eWeek: Apple Tablet?

[MacRumors]

Matthew Rothenberg discusses the coming MacWorld Expo and potential Apple announcements... and suggests that MWSF may be the launching pad for an Apple Tablet:

My sources sketch the following picture: A device that superficially resembles a large iPod with an 8-inch diagonal screen, lacks a keyboard, packs USB and FireWire ports, and runs Mac OS X along with a variety of multimedia goodies.

Matthew Rothenberg first "speculated" about this Apple tablet in November... but appears to have had some basis in circulating rumors.

Tablets are no new concept to Apple who designed prototype Newton tablets back in the early 90s.

[Noiseboy]

But will it fit on the little plastic display stands?

[richard5mith]

Well that clinches it for me. Apple Tablet it is.

[Goblin2099]

gahh...there will be no tablet! We all love Apple because Apple makes innovative products that work damn well. Tablet PCs, despite all the ridiculous marketing, have not found a real niche. The only decent suggestions that have been put forth are for educators, doctors, and factory workers taking inventory, but they can't be used successfully there because the battery life runs between 2 and 3 hours at best. If there is ever going to be an iTablet, it's not going to be until the necessary technologies are good and ready. Inkwell is there, but I doubt even Apple can stretch battery life past 6 hours...triple what's out there now, but still not a full work day. If nothing else, Apple won't put it out because they want to see the PC crowd fall on their faces as the tablet craze dies a horrible death, and then maybe...Maybe....they put out their own tablet that does everything Microsoft promised but failed at

[vniow]

Originally posted by Noiseboy
But will it fit on the little plastic display stands?

Not unless it's some sort of PDA/Tablet hybrid.

[Beej]

Originally posted by richard5mith
Well that clinches it for me. Apple Tablet it is.

You're easily convinced, aren't you?

[Rajj]

If it is introduced, I wonder what the specs would be??
Maybe a 800Mhz G3 with low voltage
30GB HDD
256Mb of RAM,
2 Gigawire Ports
2 USB Ports
Bluetooth
And weigh 4 Lbs?
Also I hope it is not white!!!!

[iGod]

Sounds quite possible - but that would essentially constitute...a...PDA!
I suppose it would be useful with iCal and the OSX Addressbook feature...but that would basically make it an iPod with text-input capabilities minus the music.

It would certainly have to do more than that...photos, perhaps?

But that would still only make it a Sony CLIE rip-off - check out the following link (cut and paste into browser):

http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.p...e,Product_Name

Check out this too (similar PDA with camera):

http://www.jandr.com/JRProductPage.p...e,Product_Name

[Hawthorne]

My credit cards just ran away and hid from me. They know that if this comes out, it's cost will be added to their burden!

seriously, if this includes 802.11b (or g? Please? ), it would be perfect for my wife, and an excellent sidekick to a desktop Mac.

Time to head down to the local Apple store and get in line for Tuesday's webcast, it seems.

[pyrotoaster]

That makes the Apple tablet article pretty tempting, but I'm still giving an iPod-like DLD better odds (65% vs. 35% for a tablet).
Then again, this sort of sounds like an iPod-like DLD, doesn't it...
Anyway, we all know the real question is: "are the display stands clear so we can see the Dynamic Ornamental Appearance through them?!"

[iJed]

What is the point of a tablet computer?

I cannot see any real use for a tablet computer at all. Surley a large PDA would be more useful since it would have a much much better battery life. There are also only about five situations where it may be more useful than a laptop. I don't think that Apple would sell very many of these if they did make one.

[gunb0y]

if Apple does release a tablet computer it wont be the first apple failure... Apple is known for releasing poor selling items that are ahead of their time (cube, newton). And a tablet can be classified as ahead of its time right now since we don't have the technology for long battery life.

[yamadataro]

I'm 85% convinced about this tablet thingy!
I was thinking about Video iPod for a while, but that multimedia tablet makes more sense marketing-wise.

I mean Video iPod won't have as much impact as iPod had.
Press people would just go "Apple has released a video version of iPod."
On the other hand, multimedia tablet would give much more to write for the press guys. It would be music, video, OS X and more!

By the way, 8" screen sounds real convincing and good.
I'd give Video iPod a thought before pulling my Visa card out of my wallet.
But with OS X multimedia table? Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr....

[Goblin2099]

Just out of curiousity, does anyone see a way in which the tablet would fit into the digital hub? From what people seem to be interpreting about its multimedia implications, it seems like it would just be a middleman between the computer and the peripherals.

[sanford]

I just can't imagine a video iPod! But, then again, I'm not much of a video fanatic. I watch movies on DVD on my television set.

I've used a Tablet PC and frankly I find them unwieldy. The handwriting recognition is certainly acceptable but the whole "user experience" failed for me. And a tablet Mac certainly wouldn't replace my TiBook. When we get to the day you can buy all your textbooks as ebooks, tablet computing may find a home in schools and universities.

