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Apple Tablet Hints: Virtual Keyboard, Camera, eBooks, More
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Think razor blades and ink jet cartridges. The real money will be in the consumables -- in this case, the e-books, music, movies and games that folks will buy to use on this device.
Yes, you could buy a laptop for this price. But, for this take on the market strategy to work, there will be a tiered pricing scheme for the e-books. If you're using a Tablet, you get full incentive on texts; otherwise, if you're using any other Mac hardware, you get a bit of a discount; otherwise, you pay whatever full price that the publisher charges. The buy-in comes on figuring out a return on investment: "if you buy a Tablet, you'll break even in three semesters -- *and* have an insanely fun movie, music, and gaming device!!!"
Funnest. E-book reader.
............ iPod.
............ Movie screen.
............ Game console. Ever.
I think he was talking about his older iPhone stereotypes. He doesn't know when the iPhone 3GS came out the coating they put on the 3GS practically make scratching mute.
fortunately Apple Stock is protected against these issues and stupidities and will only suffer if the sales report shows that it is costing Apple too much to make a distribute the tablets
I'm with you. I've put around $1200 aside - am now waiting for this announcement. If it is under $800 I'll probably jump for it (if it is what I think it is anyway), but anything more and I'll likely end up with an MBP. Having a portable dev environment would be nice anyway (I don't really have a portable Intel based mac right now).
But if this iPad/iSlate turns out to be as easy to use as it sounds like it'll be, and as media centric as everyone is indicating, it would be a very nice addition to the home (especially if it could play flash games - something the kids seem to have latched onto). The only thing that would turn me off would be if a lot of its functionality was tied to a 3G connection. There is no reliable 3G at my home or work, and I wouldn't pay a monthly fee for it for it even if there were.
even those.. they had to be chucked around quite a bit to get scratched? i had a friend who jsut didn't give a **** about his and yes it was a train wreck... but if you want to make the effort and look after it then nothing should happen to it
I don't know if this has been said yet, but most of the "real" leaks seem to be coming from the WSJ. Which leads me to believe that Apple is spoonfeeding somebody there information, probably misleading information. We're just not really going to know anything until the 27th. I know, I know, I'm being a party pooper.
Think razor blades and ink jet cartridges. The real money will be in the consumables -- in this case, the e-books, music, movies and games that folks will buy to use on this device.
Yes, you could buy a laptop for this price. But, for this take on the market strategy to work, there will be a tiered pricing scheme for the e-books. If you're using a Tablet, you get full incentive on texts; otherwise, if you're using any other Mac hardware, you get a bit of a discount; otherwise, you pay whatever full price that the publisher charges. The buy-in comes on figuring out a return on investment: "if you buy a Tablet, you'll break even in three semesters -- *and* have an insanely fun movie, music, and gaming device!!!"
Funnest. E-book reader.
............ iPod.
............ Movie screen.
............ Game console. Ever.
as a gaming device... it isn't really suitable for children/teenagers in classrooms... at least it wouldn't be at my old school lol
Poll for all!
Do you see the tablet as the final act of Apples portable devices?
OR do you see all these portable devices, and the touch interface, as the beginning stages of a revolution to touch interfaces throughout Apple's entire PC line?
IF you had to choose on of these options which would you choose?
Do you see the tablet as the final act of Apples portable devices?
OR do you see all these portable devices, and the touch interface, as the beginning stages of a revolution to touch interfaces throughout Apple's entire PC line?
IF you had to choose on of these options which would you choose?
Weighing in
I think catrik007 seems to have it about right. Those posts seem insightful.
I do need this product. I work at a large boarding school with an associated 2500 student summer camp. I am always walking around campus, taking notes on classes and facilities. Taking notes on classes with a laptop is noisy and intrusive, and just flipping open my ever changing schedule is a pain on the laptop. I use the iPhone for scheduling - my secretary sends me new appointments on the fly. However, a tablet replacement for my laptop that would give me access to spreadsheets in a readable form factor on the go would be great. I've also been looking for years for a good replacement for a Franklin/Covey type planner. I've used everything from an iPaq with pocket informant to the iPhone, and nothing works as well as that paper did, because I attached notes to the calendar events. The iPhone is too small to do that on the fly, and is inefficient at spreadsheet reading because of the real estate.
For the people who don't see a need for this type of device, just come walk around with me for a week.
I can envision a time when this would be the ultimate student tool as well. We're already using Promethian boards in the classroom. Why not have that content available on the students' tablets as well.
Looking forward to Wednesday, and hoping this is available before June.
I think catrik007 seems to have it about right. Those posts seem insightful.
I do need this product. I work at a large boarding school with an associated 2500 student summer camp. I am always walking around campus, taking notes on classes and facilities. Taking notes on classes with a laptop is noisy and intrusive, and just flipping open my ever changing schedule is a pain on the laptop. I use the iPhone for scheduling - my secretary sends me new appointments on the fly. However, a tablet replacement for my laptop that would give me access to spreadsheets in a readable form factor on the go would be great. I've also been looking for years for a good replacement for a Franklin/Covey type planner. I've used everything from an iPaq with pocket informant to the iPhone, and nothing works as well as that paper did, because I attached notes to the calendar events. The iPhone is too small to do that on the fly, and is inefficient at spreadsheet reading because of the real estate.
For the people who don't see a need for this type of device, just come walk around with me for a week.
