This is for all you legal publishers out there. According to a survey of 1000 book trade  professionals conducted by The Bookseller magazine last month as part of a digital conference it held in London, 52% expect the Apple tablet to become the market leading e-book reader/e-reader device next year, with Amazon's Kindle coming second, and Sony's e-Reader in a 'distant' third place. In addition, 42% said they believe "most" people will read e-books on a dedicated device in the future. More than 88% of respondents said they thought bookshops would lose out as digital sales grow.

What makes this story all the more unusual is that Apple has so far not issued a release date for – or even confirmed the existence of – its e-reader device. Although the device – the 'iTablet' – is rumoured to be a netbook/iPhone hybrid with a 10" touchscreen and 3G connectivity, scheduled for a Q1 2010 release date. (Or not, as the case may be.)