Have you ever dreamed of owning a 27-inch tablet that functions both as an all-in-one touchscreen PC and a tabletop tablet device? No, me neither, but the fact there is now one on the market at least piques my interest.

If the rumors about the iPad Mini 2, due to be released before the end of 2013, are true, then the latest Apple tablet could be the tablet to beat all tablets. No, I’m serious.

Apple’s share of the tablet market is rapidly shrinking, attacked in a pincer movement by tablets powered by Android and Windows 8. The tablet market as a whole continues to go from strength to strength.

It’s hardly news to report that new iterations of the iPad Mini and Nexus 7 are on the way. Both are virtually guaranteed to turn up before the end of the year. However, speculation is rife that both will sport high-res or “retina” displays, following in the footsteps of their bigger brothers.

Apple was once the king of commercials, with its ads being head and shoulders above the competition. Unfortunately that’s no longer the case, with Apple’s new iPad ads failing to inspire. Other companies, including its sworn enemy Microsoft, are happily filling the void left by Apple’s disappearance into the advertising abyss.

The shipment figures for tablets as a whole for Q4 2012 are in, and they suggest that tablets are pretty much ready to take over the world. While PCs remain the biggest seller overall, the lead this form factor has over the others is dwindling, and fast.

One of the reasons the iPad has sold in such high numbers, and kick-started the tablet revolution to boot, is the sheer variety and number of things you can do with the Apple device. However, I doubt whether anyone had thought of this particular use before… until now. Meet the iPotty, a training toilet designed to house an iPad.

HTC may have failed to set the world alight with its tablet offerings so far, but perhaps the dual threats of a 7-inch and 12-inch device sporting Windows 8 RT are the answer.

The Apple iPad certainly isn’t cheap. In fact, it isn’t even affordable for many consumers. However, Apple CEO Tim Cook has moved to defend the pricing of the company’s tablets, and his words suggest Apple will never seek to undercut the competition.

The country where all iPads are produced is about to get the latest models released on its shores. Apple clearly knows where its future lies.