Chinese Translation Request: ? Apple Tablet? [Archive]

ELYXR

Apr 13, 2003, 11:48 PM

Guang Dak'ua the full plate computer obtains the Apple Computer order form

¡ö Reporter Lin Chenmei the ¨u Taibei reported

NotebookComputerThe main item broadly reaches strives for a big plant order form again next city! It is reported, Guang Da recently obtained Apple Computer first section to match 15 …¼ kneading boards plates computer order form, will produce goods to the next year first quarter; After this is Guang Daching carefully appraises, for the first time cross full plate computer domain.
Since last year, the apple notebook computer generation of labor merchant has appeared the quite big change, is valuable including the PowerBook notebook computer by Guang Dachuan toward the kernel. The outstanding person the Chungli workshop will sell to Hua Shuohou, the iBook notebook computer order form flows to, also deeply studying with a master will focus attention on; This Guang Dahuo the Apple Computer plate computer order form, becomes the field hot topic of discussion once again.

Since broadly has reached computer this year transport business performance extremely studying with a master to focus attention on, this company first quarter earning 552 hundred million Yuan, a same time last year are larger than growth to surpass six tenths, the first quarter notebook computer produce goods the quantity also to surpass 200 ten thousand, surpasses the kind treasure, England industry reaches, Hua Yu assembling.

The field public figure believed that, Guang Dai high occupies the market main item throne, still could have so astonishingly grows, this year the earning easily will surpass original estimate 2,,000 hundred million Yuan, challenged 2,,500 hundred million Yuan.

It is reported, Guang Dawei the apple generation of labor plate computer, will be industry jieshou matches 15 …¼ kneading boards the plate computers, in addition, this plate computer also will match the keyboard; The market public figure pointed out that, the Apple Computer will push the plate computer not to emphasize the kneading board and the keyboard will separate function, but will be emphasized its notebook computer will have the input type kneading board the function.

At present the global ten big personal computings brands industry center, the idea has Huipu, Toshiba, macro ?, Fujitsu, NEC, the Czechoslovakia prestige and so on industry releases the plate computer, the kneading board by 12 …¼ and 14 …¼ primarily.

Although Microsoft pushes the plate computer in the global strength, but because the plate computer selling price is higher, did the product make a reservation still not to be clear about and so on the factor, whether the field public figure initiates the sales upsurge regarding the plate computer in the short-term still to have the different view; In the brand industry center, Dell has not still released the plate computer, IBM also emphasized this company on has released the similar function product in many years ago, but the market response is not certainly warm.

In the domestic notebook computer generation of labor big plant, is valuably most positive by the kernel to the plate computer, for beautifully discusses one after another Motion Com-puting, the association and the Czechoslovakia prestige generation of labor plate computer; Guang Da, England industry reaches, Hua Yu and so on is immature take the market as the reason, positively invests the plate computer generation of labor domain by no means.

Because looked like for a long time, the plate computer still was the future market important tendency, therefore Guang Da, England industry reaches the interior all to point out, the correlation researches and develops the production technology to be already mature, has the ability to begin the actual production as necessary.

chazmox

Apr 13, 2003, 11:52 PM

I really have a hard time believing that a "cry of a crane intestines" as the article says, will be featured on this PB.... This just goes to show you how unrealiable these rumors are... I mean really, aren't cranes protected??? And their intestines could only make a wet, sloppy mess...

Unless they are dried...

And really, how much is in a "cry"??? Is it anything close to a "gaggle"???

Next they'll be saying it will have a 970! Crane's intestines are more believable!!!

osmium

Apr 13, 2003, 11:59 PM

here comes a Hong Kong guy!!

the summary of the article is that the chinese company is making a industry first 15 inch tablet pc for apple

i am making a full translation of the article, plx wait a moment

osmium

Apr 14, 2003, 12:22 AM

plx someone make a proof reading for me plx. sorry for the "not so good" english
and some of the company's name may not right
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Guang Da get a order from the Apple Computer, stepping into the tablet PC's market

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The leader in notebook computer industry, Quanta, got an order from the leadering computer company! As the info we got, Quanta recently got an order from Apple Computer inc. in request to produce Apple's first 15 inches LCD tablet PC, and going to send them out to apple in the first quarter next year ; this is the first time Quanta join the tablet PC industry, after its long consideration.

