posted on 13.01.10 Tablet to be "iPhone on steroids"

This makes sense in the Apple product model. This is the “iPhone HD”, not that it will be named as such, but in concept it will be to the iPhone what the iPhone is to the iPod Touch. It is the “Pro” device in Apple’s mobile ecology.

The timing of a March or April ship date makes sense as well. New features are released to the Slate in April, available exclusively on the Slate for 3 months when some (not all) are integrated into the new iPhone model in June/July, and some are added to the iPod Touch in September.

Each business unit feeds the other, but the largess of desire is place on the new, most profitable iteration of Apple’s multitouch devices.

To paraphrase a teacher of mine: The Slate is the runway in Milan The iPhone is Bergdorff And the iPod Touch is JC Penney.

One sets the fashion, one commercializes it, the other sells it to everyone.