Steve Jobs Criticizes 7-Inch Tablets, Says 10-Inches Minimum

[G4er?]

Steve is quoted as saying our fingers are too big for a 7 inch screen.

While one could increase the resolution of the display to make up for some of the difference, it is meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper, so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size.

Thank you Steve. Now that I know my fingers are too big I will save lots of money not buying an iPhone, iTouch or Nano. This is good news. More money in my pocket. Now since I have all this extra money where is that mini tower I want?

 

[BC2009]

i want a 65 inch tablet that can act as a TV and super light weight.

the 65 inch can also be used similar to the Microsoft Surface touch.

They can call it the iCoffeeTable or iTable.

 

[ryanonsrc]

Brilliant Controlled Leak?

Apple has been long suspected of creating controlled "leaks" of future products. I wonder if this is a case of them sending false information out, with the specific purpose of tricking competitors into working on smaller tablet-PC (in an effort to beat Apple to it)?

If so, then I am thoroughly impressed. Regarding Steve Jobs' thinking: I have to say I agree. My very first thought when I heard about 7 inch tablets was, "Why!?". I mean after all the iPad found a perfect (and apparently lucrative) niche right smack-dab between the smart-phone and the laptop. And the current iPad's size is right at the sweet spot. Anything bigger or smaller would be sub-optimal.

 

[69650]

I personally think there is a market for a 7" device but feel it should be part of the iPod / iPhone family rather than the iPad family: a 7" (widescreen) device would be superb for watching movies or reading an e-book, but not so good with things like Pages, Numbers, and the apps that push the iPad UI to its limits.

I could live with that: 4" iPhone, 7" iPod, 10" iPad, plus the iPod nano for those who want a smaller music only option.

A 7" iPod would be awesome for portable games.

 

[rboater7]

I was hoping for a 7" iPad. I recently bought a Kindle; and while it's pretty good as an e-reader and has the right size and heft imo, it's not a Mac. The navigation is pretty clunky, and I wish it could do everything that an iPad can. That being said, the iPad is just too big for my purposes even though I would much rather be using iBooks. And the Touch is too small for reading.

 

[Dbrown]

I've attached a couple of images here which illustrate why a 7" iPad would not be ideal with current iPad apps. The first one (overlay) shows how much of a current iPad screen would be visible on a 7" iPad if the UI elements were kept the same size (the green bit would be visible on a 7" device). The second one shows the two screen sizes side-by-side with the whole UI shrunk to fit the 7" display

The 7" version is totally useable. in fact on my laptop, your attached comparison image scaled to fit a 13" screen, the 10" version measures ~7" and the 7" version measures ~4.5", and the 4.5" version is still very usable.

Some apps will need to be redesigned for a 7" screen, the vast majority (like your example) probably won't.

 

[alent1234]

Apple has been long suspected of creating controlled "leaks" of future products. I wonder if this is a case of them sending false information out, with the specific purpose of tricking competitors into working on smaller tablet-PC (in an effort to beat Apple to it)?

If so, then I am thoroughly impressed. Regarding Steve Jobs' thinking: I have to say I agree. My very first thought when I heard about 7 inch tablets was, "Why!?". I mean after all the iPad found a perfect (and apparently lucrative) niche right smack-dab between the smart-phone and the laptop. And the current iPad's size is right at the sweet spot. Anything bigger or smaller would be sub-optimal.

SJ swore apple is not developing a cell phone, a few months later we get the iphone

SJ said no one wants to buy a box, and a few months later we get a new Apple TV

SJ said no iphone apps, and a few months later we get the app store

come January 2011 i bet we see a 7" iPad announced and the ifaithful will hype how awesome it is

 

[balamw]

It's not just about resolution and visibility, it is about *size*. Size for finger targets - and size for layout purposes. Size for full-sized documents, and enough finger precision to select individual characters on those documents.

I agree with you for the best apps the iPad has, shrinking the UI would stink. However, a 7" 960x640 device designed to run iPhone/iPod apps @165 dpi seems perfectly reasonable. All the UI elements would be larger.

