Apple Tablet Seen by Analyst While Competitors Hold Off to Wait for Details?

[Vulpinemac]

Interesting concept, but if it's going to be dedicated to simply HD movies and video playback, it seems a bit weak for the $800 benchmark. It becomes so much more of a toy than an actual viable tablet that I would consider using.
Waiting on actual spec notes, then I'll decide on whether or not the Tablet is worth getting. Or rather, in existence.

I do believe it's going to be far more than "dedicated to simply HD movies and video playback..." There's a number of similarly-sized devices out right now that serve that purpose, and they all have built-in optical drives. Also, why would you put a touch screen on something so limited in scope?

Seriously. It would essentially be a fancy $800 remote. If this doesn't run the full OS X (albeit modified for touch), I'm not interested. Especially considering Apple's recent control-freak attitude with the App Store.

I disagree; this device is going to be massively more functional than a "fancy remote." In fact, I expect it will have even more capability than the iPhone/iPod touch, though I think it will end up parasitically eating away at their current markets. This looks like a strong go-between device that gives the touch capabilities of the iPhone/iPTouch and a desktop computer. Battery life may be questionable, but it looks to be almost everything I've been wanting in a tablet for over 10 years.

I'm just not seeing the market for this product at all.

The market is all existing mac fanboys.

... and doctors and lawyers and truck drivers and writers and photographers and... well, you get the idea.

This is a product where Apple's marketing power will be at full display. I myself can't see how this would be a hit unless it comes with some sort of mini-stand and a wireless keyboard bundled in (so that it could technically function as a netbook).
I guess Jobs will come back to the keynote in a big way with the announcement of this new gadget.
September launch probably means that Apple will market it as more of a multimedia gadget than a computer.

well this thing sounds great! i really hope it comes out next month, or at least get announced

I wonder if they'll announce it in September (iPod refreshes) or in October (laptop refresh?)
And I guess this product will establish a new line of products, then? Computer, iPods, iPhones, Tablets?
Wonder what this is going to be called. iTouch?

Considering somebody noted that it was slated for release in 1st-quarter '10, I would think that October will be the announce/release date. Apple's quarters are not calendar quarters and I believe their 1st quarter starts in October.

To quote all the fanbois when they heard about Zune HD:

"HD on a screen that small?"

A 4" diagonal screen is hardly worth the effort. 10" however? That's big enough to notice a difference.

Sounds ridiculously expensive, especially since I know that $699 will most likely be $970 in my country. but I guess most tablets cost that much or more.

A tablet PC (or notebook modified into a tablet) tends to run about $2500 or higher, though there are some 'flip & twist' displays that somewhat emulate a tablet's capabilities. However, at least for now, none of them are really all that functional as a tablet.

I know that's just a mock-up, but that looks horrid. If there is a real thing, hopefully it doesn't look like that.
The keyboard is gigantic, where's the screen?
I just don't see the need for this product.

Starting with your first comment, Surely, the keyboard is on the screen--it's a virtual keyboard little different from what you see on an iPod Touch or iPhone right now.
The need however, is quite different. Doctors and lawyers could use these for quick and easy note-taking during their interviews/rounds. They could give ready access to a patient or client's information without having to turn away, set a (sub)notebook on a table and start typing. The thing could be used in the same manner clipboard tablets are used today in so many places. A so-called netbook is no more convenient to use than a standard notebook--only smaller. This type of device could readily supplant it.

 

[dicklacara]

Do you use iWork, Word, iLife, Aperture, Final Cut Express, GarageBand, Logic Studio, iTunes? I dont' see how a giant iPod touch can replace an actual computer and I hope Apple come up with something better than that.

I use the above except word and FCP/Studio instead of express.

I don't think I would attempt heavy editing or compositing on any portable. However, light use of FCP/Studio on such a device would be OK. You need more (multiple) screen real estate, memory, cores, GHz, better audio and GPU capability for production use.

With a UI rewrite (or optional stylus input) most of the other apps would work well and should perform well on a tablet.

Now, consider this: some of the Touch UI has already migrated to Mac OS X (MultiTouch pads on portables). I suspect that touch screens will soon appear (maybe as an option) on all iMacs and Apple Displays.

There are certain things that can be done better and easer [directly] with a touch screen compared to [indirectly] with a mouse and keyboard.

 

[oyebto]

when the iphone is about to launch a lot of ppl ( including myself) though apple is foolish to venture to phone market, and now if apple is about to venture into unknown territory, they MAY pull it off.

but we probably dunno wad it will be, cause if we do, other brands can think about it already.

 

[whoooaaahhhh]

Ye of little faith.

I laughed so hard I just about wet my pants when I saw that picture of steve holding the 10 commandments...

