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Apple Tablet Computer Design Patent

This could be a hit. I'm not so sure I'm crazy about it being a thin client. How is that going to be useful when I need to take notes in my business classes away from my home server?

It needs certain features to make it great that Apple could certainly do.

1. 8-10 hours battery life. This device needs to be able to go a full day without charge.
2. Light. Tablets are coming in at 5-6 lbs now. That's very heavy for what it does. 3-4 lbs or lighter is best.
3. Price point needs to be below $1000. $800 would be ideal. This device should supplemental to desktop ownership. Buying a Mac Mini and a tablet would come in at about the same price as a powerbook.

Questions I have.

1. Ports. I'd like to at least have a USB port. Maybe a firewire. But I'd like it to be as clean as possible.
2. Docking station. Can I use this as a standalone machine? Will I have a superdrive option in the dock?
3. Integration with other macs. Instead of a thin client, this computer needs to be everything OS X is along with advanced integration and backup solutions with desktop macs and servers.
4. Screen size. 12" would be optimal. 14" is huge.


I'm not in the market now. I'm going to milk my 12" until it's dead. But when it does, I would like to get a desktop and a machine like this.
 
You guys are still missing the point. This is a DESIGN PATENT. It does not cover functionality in any way whatsoever. The thing might be a flat tank for pet turtles for all the PTO cares.

The product must look almost identical to what was submitted, or the design patent is worthless. Therefore it will not have a lot of ports, since the figure does not show any ports other than what appears to be an iPod dock connector.

The only rational explanation is that this is a video iPod. It is not a PDA; nobody would edit data on a PDA with their fingertip, they would want a stylus, and as we know iPods are read-only devices.

The market for tablets is miniscule. The market for iPods is huge. Think about it.
 
agreenster said:
This is an essential toy for all animators
Click to expand...
Darrin Bell said:
Pretty much anyone who draws for a living or hopes to someday draw for a living (assuming it works like the Cintiq)
Click to expand...

Maybe that's exactly who they are aiming at with this. Set the price point right and it would be hugely successful.

Perhaps that's exactly what this would be. Apple's version of a Cintiq. Maybe this isn't a new tablet computer at all but rather a next generation monitor complete with OLED :)
 
Jalexster said:
I have two words for you all:

Thin Client

Basically, everything is stored on the PC. Apps, data, etc... Anyway, all the processing and stuff is done at the Thin Client.
Click to expand...

Just for clarification, what you are describing here is a Client/Server implementation with a FAT Client.

In a Thin client architecture, your client does very little processing. It is just a 'view' to the application....presentation only.

Business logic, processing, and data store is handled by application servers / databases on the 'back-end'

So, if it were to be a thin client device, it could accept video/audio/data streams from multiple sources in your home/business that you could control/manipulate.
 
days of MacPaint are long long gone my friends

Darrin Bell said:
Artists, architects, designers, technical illustrators. Pretty much anyone who draws for a living or hopes to someday draw for a living (assuming it works like the Cintiq).
Click to expand...
This is one of the biggest misconceptions. I was a graphic designer for magazines for four years and now just finished four years of architecture school so i know a little bit about the markets you're talking about.

first of all, most illustrators who like to hand-draw would keep on hand-drawing on paper/canvas/etc. wacoms have been around forever and only a small percentage of illustrators use them.

all modern graphic design programs have interfaces that are built around the keyboard and mouse. pros relie on their keyboard for shortcuts. the idea of having to do everything on a pen-based system would be horribly inefficient.

architects don't "draw" anymore. most people use AutoCAD which is heavily command-based. same for any kind of visualizing and modeling.

so if you're having to lug around a keyboard all the time to use photoshop, illustrator, autocad, etc., what's the point of having a tablet???
 
cubist said:
This is a DESIGN PATENT..
Click to expand...
If so, how does this contraption (turtle tank or computer) differ from any generic tablet computer? I was under the impression that patent protection only was given to unique designs.
cubist said:
The only rational explanation is that this is a video iPod.
Click to expand...
I like the idea, and you might be right. However, it is possible to imagine a stylus doubling as a pen, which would explain why there isn't a designated slot fro the stylus. As I see it it would be in line with Apples "less is more design". I don't have any problem envision Apple trying to sell me a $59 white plastic stylus/pen. ;)
 
dongmin said:
first of all, most illustrators who like to hand-draw would keep on hand-drawing on paper/canvas/etc. wacoms have been around forever and only a small percentage of illustrators use them.
Click to expand...

I agree paper isn't going anywhere just as oils, watercolors and canvas aren't going anywhere just yet. However, even though Wacoms have been around for ages they are only now getting into the realm of actually drawing on the screen with effective resolution and pressure sensitivity.

The Cintiq 21 is the first in that new line of artist oriented computer tablets. Many artists have shyed away from Wacom because they can't make the transition to drawing without looking directly at where they are drawing.

So I disagree, an Apple version of something similar to the Cintiq could do enormously well.
 
Airport Express remote?