Since last yr, there is a great change in Apple portable computer's OEM, including that the Powerbook is now made by Yan Bo, which made by Quanta before. And the change of order after Jing Yin selling its plant to Asus is also remarkable, and shocking the notebook computers' industry. This time Quanta got the tablet PC orders may shock the industry again.

Quanta's performance this year is so good, shocking the industry. Quanta earns 552 hundred million taiwan money in just the 1st quarter, a 60% raise compare to last yr's 1st quarter. They made 2,000,000 notebook computer this period, much more than the amount that Yan Bo, Yan Yi Ta and Wa Yiu made totally.

People in the industry think that Quanta is now at the top of the taiwan notebook computer industry. Having that 60% increase, they estimate Guang Da will earn 2.5 billion taiwan money, much more than their pervious estimation.

From the info we got, the Apple tablet PC will be the world frist 15 inches one, coming with a key board. A person from the industry state that the key board cannot spreate form the main body,(osmium remark: the screen part, i think) (or: it get the spreation system, but Apple will not make it as an selling point) but it will still get a touch screen.

..............

the remainings have no relation to apple tablet or Quanta, just something about the view point to tablet pc of other company

howard

Apr 14, 2003, 12:27 AM

a 15 inch tablet?...wait ...arn't tablets supposed to be ultra portable? a 15 inch tablet would be huge???

osmium

Apr 14, 2003, 12:36 AM

ya
it's what the article said

and the article is provided by a famous financial newspaper in Taiwan

macphoria

Apr 14, 2003, 02:05 AM

Maybe next 15" Aluminium PowerBook will have touchscreen or drawing capability with electric pen?

RandomDeadHead

Apr 14, 2003, 03:43 AM

Maybe next 15" Aluminium PowerBook will have touchscreen or drawing capability with electric pen?

Or it might be for a new iBook. Think about schools where students dont use books or paper, just an iBook tablet. Kind of like the eMate but ALOT better and actualy usefull. I think that is one place that a tablet computer might come in handy.

nagromme

Apr 14, 2003, 05:25 AM

A little obeservation from my lightpen days: using a pen on a vertical or angled screen gets VERY tiring VERY fast. Simply adding a pen to a screen that's attached to a notebook in the usual way doesn't sound likely to fly.

Apple surely has SOMETHING in mind for Ink... I guess time will tell what.

joed

Apr 14, 2003, 05:27 AM

I've also found another article regarding this rumor:

DigiTimes (http://www.digitimes.com/NewsShow/Article.asp?datePublish=2003/04/14&pages=04&seq=19)

Apple Computer plans to launch a wireless display for a desktop system, according to sources. The display is said to resemble a Tablet PC in appearance and include a detachable keyboard but not have a battery. Whether it has handwriting recognition or any screen input capability is unclear.

Taiwan?s Quanta Computer will contract manufacture the product and has begun test production, sources said.

The Chinese-language Economic Daily News reported today that Quanta had landed orders for a 15-inch Tablet PC-like device, with shipments to begin in the first quarter of 2004.

Apple declined to comment on either story.

Sources added that the wireless display PC would be targeted at home users but be reasonably priced to avoid the fate of the flat-panel ?new iMacs,? which were thought to be too expensive by the market.

A 15-inch new iMac was launched in January 2002, but its sales quickly peaked in March and April of that year, when production reached 10,000 units a day. Combined shipments of 15- and 17-inch new iMacs currently exceed 30,000 units per month.

Sources added that Apple still plans to launch a 19-inch new iMac. Quanta is the contract manufacturer for all three new iMacs, sources said.

It just gets more interesting by the day :)

James.

Foxfire

Apr 14, 2003, 05:40 AM

If true, I imagine it will be a successor to the current 15" Powerbook, with a screen that rotates and flips so you can use it in tablet mode, kind of like the "convertible" version of the tablet pc windows notebook. I think of Toshiba. (http://computers.cnet.com/hardware/0-1027-404-20711028.html?tag=pdtl-list) With the current Powerbook being only 1" thick, it's actually thinner than the currently available Asus and Toshiba models, approaching the thickness of "normal", slate versions of tablet pcs. It is still a notebook, just with an optional, added functionality.

centauratlas

Apr 14, 2003, 07:47 AM

Perhaps this is the "smart display" (e.g. wireless, letting you access your desktop machine from anywhere) that I had mentioned and asked about last week?

jMc

Apr 14, 2003, 09:21 AM

El Reg is also running a story on the article-

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/30239.html

jx

Billy_ca

Apr 14, 2003, 09:53 AM

How can something be wireless, not have a battery, and work all at the same time?

