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Apple Tablet Hints: Virtual Keyboard, Camera, eBooks, More
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Indeed. Textbook publishers will cut their prices just enough to destroy the used book market, and end up ahead for it. Students, on the other hand, will end up behind.
Have you ever thought that this thing could serve as keyboard/mouse/gamepad for a desktop machine as well? I'm not saying it will, but how many of you have wished that you could use a tablet like Wacom's for all your input? Imagine having a smaller version of your desktop screen right under your fingers when you're editing photos. Imagine being able to play a game like World of Warcraft and truly have all your triggers under your fingers, able to touch the attack; drag and drop the inventory; touch to get info on party members/mobs. Yes, it'd be different. Might be a little difficult to get used to. But potentially faster and more accurate than using a third-party gamepad or memorizing key locations on your keyboard. Of course, spacing the buttons onscreen might make things a little difficult to see, but what if all those buttons could be in equivalent locations so you have less clutter on the desktop screen? True, this would take a little engineering on Blizzard's part (or any game company) but it could make gaming that much easier and more fun for those who can't reach the '0' key for their attacks.
If the battery life sucks... the device wont really do itself the just it would deserve.
....and another point.
Apple are pushing themselves as 'green'.
Then if people are plugging in their phones every day to recharge... how green is it really? Having to chew up juice every day burns coal at the power station.
So all the recyclables in the world.... and it chews up more juice than other phones... The back casing could have been a bit thinner in exchange for at least another juice without charging...
I couldn't agree more. It would be VERY green and VERY functional to simply offer a BTO option of a double battery. I have been on this rant for years. Some how this goes against Steve's grain. Steve, please!
I want my device to be 1/8-1/4" thicker and have dual battery management. No battery dongles! Don't make thousands of folks massively increase their pollution and complicate their lifestyle and purchase experience. Let's not forget dongles and backplanes will make your pretty device Fugly.
Thank you.
Rocketman
I'm happy to see what the geniuses at Apple have come up with... they amaze me almost every time. I waited for the MBAir to gain traction, but it didn't. I'm surprised, because I honestly thought that would be the general form factor for all Mac laptops from that point forward. It just had too many problems in the first rev while it worked out the kinks. Now, it's a fine computer that is still overpriced in comparison to the rest of the laptop line, in my opinion. Whether I like it or not, it was still a flop because it had incredible potential with a price-to-value problem.
I think the eTextbook is a great idea and if any company can bring it to the market, then Apple can. I wish them luck. Personally, I'd rather have the same or better screen resolution, processor, OS, and capability of my MB in a form factor that is easily portable (iPhone sized) with the same or better functionality of apps as the iPhone. That would be great for me. Make a better screen so I can read textbooks, or newspapers, or whatever digital media will be available.
I just don't see a $1000 or so electronic book catching on like the iPhone did... and maybe competing against. I'm happy to wait and see and be dazzled and probably purchase one on Rev B. Go Apple!
Another though on the college textbook market, how much do the school book stores make for the college selling the new and used textbooks? If the books are sold through Apple's online store they would likely lose most if not all of the revenue, and likely see a lower profit on the other things that the typical overpriced college bookstore sells when they go in to purchase their books and supplies at the beginning of the semester/quarter.
I'd disagree with you. If the cost of new textbooks were roughly 50% of their current pricing, the students normally forced to purchase new would be saving significant cash. The students buying used textbooks would get clean, uncompromised copies at about the same price as the used book would have cost--again a savings for the student. End result, the publisher could make revisions faster and would get the benefit of all new sales without the costs of paper copies eating up income. Effectively, both the students and the publisher would come out ahead.
A $999 price point is troubling
While there's a premium on Apple products (especially at the beginning of a new product), a $999 may doom the market for this product jsut like the MacBook Air.
A $600-$800 price points that have also been mentioned will make it more palatable. The simple psycology of keeping it under 4 digits would increase its market. Windows Tablet have hovering on the 4 digits and the market has not move an inch
Granted a Windows is a horrible OS for tablets, but the market hasn't hasn't really responded to this type of product. And from what most rumors indicate, this is more of a consumer product. IF so, a $1,000 price point would definitely be a hindrance.
While there's a premium on Apple products (especially at the beginning of a new product), a $999 may doom the market for this product jsut like the MacBook Air.
A $600-$800 price points that have also been mentioned will make it more palatable. The simple psycology of keeping it under 4 digits would increase its market. Windows Tablet have hovering on the 4 digits and the market has not move an inch
Granted a Windows is a horrible OS for tablets, but the market hasn't hasn't really responded to this type of product. And from what most rumors indicate, this is more of a consumer product. IF so, a $1,000 price point would definitely be a hindrance.
I think the price point was and still is the problem. However, if they would just make a version of the Air with a 10" screen, I'd buy one tomorrow even if it was expensive, as it would be just what I need for travel. A potentially fragile tablet without a proper keyboard or trackpad and which I can't run my normal OS X apps on, is probably not going to fulfill that requirement for me. And when I buy an eBook reader I expect it to have E Ink and battery life in weeks not hours, so it probably won't do that for me either. But we'll see.
