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More Apple Tablet Patents - Gesture User Interface?
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i want to know why everyone is getting so worked up about this - apple have previously, and correct me if i'm wrong, gone out of their way to patent ideas that are so well hidden within another patent for something they're never going to do, you can't tell what they're going to do with it.
personally, i think that it's more likely we'd see a touchscreen ipod before we see an apple tablet.
personally, i think that it's more likely we'd see a touchscreen ipod before we see an apple tablet.
I'm still not convinced...
The percent of people that want tablet PC's is very small compared to desktops or notebooks, and when your market share is at 5 percent, you need to be careful of what your release.
The percent of people that want tablet PC's is very small compared to desktops or notebooks, and when your market share is at 5 percent, you need to be careful of what your release.
No way...
Again this tablet reverie of some...Apple is NOT gonna release one anytime soon, as tablets are a proven failure in any market, globally speaking.
Apart from graphic artists, NOBODY, in all sanity, would prefer to write with pens than to type much faster; recognition technology is FAR from ideal, and "on the field" uses for tablets are just too specialized to appeal to ordinary users (not to mention security concerns for open tablet computers on the streets).
You wanna carry a computer? Get a lightweight notebook.
You wanna enter information? Use the keyboard and mouse; no other way is more effective right now.
It's high time to bury once and for all this view that tablets are cool and useful. They are NOT; and unless Apple gets some Star Trek-like technology to make them REALLY wonderful and inexpensive, the masses are not gonna buy that.
Again this tablet reverie of some...Apple is NOT gonna release one anytime soon, as tablets are a proven failure in any market, globally speaking.
Apart from graphic artists, NOBODY, in all sanity, would prefer to write with pens than to type much faster; recognition technology is FAR from ideal, and "on the field" uses for tablets are just too specialized to appeal to ordinary users (not to mention security concerns for open tablet computers on the streets).
You wanna carry a computer? Get a lightweight notebook.
You wanna enter information? Use the keyboard and mouse; no other way is more effective right now.
It's high time to bury once and for all this view that tablets are cool and useful. They are NOT; and unless Apple gets some Star Trek-like technology to make them REALLY wonderful and inexpensive, the masses are not gonna buy that.
I have one thing only to say:
6G ipod with scroll wheel on the screen!
The screen will take up the entire face of the ipod and let you watch video at a larger size than currently possible. A picture of the scroll wheel will appear when you need to navigate.
---possibly.
edit---> d'oh, far too slow.
6G ipod with scroll wheel on the screen!
The screen will take up the entire face of the ipod and let you watch video at a larger size than currently possible. A picture of the scroll wheel will appear when you need to navigate.
---possibly.
edit---> d'oh, far too slow.
AAAAAAAAAAAAH! Freaky alien hands!!! 
In all seriousness, I'm thinking this is rather the "real video iPod" rather than a tablet Mac... although in the end it might end up being the same thing.
irmongoose
In all seriousness, I'm thinking this is rather the "real video iPod" rather than a tablet Mac... although in the end it might end up being the same thing.
irmongoose
He told to connect the dots...
So I guess these interface technologies are prepared for a new all-in-one product without keyboard, mouse and stylus. It may have a small form factor (and a small display).
If also connected with recent keywords such as MVNO, WiMAX, "Mobile Me" and so on, the product could be iPhone or something larger like "Mac in a car" that sports a G4 processor. (Remember Apple has extended a contract with Freescale.)
Above PAF figures are?
So I guess these interface technologies are prepared for a new all-in-one product without keyboard, mouse and stylus. It may have a small form factor (and a small display).
If also connected with recent keywords such as MVNO, WiMAX, "Mobile Me" and so on, the product could be iPhone or something larger like "Mac in a car" that sports a G4 processor. (Remember Apple has extended a contract with Freescale.)
Above PAF figures are?
As some have already mentioned, it's an iPod with maximum screen real estate. You can even see the scroll wheel in one of the drawings.
This way they can add data input, and all of the things that iPaq, Palm users want. So this can make an iPod a fully functional digital device and take 80% of that market too.
Just a thought.
This way they can add data input, and all of the things that iPaq, Palm users want. So this can make an iPod a fully functional digital device and take 80% of that market too.
Just a thought.
Chaszmyr said:Should we start trying to guess the name? My guess is MacPod
Despite continual rejection by the MacRumors community as a whole, I shall plough on and suggest that it should be called the (drum role please)
Maclet
IIIIiiii thankyouverymuch....
