Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

The New Digital Device

AmbitiousLemon

AmbitiousLemon

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Nov 28, 2001
3,415
3
down in Fraggle Rock
Amongst the rumors surrounding the coming year ive noticed a tendancy of many prognosticators to push back the release of a g5 powermac by inserting a "new digital device" in the lineup of apple announcements to be made between now and mwny.

although it seems most of us here would be ecstatic about an apple branded pda few of us think this is a possibility. So the question that comes to my mind then is what sort of "digital device" are we predicting here?
 
G

GigaWire

macrumors 6502
Dec 25, 2001
386
0
Palm and Pocket PC PDAs are ****. Though not a very appealing market, they (apple) could easily move a good deal of them, especially if they emphasize the ability to write as you want to. The longer they wait, the better the others get.
 
AmbitiousLemon

AmbitiousLemon

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Nov 28, 2001
3,415
3
down in Fraggle Rock
Originally posted by GigaWire
Palm and Pocket PC PDAs are ****. Though not a very appealing market, they (apple) could easily move a good deal of them, especially if they emphasize the ability to write as you want to. The longer they wait, the better the others get.
Click to expand...

o i think we all know just how much the pda market sucks. and right now would be a great time for apple to get back into the market but the consensus here seemed to be that it wont happen anytime in the near future (and thats the optimistic way of putting it). although it would be great for apple to release a pda is this the "new digital device" that some of you are predicting or are you guys thinking it will truly be something "new?"
 
sparkleytone

sparkleytone

macrumors 68020
Oct 28, 2001
2,307
0
Greensboro, NC
the mp3 market sucks too, but there is one shining winner in that category. the market is there, but the products suck, and people buy what they think theyll be the least pissed off with. same principle with pda's i think.
 
AmbitiousLemon

AmbitiousLemon

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Nov 28, 2001
3,415
3
down in Fraggle Rock
Re: blah blah blah...

Originally posted by eyelikeart
PDA :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

:eek: argh!!! you people drive me nuts sometimes you you know!

there are like a dozen old threads (and a couple not so old threads) talking about apple pdas and everyone explains how ridiculous it is. and i have to argue just to convince anyone it would be worthwhile. now youre all saying o well its a pda lemonboy jeez isnt that obvisous? argh argh argh!

ok so i guess we have changed our minds. care to explain why?
 
B

Buggy

macrumors regular
Oct 14, 2001
133
0
Canada
PDA's in their current configurations are crap. No one has it all together yet. Apple is in the position to create a PDA with a purpose.
For a PDA to be something for me to buy, it would need to
-- interface seemlessly with my OS
-- work within a LAN and work with a wireless web
-- have a real OS
-- run real programs
-- have real hand writing technology
-- be able to store "real" file sizes (mini HD)

Nothing on the market fits this, I do think that this could be realeased within the context of a Pro Desktop model. I do not think this would "put off" any announcement.

Do I really think it will happen... No.
 
eyelikeart

eyelikeart

Moderator emeritus
Jan 2, 2001
11,897
1
Metairie, LA
Re: Re: blah blah blah...

Originally posted by AmbitiousLemon


:eek: argh!!! you people drive me nuts sometimes you you know!

there are like a dozen old threads (and a couple not so old threads) talking about apple pdas and everyone explains how ridiculous it is. and i have to argue just to convince anyone it would be worthwhile. now youre all saying o well its a pda lemonboy jeez isnt that obvisous? argh argh argh!

ok so i guess we have changed our minds. care to explain why?
Click to expand...

I can completely appreciate the need of a PDA for a lot of people....but it's been like dreamworld talking about the Apple PDA up to this point....

I've never changed my mind about it.....I'm sick of hearing about stupid Apple PDAs!!!!
 
mischief

mischief

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2001
2,921
1
Santa Cruz Ca
For the last time:

THERE WILL BE NO APPLE PDA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

If Apple does a handheld it will not be a PDA, It'll be something new. It's more likely to be an OS X pocket-terminal. I find it unlikely that a dying market wil be Apple's next forray.
 
mischief

mischief

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2001
2,921
1
Santa Cruz Ca
RE: Anti-PDA club

If we could find SJ's e-mail I'm sure he'd join. Why would I spend $250.00+ for a digital daytimer????? I'd rather have a larger, wireless device that exploits my desktops' resources at range anyway. Why is it people don't listen when SJ says, flat out :
"There will be no Apple PDA."?
SJ may embellish or mislead but direct statements have historically been true.
 
mischief

mischief

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2001
2,921
1
Santa Cruz Ca
About 15"

Don't mind me, keep talking.

