- "It's a big iPhone, but it's not just a big iPhone."

 With Apple's long-rumored tablet device reportedly set for an introduction later this month, much remains unknown about the operating system it will be using. Speculation has ranged from a touch-sensitive Mac OS X to a scaled-up iPhone OS to an all-new hybrid of the two, but little word has leaked from sources claiming to know details of what users can expect.

Today, Silicon Alley Insider reports that it has received a few vague comments about the tablet operating system from an "industry source" specifically claiming to have seen the OS.

- It's "pretty" -- obviously.
- "The UI has a good bit of new sexy to it."
- "It's a big iPhone, but it's not just a big iPhone."

As the report notes, the source's comments lend credence to the theory that Apple's tablet will run an operating system reasonably different from both iPhone OS and Mac OS X. A tablet OS based on iPhone OS seems to be a logical fit for the comments, offering something familiar from the iPhone OS but with a significant number of enhancements to create a new user experience more appropriate for the larger screen.