(note: I wrote this before I saw the iMac leak on Time Canada. [mirror]. I still think Apple's got something besides the iMac and iPhoto up its sleeve, but we'll just have to see. Also, check out the latest (and probably last) mock splash-page.)

Okay, so we've had months of speculation, and one final harried week of exposes, debunkings, guesses, taunts, and teasers. Tomorrow we find out what's in Steve's magic bag.

Rather than write another long document of educated guesses, rationales, and scenarios, I'll just put my bid in before the buzzer:

As you might guess, I think Steve is finally unveiling the iPad, but as to what the iPad is, I think the iWalk hoax videos got people thinking along the wrong lines.

I don't believe that the iPad will be a PDA. (It's amazing how everyone's forgotten that Scully coined the term 'Personal Digital Assistant' or PDA, back in early 1993... It's been quite a while.) While a PDA is a device you take with you everywhere, to take notes, to lookup and input PIM info like contacts and appointments, the iPad will be closer to a PADD.

A PADD is essentially a portable interface, as opposed to a portable computer or a portable digital assistant. Mark Noble wrote an excellent write-up of the differences between a PDA and a PADD, and I encourage you to read it.

So, if not a PDA, what is the iPad? Let's start with a set of possible specs:

Likely:

• 12.1" active-matrix touchscreen
• One Firewire port
• One USB port
• One Audio-out/headphone jack
• Airport installed
• OS X Thin Client lets you use the iPad as a remote terminal for a machine running OS X.

Possible:

• 5gig Toshiba mini HD (like the iPod's)
• Infra-red transciever
• Light version of OS X that can drive the iPad away from a 'server' computer.

Well, that's it for me. I'm going to bed and see what's up when I get to work in the morning.