I can envision a time when this would be the ultimate student tool as well. We're already using Promethian boards in the classroom. Why not have that content available on the students' tablets as well.
Looking forward to Wednesday, and hoping this is available before June.
I have no doubt the tablet will be cool - and I am interested to see what they come up with - but I am honestly not on the edge of my seat about it.
Hopefully they will surprise but I am not convinced it is really useful yet. Long term I think this is where we are headed technology wise (everyone carrying a translucent paperlike screen that they read news on etc) but that is a long way off.
It is a cool sounding product but if you have a laptop and/or a desktop and an iphone - what use would you have for a tablet?
One or more of the above would have to become obsolete in my opinion for this to be a purchase. Then again, apple does a great job of making people lust for tech. We will see what happens on the 27th.
Hopefully they will surprise but I am not convinced it is really useful yet. Long term I think this is where we are headed technology wise (everyone carrying a translucent paperlike screen that they read news on etc) but that is a long way off.
It is a cool sounding product but if you have a laptop and/or a desktop and an iphone - what use would you have for a tablet?
One or more of the above would have to become obsolete in my opinion for this to be a purchase. Then again, apple does a great job of making people lust for tech. We will see what happens on the 27th.
I hear ya -- I tried the first Franklin-Covey PDA products, and they weren't killer apps. However, I just noticed that they're selling an "FCTasks" iPhone app. That functionality, in a 10.1" screen -- big, big win!
No chance, It needs the iPhone OS store connection and in-app payments to succeed.
Of course you are right, and it could be very profitable if Apple is able to get the major textbook publishers and schools to adopt it, which would put one in the hands of all their students. Textbooks also sell for a lot more than mass market books, and even if they see a price drop for the eBook version you will probably still see prices in the $50-100 range for a lot of them.
The biggest problem that I see is that the timing is not the greatest for the Elementary and High School markets, which have been putting off adoptions and text book purchases due to state budget problems. For these public schools to adopt them they would have to supply them to students or the schools would have to supply the materials in a different form as well for the students whose families could not afford the device.
College textbooks would be a different matter, a school could require the device for entering freshmen. Still converting enough of the textbooks over to have a viable market will take time, so you probably won't see wide spread adoption for at least 2 years.
I just have the feeling I'm going to be disappointed a la the iPhone reveal.
"It's an iPod! It's a way to surf the web! It's a phone! ..... It requires an expensive phone plan and contract! YAY US!" And then in Canada we didn't see it for a year The only reason I have a 3G is because I got it on the cheap with no contract/data plan needed.
And the $1000 rumored price is hurting too. Unless it can replace a laptop I can't envision myself having a laptop, tablet and iPhone with me. It was already hard enough having a $2000 macbook pro in my bag, worrying I was going to damage it or get it stolen, the last thing I want is MORE expensive Apple gear to keep track of.
I just hope the Macbooks are updated $1300 sitting in my account just begging to be spent!
"It's an iPod! It's a way to surf the web! It's a phone! ..... It requires an expensive phone plan and contract! YAY US!" And then in Canada we didn't see it for a year
The only reason I have a 3G is because I got it on the cheap with no contract/data plan needed. And the $1000 rumored price is hurting too. Unless it can replace a laptop I can't envision myself having a laptop, tablet and iPhone with me. It was already hard enough having a $2000 macbook pro in my bag, worrying I was going to damage it or get it stolen, the last thing I want is MORE expensive Apple gear to keep track of.
I just hope the Macbooks are updated
$1300 sitting in my account just begging to be spent!I have also heard this and am in the medical field. Could be quite a market for Apple as I can see many possible uses in my business.
I was hoping for some sort of telepathic input receiver, but I guess we'll just settle with a virtual keyboard.
The college I attended provided entering freshmen with laptops as part of the tuition (late 90s Thinkpads). I could easily see the tablet adopted to replace laptops.
$1000 is still a bit unsettling I do hope for there are compelling features for that price range. Even then I think, this might take the iPod sales trajectory trajectory and not iPhone's i.e. take quite a while before it will start selling like hot cakes.
I agree, now if it made a laptop obsolete and you could go back to a simple voice cell phone, or had wifi and a cell phone built (with a blue tooth headset which also allows for music via iTunes) then it becomes more attractive.
You get home it syncs to your desktop, the same at work. Walk on campus and it syncs to the schools network. You have less need for a laptop, which makes a future desktop purchase more attractive. Of course for this to work you need the device to be productive as well as being an entertainment device/communication device.
NO! Do you realize what site your on? Macrumors creed, "To over hype and over analyze anything Apple would be, might be, or contemplated putting out. We log onto these forums everyday till the event so there is absolutely no possible way we will be surprised or happy with what they put out. They will always miss that "Big feature" like copy and paste. We Macrumors forumers expect nothing less than laptops made of unicorn hairs."
I think that anyone that isn't excited about the tablet should read this article.. really study what these patents are explaining.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/01/apple-the-tablet-prophecies.html
If these features will be used in the tablet I think everyone will be blown away how useful these will be.. and media consumption will simply be the icing on the cake.
My only concern is that we won't see these features until future iterations of the tablet.
http://www.patentlyapple.com/patently-apple/2010/01/apple-the-tablet-prophecies.html
If these features will be used in the tablet I think everyone will be blown away how useful these will be.. and media consumption will simply be the icing on the cake.
My only concern is that we won't see these features until future iterations of the tablet.