So how much is this thing gonna cost?
The iPod cost $399 when it debuted, and all that went into it was a 5 gig HD, small b&w screen, battery, firewire interface, and 133 mhz ARM processor.
-Now if this 'thing' plays video, it'll require a decent color LCD with a GPU to drive it. Add $100 for the LCD and GPU.
-To surf the web or stream video onto it, you'll need wireless networking. Add $50 for Airport.
-You should be able to use a wireless keyboard + mouse for times you don't want to hand-write everything. Add $50 for Bluetooth.
-To run all the necessary apps on it, like full web surfing and games, it'll need a decent processor and memory. Add $150 for a 700 mhz G3 processor and 128 MB of RAM.
-A 3.65'' x 5'' wacom tablet costs $100. Expect at least that much in extra cost to add decent touch-sensitivity on the 5'' x 7'' screen.
So far, for just the basic hardware, I have $850. And I haven't included things like video out, IrDA, or USB (for connecting to your digicam). Add another $50 for OS X Lite and we're talking $900. For me this is a super-conservative estimate since miniturizing all the technology to fit into this form factor is gonna add a premium. And what about the development cost for designing something this complex?
So for $900, you have a slimmed-down iBook. What are the advantages over the iBook:
-portability (but not pocketability)
-pen-input
The disadvantages:
-no optical drive
-smaller screen
-fewer inputs (assuming no USB, no modem, no video out)
Personally, if I didn't already own an iBook, I would be very tempted by this device. Again, I think $900 is a super-conservative estimate, but even for $1000, the smaller form factor might be worth it trading off on the optical drive and 12" screen. This should have enough power to run all the iApps decently. And if Apple comes out with a light suite of office apps, this could be everything you need in a consumer laptop.
