Asus said to be making gadget inspired by gadget Apple is said to be making

You just can't argue with this kind of tittle-tattle (surely, 'insightful speculation' - Ed), can you? Asus is said to be preparing a handheld tablet with a 4in and/or 7in display and both mobile internet device and tablet PC functionality.

It'll be dubbed the Eee Pad.

So says a 'source' cited by DigiTimes - no need for a link; the original says no more than the previous two paragraphs do - who added that the device is "inspired by the rumours of Apple's planned tablet".

So a device one company has not acknowledged exists has influenced a device another company has not acknowledged exists.

To quote a well-known figure from British history: "So what you are saying is that something you have never seen is slightly less blue than... something you have never seen."

Actually, such is the hype surrounded not only Apple's anticipated iPad but e-book readers in general - and Asus has indicated it's working on such a product - that we're certain the rumoured MID is Asus' EeePad-not-iPad.

Darnit, now we're doing it too... ®