I've been reading about rumors of the Apple Tablet for the past 7 years, and it looks like we might actually get a real product this time. I'm an irrational fan of tablet computers, but I need to justify (or at least rationalize) the purchase. What are your thoughts on the Apple Tablet? What would you do with it that you can't with a regular laptop, netbook, or even the Kindle?

I don't know diddly about the Apple Tablet but have been thinking lately about the Amazon Kindle.

To me, it seems like the Kindle points in the direction of future computing. It is:

1. highly portable
2. connected wirelessly to the Internet
3. inexpensive
4. blessed with a relatively large screen

If you built in telephone capability and a keyboard (or maybe a USB port into which a keyboard can be plugged), the Kindle would be a highly interesting device. You might laugh at the thought of using a Kindle as a telephone, but think about using it with a Bluetooth or even a wired headset. Imagine a single fairly lightweight device that you could use for entertainment, telephone, texting, Web surfing and book reading, all connected wirelessly to the Internet no matter where you are.

Maybe it's just me, but I think that's an interesting product idea.

--Bob