Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Any of these device that does not have tactile text entry will fail. I'm talking to you too apple. MS's concept looks cool, but it will only fill a niche market.

The iPhone is different in this regards as tactile text entry on phones is cumbersome in itself and a virtual keyboard is fine for something tiny that fits in your pocket and they're already regarded as companion devices, not full fledged computers. Still there are many people I know who will not purchase one because of the lack of a tactile keyboard.

If these tablets have no method of tactile entry they will be relegated as companion devices and when it comes down to the choice between a netbook/notebook and a tablet device, most will choose the netbook/notebook because they are used to entry on a keyboard and will view them as "full computers" and the tablet as something I will also need a full computer for.

Now if they're smart, and I know you are apple, they will release something that is both a tablet and a netbook.

I can picture the commercial in my head now. The disembodied hands playing with the device and all and apple's narrator describing what it can do.

- Say you need a notebook to jot down notes during a meeting, draw some diagrams, share with your co-workers. It can do that.
(shows disembodied hands writing and drawing on the tablet with a stylus)
- Say you need a book reader to review those notes, surf the web or read the works of your favourite author. It can do that.
(shows disembodied hands flipping pages, scrolling etc with their fingers)
- Say you need a media player to watch movies on the go, listen to your favourite music or play a few games. It can do that.
(device flips to landscape and shows disembodied hands manipulating video/music/games)
- Or Say you just want to use it as a plain old laptop. It can do that too.
(shows device magnetically clicking into a keyboard base)
- Introducing the brand new 10 inch iBook Touch only from apple.
(Screen closes down on base keyboard just like a normal laptop)

So much trouble and except for size, you're pretty much describing any other tablet notebook out there.
For instance, take a look at the Thinkpad X61 tablet or the X200 Tablet. 12 awesome inches. (4:3 and 16:10 respectively).
 
Didn't Scully have something called the Network Navigator back in the day as an idea? This seems similar to that. I don't like the idea of writing a url to go there and overall it seems like just a virtual scrapbook/notebook.

I wonder how you search for things you cut out and save on the virtual pages from the web; I can imagine this getting pretty cluttered and messy over time as it gets clogged up with bits and pieces of notes, kinda like a real notebook.

It's strange that it's moving back towards the paper notebook paradigm when computers and technology were taking away from that mess, I guess it's come full sine wave...again.

The video that people are getting excited about is a concept video demonstrating how the hardware could be used to full advantage.

This doesn't mean that even one line of code has been written to make it work the way it is shown in the concept.

In fact they are probably trying to figure out how to shoe horn Win 7 to run on the thing and in all likelihood you will have a 2nd application that will give you some of this functionality in the form of a separate program.

The type of complete integration and experience that is shown in this video just doesn't exist on Windows mobile platforms at this time and probably not for a long long time.

Hell, it took them over 2 years to get a Zune launched that could compete with the iPod Touch and even then it has a crippled web browser and limited application functionality.

Until MS acquires a major hardware player and actually puts some real stake in this business they will continue to be a "me too" in this space.
 
So much trouble and except for size, you're pretty much describing any other tablet notebook out there.
For instance, take a look at the Thinkpad X61 tablet or the X200 Tablet. 12 awesome inches. (4:3 and 16:10 respectively).

There are other tablets that magnetically click into keyboard bases and become full netbook/notebooks?
 
It's a cool concept video, but you people do realize that's not an actual product running on an actual OS, right? It's a mockup and they "cheat" all over the place. Half that stuff wouldn't work on a real device. For example, how does the device magically know you want to pull up the web browser by swiping down, or cut out an irregular region by drawing? How does it know that you want to grant access to your scrapbook when you drag a contact over vs. add that contact info into the scapbook (as happened when she dragged images)?

I have a strong feeling a shipping device is not going to work quite the same way and magically know what you want to do at all times, not to mention those other klunky interface and OS details that always seem to haunt MS products. Fun video, but I'll believe it when I see it.
 
Interesting concept, but I think it is just that, a concept.

the metaphor of a work pad one one side and a work space on the other other, would be interesting if they should how you would sort you work pad, right side.

Split screen = fail.
folding screen with cease = fail.


could MS really move away from have a start button, it like their signature, and they are proud of it.

I do like the sliding data items, that was really neat.
the use of stylus and multitouch is a must in the tablet, world, well at least it would be for me. I would want a stylus, for sketching or drawing, it has a finer point than my finger. I also like the pop up keyboard, as well as handwriting recognition.
 
