Apple Plan to launch its tablet PC in 2008

Apple Tablet PC Humour!!!!
Even though Apple is the most tight lipped company in the world in terms of staying hushed on products in development, CNET UK is claiming Asus has disclosed they're making a Tablet for Apple.
According to the article published on CNET UK's Crave blog, the people they spoke to at Asus claim the Apple Tablet is in no way based upon the Asus R1 Tablet PC the company produces and sells. Asus has been a contract manufacturer in the past for Apple MacBooks and iBooks so it wouldn't be outlandish to think that the company is involved with Apple on producing a Tablet PC device. What is outlandish is that anyone at Asus would say something about this, Apple is very sensitive to information leaks and Asus would risk their relationship by saying anything.
It does of course make a bit of sense that Apple would go the route of producing a Tablet PC. They have the touchscreen iPhone, were the first to produce a PDA over a decade ago (the Apple Newton) and there have been patents filed by Apple that revolve around Tablet PC form factor devices (see attached image).
As CNET says, there is room for improvement and certainly competition in the Tablet PC industry, so rumor or not -- here's to hoping Apple truly is pursuing something and that we see something in 2008.