The highly rumored Apple tablet seems to be one step closer to becoming a reality. According to the latest news on the web, it might not be until next year that the tablet will arrive, as previously reported, but the holiday season this year is the lucky time frame. This time around, the news about Apple's 10-inch tablet landing just in time for the 2009 Christmas Shopping Season comes from the Financial Times.

Additional details on the launch have also emerged, including the fact that it should come along with an eBook push, and that it should be more multimedia-centered than a netbook usually is. This is suggested by the fact that Apple has reportedly partnered with a series of labels, including EMI, Sony Music, Warner Music and Universal Music Group, under the project name Cocktail.

The Cocktail project will end up by offering users the possibility to acquire complete CD offerings and not single tracks. It should also include a series of new services like interactive booklets, background info and more, all coming in a complete CD package. It seems that liner notes and video clips will also be bundled with the music sold on the iTunes Music Store (iTMS), and the offering will be extended to combine photos, lyrics sheets and video clips into the interactive booklet.

The best part of all is that all the content coming with the project is supposedly optimized for the 10-inch Apple tablet, which should be bigger than an iPod, though featuring the same connectivity options as the latter (no phone capabilities will be present on it). The device has been rumored for so long that it might have become a myth to some, yet it seems that it should turn into reality in the near future. Quite soon, apparently, as the entire move is expected to be unveiled in September. More details can be found here.