Is it solar powered?

psxndc

Apr 14, 2003, 09:57 AM

I agree with CentaurAtlas: sounds like a "Smart Display" to me (below is MS' version)

http://www.microsoft.com/windows/smartdisplay/default.asp

-p

jMc

Apr 14, 2003, 09:58 AM

Originally posted by Billy_ca
How can something be wireless, not have a battery, and work all at the same time?

Is it solar powered?

Maybe it's wind-up like those wind-up radios... Man, that'd be cool. ;)

pEZ

Apr 14, 2003, 10:18 AM

Disregarding the lack of battery, I think that a wireless display is the natural progression of technology - I could totally see a bluetooth or (is this possible? I doubt it) 802.11b (or g) display. Apple has always been trying to get rid of wires - sounds good to me.

dongmin

Apr 14, 2003, 10:20 AM

Well, with all the vagueness and gaps in translation, this new thingy could be anything.

To me, it sounds more like an iMac replacement than a truly portable tablet PC. It could simply be a new iMac with a wireless keyboard.

NavyIntel007

Apr 14, 2003, 10:22 AM

Wireless Display without a battery? What do you have to do crank it? :confused:

Thanatoast

Apr 14, 2003, 10:24 AM

Thank you Osmium for that translation! If you hadn't been kind enough to do that for us we'd still be debating the finer points of crane intestine integration with the new powerbooks. Cheers! :)

dongmin

Apr 14, 2003, 10:27 AM

Originally posted by pEZ
Disregarding the lack of battery, I think that a wireless display is the natural progression of technology - I could totally see a bluetooth or (is this possible? I doubt it) 802.11b (or g) display. Apple has always been trying to get rid of wires - sounds good to me.

Is a wireless display even possible? Is it possible to convert VGA or DVI signals into something wireless, like bluetooth? I've yet to hear of such a technology.

ennerseed

Apr 14, 2003, 10:33 AM

Originally posted by NavyIntel007
Wireless Display without a battery? What do you have to do crank it? :confused:

No, no, it runs on a special macrumors reality distortion field. simular to the jobs reality distortion field but, makes readers believe they can run a quad 980 tablet mac with simply Mac OS X (tabby) and the cold sweat of thier hands.

dongmin

Apr 14, 2003, 10:39 AM

OK I did some research into these 'smart displays'. It's really misleading because they're not 'displays' in the sense that they're an output device for your desktop. Rather, the smart display is a portable computer in itself, more like a PDA with a large display or a wireless internet appliance. The windows-powered smart displays run Windows CE so they're definitely not a desktop replacement.

etoiles

Apr 14, 2003, 10:42 AM

Originally posted by ennerseed
No, no, it runs on a special macrumors reality distortion field. simular to the jobs reality distortion field but, makes readers believe they can run a quad 980 tablet mac with simply Mac OS X (tabby) and the cold sweat of thier hands.

...and crane intestines...mmmmmmmh, crane intestines

Dan8302

Apr 14, 2003, 10:47 AM

I just read the MS discription of their wireless displays, and somthing struck me, it said that they can not support full motion video and 3-D games. Whats the point then if you can't do that? I hope that if apple does come out with a wireless display that they have the ability to work as a regualr monitor and can display more than text and simple pictures.

Hattig

Apr 14, 2003, 10:57 AM

Originally posted by dongmin
Is a wireless display even possible? Is it possible to convert VGA or DVI signals into something wireless, like bluetooth? I've yet to hear of such a technology.

The display will also incorporate a small low-power computer running its own OS.

The display from the main computer is then transferred to the tablet either at the API level, at a primitives level (like X11 incorporates) or using plain old pixels (e.g., VNC) - or an intelligent mixture. This is a lot less bandwidth intensive, and thus works fine for most applications (without too much motion, e.g., playing video).

If the tablet used a low-power 750FX processor, then it might even run MacOSX on the tablet itself...

