Apple Touchscreen Netbook to Launch in October at $800?

[chaosconan]

I believe its going to be a tablet branded under macbook tablet

macmini
macbook
macbook tablet (new)
macbook air
macbook pro

It will be a flat touch screen with no physical keyboard, and no removable battery and no firewire.
It will have a mini DVI, 2 USB ports, built-in wifi, bluetooth, compass, accelerometer.
It will use either SSD or 1.8" hard drive.

They'll be introducing a new operating system called Tablet OS that is a hybrid of Mac OS X and iPhone OS where new applications written for the tablet OS will feature better functionality with the touchscreen. They're be expanding on the user interface introduced in iphone OS for more complex applications that will run on this Tablet OS.

And its backwards compatible with iPhone OS applications meaning that all those games and applications that came out for iphone OS will work with the tablet OS. For applications the rows and columns are longer and for games the graphics is just bigger on the tablet OS.

I just don't see them making a netbook and loading Snow Leopard on it and have people use a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard with existing Mac OS X applications.

That's the approach they did with netbooks on the PC side.

It think they're going to create the next generation of API's for tablet OS interface that will revolutionize your experience. Just like how they did it with iPhone OS.

That's my guess!!!

 

[JohnnyLemonhead]

More ridiculous than people with Bluetooth headsets?

No one should wear a BT headset unless they are at home or in the car. They should never, ever be worn in public unless you are seated comfortably inside your car. Ever.

 

[MikeDTyke]

iBook Touch implies that it has a cover and opens like a book.

Why not just iTouch or inTouch?

Because Saturday Night Live will rip them to shreds if they use the name iTouch.

Who's to say that it won't have a cover and open like a book. Glass screen of that size you might appreciate a cover.

 

[Tallest Skil]

Unless you have ACTUALLY spent time with a netbook I would refrain from commenting as it is pointless.

I agree.

Why spout-off about your dislike for netbooks and spew completely false and ignorant comments about the current status of netbooks? Does it make you feel better? Were you somehow 'wronged' by netbooks and vowed to get back at them at all cost?

I have used them, they are worthless for any real work. Please refrain from insulting me, attacking me, or claiming falsehoods about me when you haven't a clue. Thanks.

 

[polaris20]

Have you USED a netbook? Do you OWN one? I have one that dual-boots both OS X and Windows 7 and they BOTH run extremely well on my Acer Atom n271 processor, 1.5GB RAM and 160GB HD with 6-cell battery. What are you talking about - it only works for internet work? Unless you have ACTUALLY spent time with a netbook I would refrain from commenting as it is pointless.

I run CS3 on Windows and CS2 on OS X with great results. Is it fast like a MacBook or MBA? Not at all - is it silly slow to the point of un-usability? Not at all. It is a fine notebook for the price and compared to my 17" PowerBook G4 1.33GHz with 1GB RAM and 100GB HD - it is similar in performance. Why knock it when you must not have tried it...Office and Photo Shop do well on a netbook and would most likely work well on the new TouchBook - provided it runs a version of OS X or SL other than the iPhone OS 3.x or the version that is available at the time of release.

If you have used a netbook it was not a current generation netbook as the new(er) netbooks with Atom CPU and at least a gigabyte of memory run very well. Compared to the Asus EeePC the new netbooks run circles around them - as you would expect. I say the new netbook line runs just as well as a 4-5-year old iBook or PB G4 of 1GHz or even slightly faster with like RAM and HD specifications.

Why spout-off about your dislike for netbooks and spew completely false and ignorant comments about the current status of netbooks? Does it make you feel better? Were you somehow 'wronged' by netbooks and vowed to get back at them at all cost? Please refrain from commenting with totally false and uninformed postings as it does not further the discourse but simply shows how arrogant many Apple users are and perpetuates the air that Mac users are stuck in the clouds with the noses so high it misses the rain!

No offense intended - of course...

D

Adding "no offense intended" at the end of your post doesn't negate you attacking him or being extraordinarily rude and presumptuous.

Your internet courage is impressive, sir.

 

[stainlessliquid]

$800 for a 1.6ghz atom processor is unrealistic as hell.

 

[Evangelion]

A netbook has to be CHEAP. Very very CHEAP. £300 is expensive for a netbook.

