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Apple Tablet Design Reportedly Akin to Flattened First-Generation iPhone
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Why is that the "market"?
Each of these individual groups
owns an iPhone
owns a laptop
doesn't own an iPhone (or smart phone)
doesn't own a laptop
are bigger than the group of people who are the intersection of the first two ( owns an iPhone and a laptop ). Whenever you say owns a blank and a blank ( and a blank ) you are designating a smaller (and smaller) group of people. Conversely that means you are ignoring are larger (and larger ) group of other people.
What I don't understand is why people premise their market conceptualization on the smaller set.
Similarly folks are at different stages of the lifecycles. Some folks are at point where time to trade-in/"hand me down" their laptop. If only really needed the laptop for the reasonable size screen , full size browser, email, and a few other lightweight tasks. If this new device is cheaper *and* lighter ( less than MB Air) *and* last substantially longer on a battery charge . Why wouldn't you buy it?
Same is true for original iPhone. There will be some who bought it because it was lighter than a laptop and cost less , but too small of a screen but just settled with the deficiency. (deal with any normal sized website for an extended period of time. Record how much pinch/zoom/scroll you are doing versus getting the info you need. People will substantive contort themselves when it is the only solution. ). Those folks may dump the iPhone. Get a more mainstream phone with much cheaper data plan (notice how talk time is going down in price). and just not take the internet everywhere (including the bathroom. "Who surfs the internet in the bathroom?" or something to that effect was utter by Jobs at some point. ). There are folks who turn off connectivity from time to time. For those folks the internet doesn't have to fit in their pocket ( which is a dubious place to carry a phone. Especially if male. )
There are a bunch of folks who buy about one of everything Apple sells. Yeah sure those folks are likely going to get conflcted. However, lack of market... don't see it.
Go in to any ATT or Verizon (or Sprint ) store. See the one or two USB modem data cards items for sale. Who do you think they are selling those to?
The other presumption here is that there won't be an "unlocked" version. Why wouldn't Apple sell an unlocked version? They sell them in other country and the world didn't end there. So you tether to your iPhone and drain the battery on it ( some folks like the dongles because it gives them longer talk time on their phones. If spend lots of time working and don't have time to plug in that is an upside. )
You pay for a newspaper , magazine suspcritions ? First, that those don't overlap. So it is not an additional charge if Apple can flip you from paper to wireless. No the device would not be unique. Its features are unique though. Bigger ( 720p native perhaps) than an iPhone/Touch and cheaper than a laptop. They are all in a general sense personal computers. Different ranges of compatibilities but that almost means different ranges of markets.
Bulk TV watching .... a 10" screen is really going to compete with your 20,30,40 screen of your TV. Besides Apple has AppleTV for that. [ Of which there is no reason that this couldn't also be a viewer of AppleTV content. For those folks who already drank that kool-aid ... second TV put lightweight we surfing ? ]
The other market that you folks are completely missing is classroom computers. Apple is less and less price competitive each year now. The MacBook price is stuck. (Apple can't possibly make anything cheaper. )
They are loosing share. In some contexts you don't need the ultimate flexibility of a laptop. Some folks have about 5-6 applications they us 99% of the time. As long as have those apps installed on the pad/slate/whatever you are good to go.
What is the difference between laptop and new device. Likely several hundred dollars. Who doesn't want several extra money in their pocket?
Even more so if buying them to outfit a group of people. The number of people become the multiplier of the savings.
In the merged portable computer range of products there is a HUGE gap between the touch/phone and the macbook. This device will fill that gap. That gap is also indicative of a market segment (e.g., consumer price blocked at $700 http://www.appleinsider.com/article...o_spend_above_700_for_apple_tablet_study.html
)
Apple's only answer to netbooks so far was Touch/iPhone. Both of which had several EXACTLY same detriments they hurled at netbooks (cramped keyboard, smaller screen ) . This device would eliminate several of those while not quite diving as low in price. Lower is better than having nothing at all. When have nothing folks either hack MacOS X on netbooks or just buy whole stack from other people. The real question why are THOSE choices good ones for Apple? Not whether there is a market here.