DavidCL23

Apr 14, 2003, 11:04 AM

The display gets its power wirelessly!!! Trust me on this one, apple is way ahead on this technology

gopher

Apr 14, 2003, 11:18 AM

Originally posted by DavidCL23
The display gets its power wirelessly!!! Trust me on this one, apple is way ahead on this technology

The technology existed 80 years ago. Read about Tesla,
who invented the wireless transmitting power station.
It was extremely noisy. He had to be 25 miles away from it in order not to be bothered by the noise.

It would make the G4 tower seem quieter than a hare.

jimjiminyjim

Apr 14, 2003, 11:22 AM

Well, regardless of crane intestines, wireless power, a dubious software base, and strange mixtures of processors, I for one am not very interested in purchasing a traditional desktop computer. The one I've got, an iMac 233 isn't much different than the quicksilver I'm typing on right now. And my palmpilot does (or can do) everything that I use the quicksilver for (ok, ok, except for my digital camera and the little bit of editing I do).

What I'm saying: Bring a tablet - it's time for real innovation. Bring it with a touchscreen keyboard, an optional big button (at least the size of a quarter) OS, and stick a 500 - 1 Ghz processor in it.

Toe

Apr 14, 2003, 11:28 AM

Imagine this: In your house instead of having one to five computers, you instead have one tower sitting in the closet, much like a water heater or furnace. That's your home computer... basically a home Xserve with Airport.

Then in your house you also have a variety of tablets sitting around. Some might be little iPod-sized things. Some might be big 15" screens you can write on, and some might be brainless notebooks (like a PowerBook, but with nothing in it but a screen, keyboard, battery, Airport, and Bluetooth). Ideally your house would have some microphones spread around it too.

Now when you want to compute, just grab a tablet and start working. Or just speak the computer's name, and start demanding things. Or just use the TV's remote. Or grab a keyboard and use it with the TV, or with a tablet.

Get creative. What's with all this Tablet-PC crap?? That's old news, and Apple's not in the habit of manufacturing old ideas.

cubist

Apr 14, 2003, 11:33 AM

Originally posted by Toe
... Now when you want to compute, just grab a tablet and start working. ...

I recall Xerox PARC had something like this. They called them "Pads". They also had a thing called a "Tag" that tracked people in the facility, wirelessly. And they had these things ten years ago.

-hh

Apr 14, 2003, 11:52 AM

Originally posted by Toe
Imagine this: In your house instead of having one to five computers, you instead have one tower sitting in the closet, much like a water heater or furnace. That's your home computer... basically a home Xserve with Airport.

Get creative...

This is along the lines of what I've been thinking...a 15" laptop is a problemmatic child stuck between the 12" and the 17", so its basic function would be better served (current term) if it did something else.

So you have a "tablet/laptop" that only needs to be as smart as a Palm for when its away from its base station, and when its within range, capable of running Apple Remote Desktop.

Apple Remote Desktop ... iSync ... Xserve ... Airport Extreme ... bluetooth ... it would appear that all of the necessary pieces are already in place.

-hh

Les Kern

Apr 14, 2003, 12:30 PM

Originally posted by Billy_ca
How can something be wireless, not have a battery, and work all at the same time?

It's the crane intestines. Ever see Star Trek Voyager? The ship was run by freezer packs full of living cells. Or maybe the energy comes from brownian motion...
Hey, makes about as much sense as the rest of the speculations. :)

Les Kern

Apr 14, 2003, 12:33 PM

jettredmont

Apr 14, 2003, 01:12 PM

Originally posted by dongmin
OK I did some research into these 'smart displays'. It's really misleading because they're not 'displays' in the sense that they're an output device for your desktop. Rather, the smart display is a portable computer in itself, more like a PDA with a large display or a wireless internet appliance. The windows-powered smart displays run Windows CE so they're definitely not a desktop replacement.

The OS of the "smart display" is meaningless; the only app running on a Windows "Smart Display" is Remote Desktop. Remote Desktop is essentially the same as Apple's remote software, which allows you to see the desktop of another computer on your computer.

Remote Desktop doesn't transmit raw VGA RGB signals across the wires, or even video card buffers, but instead transmits Window Manager and GDI commands to the remote client. Its "sorta almost kinda like" X-Windows in that respect (although X reverses the client/server topology and allows any number of display devices attached to applications on one computer). Anything that bypasses the Windows GDI can not work with Remote Desktop.

