Apple Tablet Scorecard

The rumors and speculation about Apple's announcement Wednesday are just that. The reality is we know nothing concrete about what the grand unveiling will bring-but we all assume that the mythical Apple tablet, long rumored but not seen, will be at the center of the big day.

Following that assumption, we'll be getting our first glimpse at what Apple has in store for us. Whether this device will transform how we access and interact with content remains to be seen. But we certainly have a few thoughts on what Apple needs to conquer it it's going to succeed with bringing a tablet into a consumer market that hasn't openly embraced the concept of a tablet just yet.

One could argue that as a category, tablets are not new...what will be new is how we expect Apple to integrate the software with the hardware-the very thing that made the original iPhone a breakthrough success when it debuted nearly three years ago.

So what are the points that Apple has to get right in order for this mobile device to break out where others have failed? Read on for the 10 points critical areas Apple needs to nail. We'll revist our score card when the dust clears, and grade Apple based on what we learn.

Come back after the annoucement on Wednesday, Jan. 27th for our scores!

Join PC World on Wednesday, January 27 at 10 a.m. Pacific/1 p.m. Eastern for live blog coverage of Apple's product launch from Yerba Buena Gardens in San Francisco.

1. Design

It needs to be slim and light enough that we don't feel like we're carrying around a netbook. It has to be easy to hold in one hand, and operate with the other. And of course, it has to be visually appealing - something which we expect Apple to make good on.

2. Display

Needs to be at least 720p (1280 by 720) resolution, to support the growing selection of high-definition video available for download and streaming. It also has to have good contrast and color, and it would help if it's easy to view outdoors or in bright light. Saying we expect it to be a touch interface would be stating the obvious

3. Connectivity

Wi-Fi is a must. If this is going to be something we stream video on, a 802.11n connection would be best. 3G connectivity is also a must-or at least needs to be an option, for when we're not near a Wi-Fi hotspot. Oh, and multiple carrier options would be best. We can only hope that Apple has learned its lesson about exclusivity with AT&T and the iPhone.

4. Price

While $700 seems to be a reasonable ceiling, $600 would be better. It would be great to see the device launch at $500, but we can't imagine a world where the new tablet would cost the same as a top-of-the-line iPhone 3GS. Suffice it to say we expect the price to be between that and the entry-level Macbook ($1,000), and lower is better.

Beyond the base price, we of course want a discount if we sign a 3G data contract. And if you have an iPhone, you shouldn't have to pay an arm and a leg to add 3G data to your tablet.

5. Battery Life

It has to outlast a good notebook or netbook. Ten hours of continuous heavy use seems like a bare minimum, with 12 or more hours of video and music playback. In "typical use" it should last a few days before you need to recharge it. The wireless shouldn't be a drain, either. No point to this device if it can't keep up with you all day without needing a charge.

6. Interface

No matter what OS it's based on (probably a modified iPhone OS, but whether it will still be called iPhone OS remains to be seen), we need to interact with this thing in a new and better way. It's all about touch interface, and finding new and intuitive ways to interact with the device through touch. The iPhone interface is great for a device of that size, but it doesn't simply scale to a larger screen. Tablets have failed in the past largely because they have tried to either duplicate the "notepad" interface (a la Newton) or the desktop interface (scores of Windows tablets of yore).

7. Text Input

A larger screen means people are going to want to write more. They'll take more copious notes, write longer e-mails and Web forum posts, etc. Apple needs to demonstrate that text input will be fast and easy.

8. Applications

Nobody wants to buy an app twice: once for their iPhone and once for the tablet. Apps need to be either completely distinct, or Apple has to come up with a way for us to buy an app once and use it on our iPhones and on our tablets. Developers, meanwhile, will have to figure out how to best optimize their apps for the different environments, and Apple will have to redesign its App Store to clearly delineate which platform an app is for (or, to prevent accidental downloads of the wrong app).

9. Browsing

A bigger screen necessitates a better browser. Compared to the iPhone's Safari browser, we need better bookmark management, better tabbed browsing, and a richer feature set. If there's no Flash support, Apple needs to come up with an extremely compelling excuse why we wouldn't be able to watch Hulu videos on this thing, and buying TV shows on iTunes isn't the answer.

10. Content

Will iTunes sell books, or will we have separate book apps (as we do today for iPhone/iPod Touch), or both? Will you be able to buy content once and get it on your iPhones and tablets? Will the games be a serious step up from the typical smartphone fare? Apple needs to come up with an approach that capitalizes on its iTunes and App Store commerce integration available today, such that whatever new, tailored content Apple offers makes the tablet a holistic part of a digital content distribution system. If the tablet reacts in the same way as the iPod and iPhone, it will not stand alone-and will immediately gain an edge compared with previous attempts at tablets.