Which is why Apple is not going to be making a netbook.

Apple will be charging 50%+ over the top

Are you saying that the Apple product will be overpriced? What makes you draw that conclusion? The fact that netbook costs about 399 bucks, and Apple will charge about 800 bucks? By that logic we could say that Toyota is overpriced at 20.000 euros because you can get a Lada for 11.000 euros....

Point is that Apple products often cost more than other hardware does, but that does not mean that they are "overpriced". Usually you get something for that extra money. Take MacBook pro for example. Sure, it costs more than some PC-laptop does, but it also feels like more expensive piece of hardware. as opposed to creaky piece of plastic crap. PC hardware often is very, very cheap, but they also look, feel and behave like cheap hardware.

Sure, Apple could make a $399 netbook. And at that price, it would look and feel like any other netbook does. Rock-bottom prices don't really allow you to really make the device good. A price that low means that you have to design everything on the machine to be as cheap as possible, and that fact will be visible everywhere.

I do not think that making quality-hardware that costs more is "overpriced". And no, you can't determine the quality of the device just by staring at a bunch of paper-specs. Or can you determine the quality of a car by staring at a piece of paper that lists it specifications?

 

[strike1555]

I agree.



I have used them, they are worthless for any real work. Please refrain from insulting me, attacking me, or claiming falsehoods about me when you haven't a clue. Thanks.

Maybe you just don't know how to work a computer. The problem isn't the netbook - it's you.

 

[iJeep]

My heart has been breaking for years waiting for these rumors of an Apple Tablet to come true. Here's hoping that this one sticks!

In the mean time take a look at my Apple Tablet Concept:
http://macslate.blogspot.com/

Enjoy

Well done! Those are just awesome demos. Hope Apple will hire you soon and copy as much as possible. That's the way to go ...

 

[Ubele]

I'm putting my bets on this being an entirely new category of project, manybe something like iJeep described earlier in this thread. I understand Apple's reasons for not creating a standard netbook (low margins and poor user experience). As for how much demand there would be for an Apple netbook, I've read some stories that say Windows netbooks sell like crazy, and other stories that say they represent a small and declining market, so I don't know which stories to believe. There are still people who maintain that there's a huge, unserved market for an entry-level Mac tower, but obviously Apple doesn't think so. I was one those people who was waiting for such a tower to replace my G4 Sawtooth, but eventually I gave up and bought a MBP, and I have no regrets.

When Apple announced they were coming out with their own phone, I thought "Cool," but I had no interest in buying one, because I was content with my low-end Nokia; I only used it to keep in touch with my wife and kids, and I had no interest in custom ringtones, Web access on a tiny screen (at least not for the monthly AT&T cost), a low-res camera, and so on. Once apps came on the scene, though, and I got the chance to play with friends' iPhones, my opinion changed. Now it was a device that did many, many things, of which making phone calls was only one. I got an iPhone in January, and I now I can't imagine being without one.

So when talk began of an Apple netbook, I wasn't interested, because between my MBP and my iPhone, I have most of the bases I need covered. Similarly, talk of a Web tablet didn't interest me, either. My wife will soon need a new computer to replace her aging single-pocessor Mac Mini, and she wants a laptop, and the $1,000 white MB has more than enough power and capabilities for her. It's portable enough, and I can't see paying $200 less to buy a netbook or tablet, and to give up screen size, keyboard size, and presumably some features.

On another front, the Kindle intrigues me, but I find it too expensive for a single-purpose device that doesn't have a color screen. I understand that e-Ink looks like print on paper, but I've been reading from LCD computer monitors for so long that they don't cause me any more or less eyestrain than reading print on paper.

So I can see being interested in a touch-screen device of about 10" that, in addition to being an e-book reader, does most of the other things a laptop can. Apple usually manages to create devices that do things I never dreamed about, but that I can't (or at least don't want to) live without, once I start using them (Mac, iPod, iPhone).

 

[zami]

$800 for a 1.6ghz atom processor is unrealistic as hell.

Tell me about it.

My Dell Mini 9 cost £150.00 and runs OS X 10.5.7 beautifully!

 

[surferfromuk]

I won't buy one if it's got a keyboard and looks like a laptop - absolutely pointless - I've already got an MBP and an MB.