Yeah, they've had a lot of patents that they don't make, but how many pertain to tablet computers? A lot.willwoodgate said:
As for the name ... either Mac nano or MacBook nano. It'd fit with the iPod nano naming..
I think that with the Intel transition taking all of Apple's resources this year (most likely) then we'll see a tablet Mac in the next two years. Of course it's the Intel chips that'll actually make this possible, being all about performance-per-watt. Tablet PCs don't sell very well, but mp3 player sales were so-so (i believe) before the iPod came and spiced things up. Same with mobile video players. Apple gets it right when they make a product.
I'm a university student, and I'd love a tablet, as long as it's done right. The low sales can be explained by Window's poor interface, and even worse interface without a keyboard (I'm assuming this, of course.)
So if Apple releases a tablet, it'll be done right. I want one if they do. I've always found Palm/PDA/tablets a very cool idea, they usually sell poorly because of the poor input options for something like that. I'd trust Apple to figure out how to make it all work.
yeah, i dont see much need for this. It'll sell to Mac fans, but most college students need a Laptop.
bigandy said:
Abstract said:
What would be the purpose of such a device. What do tablet computers do?
And who would use them? I don't get it......
Hmm. Tablet, super-iPod, or some other? Maybe a combo? Many thoughts...
A tablet would have to be so revolutionary and wonderful to capture a new market or provide a solution for people who use writing tablet input thingies to even make sales without messing up the portable product line. I believe Apple can make a good tablet, and even make it sell moderately well *for being a tablet*, but making something that super could detract from sales of other portables, no? People who use Intuos tablets and such are usually pros and such, right? A mac tablet for pros would have to cost a lot and be better than and independent from the MBP.
Super video iPod, the kind people like to say is a "real" video iPod.... I still have a problem with portable video - people want a "real" video iPod that among other things, has a bigger screen and more battery life, maybe more memory. That takes up space. Then you want a complex touch screen dealie? How much might that cost? How much portability/durability do you want to sacrifice for all that? Won't you want it to be a PDA too? And then what? Personally, I hope they keep their word and keep iPod music oriented and mess with video in some other thing. On the other hand, if they can make a 6G iPod with touchscreen on the whole iPod that is as much or more durable, equivalent battery life, and more memory/hardware capability, that may be a significant improvement. Still, the touchscreen alone does little for music. I doubt this is about an iPod, since using the technology to the fullest extent would be impossible without using it for various actions like zooming a picture or reading books in PDF form or typing without a keyboard.
Honestly, I wonder if this might not just be a way to upgrade the MacBooks (especially the pro ones). Except for the keyboard part, it seems like a valuable upgrade - PC laptops from Sony and other makers have technology that makes their screens ultra bright, ultra colorful, less faded and grainy looking like my PowerBook's. Imagine such a screen, and more, with touchscreen sensitivity on the Pro or even the consumer laptops. In illustration programs, you could draw with your finger; you could arrange stuff on the screen with your hands; drag two things at once; use new input shortcuts that are easier to remember (being hands-on); dial the phone; maybe write email in handwriting, and such. Now all that would be neat...but some of it only if the screen isn't upright - therefore, the thing becomes a tablet-type portable, which I find difficult to see in the product line.
A tablet would have to be so revolutionary and wonderful to capture a new market or provide a solution for people who use writing tablet input thingies to even make sales without messing up the portable product line. I believe Apple can make a good tablet, and even make it sell moderately well *for being a tablet*, but making something that super could detract from sales of other portables, no? People who use Intuos tablets and such are usually pros and such, right? A mac tablet for pros would have to cost a lot and be better than and independent from the MBP.
Super video iPod, the kind people like to say is a "real" video iPod.... I still have a problem with portable video - people want a "real" video iPod that among other things, has a bigger screen and more battery life, maybe more memory. That takes up space. Then you want a complex touch screen dealie? How much might that cost? How much portability/durability do you want to sacrifice for all that? Won't you want it to be a PDA too? And then what? Personally, I hope they keep their word and keep iPod music oriented and mess with video in some other thing. On the other hand, if they can make a 6G iPod with touchscreen on the whole iPod that is as much or more durable, equivalent battery life, and more memory/hardware capability, that may be a significant improvement. Still, the touchscreen alone does little for music. I doubt this is about an iPod, since using the technology to the fullest extent would be impossible without using it for various actions like zooming a picture or reading books in PDF form or typing without a keyboard.
