Just when you think the hype machine behind the Apple Tablet can’t get any higher, TechCrunch comes along and writes that Steve Jobs, in reference to the Tablet, stated to a number of confidantes – “This will be the most important thing I’ve ever done.”

Senior Apple execs and friends of Jobs are telling people that he’s about as excited about this upcoming Apple Tablet as he’s ever been.

When you consider that Jobs has been behind the launch of the Apple II, the original Mac, the iPod, and the iPhone, it’s hard not to get swept up with excitement and anticipation. TechCrunch notes that it didn’t hear the above quote from Jobs directly (duh), but that they’ve had it confirmed by a number of independent sources who happened to hear the same story either second or third hand.

The above report echoes a Wall Street Journal article from late December which noted that Steve Jobs was “extremely happy with the new Tablet”. Taken together, these second-hand reports are quite similar to stories we heard about Jobs’ demeanor in the days preceding the introduction of the iPhone. Supposedly, the normally tight-lipped Apple CEO was so enthusiastic and full of excitement over Apple’s revolutionary new phone that he appeared giddy and couldn’t help but talk to his close friends about what Apple had in store for the masses.

One thing’s for sure – no matter how many millions of dollars companies put into creating ad campaigns and attempting to generate buzz, the hype surrounding Apple’s product announcements is unparalleled and impossible to emulate.