The recent electronics show in Las Vegas just wrapped up the other week and some major 2010 trends were unveiled. First off was the battle of the Android phones wherein so many of the major players in the mobilephone industry have come out with their version of the touchscreen smartphone powered by Google’s open source operating system.

Then of course there was the emergence of 3D televsion sets. With the success of the 3-D movies like UP and Avatar plus the announcements of ESPN and Discovery to bring out 3-D broadcasts, it looks like this market is about the take off.

Then there were the tablets, slates, and e-book readers. OH-MY-Goodness… seems like everybody and his brother decided to create a tablet, slate, or e-book reader! It was to the surprise of many that even the small players in the market whipped out a new device. This amidst critic’s speculations that with Apple’s presumed venture into the tablet market might bomb because there is “no demand” for a tablet. But it looks like the industry knows something we and the other critics don’t, that there is indeed “a demand” and “a need” for it.

Now going to Apple, this iSlate or iTablet has been the topic of rumors and speculations for the last two years! It was only in the last three or four months when it really picked up. With rumors now being based on analysts’ info on suppliers and even content providers.

But to be honest when I first heard of the tablet, I had difficulty comprehending its supposed usefulness.

For one I thought it would be an ergonomical nightmare to have look straight down at your lap or table to type and see the screen at the same time as opposed to the traditional laptop. In terms of use, what use would it be if it were difficult to type on a touch screen and there would be much cheaper netbooks anyways. Then I never dreamt of how content would be a factor but now I believe it is and I’ll get into that in a bit.

Secondly, there have been tablets around. Its not like they’re inventing a new category all together. And it has never made major news. Somehow the personal computing market just didn’t see the need for a big touchscreen device to replace their laptops.

But as I have been giving it some more thought, there may be key factors that could actually make it work.

If the ergonomics were to work this thing would have to be damn thin and damn light. That’s the only way I can see people using it upright holding it up to their face and typing in with their thumbs in portrait mode. Aside from that, typing on it in landscape with the tablet on a table or on your lap – and that would be enhanced by apple’s auto-correct feature that has worked wonders for the iphone. It eased even the fears of the touchscreen pessimists. It would also be great if it had a kick-stand ala a picture frame and you can use the Apple wireless keyboard via Bluetooth.

Then the clincher of it all would have to be its content. As early as last quarter of 2009 word was spreading already that Apple was jealous of Amazon’s Kindle and wanted to get in the e-book reader market. And we all know what has spurred the Kindles success, the ease of purchase and wide choices of e-books.

Logically Apple would have to take it up a notch or two. It’s a no-brainer that aside from offering books, it will have iTunes content that leads the market in music, movies, tv shows, podcasts, and apps. But what got a lot people excited and talking about Apple revoliutionizing the industry again is the word of getting major publications going the “e” way, or shall we say the “i” way?

Conde Nast is one, a big publisher who has tons of magazines. Wired Magazine is one under their tree and they have admitted they are ready for a colored tablet version – even if Apple had not confirmed the tablet existed!

Just last week an executive from Orange, one of Apple’s telecoms partners in Europe slipped and confirmed Apple’s tablet coming and also hinted on 3G webcam capability? So we could have video-calls or video-chat on this thing too? Hmmm.

So imagine that, a tablet device that can view colored e-versions of magazines and newspapers, most likely on a very close to hi-def display. Then of course the iChat, movies, tv shows, photos, music, and games. You could very well be looking at device that could revolutionize the industry.

The last key component that will make or break this product is the price. Logically it will be priced somewhere between the MacBook and the 32GB iPhone. So that’s anywhere between $699 – the lowest quoted price of an unsubsidized iPhone 3GS 32gb – and $999. For me it would be fair for it to be around the $799. Some have said it could be more, with it packing more punch than the tablets and e-book readers that are out and near that $799 price range.

But for all the speculation and guessing games, you have to consider Steve Jobs is back with a vengeance and since he whipped out the iPhone and the MacBook Air, this is the first time they have a crack at something extremely revolutionary again. So we all wait and see what that “one last thing” Steve will bring come January 27th.