One possible mockup of the rumoured Apple tablet.

Rumors abound that Apple will be introducing a tablet in late January.

But yet again, the industry focuses on the hardware, without any consideration of what you might actually do with it. That would make the predictions more interesting (and likely accurate)!

How will it fit into people’s lives? What compelling new interaction can you do with something tablet-like in form factor and functionality — in the home, and in the office? What would make someone arrive in an Apple store and say, “that’s what I need in my life”?

Instead, people are fixated on specifications. OLED. Cameras. Chips. Form factors. These are mere details! Apple will be rubbing their hands with magician-reveal glee that no one is giving the use of the tablet any airtime.

Expect a raft of content announcements and demonstrations to accompany the tablet, in whatever form it takes.

(Moses tablet image © iStockphoto.com / Sybille Yates)