Laptop + iPhone = Apple Tablet – the world’s first touch-screen computer

Washington, August 26: When asked to sum up the consistently seductive powers of the company that brought the world the iPod and the iPhone, a glassy-eyed devotee once said: “I’ll buy almost anything if it’s shiny and made by Apple.”

The unshakeable disciple of Apple Inc was in reality an actor appearing in a spoof video by the American satirical newspaper, The Onion, about an exciting new Mac computer which allowed users to bypass the traditional need for a raised keyboard to input information.

Now, in a curious example of hi-tech life imitating art, the internet is alive with fevered speculation that Steve Jobs, the company’s totemic chief executive, is about to redefine computing – and the existence of millions of consumers – by unveiling a revolutionary machine which, among other innovations, does not feature a traditional keyboard.

–Agencies