Apple has been working on this type of device for over 20 years.
The Newton was Apple's first attempt.
While the early Newton models had issues, by the final release of the Newton 2100 version, the Newton had developed into a nice platform.
This seems reasonable.
usability?
My first thoughts with all of these larger iphone is how do you carry it around and not scratch/crack the screen. Will Steve rely on third party cases to protect the screen? out Would we be surprised to see a cover or lid or something? just curious.
Also, thinking about input using a bluetooth keyboard will that work with the device laid flat? You won't be able to see the screen. I also am trying to imagine it in the apple store. Is it going to be displayed laid flat? Won't be very enticing. Will it be propped up like the iPods/iPhone? I am just trying to imagine the usability for more than just larger iPod Touch functions.
THoughts?
My first thoughts with all of these larger iphone is how do you carry it around and not scratch/crack the screen. Will Steve rely on third party cases to protect the screen? out Would we be surprised to see a cover or lid or something? just curious.
Also, thinking about input using a bluetooth keyboard will that work with the device laid flat? You won't be able to see the screen. I also am trying to imagine it in the apple store. Is it going to be displayed laid flat? Won't be very enticing. Will it be propped up like the iPods/iPhone? I am just trying to imagine the usability for more than just larger iPod Touch functions.
THoughts?
My mother has been itching for a large iPod touch or Netbook for a while I hope this does the trick. Something she can web surf on and play puzzle games like Bejeweled (she's an addict I tell you!). Shoot if I can play app store games on this device I want one too! Hook Champ on a 10 inch device /drool.
Problem with a normal sized laptop is she doesn't like the size. She's tried to play Bejeweled with my MBP in her lap and she hates it. On the flip side a lot of the current netbooks are still kind of slow and sluggish with things like youtube (though they are improving).
Problem with a normal sized laptop is she doesn't like the size. She's tried to play Bejeweled with my MBP in her lap and she hates it. On the flip side a lot of the current netbooks are still kind of slow and sluggish with things like youtube (though they are improving).
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I'm thinking you carry it around either like a hardback book or day planner is carried around, or you have some kind of laptop bag variant, smaller than a laptop bag.
The bluetooth keyboard path makes great sense for those that want to use this for text content production (typists) and those who need to type a lot of content when they are traveling. Laying it flat doesn't make sense, so another accessory is probably some kind of stand. It's pretty to easy to picture a "key accessory bundle" made up of a bluetooth keyboard, stand, travel bag, maybe extra battery storage and maybe a mouse for fine tuning work beyond what fingers can accomplish.
Of course, when you pack all that together, the question of why not buy and use a bigger screen laptop instead comes up? The tablet + keyboard combo probably isn't more compact than a laptop. The Tablet bag loaded with keyboard, etc probably isn't that much lighter than the laptop bag loaded with laptop etc. And so on.
Your bolded question: "Usability?" is definitely a good one. I can argue both sides of the Tablet vs. (I already have an) iPhone and/or Laptop argument pretty well. I'm hoping Apple has something more than what seems most likely to sway those views one way or the other.
There's a reason Apple is making the mini displayport the default on Apple products. And two-way on the new iMacs.
The size is perfect for the thickness of the device.
Just a little guy named JONATHAN IVE, widely held as THE BEST designer in the world!!!
I know it is not perfectly square in the mockup, but it just looks bad. Maybe it is just a bad Photoshop job.
Comparing all Apple products
I was just working on something until I accidentally closed the window. I just lost my post and I'm not going to retype it.
Oh well, I'll just post it...
Anyways, I had listed around 10 factors in 3 categories(Performance, Capability, and Mobility) of what makes an Apple product popular and why should anyone buy one.(Regardless of the price). These are what most people care about.
