Apple Tablet. Apple iPad. I speculate that the tablet will run off something similar to the popularized iPhone platform. It will benefit from app-like software and include cellular/wifi connectivity. iPhone developers will be able to port their application to desktop-like environment with ease.

I see the tablet used “on-the-move.” Therefore, fast finger-swiping actions, not mouse or stylus pointing, will determine the interface. It will be the most “social aware” device on the market. You will be able to share and play with other tablet users. The size of the machine is very important, and Apple knows this! It has to be small enough to compete with netbooks and ebook readers, but slick and beautiful enough to re-captivate those who moved away from the iPhone. Apple understands that everyone will have to replace their new $259 Kindle and $300+ Netbook for this new, and probably pricier, tablet. Or else, can you imagine walking around with a Kindle, Netbook, and tablet while talking on your iPhone? Messenger bags will loose this battle. Welcome backpacks.

It will not be similar to what we know as laptops or netbooks. It will use the touchscreen to its ultimate benefit. What designers couldn’t fit and developers couldn’t build on the iPhone will now work wonders on the tablet.

Mobility is the key goal for the tablet. We have proven our need to carry our digital toys everyday and everywhere. Remember, the iPhone broke the trends of clumsy PDA-like cellphones by introducing a beautifully designed mobile platform that just happened to have a phone app, a banking app, a twitter app, a gps-enabled map app… :-)

Apple has certainly shown us the potential of a closed app market. The benefits are clear and simple. The Apple app submission process assures security and some quality. However, the problems start when the approval behavior is determined by subjective reasoning.

A model that could solve skewed approvals would include something like a dual track submission process. The first track would allow a developer to opt-in for a “seal of approval” which would be awarded by the app hosting company after a strict approval process. A bank application, for example, would benefit from this seal since it guarantees security and authenticity.

The second track would allow developers to provide the application “freely” or at the user’s discretion. A less secure application, like a simple game, would benefit from this track since the app can be hosted anywhere.

Both track developers and companies would still benefit from brand awareness and similar selling factors. However, track two benefits from the “free market” theory which can potentially lead to innovative discoveries otherwise hindered from track one’s approval process.