"Smart Displays" (aka Mira) came out of Microsoft at the same time as the Tablet reference design, caused a bit of market confusion, then were essentially dismissed as a very bad idea (primarily because of the limitations; one smart display per desktop, and you can't use the desktop at the same time as the smart display). Also, the fact that most companies wanted to sell the "Smart Display" as a replacement for the monitor (with the limitations still there when you are sitting down at you desk) made the idea pretty much stink.

And, yes, any DirectX applications (ie, most games and video players) will not work over Remote Desktop and hence will not work with a Smart Display.

Getting back on the thread: a "battery-less" (one would hope that that means just a minimal 1-2 hour battery, not a 10-12 hour variety all-day-use battery) wireless display would seem to fit in the office environment (where the "home base" is returned to often) better than the home environment (where, ideally, such a product would be left on the coffee table or on the bedside table for hours on end and only "cradled" when necessary). But then, as Arn has pointed out, DigiTimes has a low credibility record, so perhaps they're just making that up.

unclepain

Apr 14, 2003, 01:46 PM

Well, for $1299 you can already have this technology- as long as you are using WinXP.
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/airpanel_airpanelv150.htm

johnpaul191

Apr 14, 2003, 02:38 PM

Originally posted by NavyIntel007
Wireless Display without a battery? What do you have to do crank it? :confused:

it must use a Stirling Engine (http://www.sesusa.org/) !!!!! We know Steve Jobs and Dean Kamen (http://www.dekaresearch.com/aboutDean.html) are pals.

old_macpro

Apr 14, 2003, 02:42 PM

Ok folks, here may be a way the tablet might be wireless, without a battery...check out the article about Wireless Firewire : http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=4848

It might be possible, that such a tablet could hold a small charge (small battery), and continue to draw power from a wireless link like firewire.

blueBomber

Apr 14, 2003, 02:50 PM

isn't everybody sick of these tablet rumors yet? I for one could care less if Apple makes one, I've used the ones running WinXP and I find them to be useless given I can get a nice laptop for less money

dongmin

Apr 14, 2003, 03:04 PM

Originally posted by blueBomber
isn't everybody sick of these tablet rumors yet? I for one could care less if Apple makes one, I've used the ones running WinXP and I find them to be useless given I can get a nice laptop for less money

I guess Arn has some solid reason to believe that a tablet is waiting in the wings, b/c we do get an awful lot of tablet-related rumors posted here. I think there was even a Palm rumor posted here recently. In any event, it generates discussion; a lot of people seem to have strong opinions about it, pro and con.

liloconf

Apr 14, 2003, 03:07 PM

I've been waiting to see this for some time, i think most of you seem to be overlooking something sun has been doing for a long time. We are running osx which aside from being based around bsd can also (now with help from apple too) run x windows which (aqua might be able to too) can use a remote display such as sun's thin clients to display a desktop. So basically incorperating isync apple wants people to buy flat screen tablets with a keyboard that has no hard drive, cdrom etc etc , which makes use of bluetooth or 802.11b/g to acces a remote xwindows/aqua session from anywhere near your computer. If made with price in mind thease things will sell like hot cakes. imagine sitting in your faimily room with one of thease things and some headphones, watching a dvd your playing from your computer upstairs....... once again i need to work for apple, i could come up with ideas like thease all day. oh yeah and for non belivers im sure im not the only one that uses that windows based remote xwindow program to work on there mac from work....right? :)

(excuse speeling)

Winston Smith

Apr 14, 2003, 03:18 PM

Originally posted by Toe
Imagine this: In your house instead of having one to five computers, you instead have one tower sitting in the closet, much like a water heater or furnace. That's your home computer... basically a home Xserve with Airport.

Then in your house you also have a variety of tablets sitting around. Some might be little iPod-sized things. Some might be big 15" screens you can write on, and some might be brainless notebooks (like a PowerBook, but with nothing in it but a screen, keyboard, battery, Airport, and Bluetooth). Ideally your house would have some microphones spread around it too.