These same apps are still useful/fun on the 10" iPad in 2X mode, but don't take advantage of the additional size of the iPad.

B

 

[Carniphage]

I agree with you for the best apps the iPad has, shrinking the UI would stink. However, a 7" 960x640 device designed to run iPhone/iPod apps @165 dpi seems perfectly reasonable. All the UI elements would be larger.

These same apps are still useful/fun on the 10" iPad in 2X mode, but don't take advantage of the additional size of the iPad.

It's not just a case of reprogramming all the apps in the App store. Although that is, of itself, a monumentally bad idea.

Some applications simply don't map onto a 7" screen. There's a ton of newspaper and magazine apps that need that space. They need it because they create full page views which resemble magazine or newspaper pages.
They simply would suck on a half-sized screen. As would comics. As would business documents.

The 10" format is close enough to printer paper for that to work. So I really really don't think the 7" format is going to happen.

In future, I think Apple may well increase the screen resolution of the device. They may bring down its weight, or add a camera. They might even thin the bezel down.

But I honestly don't think they'll take physical size of the screen down by a centimeter.

C.

 

[lilo777]

Beg to differ on the web browser. Right now I'm reading macrumors on my iPad. I can just read the forum posts without zooming. If the screen size were any smaller, I would have to zoom to make out the letters. The same goes for the majority of other web sites I visit. A lot of iPhone apps are actually front ends for websites that present the site content in a format more readable on the iphone. With the iPad, the need for such apps is reduced dramatically. A 7" screen would be better for web browsing than the iPhone, but I doubt I'd feel it was perfect.

And I prefer to read MacRumors on my 27" screen. But mobile users is a different story. That's my point. People do things differently.

 

[Syk]

What I don't get is the neh neh boo boo going on in this thread. Some people are acting like a 7" tablet would mean the end of the world.

Different things for different people. Some feel a 9.7" is best for the while for me I think a 7" would be better suited for what I plan to use it for.

I can understand Steve saying he doesn't want to fragment the line and even said he may come up with another line. The iPod touch, the i7" something and the 9.7" or greater iPad. I see the touch as a mini tablet myself. I can understand what some guys are saying about screen design between a touch and iPad and how a 7" wouldn't work for iOS as it currently is.

But for him to say a 7" tablet is too small to use I can't agree with.

Just like a poster posted earlier in this thread of some screen sizes to show in their opinion why a 7" would be too small I'm going to post picture why I think it would work for some people, well me anyway, although I wouldn't put it in my back pocket,

Anyway that's the good thing about choice, everyone has one and can buy what suits them better.

The reason the 7" will be DOA is because they'll be priced too high IMO. The Galaxy Tab if it's priced in the states like it is over seas probably won't do too well. I did hear they were making a wifi only which could bring the price down.

 

[Mr Kram]

those 7" tabs are widescreen. the ipad would be 4x3. it would be smaller, but the form factor would be different than what is pictured. most people wouldn't be able to palm it, i would guess.

 

[balamw]

The 10" format is close enough to printer paper for that to work. So I really really don't think the 7" format is going to happen.

As has been pointed out ad nauseam the 7" form-factor is also familiar at basically that of a trade paperback or ~A5/8.5x5.5, and works well for eBooks (see Kindle, Nook, etc...).

If all I'm doing is reading I prefer my Nook over my iPad or iPhone for sheer portability. Higher resolution would be nice, but is not essential.

B

 

[Carniphage]

But for him to say a 7" tablet is too small to use I can't agree with.

He didn't say that.

I wonder if you know that Apple already make a 3.5" device that can run apps just like the ones in your pictures. And that device *will* fit into your pocket without making you look like an idiot.

What he said was that a half-sized screen would limit the functionality of a tablet class device.

C.

 

[headfuzz]

The reason the 7" will be DOA is because they'll be priced too high IMO. The Galaxy Tab if it's priced in the states like it is over seas probably won't do too well. I did hear they were making a wifi only which could bring the price down.