(Mischief backs into the room beckoning off camera, the sound of a dumptruck back-up beeper can be heard. The scent of Simian excrement wafts through the open double doors. Suddenly the convention room seems smaller, room occupants begin nervously counting exits.)

I figure you'll need plenty of this, where do you want it? :D

(Regulars and would-be scrappers begin rolling up sleeves and cocking their poop slingers)
 
O

OKComputer

macrumors 6502
Jan 12, 2002
430
0
Seattle, WA
new digital device

the ipod is a signal that apple wants to move (only slightly) into the realm of consumer electronics. We have to think what could apple improve on that its third party friends havent already perfected to work well with a mac. I say look for something innovative. (PDAs are not innovative...not yet at least and so apple wants nothing to do with them) what about an lcd picture frame that syncs with iPhoto?
 
AmbitiousLemon

AmbitiousLemon

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Nov 28, 2001
3,415
3
down in Fraggle Rock
so the question still remains

ok ok, glad to see you guys backing of the pda thing but the question remains. many of you have placed "new digital device" in your line up for the coming year. if its not a pda... what is it?

and the iframe... sounds kinda lame, but at least your trying to come up with something.
 
mischief

mischief

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2001
2,921
1
Santa Cruz Ca
Mystic

Take a 12" iBook, substitute the (touch) screen for the keyboard. Add IR for programmable universal remote features. Sell it with reduced HD size and an inexpensive processor. Runs OS X Remote. A centralized "face" for the digital hub. Now think about what happens if Apple makes the satellite network thing happen. :cool:
 
mischief

mischief

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2001
2,921
1
Santa Cruz Ca
Note:

EVEN IN THIS CONFIG IT WOULD NOT QUALIFY AS A PDA.

A PDA is defined by it's core design, not it's physical configuration. If it's more than a digital daytimer and less than a laptop, it's something new;and don't talk to me about "pocket PC's " they're just improved PDA's. The average consumer never used a datawatch, and as such is not adapted to squinting at a screen the size of Bill Gates' concience. One thing we must keep in perspective is that any product released into general consumption must be light enough on the "geek-factor" to be appealing to technophobes. A PDA has the same # of geek points as a datawatch. A web-enabled cellphone has enough geek-points to earn you a wedgie from the Woz himself.
 
eyelikeart

eyelikeart

Moderator emeritus
Jan 2, 2001
11,897
1
Metairie, LA
wedgies...

although I never much liked wedgies....I am interested in the web-enabled cell phone issue....

old news yes, but I still think the basis for the Danger hiptop is pretty killer!
 
AmbitiousLemon

AmbitiousLemon

Moderator emeritus
Original poster
Nov 28, 2001
3,415
3
down in Fraggle Rock
wow no wonder eyelikeart is so tired of hearing about apple pdas. everytime the conversation starts to get away from a pda someone brings it right back.

apple has already released the ipod, a consumer electronics device. will this be the only such item or will there be more? if there are more what will they be (for artsyboys sake dont say pda)? the only suggestions so far are a pda (ack), iframe (double ack), tablet (blah). on other rumor sites ive seen suggestions of a hub device (this seems kinda silly even before you see the mock ups). so in furthering apple's digital hub strategy what is next? we already have iphoto, itunes, idvd, ipod, imac. whats next? where are we going form here? this cant be the whole picture.
 
mischief

mischief

macrumors 68030
Aug 1, 2001
2,921
1
Santa Cruz Ca
iGlasses of course!

Jeez, give it a rest already. I think PDA's keep coming up because they're easier for game-boy toting teens to understand.

Some of us who have to weigh cost against usefullness (or have ever owned a PDA) have come to the conclusion that only die-hard, monitor-tanned, data-watch wearing uubergeeks use a PDA for more than taking up space. The PDA is the hulahoop of geekdom:everybody has one, and then, suddenly everybody is throwing around a Nerf football and the hulahoop is sitting dusty in the garage. How many of you actually own a PDA? Of those, who still has endless scraps of paper all throughout their lives? PDA's are a trendy scam.
 
N

networkman

macrumors regular
Jan 1, 2002
247
0
california, usa
trendy

yuppies love them, but one day all the young psudo hippies on pacific in downtown santa cruz (your city) will have them, too

maybe it's a trend, but it has not nearly seen its end yet
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom