Apple

Apple may take a page from Microsoft in cooking up a whole new keyboard for the iPad.

A case for the full size iPad that mimics Microsoft's Touch Cover has been prototyped, former Apple employee Jamie Ryan said in a blog post Saturday. Ryan said he wasn't clear whether the development is far enough along for Apple to unveil the new case at Tuesday's launch event. But he claimed that different style cases have been in the test phase for a while and that Apple is also working on various accessories.

The purported goal is to enable Apple to distinguish the 9.7-inch iPad from the iPad Mini and market the larger version as a professional model designed for both content creation and consumption. Various keyboards already exist for the iPad, but none are as fully integrated as Microsoft's Touch Cover is for the Surface tablet.

What gives Ryan the inside scoop on Apple's plans? He used to work at Apple in developer relations, so presumably he has some contacts within the company.

Still, these types of reports should always be taken with a grain of salt. And even assuming Ryan's information is accurate, such a keyboard may never reach the consumer market.

"Now I must stress that what was seen were only prototypes and they might never get to see the light of day," Ryan said. "Apple regularly mocks up all sorts of accessories and products and ditches them. 1000 no's for every yes etc."