 

[BornAgainMac]

To quote all the fanbois when they heard about Zune HD:

"HD on a screen that small?"

It's not the screen. It is the fact you don't have to encode a special version for the device. I believe in "Encode once, play on everything.". You encode at the highest resolution and the device will downsize it automatically. You would only need to encode to a smaller size for disk space reasons.

 

[Marx55]

The Apple Tablet:

The lighter, the better. 300 g or less would be great.
The smaller, the better. Pocketable would be great.
Firewire for repairs via Target Disk Mode.
At least two USB 2 ports for wireless remote control and pendrive.
Ethernet port.
Wifi.
Bluetooth.
Touch screen.
Full and true GPS (TomTom compatible).

Full Mac OS X for full blown presentations from NATIVE Apple Keynote and Microsoft PowerPoint via video-out port to videoprojectors (with VGA adapter cable).

Here it is:

iNetbook rerendered
http://www.flickr.com/photos/fotoboer/3226244527

First picture of:
Next Apple moves will be Books and Games…
http://spidouz.wordpress.com/2008/09/03/next-apple-moves-will-be-books-and-games

We need thousands for our University.

 

[Povilas]

The biggest question is what type of OS X it will run, because all other aspects depend on it. If it's iPhone OS type it will be baby software and respectively hardware, but if it will run desktop OS X ... That's the question is

 

[ddTaylor]

Well, it certainly perks my interest into seeing what they're going to do. Funny how other companies wait to see what Apple will release (so they can try to quickly release their own rip-off version to compete )

How do you KNOW that is the reason? Maybe they are waiting for Apple to do public R&D first - and find out if the public will actually BUY a tablet type computer. It is NOT just a simple function of waiting to COPY Apple but waiting for Appleto spend the cash to find out if people wil actually BUY this type of device.

D

 

[Bubba Satori]

If this comes in at $699-$799, I know I can switch at least half of my netbook customers over to it. Do it Apple.

 

[LagunaSol]

Hopefully it isn't just a big iPhone, I can't imagine how many people will be pissed when their "tablet" takes a tumble and the back is lined with cracks, along with a nice big broken touch screen.

Agreed. Bulletproof glass had better be on the specs list.

 

[DaBrain]

Interesting concept, but if it's going to be dedicated to simply HD movies and video playback, it seems a bit weak for the $800 benchmark. It becomes so much more of a toy than an actual viable tablet that I would consider using.


Waiting on actual spec notes, then I'll decide on whether or not the Tablet is worth getting. Or rather, in existence.

Yeah I agree IF that's all it is I'll pass! Lame! BUT, I shall wait and see just exactly what other features this unit has first--)))) It's got to have more then just a video player. Otherwise it just doesn't make any sense.

 

[Evangelion]

the ability to run real apps like iwork, ilife.

It will most likely be closely related to iPhone/touch.

at least 120GB HD

It will most likely use flash for storage, so 120GB would be quite large for the device. I'm thinking 64GB myself.

actual phone function

Probably not going to happen. Why put phone-functionality in there, when you already have a phone?

if it has even most of those things it will be a bargin at 700/800

It seems that we are entering the phase where people come out with totally unrealistic expectations....

 

[netcastle]

It just seems to me that the app store has so much to offer, and with untapped potential, Apple already has a huge software base to launch this thing on. And iPhone OS can only get better. On top of that there are thousands of uses for a device like this. Anybody who shuffles papers for a living, researchers, healthcare workers, politicians and government employees, students, engineers, etc... would find this a useful device. Carrying one device that is capable of rendering all of the various sought after media is very desirable. I know I want one. Accessing my iDisk contents on a more watchable screen than the iPhone is huge for me.

 

[mkoesel]

It's not the screen. It is the fact you don't have to encode a special version for the device. I believe in "Encode once, play on everything.". You encode at the highest resolution and the device will downsize it automatically. You would only need to encode to a smaller size for disk space reasons.

True, or at least that's the case with the Zune HD as I understand it. It will playback standard HD video (720p only, no 1080p), but downscales it to the 480x272 resolution screen.

However, for a tablet sized device, we could reasonably expect an actual HD resolution screen. 1920x1080 is probably unlikely (though theoretically possible, sure) but I would certainly not rule out 1280x720. After all plenty of netbooks have small high density screens. Most are 1024x600 I believe, but we are talking screens as small as 7" or 8" also. Plus, I know there are some 10" devices with 1280x768 resolutions. Remember the device should not just be just for movies but should also be useful for the same types of activities we use netbooks for today. A higher resolution screen makes a lot of sense in this case.

 

[The Phazer]

The question for me is how tethering to the iPhone would work.

I sure as hell wouldn't pay the £15 a month O2 requires for online tethering for it.

