Talk on the conference floor that RIM will launch its tablet device, the BlackBerry BlackPad, has reached fever pitch as the countdown to DEVCON 2010 moves into its final hour.

Although RIM is playing coy as to whether or not its CEO Michael Lazaridis will announce the new internet tablet device at the company's developer conference in San Francisco, that hasn't stopped plenty of talk and discussion amongst journalists covering the event, and developers attending it, talking up the possible announcement that will see BlackBerry go head to head with Apple and its iPad.

"You won't be disappointed", one developer told Pocket-lint hinting that the new BlackPad would feature a new OS and be launched at DEVCON10.

Although expected details are still thin on the ground, and nothing is of course confirmed by RIM, sources believe that the device will either sport a 9.7-inch screen (the same size as the iPad) or a 7-inch screen (the same as the Samsung Galaxy Tab).

On the connectivity front, it is expected to include Wi-Fi and Bluetooth and run on a new operating system called QNX rather than the company's BlackBerry 6 OS.

It will not, claim sources we've heard from, have any mobile phone support such as 3G.

Pocket-lint is live at the DEVCON 2010 conference and will bring you all the news as to whether the company launches a tablet or not. 

UPDATE: RIM has confirmed the launch of the BlackBerry PlayBook.