Hi all,

Not sure if anyone else has had this exprience, but since installing Tiger and playing around with the firewall settings (switching iTunes music sharing off) I now get an warning message when starting iTunes. The message states "Your computer is using firewall software that prevents you from sharing music or using a remote control for Airtunes. To share music or use a remote control, open system preferences, click sharing, then click firewall, and select "iTunes music sharing"

Just wondering if the new tablet device could be the fabled Airtunes remote control or am I barking up the wrong tree?
 
Peterbob said:
Just wondering if the new tablet device could be the fabled Airtunes remote control or am I barking up the wrong tree?
Click to expand...
A remote the size of a small ibook? Don't you think that would be overkill? It might double as one, but I doubt that would be its main purpose... but what do I know... Jobs RDF might have kicked in. :rolleyes:
 
Dr.Gargoyle said:
A remote the size of a small ibook? Don't you think that would be overkill? It might double as one, but I doubt that would be its main purpose... but what do I know... Jobs RDF might have kicked in. :rolleyes:
Click to expand...

Please ignore my ignorance (being a newbie etc) but I was under the impression that patent illustrations were not always to scale, that the illustrations were just to show the principal idea, rather than actually dimension, form factor etc. I'm sure I read that the iPod touch control was demonstrated on an illustration showing a mouse.
 
What do you think the average price would run on this tablet mac?

Figures they would talk about this i just bought a 4 by 6 wacom last week :rolleyes:
 
Peterbob said:
Please ignore my ignorance (being a newbie etc) but I was under the impression that patent illustrations were not always to scale, that the illustrations were just to show the principal idea, rather than actually dimension, form factor etc. I'm sure I read that the iPod touch control was demonstrated on an illustration showing a mouse.
Click to expand...
Hey, you know just as much as I do about this.... Besides, you do have a point about scaling. My point was just that it struck me as overkill with a laptop sized remote. To sum it up, we are both in the darkness what this contraption might/could be. Your guess is just as good as mine. :)
 
dongmin said:
This is one of the biggest misconceptions. All modern graphic design programs have interfaces that are built around the keyboard and mouse. pros relie on their keyboard for shortcuts. the idea of having to do everything on a pen-based system would be horribly inefficient.
Click to expand...
True. I've tried these tablets a number of times over the past 10 years, and while they were fun at first, eventually I went back to the mouse because it was just easier. The tablet is just another, different type of input device.
 
APPLE

common... give us a new portable... this would be nice.. if you would shove in a decent graphics card. IT COULD BE A WHOLE NEW LINE! and help both pros and students!
i just want a portable
 
as far as I'm concerned, a tablet mac wouldn't benefit me all that much, nor would a video iPod, or any of the other things that people are speculating, but if it did happen to turn out to be a tablet mac, I think that it would probably end up something like the G4 Cube (who here remembers those things?)... it wouldn't end up being more than a novelty at first, but it might set something in motion that could possibly lead to a much better and more useful idea. (G4 Cube -> Mac Mini ; Tablet Mac -> ???)
 
try again

Rustus Maximus said:
The Cintiq 21 is the first in that new line of artist oriented computer tablets. Many artists have shyed away from Wacom because they can't make the transition to drawing without looking directly at where they are drawing.

So I disagree, an Apple version of something similar to the Cintiq could do enormously well.
Click to expand...
I haven't test drove a Cintiq so I can't speak about the functionality of these things. BUT the cheapest Cintiq runs $1800. And that's just for the display. To get a high-quality display with proper touch sensitivity for artist use is gonna cost you. This would be an ultra ultra high-end niche product. And in case you guys haven't noticed, Apple's interest these days are creating mass-appeal products like the Mini and iPods.
 
Peterbob said:
Hi all,

Not sure if anyone else has had this exprience, but since installing Tiger and playing around with the firewall settings (switching iTunes music sharing off) I now get an warning message when starting iTunes. The message states "Your computer is using firewall software that prevents you from sharing music or using a remote control for Airtunes. To share music or use a remote control, open system preferences, click sharing, then click firewall, and select "iTunes music sharing"
Click to expand...

now THIS is INTERESTING!

Personally, i want an Apple PDA. I have been looking for a while, and none of them really measure up to what I think Apple can do.
 
graphics/tech tablet

Please,..no more speculation that it is a graphic designer tablet.
I think the couple of guys here including myself from the industry
are agreeing that this is a flawed concept. The market is too small and niche for it to be anything of that nature. End of discusion. :mad:
 
speleoterra said:
Please,..no more speculation that it is a graphic designer tablet.
I think the couple of guys here including myself from the industry
are agreeing that this is a flawed concept. The market is too small and niche for it to be anything of that nature. End of discusion. :mad:
Click to expand...

Don't be mad. :)

The market for this tablet wouldn't be just Visual Designers, artists whatever. It also would include the medical field as someone mentioned earlier, so the market might not be too small after all. Visual Design could just be one focus of it.
 