If it's not a big Ipod Touch it's going to have no purpose. 10" gaming Touch then yes...

 

[stainlessliquid]

Which is why Apple is not going to be making a netbook.



Are you saying that the Apple product will be overpriced? What makes you draw that conclusion? The fact that netbook costs about 399 bucks, and Apple will charge about 800 bucks? By that logic we could say that Toyota is overpriced at 20.000 euros because you can get a Lada for 11.000 euros....

Point is that Apple products often cost more than other hardware does, but that does not mean that they are "overpriced". Usually you get something for that extra money. Take MacBook pro for example. Sure, it costs more than some PC-laptop does, but it also feels like more expensive piece of hardware. as opposed to creaky piece of plastic crap. PC hardware often is very, very cheap, but they also look, feel and behave like cheap hardware.

Sure, Apple could make a $399 netbook. And at that price, it would look and feel like any other netbook does. Rock-bottom prices don't really allow you to really make the device good. A price that low means that you have to design everything on the machine to be as cheap as possible, and that fact will be visible everywhere.

I do not think that making quality-hardware that costs more is "overpriced". And no, you can't determine the quality of the device just by staring at a bunch of paper-specs. Or can you determine the quality of a car by staring at a piece of paper that lists it specifications?

Netbooks arent laptops, they are cheap because they use Atom processors and other low powered cheap parts, not because theyre low quality and poorly made. Theyre glorified PDA's, you can only charge so much for something that uses a processor that costs a few dollars.

 

[Peace]

Netbooks arent laptops, they are cheap because they use Atom processors and other low powered cheap parts, not because theyre low quality and poorly made. Theyre glorified PDA's.

They're cheap underpowered tiny laptops. If windows people like it then use it.

Personally I'd love to have a multi-touch Macbook.

Apple will NOT make a "Netbook" for these reasons.

 

[dicklacara]

I believe its going to be a tablet branded under macbook tablet

macmini
macbook
macbook tablet (new)
macbook air
macbook pro

It will be a flat touch screen with no physical keyboard, and no removable battery and no firewire.
It will have a mini DVI, 2 USB ports, built-in wifi, bluetooth, compass, accelerometer.
It will use either SSD or 1.8" hard drive.

They'll be introducing a new operating system called Tablet OS that is a hybrid of Mac OS X and iPhone OS where new applications written for the tablet OS will feature better functionality with the touchscreen. They're be expanding on the user interface introduced in iphone OS for more complex applications that will run on this Tablet OS.

And its backwards compatible with iPhone OS applications meaning that all those games and applications that came out for iphone OS will work with the tablet OS. For applications the rows and columns are longer and for games the graphics is just bigger on the tablet OS.

I just don't see them making a netbook and loading Snow Leopard on it and have people use a virtual keyboard or a physical keyboard with existing Mac OS X applications.

That's the approach they did with netbooks on the PC side.

It think they're going to create the next generation of API's for tablet OS interface that will revolutionize your experience. Just like how they did it with iPhone OS.

That's my guess!!!

Mmmm... The new device could use a GPU plus a dual core intel, multi-core ARM (when available), or multiple single-core ARMs.

I wonder, though, if they will introduce another OS-- they already have:

Mac OSX (Leopard)-- Intel & PPC
Mac OSX (SNL)-- Intel (but is it Intel Only?)
AppleTV OSX-- Intel
Mobile OSX-- ARM
Other iPod (non-touch) OS-- ARM

I am under the impression that the code exchange between Mobile OSX and Mac OSX (especially SNL) is a two-way street, where things like Location Services (and maybe UITouch) developed for Mobile OSX will migrate to Mac OSX.

In fact, most of Mobile OSX (and many apps) already run on Intel through the iPhone Simulator. That capability could certainly be exploited under SNL.

At some point in time I think Apple will incorporate custom chips (from PA Semi?) into all their hardware and software to prevent running any OSX on a competitive device.

 

[cocamouthwash]

Same here

Everyone said I should wait for the Apple netbook that was coming "inevitably", instead of buying a Windows based netbook. I'm glad I didn't. Even if it's true, there's no way I'd pay $800 for one, much less be able to afford it.

I don't see an $800 netbook selling too well.

Exactly! That price tag defeats the purpose of a Netbook. Plus Leopard runs acceptably on a Hacked netbook if you're willing.

