especially with the fervor that accompanies any Apple announcement, average people begin to dream up devices that solve their problems and ultimately begin to drive the industry in a new direction by thinking differently. Even if Apple doesn't announce a tablet device, a mark has been made that there is an opportunity for someone to produce a device that solves these problems.