Phazer

 

[deconstruct60]

HD on a 9" or 10" display is a little different than HD on a 3 or 4" display, no?

Actually pragmatically, yes there is a difference.

Minimally for HD you need 1280x720. You aren't going to find a 3-4" display that can do and give you comfortable readable screen at arms length away. There are cameras with 3.2 displays but to read them you bring them closer or use large characters. Movie content isn't going to be geared to that trade-off (use large characters).

So you need bigger pixels. The Touch is 480-by-320. To get to 720 you'd need to increase the density 2.25 times. Go to a web page on a Touch and zoom out twice and see what you can read without bringing the screen closer.

I suppose if just glossing over the detail on the screen ( "is that car in the middle of the camcorder screen" ) there won't be much of a difference.

About 7" is where get more typically sized for viewing from a distance (the zoom isn't hold it closer) 1280x720 displays.

 

[SFStateStudent]

Who's the analyst, my ten year-old nephew? I get more interesting and believable rumors from MR than "the analyst" AKA: SORETHROAT.....

 

[deconstruct60]

The question for me is how tethering to the iPhone would work.

Why would tethering to an iPhone be necessary? Quite possibly has its own radio for data connections.

 

[casik]

To quote all the fanbois when they heard about Zune HD:

"HD on a screen that small?"

HD on a screen the size of a Zune is redundant. You don't need it bc the majority of the public won't see a difference on a 3-3.5" screen between regular and high def. It's also pointless to put a high def movie on a portable device like that. sucks up too much space

 

[ddTaylor]

if its true i would like it to have a detachable mini keyboard and the usbs could be part of the keyboard but it could be touchscreen

Wireless USB for the keyboard and physical USB ports on the keyboard - that would be super-fantastic, as my kids say.

D

 

[pelicanflip]

I will buy it in a second at any cost as long as it will allow me to use a stylus to draw on and can present keynote presentations. Nothing wrong with using fingers but for fine drawing you need a sharper point.

Then what's the point in buying an Apple Tablet if all you need it for is a stylus to draw on and presentation purposes?

You could buy any tablet that's out on the market right now, for cheaper than the proposed Tablet price, and still be able to use it without any drawbacks.

Honestly, those are absolutely basic functions of any tablet, and to me, not a significant buying factor that I would consider.

If the Apple Tablet couldn't even utilize a stylus to draw on or present keynote presentations, it wouldn't even be considered for the market, it would be an EPIC FAIL on Apple's part.

 

[ddTaylor]

The iPhone 32GB is already over $500 ( the price with subsidy is $299. The price without is much higher). Similarly the iPhone launched at a higher than $500 price.

Apple still has to pay for the contents. If a 3" screen device is going for $500+ why would a 10" screen device be anywhere near that price if has similar screen tech?

But that is because the carriers allow for Apple and other companies to STEAL from them by charging $800 for a 32GB iPhone that is only SLIGHTLY different than a $399 32GB iPod Touch! Until the carriers wise-up and stop letting the manufactures take advantage of them with the silly price of unsubsidized phones - then a 32GB iPhone will ALWAYS be nearly $1000!

There is no real reason why a phone with only minimal differences in software AND hardware would cost nearly 3x more to make or buy than a 32GB iPod Touch...no way.

D

 

[Amdahl]

Blu-ray next Tuesday?

Sounds like the tablet will have a built in slot-loading Blu-ray Super Combo Drive. Wow!

 

[vaderhater245]

If this has full OSX, Wacom pens should work with this device.

 

[Cougarcat]

I disagree; this device is going to be massively more functional than a "fancy remote." In fact, I expect it will have even more capability than the iPhone/iPod touch, though I think it will end up parasitically eating away at their current markets. This looks like a strong go-between device that gives the touch capabilities of the iPhone/iPTouch and a desktop computer. Battery life may be questionable, but it looks to be almost everything I've been wanting in a tablet for over 10 years.

Oh, I agree with you there. If it's going to succeed at an $800 price point, it has to do more. I was just saying the way this analyst described it, it sounds like a fancy remote. And battery life better be the equivalent of a netbook.

Somebody mentioned magazines--honestly, who here buys magazines nowadays? I think a killer eBook app is more likely.

Imagine, though, if apple targeted the textbook market: say you could rent your textbooks for dirt cheap, say $10 a book, for a semester via iTunes. Or, you could buy your book for a bit more, and buy "upgrades" to do the new editions for cheap. You could write and annotate in the book to your heart's content. Students would buy this thing in droves. Hell, with the crazy prices textbooks have these days, it would pay for itself relatively quickly. Of course, there is the small matter of convincing the textbook publishers to go along with it. But Apple did it with the record companies, and if anyone can pull it off, it's Steve Jobs.