Honestly, I wonder if this might not just be a way to upgrade the MacBooks (especially the pro ones). Except for the keyboard part, it seems like a valuable upgrade - PC laptops from Sony and other makers have technology that makes their screens ultra bright, ultra colorful, less faded and grainy looking like my PowerBook's. Imagine such a screen, and more, with touchscreen sensitivity on the Pro or even the consumer laptops. In illustration programs, you could draw with your finger; you could arrange stuff on the screen with your hands; drag two things at once; use new input shortcuts that are easier to remember (being hands-on); dial the phone; maybe write email in handwriting, and such. Now all that would be neat...but some of it only if the screen isn't upright - therefore, the thing becomes a tablet-type portable, which I find difficult to see in the product line.
iGesture.
These applications are an effort by Apple to tie up uses for the FingerWorks technology they bought to get away from Synaptics. Alternative possibilities to an actual product include a lever to get better deals from suppliers, or simply to extract royalties from other companies.
These applications are an effort by Apple to tie up uses for the FingerWorks technology they bought to get away from Synaptics. Alternative possibilities to an actual product include a lever to get better deals from suppliers, or simply to extract royalties from other companies.
Sonofhaig said:What would be the purpose of such a device. What do tablet computers do?
And who would use them? I don't get it......
I think high end pros, or home use. Consider having a recipe in the kitchen, without the fuss of a walk over to the computer. How about home automation. Compose meeting minutes & proposals in transit.
When I go to job sites to measure a house for renovation, I would have my info automatically in a digital format. I could automatically edit drawings in field, or verify dims with clients during a design meeting.
Alternatively, on my business trips or traveling to a site to review for construction, I would have GPS. Co-worker meetings, we could draft on screen, even edit our CAD files. Transfer files without the laptops etc...
Of course having a laptop works, though in my opinion, having this on site is a huge pain. Could it replace my laptop, maybe. It could be a full functioning computer for all purposes, sure.
No use?!
First things first. A tablet PC should be defined as a tablet. A big screen. That's it. These "tablet pc's" being touted in every bloody computer store are laptops with swivel screens. They weigh the same as a regular laptop. They all weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, and the touchscreens are no where near good enough to take notes with. The closest being maybe the Fujitsu's "swivel screen" laptops. But even they weigh 4.5 lbs and are almost 2 inches thick.
To all of you who say that the tablet has no use, you obviously graduated from college before tablets became a viable alternative. The fujitsu tablets (real tablets) are less than an inch slim and have great reviews.
Here are some significant advantages for students.
1.) It would be so much easier just to carry one tablet with all of your books in pdf or scanned format, than to lug 4 or 5 3 pound books around. Heck, it'd even be eaiser with a tablet AND a spare battery.
2.) Writing in the margins of your textbook would no longer matter because you don't have to sell the book back anymore. Also referencing old notes would be incredibly quick and easy, by attaching a page of notes to a page of the textbook, all on the screen. No more paper.
3.) It gives you two input options, both as quiet as someone writing with a pencil. You can either write with a stylus input, or use an on screen keyboard. No clickity clack of laptop keyboards in the classroom anymore (I find it very annoying when trying to listen to a lecture).
4.) Miss a lecture? No problem, instead of getting crappy photocopied notes or having to copy them all by hand, simply transfer them wirelessly from your friends tablet. Or, if you don't have one, he can print you off a copy.
I will agree that tablets were not a viable alternative up until a few years ago, just due to the lackluster performance, high price, and so so writing input. But with the specs on the recent fujitsu models, I have no reason to believe that they are not a viable alternative for students anymore. I'd take one as my main computer. If you need to write a lengthy paper, use a wireless keyboard, and/or hook it up to an external display. The campus could provide such docking stations in the library. No college student needs a rig with an AMD FX60 with two 7800GTX's (I am a gamer - so I'm guilty of this). I'd take a tablet and a PS3 to game on any day.
First things first. A tablet PC should be defined as a tablet. A big screen. That's it. These "tablet pc's" being touted in every bloody computer store are laptops with swivel screens. They weigh the same as a regular laptop. They all weigh between 4 and 5 pounds, and the touchscreens are no where near good enough to take notes with. The closest being maybe the Fujitsu's "swivel screen" laptops. But even they weigh 4.5 lbs and are almost 2 inches thick.
To all of you who say that the tablet has no use, you obviously graduated from college before tablets became a viable alternative. The fujitsu tablets (real tablets) are less than an inch slim and have great reviews.
