A combination Apple media pad/e-book/netbook could steal much of the thunder in early 2010. So what's inside the system?

Ashok Kumar, a research analysts at Northeast Securities Inc., said the following about the Apple tablet or media pad in a report:

System processor: ''The key change in the component stack will be the application processor. Our checks indicate that Apple licensed the ARM Cortex core from Samsung but built out the rest of the silicon with the PA Semi design team. While Samsung will continue to supply the flash memory, it will be relegated to a foundry status for the application processor. We expect this silicon to populate future iterations of the iPhone.''

Form factor: ''The form factor (is) a 10-inch screen with a docking station. The retail channel price range of $600-$800 will likely be substantial premium over the carrier channel (Verizon) model.''

Wireless capability: ''For broadband connectivity, it appears that Qualcomm may be the supplier for WWAN silicon. With this configuration, users are likely locked into Verizon's network.''

Shipment forecast: ''Our production checks indicate that Apple could ship up to a 1 million units by March and plateau at 400,000-500,000 units per month thereafter.''