You increase the revision cycle you increase the cost of the book. You add interactive features you increase the cost of the book. You add accessibility features (required by law under section 508 for electronic media aimed at the educational market) you increase the price of the book. Having worked in textbook publishing I don't think that you will see a 50% drop in cost, when as I understand it printing and distribution is only about 30% of the cost of a physical textbook today.
perhaps because someone doesn't need facial recognition, accelerometer, etc. and reads actual books, needs something capable of running 10.6 and prefers an actual physical keyboard to touch type on ?
this turkey still looks like a pure luxury item to me, and unless you have money to blow, no good reason to have it. it blows.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Cool idea, no doubt. But typists need to be able to feel the keys to keep what they are typing accurate. If it is a flat panel with no sense of where the keys are located relative to fingertips, the typist will need to take a (correcting) look very often which will slow down the pace at which they type. I just quickly typed this reply without taking a single look at the keyboard. I'm pretty confident I couldn't do that with a virtual keyboard under a flat pane of glass on this Tablet.
What?
Based simply on a randomly guessed at number and no confirmed specifications? I can envision a Tablet worth $1000. Let there be no doubt, the tablet will come in at a premium in comparison to other similar products. That is, if there will be any out there like it. Even then, that will be justifiable due to Apple's usual ability to deliver better designed, better executed devices. Ouch! I sound like such a fanboy!
Based simply on a randomly guessed at number and no confirmed specifications? I can envision a Tablet worth $1000. Let there be no doubt, the tablet will come in at a premium in comparison to other similar products. That is, if there will be any out there like it. Even then, that will be justifiable due to Apple's usual ability to deliver better designed, better executed devices. Ouch! I sound like such a fanboy!
Agreed...
As a matter of fact, I have discovered that by spending time in my pocket, my iPhone gets a nice polished screen. Sweet. Apple rules!
As a matter of fact, I have discovered that by spending time in my pocket, my iPhone gets a nice polished screen. Sweet. Apple rules!
That's true - I've never had to clean the 3G S screen once, unlike the 3G I had before it. It's always spotless after it's been in my pocket for even a short time.
Going to need a big pocket for the tablet though to keep it clean
Even Better....
You can use your iPhone/Touch as the controller for games and other apps. Hmmmmm, I'd like that. 2 touch responsive items, working together in a glorious world.
You will be able to Type on your Tablet using your iPhone/iPod Touch when there is no access to a full keyboard
You can use your iPhone/Touch as the controller for games and other apps. Hmmmmm, I'd like that. 2 touch responsive items, working together in a glorious world.
$1000 won't do it
Unless this thing cost $400 it's not going to fly. Expect slew of win7 tablets at that price range before summer. That's where the sweet spot is. Apple can only dream they would be selling it much @1000.
Wake up people, do you really think that it makes sence to pay $1000 for LED/OLED/whatever screen with some added printed board circuits?
Unless this thing cost $400 it's not going to fly. Expect slew of win7 tablets at that price range before summer. That's where the sweet spot is. Apple can only dream they would be selling it much @1000.
Wake up people, do you really think that it makes sence to pay $1000 for LED/OLED/whatever screen with some added printed board circuits?
Oh rly: http://www.thestreet.com/story/10664179/1/exclusive-apple-verizon-team-on-tablet.html?cm_ven=GOOGLEN 
$600 or under i'd look into buying one. Over $600, forget it. Good thing I have Verizon Wireless if this is true.
$600 or under i'd look into buying one. Over $600, forget it. Good thing I have Verizon Wireless if this is true. The lack of tactile feedback becomes a major issue in that situation. Cool in theory but you would have to keep your eye on the iPhone too much instead of keeping your focus on the game.
Lol save money on text books? Campus book stores always rob you in terms of buying back used books, but I'd always gotten great value by just selling them on Ebay / Amazon / Craig's list or just on the college bulletin boards.
Buying a digital textbook for half the price won't save college students money as I'm sure they will be DRM'd to not transfer and after your semester is over, you are left with just with a file that you have no use for and spent a lot of money on.
Buying a digital textbook for half the price won't save college students money as I'm sure they will be DRM'd to not transfer and after your semester is over, you are left with just with a file that you have no use for and spent a lot of money on.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
...and that there is no business reason for the publishers to sell the e-version for half price anyway. The game is simple. Students have to buy the book for the classes. Change the book (or book-connected) features often enough to make buying last years version obsolete and they have a very lucrative sale. No choices. No options.
e-version or print, the price is the price. Selling it at a discount only reduces the publisher's and school's profit... for no good (business) reason at all.
The correct (but not business) thing to do would be for colleges to choose textbooks based on cost vs. quality, with more mainstream textbooks sold from many sources beyond their own bookstore. That doesn't need Apple or a Tablet to come to pass, and would be great for the students already paying dearly for their (college) services. But the game works "as is", and until there is more money to be made some other way, there is little (business) reason to change it (and it's definitely not a reason to slash their revenues & profits only to help Apple sell more Tablets).