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Apple Netbook Touchscreen Rumors Continue to Gather Steam
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lol 3G for free is hilarious.
Folks, there is no reason to want 3G on this new product or built into any new Apple product.
3G is absolutely pathetic. A max of 1.4mbps, real speeds of less than 700 all the time. $30/mon for just the iPhone is practically criminal.
Thank God for PDAnet. As long as that exists I will never pay for MORE 3G in another product. Its ridiculous to do so anyway.
Even if Apple unveils "tethering" as the new super feature for 3.0, unless its free I couldn't care less, and neither should anyone else.
I actually own an iPhone first generation since 3rd November 2007, it is time to change it for something new, like a new iPhone or the thing i suggested, a larger iPhone so to speak.
Hardware IS an aspect, so it isn't missing a point as much as contemplating an aspect of the device.
I agree- netbook would be a major dud.
I don't agree- a multi-touch 10" tablet, even with fairly minimal uses, would be quite successful at a certain price range.
We've been hoping the unique aspect of the device would be stylus ability, so people could do art and writing on the tablet. If this could be a device that does internet, document reading, and document creation, it will have a good, strong market.
This isn't exactly the 10" screen I had envisioned, but it does show split thumb virtual keyboards that you can use while still fully utilizing the application at hand (sort of reminiscent of the Samsung Q1 Ultra or the WiBrain) . I would just hope for something that had less of an extreme aspect ratio than the one shown at this link:
Super-wide iPhone
Some of the things going on in the videos lead me to believe that it's NOT an Apple device ... but I could sort of see getting used to an iPhone that big. Especially if it has tethering for my netbook, and a decent ssh and vnc (or apple remote desktop) client to use when I'm not carrying my netbook. I'd also want to see what Google Reader looks like on it, and how well Google Docs and Gmail work.
My suspicion is that it's a mocked concept of a Moblin device. But I find it a lot more interesting (after watching the videos and thinking about it some) than I would have if someone had just told me about it (or if I had just seen the opening picture and not looked any further).
Still, I think I'd prefer a 10" 16x9 aspect ratio device.
Super-wide iPhone
Some of the things going on in the videos lead me to believe that it's NOT an Apple device ... but I could sort of see getting used to an iPhone that big. Especially if it has tethering for my netbook, and a decent ssh and vnc (or apple remote desktop) client to use when I'm not carrying my netbook. I'd also want to see what Google Reader looks like on it, and how well Google Docs and Gmail work.
My suspicion is that it's a mocked concept of a Moblin device. But I find it a lot more interesting (after watching the videos and thinking about it some) than I would have if someone had just told me about it (or if I had just seen the opening picture and not looked any further).
Still, I think I'd prefer a 10" 16x9 aspect ratio device.
![laptop-latitude-xt2-design1.jpg]()
![laptop-latitude-xt2-overview1.jpg]()
Touch the Future
Now this is intuitive. With natural gestures like pinching or tapping you can quickly and easily scroll, pan, rotate, enlarge and reduce content. With multi-touch gesturing, the touch-screen responds to more than one finger contact. The Latitude XT2 provides this Multi-touch gestures functionality. The multi-fingertip movement conveys a command for actions such as: Pinch zoom in & out, Two-finger Pan/scroll, Double tap to close screen and more.
These gestures work in many business applications today, including Outlook, Word, PowerPoint, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Google Earth, Acrobat and others.
![laptop-latitude-xt2-design2.jpg]()
It's a Tablet. It's a Notebook. It's Both.
The Latitude XT2 Convertible Tablet PC allows you to work comfortably in tablet or laptop PC mode. Use the multi-touch screen for fingertip convenience or the comfortable, two-button, battery-free pen to write or draw as you would on a piece of paper.
Convert to laptop mode and you've got a full-sized keyboard along with the touch-screen.
________________
With a 12.1" screen, 1.1" thick and 1.64 kg, this is more like a "12 inch PowerBook" than a netbook. With Windows support for Multi-Touch (add-on in Vista, native in Windows 7), it shows what to expect from Windows 7 multi=touch netbooks.
Other features:
- eSata
- 1394
- 54mm ExpressCard
- SD slot
- daylight view LED backlit screen
- Core 2 Duo ULV
- up to 5 GiB RAM, 64-bit Vista
- 80/120 GB 5400 RPM, or 64GB/128GB SSD
- a/g/n WiFi
- (opt) 3G cell modem (Verizon, Sprint or AT&T)
- Bluetooth, GbE
- (opt) fingerprint reader
Not cheap - the netbook would have to omit many of these features. Since Atom is functionally the same as a Core 2 Duo, however, that means that all of the software for a multi-touch Windows netbook already exists. When Windows 7 ships, expect to see some very interesting small systems. (note that telephone APIs are part of Win7, so any netbook with a 3G card could be a phone as well)
http://www.dell.com/content/products/productdetails.aspx/laptop-latitude-xt2?c=us&cs=555&l=en&s=biz
*yawns*
That's lovely, but does it run Mac OS X?
No it doesn't, and it's not lovely.
Pointing out that "Dell already has this" is goofy, because it's neither here nor there. Note that people on this forum are not saying, "I want a tablet." They are saying, "I want a Mac tablet." Yes, we are quite aware that other companies are already making tablets. That run Windows. We want a Mac OS X tablet!
EDIT: Oh, and looky: I'm configuring abovesaid Dell tablet/netbook now and would you look at that! I'm not even finished yet and it's already up to $3,300! If a Mac tablet were to exist for that price, we would doubtless be hearing about what sheep we are to buy such a ridiculously overpriced Gucci accessory.
I got yer 10" tablet right here.
![Picture_22.png]()
That is a perfectly good example of exactly where a split thumb virtual keyboard would be greatly useful. (here's the "super-wide iphone" from my last post).
The unused light grey areas on either side of your screen could be filled in with split thumb keyboards, the lower dark grey area and landscape full keyboard could be done away with, and then the entire center area could be used for displaying the application.
Otherwise, looks sexy. Do you have the URL for the blog post that it came from? (the picture url indicates it came from a blog)
I agree split keyboard is huge. I want to be able to use this thing without setting it down on a desk. As a teacher it would be so great if I could have this replace a clipboard when I walk through the class checking homework and such. It would also make it better to use on the bus or train.
I agree completely (except that I'm not a teacher in a classroom).
My use cases are:
1) walking through a data center, managing the machines via web-admin pages, virtual consoles, ssh, VNC tunneled through ssh, or apple remote desktop (all displayed on my tablet) as I'm walking around.
2) using a real keyboard (USB or bluetooth) to take notes on it, in a meeting.
3) using it to read mail, rss, web pages while I'm on the bus/train commute to/from work.
4) emergency monitoring and management of my systems no matter where I am.
Looking pretty good… Nice port selection too.I got yer 10" tablet right here.
![Picture_22.png]()
Bleh. 12" == too big
Do you mean convertible tablet / swivel screen, like the Dell pictured above? or do you mean a keyboardless tablet, like a modbook?
If by "Macbook Pro", you mean "expensive", bleh. Hopefully less than $700. Definitely less than $1000.
I have no doubt whatever size or specs that Apple will present us with when it does arrive it will no doubt bring headlines and alot of happy customers, I will be one for sure
Bring it on Apple
Bring it on Apple