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Jobs "Extremely Happy" with Upcoming Apple Tablet and a Surprise?

Vulpinemac said:
Such limited points of view, and not only your own, kdarling, but nearly everyone else's, too. I mean, really, a Kindle Plus? Is that all you think a well-done tablet is going to be? I'll tell you right now that there are no well-done tablets on the market right now; that's why there are so few tablets sold.

Now, touching on your own points --

1) Field Applications: Why should it just be sales and service employees? How many people still use clipboards as they perform inspections? How many people use note pads to rough-sketch designs and modifications on construction sites or manufacturing plants? How many of these people are using notebook computers because the tool they need simply doesn't exist? Of course, this also begs the question of the average consumer, after all, who, before Apple, thought that smartphones would become a consumer device? Certainly not RIM or Nokia.

2) Medical Students: Why strictly students? Why just medical? Why not any professional? The Newton was a surprisingly big hit with the medical industry, mostly by doctors annotating patient records. The best upgrade to that isn't a big computer cart that has to be rolled from bed to bed, but rather a tablet that can immediately send the doctor's annotations directly into the hospital's (office's) computer records. Much easier to carry and use, and doesn't require an assistant to roll the blinkin' cart around after him. Even lawyers could gain benefit from one, as well as police and military capabilities. In fact, anyone who has ever used a notepad or clipboard, even for pen-and-paper gaming, could use a well-designed tablet instead.

The point is, if Apple's tablet is the real deal, then it's going to be far more than just a Kindle Plus, it's going to be a true intermediate device between a smart phone and a desktop computer. It may not replace the laptop, but it could well eliminate the market for the sub-laptop in every way except price; returning the 'netbook' to what it was originally designed for--a low-cost device for education in developing countries.
Click to expand...

Citation needed. Seriously. The HP TX2s are actually great. They do have in my opinion two disadvantages, weight and how hot the god damn thing gets. But other than that, the touch screen is very responsive and it works great if you are taking notes.

And about netbooks, I believe they are a perfect solution for those who need something portable and small, yet with enough power to do simple tasks like web browsing, text processing, email, etc. Say, a writer, or a programmer. There were two 'notebook' designs that were meant specifically for third world countries, the concept of a "netbook" came years after the OLPC. Honestly, this is the only place where netbooks are looked down as "poor people's device"... I wonder why.
 
Remember the iTablet is not going to be the only Tablet PC released in 2010. There will be one from HP, Dell, MSFT, maybe even Google!
 
ArrowSmith said:
Remember the iTablet is not going to be the only Tablet PC released in 2010. There will be one from HP, Dell, MSFT, maybe even Google!
Click to expand...

I doubt the last two.

I'm sure the first two will run innovative finger-friendly OS's and leverage each company's content delivery ecosystems and publishing industry connections.

Oh, wait...
 
I'm late but I'm excited...

and so I have to post this...:rolleyes:
 

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cmaier said:
I'm sure the first two will run innovative finger-friendly OS's and leverage each company's content delivery ecosystems and publishing industry connections.

Oh, wait...
Click to expand...

Good one!

I'm still disappointed that the new Macs didn't have touchscreen monitors, and that Apple hasn't jumped into the kitchen computer market.

HP at least has attempted to make a home touch computer with their Touchsmart series.

I can see it now, with Jobs. "We have created a new family computer. And a new digital picture frame. And a central home control pad. And a portable TV. And an interactive refrigerator magnet. Computer. Frame. Remote. TV. Magnet. Do you get it yet?"

ilogic said:
Change your attitude. Not that big of a deal. Steve. Sent from my iPhone
Click to expand...

Ha.

In Soviet Russia, Apple bite you!
 
kdarling said:
Good one!

I'm still disappointed that the new Macs didn't have touchscreen monitors, and that Apple hasn't jumped into the kitchen computer market.

HP at least has attempted to make a home touch computer with their Touchsmart series.

I can see it now, with Jobs. "We have created a new family computer. And a new digital picture frame. And a central home control pad. And a portable TV. And an interactive refrigerator magnet. Computer. Frame. Remote. TV. Magnet. Do you get it yet?"
45


Ha.

In Soviet Russia, Apple bite you!
Click to expand...


I'm sorry, vertical touchscreens just fail... unless you're a zombie.
 
MorphingDragon said:
I'm sorry, vertical touchscreens just fail... unless you're a zombie.
Click to expand...

For real work, both vertical and horizontal touchscreens fail. Too hard on the arms and hands and fingers. Unless you're just doing artist work, in which case pen input is far preferable to finger touch.

For even longterm play, both orientations can work. Heck, I created vertical touch gaming systems that are used in many casinos. Of course, having a shelf for the customer's elbow to rest on, is key to prevent fatigue.

