Apple of course is keeping mum but the expectation is that later this month they will introduce some sort of touch screen tablet computer, likely called the iSlate.  This week at CES, Microsoft and HP introduced their version and the response was somewhat underwhelming.   Naturally everyone is expecting that Apple will have the lust-worthy device that will make the world drool but despite all the rumors and guesses and photoshopped fakes, no one can say with any authority exactly what the device will be or what it will do.

It’s entirely possible that it will include 3G connectivity as well as WiFi.  Some are predicting that it will function as a much larger version of the iPhone, with apps available from the iTunes app store.  None of this gets my juices flowing.

I think it’s because I’m a writer – for the blog, for BC Magazine, for a book I’m not completing because I’m procrastinating doing things like this blog post.  But I am a keyboard guy, a physical keyboard guy.  I’m a touch typist – thanks mom for insisting that I take that class back in the 7th grade.  The feel of a keyboard is incredibly important to me.  I’m the kind of guy who goes to the computer mall and spends an hour selecting a new keyboard, testing out the key spacing, responsiveness and other factors before making up my mind – and even then it takes me a week or more to get comfortable with a new keyboard.  I simply cannot imagine that I could ever be comfortable pounding out a 1,000 word column on a virtual keyboard.  Maybe this means I’m old skool.  Whatever.

I’m trying to think of what functionality a tablet PC might have that would get me to open my wallet.  Not internet access on the go – I’m fine with using my iPhone for that or my MacBook if I needed something heavier duty (and heavier).  (Yes, I’m an Apple fanboy.)   Not watching video or listening to music.  I’m not much into playing video games.  And I get all the social media I need on the go from my iPhone – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Foursquare.

Not reading a book – I’m 75% happy with the Kindle.  (I wish it had color, but I realize that a color screen would be brighter, making it harder to read for extended periods, and a quicker drain on the battery.  And I wish it did a far better job handling PDFs.)  (Just finished Ken Auletta’s excellent Googled.   Cued up next, something a bit on the lighter side, Go-Go Girls of the Apocalypse by Victor Gischler.)(There are books I want that are not available for the Kindle and that just wouldn’t be as good on it – tech manuals, photo books, graphic novels, those sorts of things.)

Editing photos?  If the CPU is powerful enough and Adobe came out with a tablet version of Photoshop, maybe that might do it.

And then again, back in July 2008, I wrote a column in BC listing all the reasons I wouldn’t buy an iPhone.  And then a few months later I took the plunge and have never looked back.  I’d never go back to Windows Mobile or Symbian or Palm OSes and from what I’ve seen of Android, there’s not enough there to get me to switch.

So it’s possible that Apple will have some trick up Steve Jobs’ sleeves that will get my juices flowing, get me saying “I’ve gotta have it!” once they debut the device.  But right now, not so much.

But what about you?  Based on what is known now, are you planning to buy one when it comes out, and if so, why?  (And not just “because it’s Apple!”)

I’m much more interested in what Nikon will come out with to replace the D700.  And I’m so freaking happy with the 24-70mm f/2.8 lens I just got – if and when I get another job I suspect I’ll celebrate by getting Nikon’s 70-200mm f/2.8 VR II lens.

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