Apple tablet rumors will finally cease and desist Wednesday when the The Turtle Necked One saunters on stage with Apple’s “latest creation.”

When these rumors began (somewhere in the middle of the Bush administration) I thought I would never have use for such a device. I’m already happy with my laptop (a Toshiba tablet running Windows 7), iPhone 3GS, and a brilliant 23-inch Samsung monitor attached to my desktop. Seems like another gadget is the last thing I need.

But it looks like this Apple tablet thing is less a replacement for these other devices than what may turn out to be an excellent companion device. We didn’t know we “needed” an MP3 player until Apple made the iPod franchise a hit. My suspicion is that this device will be an eReader/music/video/Internet device on steroids that could over time change how we engage with multiple types of content. 

Many people, myself included, have dropped newspaper subscriptions for reading news online. Some similar movements are happening with television. Full programs and highlights are available on sites like YouTube or Hulu. Most of the college basketball I watch during the week is on espn360.com. And while I haven’t made the leap to an eReader because I am not a fan of the black and white eInk screens, I am intrigued by the idea of a small reading device with access to my books, magazines, newspapers, and other media.

While I am firmly in the Windows camp for my desktop computing, the iPhone is the most compelling smartphone around with an excellent ecosystem attached to it.  A touch-screen slate device that could revolutionize my media choices is an intriguing concept. When that black turtleneck appears Wednesday I will be watching.