Buzz, Hype And Specs: A Preview Of Apple's Tablet Announcement

At this point, the buzz has gotten so loud, it's impossible to ignore. Yup. Today Apple is expected to announce the introduction of a tablet device.

Laura Sydell will be live blogging from the event in San Francisco beginning at 1 p.m. ET.

But even though Apple has said little except "Come see our latest creation," tongues are wagging. Alan Kay, the respected computer pioneer, told gigaom that if Apple made the iPhone's screen significantly bigger it would "rule the world."

Jason Calacanis, a well-known investor in tech and original co-owner of Endgadget, claims he's had the tablet for 10 days now.

"... This is best gadget ever made and NOT overhyped," he tweeted. Keep in mind Calacanis been asked to talk to press by Apple.

The New York Times dropped a few specs deep into a story about the excitement of print media. The slate will run all the iPhone and iPod touch apps, they wrote. It will have a 3G connection and 10-inch color display.

McGraw-Hill's CEO told CNBC that they've worked with Apple to make 95 percent of their e-book material available on the slate. "The tablet," said Terry McGraw, "is going to be based on the iPhone operating system."

The Wall Street Journal explains how Apple sees the e-book pricing structure:

Apple is asking publishers to set two e-book price points for hardcover best sellers: $12.99 and $14.99, with fewer titles offered at $9.99. In setting their own e-book prices, publishers would avoid the threat of heavy discounting. Apple would take a 30% cut of the book price, with publishers receiving the remaining 70%.