There are other tablets that magnetically click into keyboard bases and become full netbook/notebooks?

No, not magnetically. However, I really don't see any purpose for it to do magnetically. Not even coming from Apple. If it should be done magnetically you'd have two separate pieces, and since you'd have to run the "screen" without the "base", all of the weight - processor, GPU, battery, harddrive and so forth would have to be behind the screen, making the whole thing rather unstable because of weight, unless you put lead weights in the keyboard or used an extender to keep it from tilting.

So, no, I haven't seen anything with a detachable magnetic keyboard, and for good reason.
 

really, I wish you would keep politics to yourself in your signature... it looks like troll bait in this type of forum... why do it?

I know, freedom of expression...

well, since you asked for it, here is some other freedom of expression. I thought that folks with your type of signature only supported bill gates and ms crapware? What gives? Apple is innovative, progressive and for the environment, how come you like apple products? I could go on, but no worth my time...

do not bother to answer, will not bite again in your flame troll scheme...

ill advised to mix politics in this forum, sucks...
 
No, not magnetically. However, I really don't see any purpose for it to do magnetically. Not even coming from Apple. If it should be done magnetically you'd have two separate pieces, and since you'd have to run the "screen" without the "base", all of the weight - processor, GPU, battery, harddrive and so forth would have to be behind the screen, making the whole thing rather unstable because of weight, unless you put lead weights in the keyboard or used an extender to keep it from tilting.

So, no, I haven't seen anything with a detachable magnetic keyboard, and for good reason.

I once saw a wireless keyboard on a prototype (working, I know, I worked on it), keyboard was wireless, when not in use, it connected to the front of the screen, keys facing the screen making it a protection shield, it was held on by 4 magnets, this was a prototype, only 20 where made, very cool device, this was also back in 1997.
 
There are other tablets that magnetically click into keyboard bases and become full netbook/notebooks?

Close.

The HTC Advantage is a mobile device with magnetic keyboard.

The Always Innovating Touch Book isn't magnetic, but does have a keyboard dock. (Actually, the display itself is magnetic, but so you can put in on the fridge for family use.)
 
As an Amazon Associate, MacRumors earns a commission from qualifying purchases made through links in this post.
I once saw a wireless keyboard on a prototype (working, I know, I worked on it), keyboard was wireless, when not in use, it connected to the front of the screen, keys facing the screen making it a protection shield, it was held on by 4 magnets, this was a prototype, only 20 where made, very cool device, this was also back in 1997.

Yup, and it never made it to production. If you have to connect the keyboard to protect the screen, you might as well have a swing-hinge, getting the best from both worlds. The keyboard itself (as in "without the box") doesn't weigh much compared to the rest of a computer.

If the screen is big enough, there is no reason to not include a keyboard and have it attached.

Edit:
LOL, HTC advantage - a very small screen.

Edit 2:
I seem to have been confusing the AI Touchbook to another model.

Still, the Touchbook doesn't make much sense either. If the screen can be used on its own, the computer is topheavy, if it cannot, but you have to disconnect the screen instead of swiveling it, I don't see what's gained over conventional tablet notebooks
 
No, this is not cool device. This is just cartoon-like animation.
Sad is they even did not show a real enclosure for.
 
Close.

The Always Innovating Touch Book isn't magnetic, but does have a keyboard dock. (Actually, the display itself is magnetic, but so you can put in on the fridge for family use.)

I've seen the always innovating touchbook before. Its pretty cool and the concept I would be thinking of, but its kinda ugly and Apple could use their magsafe tech and pull off a similar concept touchbook with keyboard base, but the screen just clicks into place without having to align pesky connectors.
 
unlike a tablet, which i don't think i'd ever use, this actually seems awesome. i could care less that it came from microsoft although i would much prefer it to run OSX. but having the ability to read like a magazine or write like a notepad is much more usable than a kindle or current e-readers. i would assume you could prop up one display and use the other as a keyboard like a mini-touch laptop as well. how cool would that be?
regardless if apple ever makes the rumored tablet, i don't see the purpose of buying one as one surface seems so limiting. this on the other hand is something i would buy.
 
One thing is missing from the video...

They didn't show a blue screen or an 'invalid exception' error...

Would it only show on one side or the other? I guess we'll find out.

I see this as probably more tease than actual product as perhaps Microstuff is trying to fake out Apple with pie-in-the-sky 'leaks' to make them stall their tablet...