I also did not realize that the Tablet PC has only a 2-3 hour battery life. You're still chained to the wall outlet for the most part.

Back to the video iPod: who will be ecstatic about this? I'm sure I'll find it cute and gee-whiz, but otherwise utterly useless.

[Hawthorne]

Originally posted by gunb0y
if Apple does release a tablet computer it wont be the first apple failure... Apple is known for releasing poor selling items that are ahead of their time (cube, newton). And a tablet can be classified as ahead of its time right now since we don't have the technology for long battery life.

While I agree that Apple has had their miscues, as all innovators must have occasionally, I don't think battery life is one of the things holding back a tablet right now. The Microsoft versions claim 10 hours of life, though if that's like the "5 hour" battery life of most PC laptops, half, or even a third of that time is more reasonable.

My iPod can easily play all day on one overnight charge, and 4 hours+ is the norm with for my iBook. If this (alledged) tablet uses simliar battery and power management technology, battery life on if would be excellent.

What's holding back tablets is that they're a solution in need of a problem. What can they do that an iBook or a PDA cannot? I can see them as useful for surfing or lightweight office work (which, admittedly, is what 80% of the PC's out there are used for), but without an upgrade option, they'd be useless for anything else.

[superkatalog]

i don't know where do you would take the videos from to play with the video pod? rips of your own dvds? that needs so much space. and divx encoding and others need much time. i think it is not so cool if you have to wait half a day before you can watch the movie on your "video pod". i think it is pretty useless.

[adamcoop]

Originally posted by sanford

Back to the video iPod: who will be ecstatic about this? I'm sure I'll find it cute and gee-whiz, but otherwise utterly useless.

How many of you thought about buying an MP3 player before the iPod was released? I sure didn't. Who would want something that could only store 1/2 an hour of music.
The iPod changed the face of the MP3 player market.
This could happen with a video iPod. There are others out there, but with the usual bulkiness, unattractive design and user unfriendliness associated with PC brand periphials.
Imagine if Apple released a device, similar to the EyeTV, or even a software based product, that could record TV shows and download them to the 'vPod'.
I could be sitting back watching the Simpsons right now.

[Gus]

the functionality of a tablet that connects to your Mac as well and can be used with Inkwell when connected to your computer. Obviously not the main function of the machine, but an added feature.

I hope it is a tablet. Like somebody up above said, how many of us thought about buying a $400 Mp3 player a year and a half ago? I think we are forgetting that if Apple has chosen to go this route they will only have done it if they have overcome the maiin limitations (battery life, etc.). They don't want it to flop out of the gate. I mean come on, give them a little credit. They learned a little from the Newton. I loved the Newt, but it was not ready for prime time when released. They would never do that again. The cube was a great machine, but at the wrong price. At its price, it didn't have a niche, a market. IF they do a tablet, it will not just be the same old tablet with an Apple on it. It will be something worth making noise about.

Regards,
Gus

[sanford]

Originally posted by adamcoop

I could be sitting back watching the Simpsons right now.

But I wouldn't, so I guess that's the point. A video iPod would be great for some, useless for others. As I guess the iPod is for people who don't like music.

[adamcoop]

You could also run iTunes style visuals...

Great for all those ravers out there, with pills to pop, but no funky lightshow to go with them.

[aharon]

Can I use it on the Enterprise?

I'll be the first one to admit, I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what we are going to see on the 7th. But chances are, I'll buy it, at some point.

Maybe someone should call TIME Canada?

[pyrotoaster]

I didn't think we'd be seeing a tablet, but if we do, I'll be very excited. There are a few things I want to address first:

1. People who complain about the battery life aren't thinking about the iPod. I know a tablet uses more power than the pod, but I know Apple won't make a tablet that can't be taken on the road.

2. Stop thinking about Tablet PCs! We're talking about an Apple Tablet. It won't be a mutant laptop, it'll be a revolutionary look at technology of the future.

An Apple Tablet would (probably) be a good thing!

[mac15]

Well if apple bought out a tablet, how many of you here would buy one, if it turned out to be like TiVo then I'd stear clear, but its apple so it must be decent. Nothing apple is making now is bad, its all good

[clonenode]

Apple is NOT trying to come up with a replacement for it's laptops. They're trying to give people with desktops an in-house (or around the town and at work) portable solution.

So, it is NOT my primary computing device, but it can share the cable-modem connection my iMac has and I can surf the web with a wireless Airport connection from the couch. And, with a quick FireWire downlaod, it can hold my iPhoto library and some of my iMovies so that the next time I visit my parents, I can share all the great shots of my kids. Watch the new version of iMovie to have "sharing" capability.