We published this back in August but as the Apple tablet launches today, we thought it might be worth another look…

Not since that other bearded bloke came down from the mountain has a presentation of new tablets been so hotly anticipated…

So Apple being Apple, hype around its new tablet is at fever pitch (well, it’s being twittered about lots anyway). From a design perspective, it is during the period of anticipation that we get to see how good Apple is. The web is awash with beautiful visuals by fans predicting the look and functionality of the new tablet. If past results are anything to go by they will be woefully inaccurate. When a phone version of the i-pod was rumoured, the drawings tended to be pictures of the i-pod with a few number buttons stuck underneath (see below). Now we get big square versions of the i-phone design. My bet is the real thing will confound predictions and show why Jonathan Ive and team are in a league of their own.

Not everyone is expecting miracles -  technology authority andfinally.com, quoted in The Guardian, suggested that Apple’s run of dramatic breakthroughs was unlikely to last for ever. “If Steve Jobs stands up and announces this, it could be his last hurrah. The technology industry has matured and, unless Apple does something completely unexpected, we have a pretty good idea what this will look like. The world has been shaped by technology in such a way that it is no longer surprising.” But even if they fail to match previous OMG moments this time, can you recall any other brand whose design evolution was the subject of such breathless excitement? Below are some of the artists’ impressions – let’s see how they stack up to reality later today…

See more interpretations after the jump…