Apple is expected to begin the New Year with the launch of its latest gadget: a tablet computer that will allow users to surf the web, watch TV shows and read the next generation in online magazines and newspapers.

Apple has previously investigated the possibility of producing a tablet computer but shelved the idea at the last minute, and there are already tablets obtainable in the market from rival PC manufacturers. France's Archos, which pioneered digital music players but saw its marketplace lead stolen by Apple, has already created an internet tablet based on Google's Android software. Microsoft's newest tablet prototype, codenamed Courier according to rumours, involves two 7in multi-screens side by side in the form of a booklet.