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" Microsoft CEO Steve Balmer tonight demoed some of the first Slate PC tablets running Windows 7 at his press day keynote at the 2010 Consumer Electronics Show. In addition to an Archos tablet that has already been shown, Balmer unveiled a prototype of HP's upcoming Slate PC, which remained unnamed, showing, ironically, Amazon's Kindle application, positioning the tablet as a competitor to Amazon's own E-Ink Kindle device. "

" * * Apple Tablet mockup by Matt Skach Gadget Lab has been accused of being somewhat obsessed with the Apple tablet. Guilty as charged! We are obsessed, we admit it. After all, who wouldn't be obsessed with a device that promises to revolutionize mobile computing, make our iPhones look tiny and stupid, overhaul book publishing, inject new lifeblood into the consumer electronics industry, and maybe even save the dying world of print magazines upon which our livelihoods depend? Okay, so we may be going a bit over the top, especially for a product that doesn't exist - and may never exist. It's important to remember that Apple has never confirmed it's even working on a tablet. Everything up to this point is speculation and conjecture. But the signs are very suggestive, and most industry observers, including Gadget Lab, expect Apple to release a tablet-like device in 2010. Even if Apple doesn't release a tablet, other manufacturers likely will, from startups like Fusion Garage to (rumors suggest) HP, Dell, Nokia and others. Still, most eyes are on Apple, thanks in part to its impressive track record with the iPhone. Love it or hate it, the Cupertino company definitely knows how to reimagine a product category and reinvent an industry. For that reason, we'll keep covering the rumors, the leaks, and - if it emerges - the device itself. We cover this topic because you readers have let us know, with your comments and your many, many clicks, that you are interested in it. But that doesn't mean we can't have a little fun with it. So here's the deal: Predict how many stories Wired.com will publish about an Apple tablet during 2010. Whoever comes the closest will win an actual Apple tablet (assuming one exists). If there is no such thing at the end of 2010, we'll give the winner a consolation prize: A subscription to Wired magazine."

"We were told that Apple pre-ordered them all. All 10 inch LCDs, and all 10 inch OLEDs too," our source continued, redundantly adding "it's for the Apple tablet." Rumors about whether or not a version of the Apple tablet will have an OLED screen have been flying back and forth for some times now, but if it is indeed true that other firms can't get their hands on any of the expensive little screens, it may just give more credence to the claims.

Apple has a knack for spotting problems we didn't know we had. It can leave us wondering how we survived without vast libraries of music and TV shows in our pockets or the comfort of knowing "there's an app for that." Now, speculation is growing that in two weeks Apple will unveil a tablet-style touch-screen computer that is bigger than an iPhone but smaller than a standard laptop. If indeed that is Apple's next move -- the company won't comment -- it would have to show us why we ought to pay for yet another Internet-connected screen, on top of the TVs, computers and smart phones we already have.

and the truth shall set you free.

So, ... LOL