For casual use, vertical is fine. It's easy just to walk up to one and touch the vertical screen to do most things.

I have two TouchSmarts at home. I put custom menus on them using a simple IE .hta file. We use them for all sorts of things: white and yellow page lookup, gmail, aol and calendars, weather reports, games, you name it. Visitors are blown away when we answer a video call from the other side of the world with just a touch.

But I totally agree that if you were to create email or such, then vertical keyboards are painful to use. But then, so is a horizontal touch keyboard, IMO.
 
kdarling said:
For real work, both vertical and horizontal touchscreens fail. Too hard on the arms and hands and fingers. Unless you're just doing artist work, in which case pen input is far preferable to finger touch.

For even longterm play, both orientations can work. Heck, I created vertical touch gaming systems that are used in many casinos. Of course, having a shelf for the customer's elbow to rest on, is key to prevent fatigue.

For casual use, vertical is fine. It's easy just to walk up to one and touch the vertical screen to do most things.

I have two TouchSmarts at home. I put custom menus on them using a simple IE .hta file. We use them for all sorts of things: white and yellow page lookup, video Skyping, gmail, aol and calendars, weather reports, games, you name it.

But I totally agree that if you were to create email or such, then vertical keyboards are painful to use. But then, so is a horizontal touch keyboard, IMO.
Click to expand...

You use IE?
 
Integrated Video Projector

If it's being touted as a "media device" why not go all the way? Put a tiny little video projector on one edge that will throw the image on any flat surface.
I do a lot of Keynote presentations and a built-in projector would kick a$$. Have a pull-out angle bracket on the bottom to tilt it up slightly and use the main display for presenter notes. Sold! :apple:
 
eRondeau said:
If it's being touted as a "media device" why not go all the way? Put a tiny little video projector on one edge that will throw the image on any flat surface.
I do a lot of Keynote presentations and a built-in projector would kick a$$. Have a pull-out angle bracket on the bottom to tilt it up slightly and use the main display for presenter notes. Sold! :apple:
Click to expand...

The type of projector that would fit in such a device would be very short throw. Not suitable for presenting to more than a couple of people huddled fairly close together.
 
cumanzor said:
Citation needed. Seriously. The HP TX2s are actually great. They do have in my opinion two disadvantages, weight and how hot the god damn thing gets. But other than that, the touch screen is very responsive and it works great if you are taking notes.

And about netbooks, I believe they are a perfect solution for those who need something portable and small, yet with enough power to do simple tasks like web browsing, text processing, email, etc. Say, a writer, or a programmer. There were two 'notebook' designs that were meant specifically for third world countries, the concept of a "netbook" came years after the OLPC. Honestly, this is the only place where netbooks are looked down as "poor people's device"... I wonder why.
Click to expand...

However, you hardly address the points made in my comment--a single model does not a 'type' make. As you say, the netbook did not come until AFTER the OLPC was conceived and essentially designed, although they came out only a matter of months after the first XO was produced, not years. The netbook ended up being the closest equivalent to the concept that was priced about 3x the target amount.

However, these underpowered notebooks garnered a huge following due to its price about half that of a standard notebook. For some purposes, a netbook is great; but it's not good enough to really compete with full notebooks. Still, this doesn't mean the Netbook is the best device for the niche in which it resides, merely the only device in that niche--for now. Its price will help it maintain a share of that niche, but it's very possible that a well-designed tablet could garner a majority share of that market by simply being a superior device. Whether or not it will happen is still a matter for conjecture.
 
Vulpinemac said:
Such limited points of view, and not only your own, kdarling, but nearly everyone else's, too. I mean, really, a Kindle Plus? Is that all you think a well-done tablet is going to be? I'll tell you right now that there are no well-done tablets on the market right now; that's why there are so few tablets sold.

Now, touching on your own points --

1) Field Applications: Why should it just be sales and service employees? How many people still use clipboards as they perform inspections? How many people use note pads to rough-sketch designs and modifications on construction sites or manufacturing plants? How many of these people are using notebook computers because the tool they need simply doesn't exist? Of course, this also begs the question of the average consumer, after all, who, before Apple, thought that smartphones would become a consumer device? Certainly not RIM or Nokia.

2) Medical Students: Why strictly students? Why just medical? Why not any professional? The Newton was a surprisingly big hit with the medical industry, mostly by doctors annotating patient records. The best upgrade to that isn't a big computer cart that has to be rolled from bed to bed, but rather a tablet that can immediately send the doctor's annotations directly into the hospital's (office's) computer records. Much easier to carry and use, and doesn't require an assistant to roll the blinkin' cart around after him. Even lawyers could gain benefit from one, as well as police and military capabilities. In fact, anyone who has ever used a notepad or clipboard, even for pen-and-paper gaming, could use a well-designed tablet instead.

