Technology Rumor of the Day: Apple

There is a lot of speculation going into Apple's (AAPL) iPhone 3.0 event at 1 p.m. Tuesday.

One of the juicier bits of pure sugary conjecture is the idea that Apple will unveil a tablet device. But don't get too excited.

The tablet Tuesday notion, which hit the tech radar Monday with a posting on a Computerworld blog, continues the momentum built on several recent reports that Cisco has ordered 10-inch touchscreens from Wintek, its iPhone and iTouch screen supplier.

And while there does seem to be a big-screen iTouch or possibly a small-screen netbook in Apple's future, seasoned Apple observers say it won't appear at today's event.

For one, Apple rarely, with the exception of the iPhone, introduces new devices before they are available for sale.

Second, today's event is a software developer's party, hardly the warmest setting for a hardware introduction. The biggest scene-stealer on tap today will probably be new applications and the long-awaited arrival of cut-and-paste for text and images.

Apple shares are heating up in anticipation of the show. The stock rose $2.21, or 2%, to $97.63.

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