According to an exclusive AppleInsider report, Apple’s chief executive is said to have cemented the sought-after Apple tablet in the company’s 2010 roadmap with a first quarter launch. The 10-inch touch-based device carries Jobs’ personal seal of approval and touts the App Store machine.

Most Apple sites are describing the gizmo as an oversized iPod touch priced between the high-end iPhone and the cheapest $999 MacBook notebook, offering multi-touch based interaction without a physical keyboard. AppleInsider claims a 10-inch form factor, way larger than the 3.5-inch iPod touch and in line some netbooks.

The size of the display of this thing indicates a strong focus on media-related activities, such as watching movies, viewing photos, and playing games. A large screen could also enable much more comprehensive content creation capabilities than the iPhone and iPod touch allow due to their hand-sized displays. Apple is said to be negotiating with Verizon over providing wireless data access for the tablet, suggesting a similar subsidy and exclusivity deal like the iPhone deal with AT&T.

Apple Insider asserted that all pieces have now fallen into place to make the tablet a reality. Apple’s $278 million acquisition of chip designer P.A. Semi brought power-efficient chip designers and their know-how under Apple’s roof. Beefed up with several high-profile executive hires, this team has apparently been tasked with the creation of ARM-based blueprint for the tablet, setting Apple for an ugly public brawl with its partner Intel who hoped the Cupertino firm would adopt its Atom platform for the device.

Four years in the making, the project has apparently been developed from the onset for the most demanding audience: Steve Jobs. The chief executive has been allegedly overseeing every tiny aspect of the device, participating in the development both at work and from his home, while being on a medical leave. He allegedly sent the gizmo to the drawing board several times because curves and pixels failed to match his sophisticated vision.

Read more in AppleInsider’s exclusive report.

An artist rendition of a 10-inch Apple tablet next to the 3.5-inch iPod touch. Credit: AppleInsider.

Christian’s opinion

Apple watchers shouldn’t dismiss AppleInsider report as a pure speculation. If you’ve been in the market for Apple rumors, you’re aware that AppleInsider is know for its credibility. Simply put, the publication knows a thing or two about separating truth from lies. AppleInsider first broke the news of an Apple table project in September of 2007. Since then, the publication has been closely tracking the project as it was sent to the drawing board a half-dozen times.

“At times, those close to the Apple co-founder had their doubts that it would ever see the light of day, just like a smaller PDA device he canned a few years after returning to the company,” the publication wrote. Although AppleInsider offered no facts to substantiate its claims, it’s putting its credibility behind the story, claiming “hints from insiders” and “other people familiar with the matter.”

AppleInsider’s tablet reports have been confirmed by high-profile publications like the the Wall Street Journal, often described as an Apple mouthpiece because of their reliable tipsters. WSJ confirmed AppleInsider’s claim that Jobs worked on a tablet from his home while on a sick leave. Here’s how WSJ described Jobs’ role during his medical leave, citing “people familiar with the matter”:

Jobs has continued to work on the company’s most important strategies and products from home, they say. He regularly reviews products and product plans, and was particularly involved in the user interface of the new iPhone operating system that Apple unveiled last month. Apple co-founder Mr. Jobs, who is considered the company’s creative leader, is also involved in the development of future projects. People privy to the company’s strategy say Apple is working on new iPhone models and a portable device that is smaller than its current laptop computers but bigger than the iPhone or iPod Touch.

In my opinion, we’ve reached a point where it’s highly unlikely that all these leads, reports, and tips would fail. When you think of it, a 10-inch multi-touch Apple tablet could become the perfect Mac netbook that users have been craving for. Apple’s op-chief Tim Cook remained adamant that the company isn’t interested in the category unless it can enhance it with some Apple magic.. Here’s what Cook told investors who joined a recent earnings call:

Many of the netbooks being delivered are very slow and old software technology. Not a robust computing experience. Small displays and small keyboards. That kind of thing many people will not be happy with. I think this is playing out in several areas, I think some customers, maybe many customers buying these [netbooks], become disappointed and disenchanted after they buy one of these. We’re only going to play in things where we can deliver something that we’re very proud of. When we can’t, we won’t put the Apple brand on a product that doesn’t stand for innovation and doesn’t have the legendary ease of use that we are known for.

It’s Apple’s sturdiness and insistence that it isn’t building a netbook/tablet that’s actually the strongest indication of it. This is how the company operates: Apple had been adamant that it wasn’t building a phone only to unveil the iPhone months later. Steve Jobs was poo-pooing video features on iPods for years until the company enhanced the iPod family with video playback capabilities. An Apple tablet enhanced with iPhone-like interface and powered by the App Store machine could easily carve an entirely new market for itself.

Being the killer gaming machine, the ultimate netbook, and the perfect Internet device, the Apple tablet could take over global headlines instantly. Portable, easy to use, and beautiful, the tablet might be the culmination of Steve Jobs’ genius. The chief executive’s personal seal of approval on the device and Hollywood-style presentation could have millions fall in loving in love. If the price is right, the tablet may become yet another flagship Apple product.

Can Apple tablet really become the Mac netbook that users have been craving for? Would you purchase a 10-inch, multi-touch-enabled Apple tablet to show off your media and play the App Store games? Does the product category makes sense at all? Share your thoughts in the comments bellow.