Apple Tablet Rumors Revived: February 2010 Launch? P.A. Semi Processor?

[firewood]

Seriously, I can't see apple producing a tablet at 10" or less, when for one, people complain about the screen size of the Mac Pro 13" being to small.

Apple already produces a tablet with a smaller screen; and it outsells all MacBook Pros by a huge ratio. It's called an iPod Touch.

But it's screen is smaller than a paperback book, which is usually the smallest book that millions of people carry and read every day. A device the size of a paperback or hardcover would be huge in comparison to the current Touch/iPhone.

Just the opposite of too small.

 

[whooleytoo]

Seriously, I can't see apple producing a tablet at 10" or less, when for one, people complain about the screen size of the Mac Pro 13" being to small.

Tablets are typically used being held in one hand, and used with the other; which obviously would limit the practical size and weight of the device. You don't want a big screen device which would topple out of your hand.

 

[chris7777]

But what we really need is to be able to read and take notes straight on the page and in the margin when we are reading, which is why the kindle sucks. The Apple Tablet really would benefit if it had a wacom digitizer built-in and allowed you to take notes, while reading a book and underlining passages, or for the purposes of sketching more generally. If you really want a winner, adapt or build a program that incorporates Pages (word processor), sketching, viewing of PDFs or eBooks, all the while allowing one to add handwritten information to any file opened within the program.

If only some manufacturer besides wacom saw the potential in this.

Cintiq but as the whole unit.

 

[chris7777]

I've said it before
(https://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=7651496#post7651496)

and I'll say it again:

The tablet *is* the next generation Macbook. The MBP will remain as a traditional laptop - these upcoming Macbook updates will be minor, and it will be relaunched as a tablet in 2010.

I agree and have said similar myself.

But I had expected them to have something to market sooner.

I also have begun wondering if a polycarbonate update is actually a good idea.

otherwise you have only pro offerings for a traditional laptop.
It just depends on how they want to tier things.
this upgrade should be the tell, though.

 

[daneo933]

can't wait!! these will be sick!!

 

[celtikmind]

Apple already produces a tablet with a smaller screen; and it outsells all MacBook Pros by a huge ratio. It's called an iPod Touch.

But it's screen is smaller than a paperback book, which is usually the smallest book that millions of people carry and read every day. A device the size of a paperback or hardcover would be huge in comparison to the current Touch/iPhone.

Just the opposite of too small.

Tablets are typically used being held in one hand, and used with the other; which obviously would limit the practical size and weight of the device. You don't want a big screen device which would topple out of your hand.

Because it all has to be in one unit? And the whole screen has to be hardware?

All the iPhone usage starting to show?

People had greater visions of things possible in the eighties than today. Think new and different, not larger and faster.

 

[firewood]

People had greater visions of things possible in the eighties than today. Think new and different, not larger and faster.

Actually, Star Trek showed people walking around with tablet devices, no devices as primitive as a laptop or netbook in sight.

The next step might be something more like Geordi's googles, or heads-up display that would interface with your contact lenses.

But technology may limit us to something more like thin and light book-sized tablets for a few more years.

 

[SactoGuy18]

I think Apple right now is deciding what operating system the tablet computer will use.

If it's based on the MacOS X variant used on the iPhone, it will use a souped-up ARM processor from a PA Semiconductor design. But if it's based on a MacOS X 10.6 ("Snow Leopard") variant, then there's actually a really good chance it will use the new Intel Atom N450 dual-core CPU.

Because MacOS X 10.6 will work on the Atom CPU with no need for code changes, it means you can easily very easy to port the current MacOS X version to a tablet computer running the Atom N450 CPU. Because of its lower chip count and switching to a four-layer circuit board, any tablet using the Atom N450 will be very power efficient, which means longer battery life.

 

[Ironduke]

For the people saying that the tablet will replace the 13" macbook?

LOL VIOLENTLY @ YOU.

Why because the iPhone is touch screen and sell's more, dont be silly people what the iPhone Does compared to a macbook is very basic, its application are built for simplicity.

Imagine trying to create one of those beautiful documents in Pages on a 9.6 inch version of the iPhone, sure it would be fun for a bit moving images around with yer Finger, but the process would take so much longer you would scream for a real mac.

This Device has to be user friendly for its purpose, apple wont give this device OSX features that would give the user a poor experience.

And that is why I Forsee this device as a Jumped up iPod Touch with more power and having its own Section on the App Store.

Email, Browsing, Media will be the forte of this device, productivity or applications involving extensive keying in of data wont.

I expect this device to mirror the Touch for Memory.

It will probably come with a 3g chip but thats upto you if you wish to activate it and enter a contract.

Infact I would wager this device will be so similar to Ipod Touch that 3rd Party Vendors will not have much problem quickly converting their apps and games to operate in the Tablets Higher Resolution.

 

[Marx55]

Imagine this without the phone and with Mac inside:

xpPhone
http://www.xpphone.com/en/product/configuration.html

ROCKING!

 

[newrigel]

disappointment. no one has produced a catch-on tablet in 20 years, apple won't be the first. estimated $999 with an unknown proc, it'll be another overpriced luxury - i said it first.

Yeah... that YOU can't afford!