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Apple is about to prove once and for all just how much they really don’t need Macworld, but what can you expect from Apple during their special event on Wednesday?

A Tablet

Well duh. If Apple doesn’t, at the very least, announce a brand new tablet device, their stock price is going to plummet based on the expectations of this event. Most rumors agree this device will be like an enlarged iPod touch. It will more than likely have a 10 inch multi-touch screen. Battery life will obviously be important, but I’ve heard no reliable rumors. Price point will also be important, and that could range from as low as $400 to over $1,000. No matter the price, these things are going to sell like crazy.

Now, since we’ve pretty much agreed this is going to be a large iPod touch, I’m doubting that the interface will be drastically different from what we’re used to with the iPhone and iPod touch. But, you never know. The operating system will likely support more multi-touch gestures than the iPhone currently supports. This will probably wow a lot of spectators, but will become something we take for granted in a year’s time. Some think the interface will be a messy layer of complication. That’s doubtful.  Equally doubtful is this leaked image of the tablet glass. It’s just too tempting for you, the Internet anonymous, to resist photoshopping a “leaked pic” and throwing it at the fanboys, isn’t it?

iPhone OS 4.0

Yes, we all want a tablet, but again, we’re expecting it to be based on the iPhone OS. That would require a new version to support the increased resolution and functionality. Also, it’s kind of an annual thing anyway, so the next obvious step for Apple is iPhone OS 4.0.

Rumors state that multitouch gestures may be supported system-wide. This won’t quite be to Minority Report level, but we can dream. There may be some development to make background applications possible. And, of course, a few tweaks to the UI are in order. This update may forget about the first gen iPhone just like a big brother who’s past the age of birthday presents. Sorry first gen iPhone, you’re on your own now.

4th Gen iPhone

What’s the point of iPhone OS 4.0 if you can’t have another revision of the iPhone hardware to go along with it? Yeah, I know, I want a tablet much more than a new iPhone too, but it doesn’t hurt to have both. It’s still uncertain whether Apple will decide to show off the new hardware just yet, but there’s a possibility. If they do, you can expect a camera with more megapixels, an OLED display, a multi-core processor of some sort, and maybe even that front facing camera that is really more of a request than a rumor.

Beyond the hardware, consumers really want one update more than anything else: more iPhone carriers. Yes, yes AT&T might lose exclusivity of the iPhone.  Some say Verizon might be getting the iPhone, some say every US carrier is getting the iPhone, and some of us still think this is all BS.  Someone is crazy, but who is it?  I don’t know.  What I do know is not being able to surf the web and talk at the same time is quite a hurdle for Verizon to over come.  Tough call; not being able to surf and talk at the same time on AT&T because their network can’t always handle the traffic, or the same problem on Verizon because they technically can’t support it.  Does anyone else feel like U.S. cell providers are just taking our money instead of trying to catch up with the rest of the world?

So, we’ve rambled on about what we’ve heard is happening on Wednesday, but what do you think?  Apple’s tablet is the most likely thing to come out of this event; what do you think it will do? What’s the “wow” feature?  How much will it cost?  How much will you be willing to pay?