Going by a TG Daily report, the rumors of the forthcoming Apple tablet device has virtually dried up the supply of 10.1-inch LCD and OLED multi-touch displays, with the CES event fueling the stories that Apple is purchasing all the displays, even though it is currently not shipping any device that uses them.

Already, the Asian suppliers are reportedly telling customers that neither the 10-inch LCD nor the 10-inch OLED panels are currently available, and that Apple is buying them all.

The buzz about Asian suppliers running out of 10-inch LCD and OLED panel supplies was corroborated by an anonymous designer who said at the CES: “We were designing a product for a customer and we needed 10-inch screens, but we've been trying for months and can't get one from any of the Asian suppliers. We were told that Apple pre-ordered them all -- all 10-inch LCDs, and all 10-inch OLEDs, too.”

It is quite likely that Apple, which earlier set a precedent of sorts by creating a shortage of supply of NAND flash memory used in iPhones and iPods, might just be hoarding the 10-inch display panel market for its much-rumored tablet device.

In fact, the reports about the shortage of supplies of the 10-inch displays substantiates the rumors that Apple is all set to release its multi-touch tablet device, and it probably expects the new device to sell very well!