As many financial analysts in the information technology industry know, Apple is the biggest holder of both credible and uncredible rumors regarding any company's product line in the history of personal computing. The amount of rumors that manifest themselves on the edges of the Internet surrounding Apple's plans are undoubtedly some of the most discussed, debated and hated topics that make the Web the world it is today.

Nevertheless, the latest source of Apple rumors comes from Bloomberg, citing "three people familiar with Apple's [iPad 3] plans." According to the information, Apple's third-generation tablet model is expected to feature a quad-core ARM Cortex processor, a Retina Display similar the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S, and a 4G LTE radio compatible with both AT&T and Verizon's next-generation wireless networks.

Bloomberg's unnamed sources at Apple claim that the company's manufacturing partners in Asia have started ramping up production of third-generation iPad components in January 2012 and plan to reach full volume production by February 2012. According to other reports, many analysts expected the company to formally announce its third-generation iPad hardware sometime in the first quarter of this year. However, recent news from Apple has put an end to the iPad announcement rumors, as the company will host an education-centered publishing event next week, January 19th, in New York City.

Because of the recent announcement, it is impossible to confirm whether Apple will announce new iPad hardware in the first quarter of 2012, and analysts have already begun restructuring their forecasts according to other rumors that have perpetrated the Web recenty.

We look forward to discovering more credible information regarding third-generation iPad components directly from manufacturers overseas in the near future. In the meantime, the projected hardware information can be taken with a grain of salt.