This I agree with, was shocked when I saw the RRP of the Galaxy Tab. MORE than an iPad?! Wowsers.

Crazy marketing. They could have aggressively priced it as a loss leader to steal a mrch on Apple. With the current suggested pricing I can't see them selling en masse.

 

[Carniphage]

As has been pointed out ad nauseam the 7" form-factor is also familiar at basically that of a trade paperback or ~A5/8.5x5.5, and works well for eBooks (see Kindle, Nook, etc...).

7" is great for novels. Lousy for everything else.

C.

 

[Syk]

He didn't say that.

I wonder if you know that Apple already make a 3.5" device that can run apps just like the ones in your pictures. And that device *will* fit into your pocket without making you look like an idiot.

What he said was that a half-sized screen would limit the functionality of a tablet class device.

C.

I have an iphone4 but thanks for playing. If I saw someone carrying a Tab in their back pocket I wouldn't think they look like an idiot. Different things for different people

 

[Syk]

those 7" tabs are widescreen. the ipad would be 4x3. it would be smaller, but the form factor would be different than what is pictured. most people wouldn't be able to palm it, i would guess.

All the more reason to put the 7" iwhatever into a different class.

I guess my main point was that a 7" could be a viable solution, it may take some redoing but totally usable

 

[Carniphage]

I have an iphone4 but thanks for playing. If I saw someone carrying a Tab in their back pocket I wouldn't think they look like an idiot. Different things for different people

Could be true. When people stick pocket-sized devices in their pocket, I think "fair enough". When they start pocketing larger items I automatically think "shoplifter".

C.

 

[Syk]

This I agree with, was shocked when I saw the RRP of the Galaxy Tab. MORE than an iPad?! Wowsers.

Crazy marketing. They could have aggressively priced it as a loss leader to steal a mrch on Apple. With the current suggested pricing I can't see them selling en masse.

I don't see them selling well either. I may pick one up on craigslist for a steal but they could have priced them less and moved more volume, sometimes less is more....I think it's a nice looking device with plenty of features but no way would I spend what they are asking for one.

It's going to be tough to over come Apple loyalty, Apples first to the market product when your product is good but cost way more than what's currently available.

 

[Tunster]

Simply, I'd rather buy a higher res 10" iPad than a 7" iPad. Wouldn't everyone agree?

 

[Tsunami911]

I agree...

The iPhone is smaller than 7" and there's not much it can't do.

If clicking things is difficult on 7", it must really hard on on a 3.5 inch.

The cramped space argument doesn't hold water with the existence of an iPhone.

I would have liked a 7 inch version to complement the iPad I already have.

Frankly I think we'll one day see a smaller version of the iPad. Steve has poo pooed a lot of things only to launch them later with great fanfare.

 

[bomsom]

exactly! Bigger iPad instead

i actually would like to see a 13 to 15" iPad

+1. At the time I got my iPad I thought: It's really small, could be bigger. 2 months later and I got used to it, good compromise between size , weight and usability but if there's an 13" iPad in the future (with the same weight of the current one or lighter) I'm in!!

 

[Mr Kram]

All the more reason to put the 7" iwhatever into a different class.

I guess my main point was that a 7" could be a viable solution, it may take some redoing but totally usable

i made a point in a different thread. right now, it doesn't make business sense for apple to bring a 7" tab to market. they would cannibalize their own sales. i highly doubt, they would significantly impact sales from the android or BB tabs.

 

[Tunster]

i made a point in a different thread. right now, it doesn't make business sense for apple to bring a 7" tab to market. they would cannibalize their own sales. i highly doubt, they would significantly impact sales from the android or BB tabs.

Ditto man! This is the same case as bringing out a Nano iPhone. Just why would you do it? Why would Steve Jobs want to segregate iPhone sales just for the sake of an extra device?

iPad does what it says on the tin. As like the iPhone experience, they'll bring one out; same size, but with better spec's next year. Higher res screen, front facing camera and some other bits.