The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Apple is set to introduce a new multimedia tablet device this month. According to people briefed on the device, Apple doesn't plan on shipping the device until March.

The tablet is expected to hit the market with a 10- to 11-inch touch screen and is expected to serve as a multimedia device that enables users to do everything from watching movies to browsing the Internet.

Those people briefed on the device say Apple believes it can change the way users interact with a variety of content. "Textbooks and newspapers, for example, could be presented differently through color screens, a touch interface, and the integration of live up-to-the-minute information from multiple sources," the WSJ said.

Apple is expected to charge less than $1,000 for the tablet. According to a recent report from Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster, the average cost of the tablet could be in the $600 range.

Apple, according to AppleInsider, is planing to hold an event on Jan. 27 in San Francisco where the company may reveal the tablet along with version 4.0 of the iPhone Software Developers kit. That kit may include tools for building apps for the new tablet.

The question is: Could Apple be the catalyst that spurs the tablet to finally take off in the enterprise?

For more:
- see this Wall Street Journal article (sub. req.)
- read this AppleInsider article

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