BTW: Any news on the October event?
 
2 Screens???

I realize this is a prototype, but the cost of this device would be very prohibited with 2 screens.

And what about battery life? Oh, and the scrapping of both screens when you close it...

It's still good pressure to put on Apple.
 
?? First, you state that you wouldn't buy something because it's a MS product. Then, you state that, if this is a MS product and is what is shown, you would, for the first time, pick an Apple product over a MS product.:confused:

Typo. MS product over an Apple.
 
Integrate 3G/4G LTE (depending on the wireless network status at release) with a bluetooth headset for phone calls and this will blow my mind. And completely replace my laptop. Have the power desktop at home, control remotely as needed...

Microsoft, good on ya! Putting those billions towards innovation is something I like to see!

Now, more pressing is switching the wireless carriers over to VoIP, giving us one single data plan and run everything though that.
 
A few notes: the icons look very Mac like. (camera icon, tabs). The use of the term "App" is an Apple thing. Microsoft likes to call them programs.

Well duh, it was designed on a Mac so the designer used what they were used too. :D
 
Multiple screens? This will just get confusing, as with anything Microsoft has ever done ever ever.

Plus, these can't be real... Where are the blue screens of death? :p
 
Interesting

As someone who plays both sides (PC work/Mac home), I have to say this is incredibly...functional (if not outright sexy!). I never adopted the tablet for work, instead lobbying to stay on an IBM T43 funning XP...using it mostly as a portable desktop computer due to all the issues with docking/undocking and wireless in my workplace.

If this were to see the light of day*, I could see this finally providing some much needed efficiency in the workplace and I love how they've adapted it to a current paradigm; the portfolio...instead of making me, the user, adapt to theirs (stylus on a 1" thick, tablet with questionable handwriting recognition and horrible adherence to standard XP capabilities). Who doesn't have a portfolio that they use for note taking, planning, file transport, business traveler essentials, etc?

It, at least, gives me some hope that MS hasn't lost sight of the end-user completely and it will (continue) to put pressure on Apple to drive deeper into the user experience.

*There are going to be HUGE barriers for adoption...wakeup/sleep, wi-fi pervasiveness, security, omnipresent/incremental backup (a'la Time Machine), weight, durability, dependable OS, etc., etc., etc.
 
Pretty funny commenting considering that a business analysis recently demonstrated that business users actually get MORE done with an iPhone than with a RIM or WinMO device.

Proof please.

Everything I have heard from people who used both the iPhone and WinMo/RIM device say the oposite.

They all are say that the iPhone is a great multimedia device but fails a productivity tool. WinMo/RIM are better productivity tools and the phone designs funtion better as a phone.

the Iphone fails at being a phone first and goes multimedia first.
 
Proof please.

Everything I have heard from people who used both the iPhone and WinMo/RIM device say the oposite.

They all are say that the iPhone is a great multimedia device but fails a productivity tool. WinMo/RIM are better productivity tools and the phone designs funtion better as a phone.

the Iphone fails at being a phone first and goes multimedia first.

Mostly correct. And we see who is selling the most right?. This M$ thing looks ok. Not for the average consumer though. M$ might sell a few hundred thousand but if Apple gets it's right they will sell millions.

That's the difference. ;)
 
As someone who plays both sides (PC work/Mac home), I have to say this is incredibly...functional (if not outright sexy!). I never adopted the tablet for work, instead lobbying to stay on an IBM T43 funning XP...using it mostly as a portable desktop computer due to all the issues with docking/undocking and wireless in my workplace.

If this were to see the light of day*, I could see this finally providing some much needed efficiency in the workplace and I love how they've adapted it to a current paradigm; the portfolio...instead of making me, the user, adapt to theirs (stylus on a 1" thick, tablet with questionable handwriting recognition and horrible adherence to standard XP capabilities). Who doesn't have a portfolio that they use for note taking, planning, file transport, business traveler essentials, etc?

It, at least, gives me some hope that MS hasn't lost sight of the end-user completely and it will (continue) to put pressure on Apple to drive deeper into the user experience.

*There are going to be HUGE barriers for adoption...wakeup/sleep, wi-fi pervasiveness, security, omnipresent/incremental backup (a'la Time Machine), weight, durability, dependable OS, etc., etc., etc.

It is an animation only remember ... as in it doesn't exist ... IMHO the video was made to confuse the easily confused in the months leading up to Apple's release. I can see many PC users thinking this thing is really about to come out.
 
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.