 

[Peace]

Exactly! That price tag defeats the purpose of a Netbook. Plus Leopard runs acceptably on a Hacked netbook if you're willing.

Apple will NOT. I repeat. NOT make a netbook. Period. They are too cheap.Too hard to use. And underpowered.

Apple WILL make a Macbook.

Haven't you seen the glaring omission of a Macbook line in the store ?

1+1=2

 

[Evangelion]

Netbooks arent laptops, they are cheap because they use Atom processors and other low powered cheap parts, not because theyre low quality and poorly made. Theyre glorified PDA's.

They are cheap because they are built to be cheap. And that includes the desigh and general look and feel. Just because they use Atom as opposed to some other low-end CPU is not the reason why they are cheap.

And yes, you CAN make a product that uses Atom, yet costs more. The Sony Vaio P costs around 800 bucks and it uses 1.33Ghz Atom. So why is it so expensive when compared to normal netbooks? Because it's so small that it literally fits in your pocket. Because it's actually designed to look and feel good, as opposed to looking like cheap toy. Because it has a screen that has a resolution of 1600x768 (as opposed to the normal 1024x600). Because it weights about 800g as opposed to 1.2-1.5Kg normal netbooks weight. All those features and extra design cost money to implement.

You can't simply stare at the CPU and say "it uses Atom, therefore it needs to be cheap".

 

[Evangelion]

Apple will NOT. I repeat. NOT make a netbook. Period. They are too cheap.Too hard to use. And underpowered.

Apple WILL make a Macbook.

Haven't you seen the glaring omission of a Macbook line in the store ?

1+1=2

Precisely. I bet that this new product will be called "MacBook". There really isn't that much space below MacBook pro anymore, so they will take the MacBook to a whole new direction.

OK, they might call it "MacBook mini" or something like that. But they will NOT refer to it as a "netbook".

 

[channon]

My guess:
Oversized iPod Touch-like device with 3G and Bluetooth, and support for Apple's existing BT keyboard and Mighty Mouse.
~c

 

[dicklacara]

Because Saturday Night Live will rip them to shreds if they use the name iTouch.

Who's to say that it won't have a cover and open like a book. Glass screen of that size you might appreciate a cover.

1) Gee... free advertising on SNL for an iTouch (possibly running OSX SNL). How is that a negative?

2) If it does have a cover and opens like a book:

-- will there be one touch surface for the display and another for the keyless keyboard?
-- will the keyless keyboard also be a customizable keyboard (display) or just an enlarged touch pad with the outline of keys?

A dual-display implementation would offer some interesting possibilities, where:

--the software keyless keyboard pops up, when needed, on the flat (horizontal) surface.
--the keyless keyboard disappears when not needed and provided an extended display surface (like dual displays on a Mac).

 

[SkyBell]

"Netbooks are underpowered"

Sure, if you expect them to do tasks larger notebooks do. But they aren't meant for that stuff. My netbook runs Firefox, iTunes, Pidgin and MSN without issues. Even a few freeware games out there run without a hitch.

There's no reason Apple couldn't do a netbook. If they're worried about building something that will be perceived as "cheap" and ruin their image...they need to get out of the "We build premium products only" mindset.

 

[ptsube]

It's probably going to be a tablet with an optional keyboard, an ARM proc, and the OS will probably be app based like the iPhone.

 

[BillyBobBongo]

Despite the outlandish price tag that would lead you to believe that this rumour is true...I believe it to be false. I can't see why Apple would feel the need to create any sort of netbook with the iPod Touch and iPhone on the current market.

If you want a cheap computer to surf the net and check your email get yourself a MacBook, they're perfect for the job, weigh bugger all....and cost even less these days!

 

[dicklacara]

Despite the outlandish price tag that would lead you to believe that this rumour is true...I believe it to be false. I can't see why Apple would feel the need to create any sort of netbook with the iPod Touch and iPhone on the current market.

If you want a cheap computer to surf the net and check your email get yourself a MacBook, they're perfect for the job, weigh bugger all....and cost even less these days!

Apple has yet to exploit its MultiTouch capability on a full-size device... It needs to do this, soon.

The application possibilities are mind boggling-- from light tables, games, equalizer & control keyboards, medical...