In case you haven't noticed, Apple computers head Steve Jobs has singlehandedly saved the U.S. economy. He doesn't get enough credit for that, seriously. While every major electronics and computing firm was closing flagship stores across the nation last year, Apple was actually expanding.

It still is. That's a thing to marvel at.

Next week will see the unveiling of the much-rumored "tablet device," which some in the know are already calling the iSlate or the iPad.

Like most Apple evangelists, I don't know all of its features yet, but I know I already want one.

Why? Because Apple consistently does something that leaves their competitors in the dust: They innovate their way though good economies and bad ones. They make hardware that is reliable and easy to use. Watch this space for a review the moment they hit the market. (The above image is a mock-up, by the way, no one knows what the final design will look like, yet...)