Now when you want to compute, just grab a tablet and start working. Or just speak the computer's name, and start demanding things. Or just use the TV's remote. Or grab a keyboard and use it with the TV, or with a tablet.

Get creative. What's with all this Tablet-PC crap?? That's old news, and Apple's not in the habit of manufacturing old ideas.

This is precisely the point of this. Someone start a new thread on what you use your computer for now that you didn't 5 years ago. Now factor in wireless , music services, downloadable video, photo albums etc. how big a hard drive do you have now compared with 5 years ago?
But you still sit in front of a desktop to enjoy this stuff?!!!
With this 'tablet' you can be anywhere within your wireless network controlling the feed from your server to your video wall, speakers, fridge even!!

Apple doesn't follow they lead or have I got a Jobs reality distortion field:D

arn

Apr 14, 2003, 03:43 PM

Originally posted by dongmin
I guess Arn has some solid reason to believe that a tablet is waiting in the wings, b/c we do get an awful lot of tablet-related rumors posted here. I think there was even a Palm rumor posted here recently. In any event, it generates discussion; a lot of people seem to have strong opinions about it, pro and con.

actually... I don't know what to make of this digitimes report... as many said... it's a bit of a jumble.

The only things I know about the possibility of a Mac Tablet are listed in this article from before:

http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/02/20030221004455.shtml

arn

TMay

Apr 14, 2003, 04:36 PM

Originally posted by Hattig
The display will also incorporate a small low-power computer running its own OS.

The display from the main computer is then transferred to the tablet either at the API level, at a primitives level (like X11 incorporates) or using plain old pixels (e.g., VNC) - or an intelligent mixture. This is a lot less bandwidth intensive, and thus works fine for most applications (without too much motion, e.g., playing video).

If the tablet used a low-power 750FX processor, then it might even run MacOSX on the tablet itself...

If I was doing this just as a wireless display, I would put in a low cost Quartz accelerated graphics card (chip/core), and send Quartz data via the 802.11g. How much bandwidth would that take? I would use one of the IBM embedded PPC's with a minimal OSX subset to power this. (People will want all kinds of connectivity options like Firewire (direct to videocam output), Bluetooth, USB 2.0, and ethernet, but I wouldn't get into these).

If I was building a tablet, on the other hand, I would basically just repackage an iBook behind a touch screen, or for a more Newton like approach, I would use the IBM 405LP with graphics and networking cores running an OSX lite so development is consistent across platforms.

requies

Apr 14, 2003, 04:45 PM

Originally posted by dongmin
Is a wireless display even possible? Is it possible to convert VGA or DVI signals into something wireless, like bluetooth? I've yet to hear of such a technology.

OS X is display postscript, which means that the display information is much smaller than raster display information and therefore easier to send over a wireless connection.

i think the peices are really coming together here. i think a thin client for the home is a good idea. combine that with the idea from the other tablet threads that the ipod could possibly connect to it to share hard drive space and battery power.

MetallicPenguin

Apr 14, 2003, 04:59 PM

Originally posted by liloconf
I've been waiting to see this for some time, i think most of you seem to be overlooking something sun has been doing for a long time. We are running osx which aside from being based around bsd can also (now with help from apple too) run x windows which (aqua might be able to too) can use a remote display such as sun's thin clients to display a desktop. So basically incorperating isync apple wants people to buy flat screen tablets with a keyboard that has no hard drive, cdrom etc etc , which makes use of bluetooth or 802.11b/g to acces a remote xwindows/aqua session from anywhere near your computer. If made with price in mind thease things will sell like hot cakes. imagine sitting in your faimily room with one of thease things and some headphones, watching a dvd your playing from your computer upstairs....... once again i need to work for apple, i could come up with ideas like thease all day. oh yeah and for non belivers im sure im not the only one that uses that windows based remote xwindow program to work on there mac from work....right? :)

(excuse speeling)

My point exactly that's what.....wait no nevermind. But this sounds very sweet.

unzkie

Apr 14, 2003, 05:01 PM

plz all, stop the nonsense.
I think this thing is most likely the long awaited touchscreen lcd input tablet, 15" would be just right.
Think input not output.

gopher

Apr 14, 2003, 05:35 PM

Originally posted by unclepain
Well, for $1299 you can already have this technology- as long as you are using WinXP.
http://www.viewsonic.com/products/airpanel_airpanelv150.htm
The Viewsonic has a battery.

