Is anyone else sick of Apple’s new gadget already?

It seems like we’ve just come down from the massive hype-fest that was the Nexus One, and here we’ve gone again. There’s a tonne of speculation about the upcoming iSlate or iPad or iTablet or MacBook Touch or iWhatever it is that Apple will be launching next week, or next month, or next quarter. But we don’t really know anything, because Apple is being coy… again.

So there’s a mysterious Apple event in San Francisco next week, at which presumably something will be revealed. But we don’t know yet because Apple hasn’t really said anything.

And the vast body of rumour and speculation (some of it quite solid, it must be said) says that Apple will be launching what amounts to a “super iPod”. A large screen touch device with fairly powerful processing components, web connectivity and the ability for gaming, web browsing and reading e-books. But we don’t know yet because Apple hasn’t really said anything.

What we think?

Imagine you go into a store, and the store owner says “I’ve got something else you might like”. And then he sloooowly begins to bring it up from behind the counter, but then puts it back before you get a look. As he stands there with a “guess what it is?” look on his face, pretending like he might unveil it at any moment, your interest is piqued. And if the product he’s hiding turns out to be cool, sure you’ll buy it.

But surely that should only work once or twice?If he does this every time for every new thing he gets, you’re bound to lose patience and leave the shop. But he follows you onto the street, asking if you’re sure you don’t want to know what it is. And then he sends you emails about it.

This is the exact same process of generating hype that we’ve been treated to by Apple and Google before. Secretive invitations, controlled leaks, coy rumours and denials. I’m just beginning to find the whole process grating. How much can we be teased before we tell them to go stuff it? If you want to launch a new product, just bloody launch it.