Time Inc. Unveils Tablet-Based Digital Magazine Prototype (VIDEO)

*See video below*

Even though tablet computers have yet to hit stores (and Apple won't even confirm its mythical "iTablet" exists), Time Inc. has unveiled a prototype of what Sports Illustrated would look like on an interactive, touchscreen tablet.

Time reports that the design intentionally adhered to the traditional print format of a magazine -- for example, users read the magazine by "flipping" through "pages" and although they can reorder sections, they can't zoom in or out of the text.

"There's something really great about magazines, about browsing," the editor of the Sports Illustrated group told the New York Times. "Let's heighten that."

Time Inc. has also thrown in some new twists that take advantage of the (hypothetical) tablet interface.

As the New York Times reports, users can watch videos, see more photos, and get live news updates and scores, provided they're connected to the internet.

David Link, who helped design the demo, admits he's betting that Apple will release their rumored tablet computer: "We're taking a best guess that this has been designed for the Apple."

See the tablet-based Sports Illustrated prototype below.