It’s been quite the year for rumors about Apple. There were rumors that Steve Jobs would step down (he didn’t). There were rumors that the new iPod Touch would have a camera (it doesn’t). And then there are the rumors surrounding the mythical Apple tablet device.

Over at TechStuff, we’ve been chasing these rumors all year long. The most prolific source of information has been Apple’s supply chain. Most of what we know about this device comes from information gleaned from the companies that supply the tablet’s parts. But much of the tablet remains a mystery. We aren’t sure what kind of operating system it will use. We don’t even know how Apple will market it.

That may soon change. John Paczkowski of All Things Digital reports that, according to an industry analyst, Apple is seeking partnerships with book publishers for content distribution. This could put the tablet in the same general competitive space as the Kindle and Nook. Could the Tablet simply be an Apple-branded e-reader device?