In each product, I summed all the factors in each category. For example in Mobility, is product heavy? No, +1; is it easy to carry/pocketable? Does it have enough power so that I don't often pull out a charger and find the wall socket? Is there a lot of cables that has to be plugged in to make it work? In Capability, can it edit HD Videos? Web browse? Play music? Play videos? Yes, +1.
So when I added them, got a chart scoring all the factors. (Please don't take this accurately, its just so that I see were the devices fall in).
Surprisingly, the MacBook is #1. Well rounded in the 3 categories, is capable of everything, powerful enough to do videos, and portable enough to bring around. Whereas the MacPro wins in two categories, but a loser for mobility. This means, the MacPro was made to target high-end Pro users, not for moving it around.
Look at the MacMini. Even though its small, it scored low on mobility because you'd had to plug-in all the devices to make it work. Its also not as powerful as the all-in-one iMac(and has fewer cable to deal with).
Now l just threw in the iPod shuffle to see how it would look. Clearly portable, but its capable of only one thing. Play music. It doesn't have a display screen so the interaction is severely limited. Which is why the iPod Nano is more popular, because it has enough of what most people need(for listening to music).
But look where the iPad fits in. Its at #2. It might be capable enough of what a mac mini can do (web browsing, non-processor intensive programs, enough to do light tasks). But its very portable, all in one, grab and go like the iPhone.
Currently there is no device(maybe in the future) that wins in all 3 categories. (As powerful/capable as the MacPro and as portable the iPod shuffle.)
I see that the upcoming iPad is just the base of what computing would be like in the future. Today, its not going to replace the laptop...Maybe... But like Steve said, "Its something you will buy instead of a laptop."
UPDATE: Well I got the list now for each of the categories that rate the product.
Performance:
Capability:
Mobility:
I was just working on something until I accidentally closed the window.
I just lost my post and I'm not going to retype it.Oh well, I'll just post it...
Anyways, I had listed around 10 factors in 3 categories(Performance, Capability, and Mobility) of what makes an Apple product popular and why should anyone buy one.(Regardless of the price). These are what most people care about.
In each product, I summed all the factors in each category. For example in Mobility, is product heavy? No, +1; is it easy to carry/pocketable? Does it have enough power so that I don't often pull out a charger and find the wall socket? Is there a lot of cables that has to be plugged in to make it work? In Capability, can it edit HD Videos? Web browse? Play music? Play videos? Yes, +1.
So when I added them, got a chart scoring all the factors. (Please don't take this accurately, its just so that I see were the devices fall in).
Surprisingly, the MacBook is #1. Well rounded in the 3 categories, is capable of everything, powerful enough to do videos, and portable enough to bring around. Whereas the MacPro wins in two categories, but a loser for mobility. This means, the MacPro was made to target high-end Pro users, not for moving it around.
Look at the MacMini. Even though its small, it scored low on mobility because you'd had to plug-in all the devices to make it work. Its also not as powerful as the all-in-one iMac(and has fewer cable to deal with).
Now l just threw in the iPod shuffle to see how it would look. Clearly portable, but its capable of only one thing. Play music. It doesn't have a display screen so the interaction is severely limited. Which is why the iPod Nano is more popular, because it has enough of what most people need(for listening to music).
But look where the iPad fits in. Its at #2. It might be capable enough of what a mac mini can do (web browsing, non-processor intensive programs, enough to do light tasks). But its very portable, all in one, grab and go like the iPhone.
Currently there is no device(maybe in the future) that wins in all 3 categories. (As powerful/capable as the MacPro and as portable the iPod shuffle.)
I see that the upcoming iPad is just the base of what computing would be like in the future. Today, its not going to replace the laptop...Maybe... But like Steve said, "Its something you will buy instead of a laptop."
UPDATE: Well I got the list now for each of the categories that rate the product.