Here are some significant advantages for students.
1.) It would be so much easier just to carry one tablet with all of your books in pdf or scanned format, than to lug 4 or 5 3 pound books around. Heck, it'd even be eaiser with a tablet AND a spare battery.
2.) Writing in the margins of your textbook would no longer matter because you don't have to sell the book back anymore. Also referencing old notes would be incredibly quick and easy, by attaching a page of notes to a page of the textbook, all on the screen. No more paper.
3.) It gives you two input options, both as quiet as someone writing with a pencil. You can either write with a stylus input, or use an on screen keyboard. No clickity clack of laptop keyboards in the classroom anymore (I find it very annoying when trying to listen to a lecture).
4.) Miss a lecture? No problem, instead of getting crappy photocopied notes or having to copy them all by hand, simply transfer them wirelessly from your friends tablet. Or, if you don't have one, he can print you off a copy.
I will agree that tablets were not a viable alternative up until a few years ago, just due to the lackluster performance, high price, and so so writing input. But with the specs on the recent fujitsu models, I have no reason to believe that they are not a viable alternative for students anymore. I'd take one as my main computer. If you need to write a lengthy paper, use a wireless keyboard, and/or hook it up to an external display. The campus could provide such docking stations in the library. No college student needs a rig with an AMD FX60 with two 7800GTX's (I am a gamer - so I'm guilty of this). I'd take a tablet and a PS3 to game on any day.
The forthcoming Merom chip is practically made for tablets. I wouldn't be a bit surprised if Apple comes out with a Tablet with this chip later this year to replace the PB 12" and then make the 17" into a high performance portable video editing machine. They'd then have a killer lineup: a pro ultra-portable tablet, a mainstream pro laptop, and a high performance portable pro video editing station. The iBook (MacBook) would then be streamline to one 14" widescreen model in various configs.
Son of Newton
Along with others in this thread, I'm opting for this to be the next big thing for iPod.
iPods are already maxing out their usefulness. At 60GB memory, you'll never need more storage for just music, and as has been noted alsewhere, the screen is too small to provide a convincing video experience. The devices can still get a bit smaller, but not a lot, not until Flash memory prices decrease as well. So, where next for Apple's biggest cash cow?
The iPod's biggest weaknesses now are that it isn't a phone, and it isn't a PDA. Apple doesn't like making products that need to be modified for local compatability, so for the time being I would suggest that the phone with it's high reliance on the installed network, is out.
So I'm thinking PDA with touch screen. When in iPod mode, the new PDA draws a clickwheel on the screen for input (this could optionally be switched off once users have figure out that the whole screen is really the clickwheel, leaving just a clean screen showing sonf information)
As food for thought, this would also explain those rumours about Numbers. Numbers is in fact an application destined for the new Apple PDA.
I SOOOOO hope this is all true
Along with others in this thread, I'm opting for this to be the next big thing for iPod.
iPods are already maxing out their usefulness. At 60GB memory, you'll never need more storage for just music, and as has been noted alsewhere, the screen is too small to provide a convincing video experience. The devices can still get a bit smaller, but not a lot, not until Flash memory prices decrease as well. So, where next for Apple's biggest cash cow?
The iPod's biggest weaknesses now are that it isn't a phone, and it isn't a PDA. Apple doesn't like making products that need to be modified for local compatability, so for the time being I would suggest that the phone with it's high reliance on the installed network, is out.
So I'm thinking PDA with touch screen. When in iPod mode, the new PDA draws a clickwheel on the screen for input (this could optionally be switched off once users have figure out that the whole screen is really the clickwheel, leaving just a clean screen showing sonf information)
As food for thought, this would also explain those rumours about Numbers. Numbers is in fact an application destined for the new Apple PDA.
I SOOOOO hope this is all true
How about:Chaszmyr said:Should we start trying to guess the name? My guess is MacPod
1) eGo
2) iGo
bigandy said:
I think a touch screen iPod is a given if Apple is going to increase screen size without increasing the size and weight of the iPod. But I also think a tablet is inevitable. Apple hasn't had a tablet to-date because it hasn't had a low power portable chip to power one. They'll have one in about ten months.
I admit the tablet market is tiny right now, but that is because they run on M$'s very unimaginative software. How many times has Apple introduced a product similar to something already in the marketplace that was so much different and productive there was little comparison. If you were told months before the iPod announcement you'd question that to. We all did when it was announced. But look how Apple reinvented the entire MP3 category and pioneered the pay-for-download music market.