This time the rumors come from Financial Times, which reports Apple is working with the major labels to promote more CD buying. What’s more, FT also reports the company is getting ready to ship a tablet computer that could change the way consumers purchase entertainment.

It’s been one of the paradoxes of selling music online. By offering songs as well as complete albums, the music industry offered consumers a choice they never received in brick-and-mortar record stores. That is, if they don’t want the entire album, they can just buy individual tracks while leaving the rest on the virtual store shelf.

But many consumers preferred buying single tracks instead of complete albums, resulting in proclamations predicting the “death of the CD” on the imminent horizon.

Now Apple is working with the major labels on a new project – supposedly dubbed “Cocktail” – which will provide added value for folks choosing to buy the entire CD instead of a couple of tracks. According to the Financial Times, Cocktail will bundle liner notes, album art and video clips with CD downloads.

It looks as if Cocktail will be part of a one-two punch Apple is cooking up, with the second half based on a new piece of hardware – a portable, tablet-size computing device designed for entertainment. According to reports, the new gizmo will sport a touch-sensitive screen measuring up to 10 inches diagonally.

The price? Somewhere in the rumored range of $600 to $1,000. And it may hit stores in time for Christmas.

Although Apple is believed not to have talked to the movie industry about the new device, or, for that matter, Cocktail, Financial Times says Hollywood execs are willing to provide more content than what’s currently available on iTunes.

Of course, Apple, is treating the latest round of rumors just like the company treated past ones – by not commenting.

Click here and here for the complete Financial Times articles (registration may be required).