Performance:
- CPU performance (more= better for intensive programs)
- Ram (Open large documents, multitasking, faster IO access)
- GFX (Application/UI performance, gaming)
Capability:
- Edit/Produce HD Videos inc. FX
- Edit/Produce HQ Photos w/ multiple layers
- Compose Music/Audio based
- Quick Photo editing/retouching
- Trim DVD quality videos
- Create professional documents
- Use lightweight web apps "widgets" (sticky note, weather, quick on-screen content)
- Browse the web
- Play videos
- Play music
Mobility:
- Weight
- Amount of cables that needs to be connected to make it work
- Fast HID (human interact-able device) access to application(i.e.. time it takes from hand>mouse>move pointer>click icon vs tapping a button)
- Form factor (pocketable?)
- Surrounding Noise (light noise, audio, anything that affects the device that make you go sit in a confined area)
- Use of energy(Has enough battery so I don't have to get the charger and find a wall socket)
- Data access to get content (wifi, 3G, bluetooth)
- Location/Comfort (can you be in a park/beach/couch and not always have to go where the device is?)
I am not disregarding your facts, I am not suggesting that Apple will use the Kindle model for completely free 3G. Apple will only offer free 3G to the Apple Media Store.
In the Kindle model Amazon adds $0.15 per MB to the price of an ebook. This $.015 per MB has to pay not only for the ebook download but also for all of the other connection services that is used by a user. Let's say a typical user downloads 9 free 1 MB ebooks for every 1 MB ebook that he buys. Amazon charges the $0.15 only once but the user has downloaded 10 MB of ebooks. Amazon pays Sprint roughly $0.015 per MB.
Apple will have no free content. All content will be charged. Therefore Apple can charge one tenth the price for bandwidth and Sprint, Verizon, or AT&T will be getting paid the identical price that Amazon is paying. There will be no general internet access through the free 3G.
If you need full internet access, you will have to either 1) connect with Wifi 2) connect via tethering or 3) Connect via paid data plan.
As far as movies go, I think Apple will have to introduce a new compression technology to greatly reduce file size. This will aid in getting the price for movie downloads from the free 3G store to an additional cost of $3.00 per movie for download costs.
I totally agree these are separate Markets. However, I still think those markets are smaller and not the people that are in Apple's target demographic. While I think they will likely still sell them out of their target as well, I was merely commenting on the place in the market for their target demographic (who at least have a smart phone or a laptop if not both, in my opinion.)
I'm not buying this. I am actually at the point now where I'm done with my laptop and I could tell you I would not buy a tablet instead of a new laptop. There will simply be things that the tablet can't do that a laptop can. And I can't see Apple wanting people buying a $700-$1000 device instead of their $1000-Up MacBook Pros. They are completely separate devices and a tablet can't replace a laptop. Isn't that why the PC tablets failed? Example--I am a more casual laptop user. I mainly surf the internet, use email, manage my iTunes library and sync my iPhone, work on various Word/Excel doc for work. I also take my laptop on the occasional trip to watch movies on the plane. I think it wouldn't be user friendly to take my tablet on the plane and have to hold it or lay it flat on the fold out table to see the movie. I'd rather have a laptop for this. Not to mention the limitations of not being able to take more than a couple of movie data files. I can't imagine this tablet will have tons of space. And as for the MacBook Air, it hasn't done very well and I've been hearing a ton of rumble that they're phasing it out.
I don't mean to suggest replacing larger tv's. People will always want large screens for in home viewing. I brought up this point in terms of portability. I think there is a market for a device that lets you watch TV on the go in a more user-friendly manner. It has been suggested that Apple is in talks for a Best of TV subscription service with CBS and Disney. If that is one of the included features, I could probably see having a tablet. So far, the networks haven't been using the opportunity to get something like this successfully on the iPhone in any other way than the 1.99 iTunes price, which takes up the size of the show or movie on the iPhone itself. But the other option now being the TV.com app is ridiculous. Hulu for the tablet, Netflix streaming for the tablet or some type of tv subscription service...For commuters and people on the go, this would be ideal.
Just a little guy named JONATHAN IVE, widely held as THE BEST designer in the world!!!
