France Telecom Executive 'Confirms' Forthcoming Release of Apple Tablet

[DanBUK]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

"Like a big iPhone, but not JUST a big iPhone..."

Details are starting to filter through:
We know about the magazine/periodical reworking.
We know it will integrate with iTunes movie/tv downloads +/-tv subscriptions.
We heard over the weekend about web based iWork.
We are now hearing about forward camera for videoconferencing.
We have heard the 2 flavour- with and without network subscription.
Painless developer tools will allow iPhone apps to run, maybe widget style.
It will remain a closed
ecosystem so no bittorrent downloading onto the device (will be probably decried for this).
Plus a new interface giving it a revolutionary air and wow factor.

This is shaping up to be a great bit of kit. Bring on the 27th.

 

[Rot'nApple]

Webcam too. This thing is going to be unreal.

I hear the slate sold in Switzerland will also have a can opener with small screwdriver, bottle opener with large screwdriver, wire stripper, wood saw, corkscrew, toothpick, tweezers, key ring, large blade, small blade, scissors, and hook!

 

[jimjiminyjim]

I wonder whether the iSlate will be available in Canada, or more likely, that Robelus will be stalling this in order to find the best way to screw the Canadian consumer.

Thieves, the lot of them! Telus, Rogers and Bell.

And, if you're lucky enough to be from one of the bigger cities in Canada, maybe the new player Wind too.

 

[AidenShaw]

The point about Nvidia was at a MacWorld Expo a few years ago. Just shortly before Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech a spokesman for Nvidia said that their video processor would be in a new Mac. As a result of this the Nvidia spokesman was cut out of the keynote. Also Nvidia videos cards & processors were cut out of the from Apple ac market for the next year.

I thought that it was ATI.

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2000/08/01/ati_preannounces_apple_macworld_unveiling/

ATI pre-announces Apple MacWorld unveiling

New iMacs, Power Macs to be revealed Wednesday claims ATI


http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/00/07/19/apple_turns_cold_shoulder_towards_ati_at_macworld.html

Apple Turns Cold Shoulder Towards ATI at Macworld​

 

[PeterQVenkman]

Not paying for another service.

Me either!

Plus you know Steve Jobs just sent assassins to this dude's house for his little "oops".

 

[MacBoobsPro]

I work for UPS I have just delivered this to France Telecom offices. It appears to be from Cupertino.

 

[jwdsail]

Closing in on the 26th/27th...

As we close in on the rumored date(s) of the rumored announcment(s), I'm beginning to think that -

if apple announces a tablet(s)

1: apple will announce 1 or 2 tablet/tablet-like devices

2: if there are multiple devices, one may be a new input device targeted towards the appletv.

3: the tablet will run a modified version of macos x more closly related to the iPhone touch os than the desktop macos x.

4: the tablet will have various wireless data options. It will be available for $499 with subsidy with a 3G data service, $999 without. You will be able to choose between GSM and non-gsm providers. Free ad-subsidized data service will also be available.

5: the tablet will be dockable either via a wired or wireless connection. If wired, it will be the first of many apple products to ship with lightpeak. It may resemble the lenovo u1, or the apple patent showing an iMac-like device with an internal dock. Apples automatic data and status swapping between tablet and desktop modes will be even more complete than the u1.

6: apple may do something completly differant that has us all asking "why didn't we think of that" (touch surface is also pv solar for opportunity charging device).

7: if apple announces any tablet-like device, it will use the name iBook. No debate over trademark, existing goodwill/mindshare in key markets, and just to mess with anyone that names things "slate" thinking apple would use islate.

8: the appltv may get major revision to support touchos apps/games.

 

[etoiles]

Having watched the video, Im not really sure he knows what he's talking about, he just goes into a spiel about a webcam and how it will revolutise video-conferencing world (where did i hear this before?) - I would not regard this as canon.

On rewatching it, he manages to bend the conversation into a talk about webcams and how his network has a great coverage for such high BW devices, without blinking. I think that he may have heard the question about the tablet, and effortlessly deflected the question without a confrontative "we don't comment on our partners' products". Note how the interviewer did not follow up at all. If that is the case then Stéphane Richard is quite brilliant really...