mkaake

Apr 14, 2003, 06:13 PM

I don't know why so many people nock the idea of a tablet like device - i mean, sure the windows ones that are out suck right now, but i mean, really, cmon. think about that for a minute. of course they suck. and a mac version would be totally different, selling us on needing something we never knew existed - that's what they do. i for one, would love to have a tablet like device at work (if it worked as hard as a normal laptop). with the stuff i do, right now the only good way to get it done is to take a palm and beam the stuff over to the laptop and then enter all of the data by hand. what a pain... if i could just enter it strait in and see the results of what i was doing, i would be in heaven...

and other thoughts that i decided to stop typing, cause I really am a dork.

but the whole house/xserve/airport/wireless input display/other stuff would be awesome, and you'd be i'd be saving my money...

matt

requies

Apr 14, 2003, 07:52 PM

Originally posted by unzkie
plz all, stop the nonsense.
I think this thing is most likely the long awaited touchscreen lcd input tablet, 15" would be just right.
Think input not output.

nonsense is fun. please stop being a party pooper.

think CRAZY!

:P

oh, and yeah... i think it'll have a battery. go ahead and surprise me, apple! :D

WinSlave

Apr 14, 2003, 08:01 PM

Anyhow, they're reporting a rumor that Panther will allow multiple graphical logins. That would seem to go hand-in-hand with a tablet-based client to go with a whomped-up PPC 970 Panther server.

Who would want this? Well, families with one pseudo-expert and four websurfers/gameplayers/homeworkers (like mine) come to mind, provided that I could actually afford the dang things.

As it is now, it's
"Honey, can I check my e-mail?"
"Can't you log in on the other computer? I'm
working/surfing/playing a game (pick one)"
"But honey, the new computer's so much faster...<pout>".

"Honey, I found this neat webservice. Can you set it up for me?"
"Can't you do it?"
"Well, I downloaded this file, but I don't know where it went."

...and so forth.

Toe

Apr 14, 2003, 11:49 PM

Originally posted by Winston Smith
But you still sit in front of a desktop to enjoy this stuff?!!!
With this 'tablet' you can be anywhere within your wireless network controlling the feed from your server to your video wall, speakers, fridge even!! Then what would be really nice is a rollable, foldable screen. They have these in Iain M. Banks novels, I think.

When you want to write something, you grab an input pad, unroll it on the bed or couch or the desk your lap or whatever, and write on it. Its just a dumb terminal that logs into your account, just like Netboot clients. Start writing a letter while lying in bed, finish it in the living room of a freind's house. Makes no difference.

That is the sort of thing Apple is producing now, software-wise... they're just behind on the hardware. ;)

eric_n_dfw

Apr 15, 2003, 10:22 AM

Originally posted by requies
OS X is display postscript, which means that the display information is much smaller than raster display information and therefore easier to send over a wireless connection.

i think the peices are really coming together here. i think a thin client for the home is a good idea. combine that with the idea from the other tablet threads that the ipod could possibly connect to it to share hard drive space and battery power. I agree. But OS X, or more acurately, the Quartz engine, is display PDF - not PostScript. OPENSTEP/NeXTSTEP/Rhapsody and the very first version of OS X Server (pre Quartz/Aqua) were display PostScript.

Your point is valid though, I also think a wireless thin client for the home, if priced low enough, would be a wonderful asset. I'd love it!

eric_n_dfw

Apr 15, 2003, 10:33 AM

Originally posted by old_macpro
Ok folks, here may be a way the tablet might be wireless, without a battery...check out the article about Wireless Firewire : http://www.macworld.co.uk/news/main_news.cfm?NewsID=4848

It might be possible, that such a tablet could hold a small charge (small battery), and continue to draw power from a wireless link like firewire.
The ability to transmit high speed data through the air is feasable - that's what this article is talking about. But the ability to trasmit any kind of usefull amount of DC power through the air - (without a lightening bolt shooting from the wall to your lap!) is still, as far as I know, a pipe-dream.

Maybe Burton (the snow-board people) will parter with Apple again and market solar panel clothes to plug into it! :cool:

kylos

Apr 15, 2003, 11:55 AM

mkaake? Are you from kuccc?