I did a web search for "best designer in the world", and in the first five pages the only Apple reference was someone asking Steve Jobs to design a sports bra.
Perhaps it's not so "widely held", after all
.It should output, since the iPhone outputs standard def. video to televisions. I'm really thinking this is going to feature HD video. So, HD output as well.
Mmmm, instant-on. Reminds me of this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iAZCr6canvw
I have to say....something like the Mag+ concept (done the Apple way) is really all I've wanted out of the Apple Tablet. That, along with Itunes LP, as I'm a musician and MEGA music lover. I actually sit down to listen to entire records and enjoy/miss big beautiful album art. I really hope that format takes off.
For me, everything beyond this basic function will be awesome.
Further, the explosion of new digital media that this is going to allow, is going to get pretty crazy. Books can/will become full blown multimedia *experiences*, only limited by imagination. I see something like "The Death of Bunny Munro" (check it out in the app store), as a *tiny* step toward what will be possible. Just last night we were talking about a book a friend of mine wrote called "Cathy's Book". It was a cool experience that used alternate reality gaming techniques (from the same people that ran "The Dark Knight" / HALO ARG's) for an immersive/interactive experience. The hard cover book just made the leap to the app store, and again....it's only the tip of the iceberg.
I did a web search for "best designer in the world", and in the first five pages the only Apple reference was someone asking Steve Jobs to design a sports bra.
Perhaps it's not so "widely held", after all
Here. I fixed that for you
Attachments
Stop worrying about WiFi vs phone
It will be a no brainer to offer a version without the cell phone capability... you know.. iPhone and ipod touch. It's not like it costs more money of Apple to make one that doesn't have the phone chip(s) in it.
I think the hardest battle will be finding someone who'll pay $1K for the thing. I want to browse the internet in my PJs but not that bad.
It will be a no brainer to offer a version without the cell phone capability... you know.. iPhone and ipod touch. It's not like it costs more money of Apple to make one that doesn't have the phone chip(s) in it.
I think the hardest battle will be finding someone who'll pay $1K for the thing. I want to browse the internet in my PJs but not that bad.
I did a web search for "best designer in the world", and in the first five pages the only Apple reference was someone asking Steve Jobs to design a sports bra.
Perhaps it's not so "widely held", after all
Perhaps your search wasn't specific enough, because the word "designer" includes clothing designers, interior designers, etc. Search "best product designer in the world" and Ive comes up first. Even using Google, a search is improved if one thinks first.
They should tie a data plan back to an iPhone data plan. If you own both, probably only using one or the other for data access at a time. So add $20 per month or something if you have both on one plan. Should be a big deal unless ATT or another unnamed carrier get greedy.
Just a thought.
Just a thought.
What I'm hoping/imagining Apple does for the 3G support versus Wi-Fi support question is release the tablet with support for SIM cards. And then allows AT&T to sell one with a contract plan, where the starting cost for the device will be lower.
Basicly what many netbook makers do now.
As for free 3G coverage, honestly, it seem really unlike Apple to do that. For a Media based device(as most of Apple's consumer device tend to be) that cost would be much higher then say Amazon's Kindle, where books are much smaller. TV shows, movies and song are just bigger.
Basicly what many netbook makers do now.
As for free 3G coverage, honestly, it seem really unlike Apple to do that. For a Media based device(as most of Apple's consumer device tend to be) that cost would be much higher then say Amazon's Kindle, where books are much smaller. TV shows, movies and song are just bigger.
Oh well, I'll just post it...
So.
Mac Pro not having much marginal benefit over an iMac or a MacBookPro.
. . . . Might as well go for the iPad. The Nano sucks.
If you need bandwidth or processing power you should do it client-server on the cloud.
Oh, wait, that's what Apple wants! Avoid that like the plague. FOLLOW MICROSOFT AND GOOGLE AND ORACLE AND SUN. Do not follow the
light. Do not walk into the light!!!Rocketman
Has the public event happened yet?