Exactly... he acknowledges the rumor from 'Le Point', then does his marketing thing for FTs network. He didn't dish out any new information or confirmed anything.

 

[jontucker]

Loose lips sink ships!

 

[kugino]

agree with the posts that think orange is going to feel some hate from cupertino...i imagine one of two things will happen: he'll hear nothing from cupertino or he'll get a a talking to from cupertino. he'd better hope for the latter, because that means he's still getting the tablet. no contact from steve? say bye bye to your tablet.

 

[chp5592]

The point about Nvidia was at a MacWorld Expo a few years ago. Just shortly before Steve Jobs gave the keynote speech a spokesman for Nvidia said that their video processor would be in a new Mac. As a result of this the Nvidia spokesman was cut out of the keynote. Also Nvidia videos cards & processors were cut out of the from Apple ac market for the next year.

Someone else will have to put these items in the proper time frame & explain the story a little better, but the story should be about the same.

Thanks for the explanation. That makes me wonder what are the chances that the new Tegra 2 SOC is in the new apple tablet. That is one amazing chip from what I read about. 1080P output, OPEN GL ES 2.0 support (just like iPhone 3gs but faster), dual core a9 ARM processor (about three times faster than iPhone 3gs), etc..

Alas, I guess I'll be sending more money to apple..... (love my core i7 iMAC!!)

 

[davidwarren]

As we close in on the rumored date(s) of the rumored announcment(s), I'm beginning to think that -

if apple announces a tablet(s)

1: apple will announce 1 or 2 tablet/tablet-like devices

2: if there are multiple devices, one may be a new input device targeted towards the appletv.

3: the tablet will run a modified version of macos x more closly related to the iPhone touch os than the desktop macos x.

4: the tablet will have various wireless data options. It will be available for $499 with subsidy with a 3G data service, $999 without. You will be able to choose between GSM and non-gsm providers. Free ad-subsidized data service will also be available.

5: the tablet will be dockable either via a wired or wireless connection. If wired, it will be the first of many apple products to ship with lightpeak. It may resemble the lenovo u1, or the apple patent showing an iMac-like device with an internal dock. Apples automatic data and status swapping between tablet and desktop modes will be even more complete than the u1.

6: apple may do something completly differant that has us all asking "why didn't we think of that" (touch surface is also pv solar for opportunity charging device).

7: if apple announces any tablet-like device, it will use the name iBook. No debate over trademark, existing goodwill/mindshare in key markets, and just to mess with anyone that names things "slate" thinking apple would use islate.

8: the appltv may get major revision to support touchos apps/games.

I know it's backwards compatible, but what's the point if there's nothing to plug it into to demo? Unless the new laptops have it too.

 

[AgingGeek]

I vaguely remember something an Apple patent where the display was also a sensing array (interspersed pixel grid, or something similar)

Basically, it was a camera CCD overlaid onto a display matrix.

Anyone else have any recollections, or is it just senility setting in?
.

Maybe you're confusing it with tech from "1984"....

 

[David29]

Say goodbye to your Apple relationship there Frenchy...

Be prepared for this guy and his company to be dropped as a supplier of the iAnything.

I am sure that Apple has privacy clauses in its contracts with such suppliers, and this idiot just blew it for his company.

Does **** not translate into French? How about "No Comment"?

What a dumba$$.

 

[Azathoth]

Exactly... he acknowledges the rumor from 'Le Point', then does his marketing thing for FTs network. He didn't dish out any new information or confirmed anything.

He doesn't even confirm the rumour - he just starts talking about a device with a webcam. He has a message he wants to come out with (how great Orange is) and the interviewer was soft on him in any case.

Nevertheless all intertubes here are aflush with "lol, NDA fail, l00k" - learn French people, and find out the real truth...

 

[JulienNantes]

As french is my main language, I carefully watched this video and have mixed feelings.

