The technology rumour mill is busy grinding speculation regarding an Apple event on Wednesday at which the culture-changing firm will unveil its "latest creation."
Expectation that the maker of iPhones and iPods is set to wow the world with a tablet computer is so rampant that the California company's stock could suffer if it fails to deliver.
"This proposed Apple tablet will take the App Store and iPhone operating system and deliver it in a larger form factor instead of starting from scratch," said Canada-based independent technology analyst Carmi Levy.
"Apple can take years worth of iPhone momentum and drive it right into what is essentially an iPhone on steroids," he continued.
Apple's tablet is believed to be a notepad-shaped device with a 10-inch colour screen that lets people browse the Web, listen to music, watch movies or television shows and also read electronic books and newspapers.
A tablet would be Apple's first major product release since it came out with its winning iPhone three years ago.
Online retail powerhouse Amazon.Com beefed up its market-leading Kindle electronic reader devices just days ago in apparent preparation for an Apple onslaught.
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