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Apple Tablet Launch to Coincide With iTunes Digital Album Enhancements in September?

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Original poster
Apr 12, 2001
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In a companion piece to its report on Apple and record labels planning to launch interactive album booklets for iTunes Store music, The Financial Times provides additional details regarding Apple's planned launch of a tablet computer. Concurring with other reports, the new tablet is rumored to carry a screen of up to 10 inches, Internet access, and integration with Apple's music and application stores.

In a twist on previous rumors, the report closely ties the new device to the rumored new music content deals, which The Financial Times claims are planned for a September launch.
The device is expected to be launched alongside new content deals, including some aimed at stimulating sales of CD-length music, according to people briefed on the project. The touch-sensitive computer will have a screen that may be up to 10 inches diagonally.

It will connect to the internet like the iPod Touch – probably without phone capability but with access to the web, and to Apple's online stores for software and entertainment.
Click to expand...
The report also focuses on the tablet's apparent importance to the movie and e-book industries.
The entertainment industry is hoping that Apple, which revolutionised the markets for music players and for phones, can do it again. "It's a portable entertainment device," said one entertainment executive. "It's going to be fabulous for watching movies."

Recording industry executives said Apple planned to use the larger screen to offer new services such as interactive booklets and liner notes that come along with purchases of entire music CDs.
Click to expand...
While Apple has reportedly not been in touch with movie studios, film executives have expressed interest in providing new content for the rumored tablet, and video game publishers are also looking to the device as a new platform for their content.

Article Link: Apple Tablet Launch to Coincide With iTunes Digital Album Enhancements in September?
 
Article Link
https://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/27/apple-tablet-launch-to-coincide-with-itunes-digital-album-enhancements-in-september/
A

aethelbert

macrumors 601
Jun 1, 2007
4,287
0
Chicago, IL, USA
Makes sense. I wouldn't expect something like this to launch after the holiday shopping season. I've expected for multimedia influence on it to be dominant as anything else would require a rewrite of much of the desktop OS.
 
P

puffnstuff

macrumors 65816
Jan 2, 2008
1,469
0
miiles said:
I still don't see the point to a tablet.
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It's not a tablet it's a touchpad. Once you go below 12" it's a pain to type on the tiny keyboard and use the small trackpad.

This is what the keyboard will probably look like...
origami-umpc-brilliant-touch-screen.jpg
 
J

Jigsawjammer

macrumors regular
Apr 29, 2009
233
1
NYC
miiles said:
I still don't see the point to a tablet.
Click to expand...

I don't see it for me personally but I think enough people will to make it viable to some extent. Maybe it is Apples way of testing the waters to see if the market is right to explore this type of platform. eBooks in education could be a nice niche as well as travelers who might like to read and watch movies now only need one device. Also, I'm sure it will be able to let you word process or even do presentations from it that might make traveling with a device a dream for some.
 
skellener

skellener

macrumors 68000
Jun 23, 2003
1,788
543
So. Cal.
"It's a portable entertainment device," said one entertainment executive. "It's going to be fabulous for watching movies."
Click to expand...
Hmmmm....What's wrong with a laptop or netbook? I mean, at least they have their own stand to hold the screen up. I can't imagine the tablet being more "fabulous" for watching movies than a big screen TV in your home.
 
L

leandroc76

macrumors regular
Oct 27, 2003
152
0
gusapple said:
I still don't see the purpose... Unless Jobs does. Seriously, either Schiller introduces this thing and people boo (just like at WWDC) or Jobs does and his RDF makes it the #1 hot item on everybody's Christmas List.
Click to expand...

A lot of hospitals, clinics and medical offices use tablets these days.
 
N

NP3

macrumors regular
Jul 12, 2003
237
0
Los Angeles
Not to be cynical, but this isn't the first time a report has come out tying a 'new service' to a 'new device', and been wrong many times.

My guess is it'll be a new feature for the ipod Touch to distinguish it from the new iphone, much like Apple did last summer with the Nike+ feature, etc.
 
U

Undecided

macrumors 6502a
Mar 4, 2005
710
185
California
Which OS though?

The big question for me is whether it runs the iPhone OS or Mac OS X. If it's just the iPhone OS, I'd probably pass. Meh. If it's the real Mac OS X, that would be sweet.
 
E

ericinboston

macrumors 68020
Jan 13, 2008
2,020
508
1)Yet another huge swing in a "launch" date.

2)Launch does not mean Release...we've all known Apple (and other companies) to Launch something and have it actually able to be purchased months later.

3)As with others here, I see no use for a Tablet computer...maybe Apple has really found a usability feature that we've all been missing for 50+ years.

-Eric
 
GeekLawyer

GeekLawyer

macrumors 68020
Jun 2, 2007
2,281
46
The post is coming from inside the house!
miiles said:
I still don't see the point to a tablet.
Click to expand...

I almost hate to admit it, but I suspect the market for this device is lazy people; couch potatoes. People who come home from a hard day's work and plop on the sofa and turn on the television. Instead of opening a laptop, they can instead use their tablet to surf from the couch.

Now, I use either my Macbook or iPhone for that kind of thing, depending on how interactive I want to be with what I'm browsing. But, what the hell, why not buy a third device that is the perfect marriage of the two?

I think the market for this will be huge. (In more ways than one...)
 
R

rmatthewware

macrumors 6502
Jul 22, 2009
493
125
Okay, so it's a big iPod Touch. But is it also a little notebook? Can I use MS Office? Can I do Powerpoint (or Keynote)? Can I take it on the road and do my online classes from a hotel? Those are my big concerns. If so, and it's cheaper than the entry-level Macbook, I'm sold.
 
binaryskies

binaryskies

macrumors regular
Jul 9, 2008
179
27
Washington DC
I can imagine companies using the tablet for certain meetings or presentations, as well as giving it to their employees while they travel, but other then that..I'm clueless. I know I won't be dishing out the cash to get one, and I don't think many others will be either.. My iPhone gets me through the day just fine.
 
A

aokiqiao

macrumors member
Jul 24, 2009
36
0
Odessa,TX
I don't see why everyones doubting it already. Wait till it comes out until you actually judge it. I was wondering though if this was going to be tied with some kind of phone company or if its going to be soley wifi. :confused:
 
gkarris

gkarris

macrumors G3
Dec 31, 2004
8,301
1,061
"No escape from Reality...”
I'm there.

I have a MacBook but prefer a more powerful desktop and complementary tablet configuration...

(I had a Compaq Tablet years back, liked it but Windows XP Tablet was horrible so I sold it while it was still worth some $...)
 
E

ericinboston

macrumors 68020
Jan 13, 2008
2,020
508
leandroc76 said:
A lot of hospitals, clinics and medical offices use tablets these days.
Click to expand...

That is untrue. I work in hi-tech selling to the healthcare industry. You've been watching too much Star Trek. :)

More like 5% of hospitals/clinics/doctors' offices use such devices...and even then, they are more beta-testing and field-testing rather than some kind of mass rollout/adoption.

Healhcare needs to fix their Business Process problems first (by computerizing and removing paper for examples) and then will go mainstream into individual tablet-thingies later.

Your quote should really be re-written as "most uses of a tablet are in the hands of individuals like hospital staff to replace a clipboard"...but that brings up my earlier point that there really aren't many uses for a tablet to go mainstream into consumer land.

-Eric
 
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