- YES, it may be that he just acknowledges Le Point's statements,
- BUT it could as well be an error from his part, when, under NDA, he should just have denied knowing anything about those rumors from Le Point.

My general feeling after watching this video is that his main goal during this interview was to point out how strongly France Télécom/Orange had massively invested into high bandwidth infrastructure, and so he was ready to answer "yes" to about everything. Like :

- Elkabash : According to News Of The World, Apple is about to release a giant yeti-like robot...
- Richard : yes
- Elkabash : ... with high definition microphones
- Richard : yes
- Elkabash : will FT be able to handle this ?
- Richard : yes, we invested in HIFI stereo crystal sound on all our networks, so the sound will be perfect for all our customers

The guy's just here to praise his company, it seems to me, with the danger to confirm any true rumor as well.

 

[arkitect]

He doesn't even confirm the rumour - he just starts talking about a device with a webcam. He has a message he wants to come out with (how great Orange is) and the interviewer was soft on him in any case.

Nevertheless all intertubes here are aflush with "lol, NDA fail, l00k" - learn French people, and find out the real truth...

True.
I doubt most - if any - of the mouth foamers actually watched the video…

But that's the internet for you.

My general feeling after watching this video is that his main goal during this interview was to point out how strongly France Télécom/Orange had massively invested into high bandwidth infrastructure, The guy's just here to praise his company, it seems to me, with the danger to confirm any true rumor as well.

I think you are spot on.
so much misplaced outrage on display here…

I seriously doubt multi-billion dollar/pound/euro corporations have decisions made with school playground rules.
And if that is the way Apple, Inc. does things… Jobs can't go soon enough.

*woops* fat's in the fire now…

 

[Stella]

Your all talking as if the French are the first to leak information.... hasn't there been a raft of leaks relating to the Tablet in the past couple of weeks that would equal this?

 

[NAG]

Your all talking as if the French are the first to leak information.... hasn't there been a raft of leaks relating to the Tablet in the past couple of weeks that would equal this?

Most of them are of the "anonymous source" variety. IE: most likely not a leak at all and just some analyst dreaming stuff up.

 

[2499723]

What if you could type with your finger. Like if you make a letter "P" with your finger on the screen, a letter P comes up. That would be cool.

This is my one wish for the Apple tablet. I just posted a similar comment on another thread earlier this morning. I'm less interested in using my finger, but perhaps a stylus. If I could jot down a few notes on a blank page and have the tablet convert that to text, I'd be well impressed.

It would be but it's very 1995.

I am sure Apple will find a better what to input characters.

I guess I'm 'very 1995', but I think it would be very useful, especially on a larger screen than say, the iPhone, the old Palm Pilots or even...the Newton.

 

[Compile 'em all]

Webcam? Did not see that coming. That's surely going to be awkward, unless there's some sort of stand involved.

Why the heck would you want a stand for something you are supposed to hold in your hands?

 

[Winters]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

"Like a big iPhone, but not JUST a big iPhone..."

Details are starting to filter through:
We know about the magazine/periodical reworking.
We know it will integrate with iTunes movie/tv downloads +/-tv subscriptions.
We heard over the weekend about web based iWork.
We are now hearing about forward camera for videoconferencing.
We have heard the 2 flavour- with and without network subscription.
Painless developer tools will allow iPhone apps to run, maybe widget style.
It will remain a closed
ecosystem so no bittorrent downloading onto the device (will be probably decried for this).
Plus a new interface giving it a revolutionary air and wow factor.

This is shaping up to be a great bit of kit. Bring on the 27th.

I m not sure if this was mentioned but in this interview that the future orange ceo was mainly talking about their 3g network being the best and all etc.. and then at the end of the part where he speaks about the apple tablet he says that the new device will greatly benefit from their network.
Which probably means that it has 3g.

 

[JohnCalvi]

Loose French lips feed MacRumor site hits.

 

[Durendal]

Oh wow. I think Steve Jobs just found his next unwitting organ donor.

 

[Stridder44]

This guy's either going to be murdered for opening his mouth early or praised for delivering the "controlled leak."