The iPhone OS won’t fit as it is: first, the UI ergonomics won’t fit on a device that’s roughly 4x the size, it’s not only a matter of resolution, it’s a matter of how you hold the device and puts your hand on it; second, the single user model and limited multitasking policies seems a constraint on a device that’s more powerful and not so “personal” like a phone.

If you think about all the changes that the current iPhone OS would need to fit a tablet, you can easily consider the tablet OS a different OS, just like Mac OS X and iPhone OS are distinct even if they share the same kernel and foundation frameworks.

Moreover, people seems think that Apple would use one of their existing OS to leverage the existing app base and simplify developers job, but I’m inclined to think that Apple wouldn’t allow existing iPhone (or Mac) apps to run ummodified on the tablet even if it ended up to be technically possible.
Apple is all about polished user experience, and you can’t have that while forcing app designed for a small phone (or a real Mac) on a device that different.

The tablet will have a tailor made OS and tailor made apps.

@Jago again: totally agree on the great usage value of a device like that

For one point (about it’s fakey-ness) that I haven’t seen mentioned yet … why are all these mock-ups being shown in the horizontal position, with a dock extending along the long edge?

If it’s running iPhone OS, or even a variant, it would have greater utility in the portrait orientation. All the “killer” apps on this purported device (web, book, drawing, etc.) and all iPhone apps in general, also use portrait as the default orientation and the keyboard works best in portrait mode as well. In addition, if it’s to succeed at all over other tablets, it has to be useable in the hands, and not by placing it on a table top, which again, requires portrait orientation.

The only reason for the landscape orientation is if you are multitasking with windows, a la “desktop OS-X,” which any sane person should know will not appear on any tablet.

Also imagine the complications of releasing a device that ran OSX but not all the software that normally runs on OSX (Ican’t see the tablet being able to run CS4 or Final Cut Pro etc)

In terms of usage, I would find this invaluable, a device that has the advantages of a netbook/iPhone (small size, lower price, instant startup, ubiquitious net connection, input and GUI designed for use on the move), without the disadvantages (cheap crappy construction, PC style input scaled down to unusable size, either Windows XP or custom Linux OS/small screen)…

I’m looking forward to a device that lets me access the internet wherever, with a decent sized screen, that gives me access to thousands of apps, books and games. I’m going to be using mine as a digital sketchbook, media player, gaming device, e-book reader… can’t wait, it’s the future and it’s nearly here :-)

And the effects are kinda cheesy, the fade in and fade out looks a little much like Windows Vista/7 for my comfort. In fact, the first time I watched it, I wondered if it were some kind of special themed version of Windows 7.

I’m sorry, but I’m having a really hard time figuring out what this type of device would be used for. It’s too big to be comfortably portable, and it’s too small to have any horsepower. Which means that I’m not going to want to attach it to a bigger monitor. And it doesn’t have a keyboard, the nice thing about netbooks is that they are very portable and you can use them to input information. This tablet will primarily be used to consume information, and I just don’t see the use.

Eventually, developers with iPhone or OSX experience can write apps that are far more robust and intuitive (with this combination of Macbook power and iPhone touch).

Therefore its not touch at all, but a preprogrammed movie with finger movement choreographed.

But still nice to see hype about it. :) don’t see muh of that from Microsoft products :p