The point is, if Apple's tablet is the real deal, then it's going to be far more than just a Kindle Plus, it's going to be a true intermediate device between a smart phone and a desktop computer. It may not replace the laptop, but it could well eliminate the market for the sub-laptop in every way except price; returning the 'netbook' to what it was originally designed for--a low-cost device for education in developing countries.
Click to expand...

I agree. The iSlate will be as much "Kindle Plus" as an iPhone is a "phone plus." Perhaps you'll agree that when one looks at Apple's product line, it fundamentally features gateways to media (iTunes). Of course Macs are much more than that, but still how many of us own Mac computers and don't purchase our content through iTunes? One of the primary focus areas the iSlate is likely going to be as a media consumption device. And where iPhone's unique feature is the phone capability, the iSlate will undoubtedly offer an enhanced web browsing and video experience, as well as an App Store-supplied range of applications which will finally start to rival in feature-richness the applications we use on our computers. Where some of us were starting to use an iPhone as a laptop replacement, the iSlate, with its larger screen and more powerful processor, is going to replace laptops (at least for some of us) altogether.

With iSlate's lower price point, Apple will clearly want to entice iTunes media consumption so as to drive up the ARPU (Average Revenue Per Unit). One way to do that would be to offer the iTunes video subscription plan, which would enable us to use the iSlate as a pretty handy, portable TV. Where iPod made the music available to millions, the iSlate has a potential to do the same for video. All other uses of the device, whether by medical students or by professional users, as already discussed in this thread, will be of secondary interest to Apple. From the revenue contribution perspective, the business/medical/professional applications users will only be contributing to Apple's coffers through the initial device purchase, and then also through the App Store purchases, where Apple will receive a small percentage of the sale (as they do now). Apple's expectation is that over the life of the device, the media subscription services will add a meaningful contribution on the ARPU basis. We will not be paying for an at&t contract, but we will have an opportunity to add a monthly media fee so that we can consume both audio and video content supplied through Apple's iTunes store. All in all, pretty brilliant. Let's see how they execute.
 
TuffLuffJimmy said:
holy crap, Microsoft lets javascript do that?! That really doesn't seem safe.
Click to expand...

It's not Javascript in a browser. It's Javascript used as an app programming language.

Basically you can write a standalone app using DHTML and Javascript. Even has its own icon. Your app can call almost any function that C++ or VB or other language can, along with using all the cool IE stuff like easy XML/XSLT processing and other AJAX code.

It's fantastic. HTAs have been around since like IE 4 in 1999. Predates other widget and WebOS stuff by many years. Why MS never publicized it that much is beyond me.

We've written several professional applications using it, including one used inside the Pentagon. Good for extremely fast development because there's no compilation time involved, and there's very little learning curve. And apps can look GOOD.

cmaier said:
I'm sure it's locked into security domains so that only blessed pages can do it.
Click to expand...

Exactly. It's not a web page. It's treated the same as an .exe file. It has to be local.
 
kdarling said:
It's not Javascript in a browser. It's Javascript used as an app programming language.

Basically you can write a standalone app using DHTML and Javascript. Even has its own icon. Your app can call almost any function that C++ or VB or other language can, along with using all the cool IE stuff like easy XML/XSLT processing and other AJAX code.

It's fantastic. HTAs have been around since like IE 4 in 1999. Predates other widget and WebOS stuff by many years. Why MS never publicized it that much is beyond me.

We've written several professional applications using it, including one used inside the Pentagon. Good for extremely fast development because there's no compilation time involved, and there's very little learning curve. And apps can look GOOD.



Exactly. It's not a web page. It's treated the same as an .exe file. It has to be local.
Click to expand...

So its an interpreted language version of DHTML... Neat?

Why not just a normal interpreted language if you like the ease of use, that way there's some form of um, handing it over if somebody else needs to look after it. Because thats a problem were having now at work. :(
 
MorphingDragon said:
So its an interpreted language version of DHTML... Neat?

Why not just a normal interpreted language if you like the ease of use, that way there's some form of um, handing it over if somebody else needs to look after it. Because thats a problem were having now at work. :(
Click to expand...

It's javascript - that's the interpreted language. The DHTML can be thought of as the UI kit.
 
MorphingDragon said:
No, what I meant is, picking one that is more easily passed over to another programmer. I odnt think a lot of people know what .dta is or how it works.
Click to expand...

Well, the source would be javascript so the fact that it's wrapped a particular way isn't probably too much of a problem.

Personally, I prefer perl, c++, and objective-c :)
 
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