My mouse is wireless and batteryless. It sits on my graphics tablet, powered by magnetic induction (I'm assuming). But yeah, to power a tablet computer would pretty much require a lightning bolt to your lap. Either that or an extremely disruptive magnetic field.

The tablet I'd like to see would be approx. 8*5 in. and would use the hardware based speech recognition mentioned in recent rumors.

eric_n_dfw

Apr 15, 2003, 12:39 PM

Originally posted by Kyle?
mkaake? Are you from kuccc?

My mouse is wireless and batteryless. It sits on my graphics tablet, powered by magnetic induction (I'm assuming). But yeah, to power a tablet computer would pretty much require a lightning bolt to your lap. Either that or an extremely disruptive magnetic field.

The tablet I'd like to see would be approx. 8*5 in. and would use the hardware based speech recognition mentioned in recent rumors.
Yes - your mouse must be within milimeters of the pad, no?

If there's any truth to this rumor, especially the "batteryless" part, I'd venture to guess that it's a non-removable power source, maybe some new kind of rechargable battery that is intregal to the case or something. Maybe even one of the pie-in-the-sky mini-fuel cell ideas that have been tosed arround.

kylos

Apr 15, 2003, 01:19 PM

Yeah, my mouse sits on my tablet. It does work a few mm's above the surface, though.

eric_n_dfw

Apr 15, 2003, 02:11 PM

Originally posted by Kyle?
Yeah, my mouse sits on my tablet. It does work a few mm's above the surface, though. That's pretty cool!
Someone at Comdex this year was showing these "pads" that you could just throw your cell phone, pda or whatever onto and they would auto-magically charge it inductively . I think you had to use their batteries with them or something. Pretty cool though, no metal contacts - just a mouse-pad looking plastic thing sitting there with all your toys laying on it.

Toe

Apr 15, 2003, 02:50 PM

From time to time, there have been suggestions (of various levels of credibility) that bathing in electro-magnetic fields might not be very good for you.

We're awash in signals ranging the entire spectrum, and we just keep installing more right into our houses and even resting right on our laps (if there is an effect... guess what's getting fried!).

The majority of the signals we flood the "airwaves" with are pretty weak, I believe. The reports of cancer and such usually correlated with proximity to an electrical substation (the exception here being the reports of cellphones frying brains). But if we start creating massive magnetic fields in our houses, the situation could be much more severe.

Then again, I don't know the status of these claims. Does anyone here have the scientific background to comment?

kylos

Apr 15, 2003, 02:58 PM

I would guess that a magnetic field powerful enough to power a tablet as you wander about the house would not be very good for you. Also, it would mess with all your appliances.

eric_n_dfw

Apr 15, 2003, 03:12 PM

Originally posted by Kyle?
I would guess that a magnetic field powerful enough to power a tablet as you wander about the house would not be very good for you. Also, it would mess with all your appliances. We could install one of those poles that bumper cars use and have an electrified metal mesh for a ceiling and metal flooring. Then, if you walk around barefoot it would all work! (how many watts does a PowerBook pull in anyway? :eek: )

eric_n_dfw

Apr 15, 2003, 03:15 PM

By George - I think I've got it!

How about one of those do-hickeys that those Eco-Watches use that takes your motion and generates electricity from it. A few hundred of them mounted to the inside of the case would generate enough power to... um... well, if there wasn't that pesky hard drive, backlight ....

:rolleyes:

Toe

Apr 15, 2003, 03:39 PM

Originally posted by eric_n_dfw
We could install one of those poles that bumper cars use and have an electrified metal mesh for a ceiling and metal flooring. Then, if you walk around barefoot it would all work! (how many watts does a PowerBook pull in anyway? :eek: ) Hm. Well, I can see attaching a pole to my shoulders to rub against the ceiling... no problem there. But I think the sparks coming off of it might start some hair fires.

I suppose the best way to work through this engineering hurdle would simply to put asbestos hoods over people's heads. Yep, that does it.

Of course, the image of a hooded figure with a tall, perhaps sickle-shaped pole does conjure some potentially negative stereotypes. So to counteract that, I suppose a simple marketing campaign would do the trick: "The new Apple iPoleHoodTablet: It's NOT Death."

Gee. This stuff is so easy. Apple should hire ME for sure. Cupertino, here I come!