Much Ado About Gaming for the Tablet

On the software side, there is budding evidence that the tablet may run an expanded version of the iPhone OS 4. Indeed, Flurry found approximately 50 devices that match the characteristics of Apple's rumored tablet device on Apple's Cupertino, Calif., campus.

Moreover, Flurry uncovered evidence of an as-yet-unidentified OS running on those machines. What did people run on those devices?

Flurry Vice President of Marketing Peter Farago said, "Across all applications detected, there was a strong theme of sharing and/or social interaction including social games, social networking, photo sharing and utilities like file transfer applications."

Meanwhile, Scott said he expects no joysticks or control pads on the device. Instead, multitouch control will rule the machine, which has an advantage in ease of playing but the disadvantage that people obscure the screens with their fingers and hands when they swipe.

Meanwhile, the Apple tablet is also spawning actual games, not just stories about games. The New York Times has crafted this Apple tablet game, which those attending the anticipated tablet launch can complete as each detail is revealed.

Once they download and print the PDF game sheet, players are invited to place an X on the square that aligns with the details Apple reveals Jan. 27. The player with the highest number of X's after the event concludes wins.

Details in the squares range from price-$699, $999 or even "$99 subsidized with a lifetime contract"-to whether the device will include a stylus and a QWERTY keypad.

This is a nice reprieve from all of the serious talk about what the device will and won't feature.

Finally, some more bullish news for Apple investors and fans. According to Apple Insider, RBC Capital Markets analyst Mike Abramsky has projected a $600 average selling price for an Apple tablet. 

At minimum, selling 5 million Apple tablets in the first year would earn the company $2.8 billion in additional revenue. That's the kind of cash Apple is known for generating from its consumer electronics devices.