Apple Tablet Hints: Virtual Keyboard, Camera, eBooks, More

The Wall Street Journal provides some new tidbits of information about the upcoming Apple tablet that is expected to be announced next week. The article summarizes many of the recent rumors and suggestions about the tablet device which is expected to be 10 to 11 inches in screen size and be priced around $1000. The article cites several different people "in the know" about Apple's plans and reveals the following new tidbits.

According to those familiar with the situation Apple will be targeting the new device at both homes and classrooms. Apple is said to envision that one device might be shared by multiple family members to read news and check email. For classrooms, Apple is looking into electronic textbooks. The device will include a virtual keyboard for input.

Apple is, of course, working with book, magazine and newspaper publishers for content, but also television networks. Apple has apparently been pitching some sort of "best of TV" subscription service to media companies. Invites to the gaming media seem to have some substance as Apple is also said to have worked with EA to show off the tablet's gaming capabilities.

In the end, it seems Apple is working on all fronts to bring various types of media together on the single device. Sharing of a single device seems to have importance to Apple with experiments in users leaving virtual sticky notes for each other, and even automatically recognizing the user by built-in camera. The author isn't sure if these features will make it into the final shipping product.