GREAT IDEA APPLE

I disagree, students will be interested. My old TiBook needs a replacement and as I go to college this year, and a tablet would be excellent for me, and i think many others agree. IMHO, if Apple was to release this product ever, Students and (some) Graphic Designers would rejoice. That's my opinion. :eek:
 
Rustus Maximus said:
Don't be mad. :)

The market for this tablet wouldn't be just Visual Designers, artists whatever. It also would include the medical field as someone mentioned earlier, so the market might not be too small after all. Visual Design could just be one focus of it.
Click to expand...
Ummm, hello? Since when is the medical note-taking field a big enough market to create a brand new product for??? Graphic design is Apple's bread and butter; it's their most loyal base of users. The medical field, I'd say, is a drop in the bucket compared to graphic design.

If Apple does create a tablet, they will no doubt come up with some new ingenius applications for it, applications that will have bigger market potential than doctors and illustrators. Apple is becoming a consumer electornics company, more and more everyday. They are NOT gonna create anything unless it can appeal to the masses.

I think a tablet-like computer has some potential, but more as a multi-media device. It needs to be small (2/3 the size of an iBook) and cheap (somewhere between a Mini and an iBook). It's gotta have hip, cool design. AND it's gotta have some hip, cool applications. My votes:

1. iChat AV + internet telephony: with a camera attachment, this could be a cool little video phone that you can take anywhere. With internet telephony becoming mainstream, I can see Apple creating an add-on to iChat that lets you make actual phone calls.

2. Portable video player: yes, not a new idea, but it's finally time for Apple to get on board. With iTunes supporting video, this device (with something like a 800 x 534 widescreen) could be the perfect complement to take on plane rides and long road-trips.

3. Car accesory: people are already doing this with the Mini, but it would make even more sense with a tablet with a touch screen already built in. When you drive into your garage, it can wireless sync with your home Mac and update all your iTunes music and videos, travel itinerary, shopping lists, etc.

4. Home entertainment controller: the iRemote everyone's been clamoring for. Not only will you be able to control iTunes, but also the DVD player, Tivo, Quicktime, etc.

To make this work, Apple needs a computer fast enough to handle video. The cheapest way would be to just repackage the iBook. Take out the optical drive, 2.5" HDD, keyboard, trackpad, speakers. Add in a 1.8" HDD integrated with the motherboard a la iPods, a 9" touchscreen, and a shrunken battery. You have a tablet 2/3 size of an iBook but only marginally slower. By taking out some components, you could probably shave some of the cost. Price them aggressively, maybe at $699 and you'd see them fly off the shelves. (Apple could make their money back on accessories like a dock, wireless keyboard, iSight mini, GPS add-on, etc.) With proper marketing tie ins to iPods, Apple could easily sell a million or two of these a year, add a couple percentage points to Mac's marketshare, and substantially boost OS X's installed base.
 
big green tick

dongmin said:
Ummm, hello? Since when is the medical note-taking field a big enough market to create a brand new product for??? Graphic design is Apple's bread and butter; it's their most loyal base of users. The medical field, I'd say, is a drop in the bucket compared to graphic design.

If Apple does create a tablet, they will no doubt come up with some new ingenius applications for it, applications that will have bigger market potential than doctors and illustrators. Apple is becoming a consumer electornics company, more and more everyday. They are NOT gonna create anything unless it can appeal to the masses.

I think a tablet-like computer has some potential, but more as a multi-media device. It needs to be small (2/3 the size of an iBook) and cheap (somewhere between a Mini and an iBook). It's gotta have hip, cool design. AND it's gotta have some hip, cool applications. My votes:

1. iChat AV + internet telephony: with a camera attachment, this could be a cool little video phone that you can take anywhere. With internet telephony becoming mainstream, I can see Apple creating an add-on to iChat that lets you make actual phone calls.

2. Portable video player: yes, not a new idea, but it's finally time for Apple to get on board. With iTunes supporting video, this device (with something like a 800 x 534 widescreen) could be the perfect complement to take on plane rides and long road-trips.

3. Car accesory: people are already doing this with the Mini, but it would make even more sense with a tablet with a touch screen already built in. When you drive into your garage, it can wireless sync with your home Mac and update all your iTunes music and videos, travel itinerary, shopping lists, etc.

4. Home entertainment controller: the iRemote everyone's been clamoring for. Not only will you be able to control iTunes, but also the DVD player, Tivo, Quicktime, etc.

To make this work, Apple needs a computer fast enough to handle video. The cheapest way would be to just repackage the iBook. Take out the optical drive, 2.5" HDD, keyboard, trackpad, speakers. Add in a 1.8" HDD integrated with the motherboard a la iPods, a 9" touchscreen, and a shrunken battery. You have a tablet 2/3 size of an iBook but only marginally slower. By taking out some components, you could probably shave some of the cost. Price them aggressively, maybe at $699 and you'd see them fly off the shelves. (Apple could make their money back on accessories like a dock, wireless keyboard, iSight mini, GPS add-on, etc.) With proper marketing tie ins to iPods, Apple could easily sell a million or two of these a year, add a couple percentage points to Mac's marketshare, and substantially boost OS X's installed base.
Click to expand...


Just read this and i can't really see any other way this SHOULD go, exactly the kind of product that would blow the next generation away, and stay ahead in a completely new market... now whether the hardcore mac fan is gonna like this or not is another question alltogether, all things considered all they really want is the actual computer, but apple is a business, and homes are gradually turning into big scale entertainment centres :)
 
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