It has become the geek’s equivalent of the abominable snowman. For more than a year the blogosphere has been awash with speculation about the existence of an Apple touchscreen computer based on the technology behind the iPhone. The device, it is said, would play music, film and games, surf the web and act as a Voip phone and a reading device for books and newspapers. The only problem is that there has been no evidence of its existence. Until now, that is.

A component manufacturer in Asia has taken an order for touchscreens from Apple matching the expected dimensions of the gadget, according to an industry expert. Gene Munster of Piper Jaffray, a respected technology analyst who correctly forecast many of the features of the iPhone in 2007, said he had spoken to the manufacturer and predicted the new computer would cost about $600 (£360) and sell about 2m units in 2010, but did not name the company. The Digitimes, a Taiwanese newspaper, claims the firm in question is Wintek, which is based in Taiwan and specialises in LCD and touchscreen panels. No one at Wintek was available for comment this weekend.

There have also been reports that Apple is in discussions with Verizon, a telecoms service provider, about a wireless device. So, what exactly is the thing that may or may not exist? Known as a tablet — because it will consist of a 10in touchscreen, with no physical keyboard — and resembling a bigger version of the iPhone or iPod Touch, the gadget, it is predicted, will be able to log on to the internet using wi-fi and access the music and videos in the iTunes store.

The tablet’s potential function as an ebook reader is perhaps the most exciting. The ability to display thousands of pages of text, pictures and even video on a screen that’s easier on the eye than a conventional computer monitor has long been touted as the future of publishing, but the technology is still in its infancy.

Not only would the tablet trump current readers, thanks to a screen that is nearly twice as large as any ebook on the market, but it would also be able to handle colour and complex images, which no current reading device can. What’s more, in iTunes, Apple has one of the most user-friendly content-distribution systems, and it would not be difficult to start selling books and periodicals that download straight to the tablet — with the minimum of fuss.

And don’t forget the tablet’s gaming potential either, especially after the success of the iPhone and iPod Touch as games-playing devices. Since Apple’s app store opened in July last year, users have been able to download a growing number of applications, or apps — now numbering about 65,0000 — directly to their handset. The service has proved popular, with the total number of downloads recently passing 1.5 billion, and games, many of which make use of the iPod’s motion sensors, have been among the most sought-after categories.

Apple is not the first manufacturer to attempt a tablet device. In recent years, Hewlett-Packard and Acer have released versions, but their touchscreens have been tricky to use, often needing to be controlled by a stylus. Though popular with artists and designers, these portable computers were never really more than a niche toy. Now, however, the time may be right for the tablet — not least because consumers are increasingly familiar with the notion of a touchscreen, thanks to gadgets such as the iPhone.

Apple never comments on its products before launch, but, as speculation mounts, the real surprise would be if it did not launch the tablet. The California-based company may even be secretly pleased with the hype that already surrounds its mystery device. Both Dell and HTC — the latter of which has several Google phones in its line-up — are thought to be working towards releasing their own versions of a tablet next year.

If Apple can steal a march on its rivals, it will be hoping to corner the market the way it did with the iPod. And even if it isn’t the first to bring a tablet to the public, few firms are more adept at bringing new technology to the mainstream: the iPod was not the first MP3 player to be launched but since arriving in 2001 it has dwarfed the opposition.

Some industry observers believe the official announcement will come next month, in time for the run-up to Christmas, echoing the timing of the British launch of the iPhone, which was unveiled in September 2007. Others claim early 2010 is a more realistic date. Either way, makers of netbooks, games consoles and ebook readers will be waiting for the news as anxiously as everybody else.

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