More Apple Tablet Rumblings

[GregA]

One of the critical components of Unix is that multiple users can use the same system at the same time without interfering with (or even knowing about) each other.

Tiger supports Network Home Directories, meaning all user information can be stored on a server, and any network client can log into that user account and access that user's complete identity.

The main sticking point as I can see it is the wireless component. This scenario works great on a gigabit or even 100 Base-T network, but on a spotty wifi network... what happens when you lose the connection?

Add a couple of technologies and rumours, and things become even more interesting.
- Quartz extreme (which AFAIK isn't yet enabled in 10.4?) allows a lower bandwidth connection between the CPU and the screen, useful for remote work - though I agree the key is the robustness (or simply re-connecting if the connection goes down).
- The rumours of iChat providing a DNS name for your computer (yourMacName.youriChatName.mac.com)- this could allow you to find your home computer from any remote location. Perhaps you could connect via iChat (VPN?).
- Then there's the possible use of .Mac as a home directory.
- And rumours of Apple providing Wifi and phone networks themselves (with roaming to existing carriers). Pretty unlikely though this one, I think

Guess we'll see what happens.

 

[neesley]

Mac mini

Apple won't put OSX on an Intel CPU. But it might use one in a non OSX device like a video iPod, or... my vision of an Apple tablet:

My idea on an Apple tablet is that it will _only_ run a version of Apple Remote Access. Over AirPort and the Internet, it will be able to connect to another computer and mirror, take over the screen, or work as a second monitor. The stylus works like a mouse whch is fine, and since the controlled Mac has Inkwell, you're in business even without plugging a keyboard into the tablet's USB!

This lets you have a lean, light, long-battery-life tablet that can be anything from an iTunes remote to an enterprise-wide device. It's a great idea and if I was a hardware guy I'd make the thing myself!

Anybody think this eerily coincides with the fact the mini has no monitor?

 

[advocate]

PDAs are dead. Smartphones, such as Symbian based, are quickly replacing them.

It would be a huge mistake for Apple to invest in PDAs.

PDAs are not dead. You'll have to pull my Palm V from my cold, dead fingers first! The problem with using a phone as a Personal Digital Assistant is that it's more or less read-only. If I can't enter a new appointment just by writing it in, then I would have to carry a dayplanner as well as a phone that supposedly replaces it. And you won't find me entering a paragraph or two of notes on a phone using the keypad, that's for sure. You can't put a fully functional touch screen on a phone, either - there's no room for it, and the glass is going to shatter on the first day when I carry it around in my jeans pocket.

 

[bbyrdhouse]

My PowerBook 15" generally average 5 hours of battery life. My PC laptop (a recent top end system from HP) can go for just shy of 9 hours using a second battery in the drive bay. I once had a PowerBook with dual batteries that could do 8+ hours about 6 years ago (when most PC laptop had battery runtimes of a couple of hours).

5 HOURS!...GOODNIGHT! I am doing good to get 3 hours. Usually 2.5 hours.

I have a 15inch Powerbook too. How do you have your settings?

 

[FreeState]

Tablet is in Quartz Compozer

In Tiger if you install the developer tools there is a Controller in Quartz Composer with this as its information:

Tablet

This patch returns the current state of the tablet pointing device.

The pen position is expressed in units in the Quartz Composer coordinates system. The pen tilt on the X and Y axes is normalized to the [-1.0,1.0] range and the pen pressure is normalized to the [0,1] range.

Note that this patch does not read the tablet state directly but is dependent on the proper information being passed to the composition. This information may not always be available, depending on the environment in which Quartz Composer is running.

I know you can get something like an art tablet however Im not to sure what this is referencing... As a graphic artist I have not seen anyone use one in years, so I find it a little curious that they would include support in a small app for something that is rarely used.

 

[mactarkus]

Vote for Newton Extreme

I so desperately want a handheld Mac that I'm willing to hammer out this post by thumbtyping it on my Sidekick 2 waiting for my flight. I love my Macs and I want an inconspicuous one to carry and use wherever I am.

About the size of a hardcover book but thinner is what I envision. It wouldn't have a kybrd because they take up space and like an earlier post pointed out -- typing is conspicuous. Writing with a stylus is not. Since this baby would run the full OS X, it would be my media center on the go too. It would have no optical drive (too much space) and have a decent sized hard drive. It would be wireless (BT and 8011g) along with USB2 and FW. It could use an older G4 (or a fast G3 for that matter) and start at Mac mini prices. No, it wouldn't be blazing fast, but it was a fully *functional* OS X, then that would be what mattered. Think of it as a Newton or even an iPod on steroids. You would sync it with your PC (Macs for full feature set and integration) so you could take your music, movies, documents with you -- perhaps your entire home folder (at least the best parts anyway). I would buy one for me and one for my wife...today.

 

[bellis1]

Oh no.

Hope that thing doesn't make me curse. Bring it on b*tches.

 

[LGRW3919]

Anybody think this eerily coincides with the fact the mini has no monitor?

not really, i don't see that connection. the mac mini has no monitor because it'd be hard to keep it at the $500 range (unless they include some 13" CRT )

 

[lajocaab]

iSlate is near

The technology is available to provide consumers with a product like "iSlate ". Of course only Apple could really do it right, although several other companies are attempting to create some variation of this device. Unfortunately many are too focused on video playback only, & not creating a true multi-function device that could be used at home, at the office, or on the road. This product would integrate well into the "Digital Lifestyle" philosophy & compliment existing Apple products.

It would provide a screen large enough to actually watch video & view photos, while still being small enough to be portable. It needs to be smaller than a notebook computer, but larger than a PDA. Granted, you can not put a device the size of a DVD case in your pocket, but something doesn't have to fit in a pocket to be portable. This device could be used in so many different situations that it would have broad appeal in the market. I only pray that Apple is working on such a device & will release it in 2004. They have an opportunity to impact the industry with the iSlate & iVideo media Store as much as the iPod & iTMS will.

iSlate

New Apple mini-tablet –> PMA (portable media appliance)

Designed not to be a creative device like a desktop or laptop, but rather a sophisticated display device that communicates seamlessly with other devices via Rendezvous & 802.11, BT, GPRS, FireWire, etc.


Device Size:
8” x 5.0” x .65” (±15oz)
± 1/2 size of a 17” PowerBook
± 2x size of a Palm T5 or an iPod
± size of a DVD movie case
small enough to hold with one hand by the bezel (.5” bezel on the sides)

Screen:
±8” LCD (16:9 ratio) -> 800 x 480 pixels minimum (1024 x 600 ideally)
± 1/2 size of 17” PowerBook screen
± 2x size of a Palm T5 screen
able to display “640 x 480 material” & DVD (720x480) quality video natively

Battery:
6-9 hr. Li-Ion battery (or some new battery technology)

Storage:
1.8” 40GB or 60GB hard drive (additional capacity can come from external devices)
128MB or 256MB RAM - fixed
CF slot (w/ adapter for SD, xD, Smart Media, Memory stick)

Processor & OS ?:
Motorola 800 MHz G4 mobile w/ Mac OS X lite or
Intel 400 MHz XScale PXA273 w/ Mac OS Mobile?

Connectivity:
802.11 –> Desktop or Laptop, Stereo, Internet via Wi-Fi hotspots
Bluetooth –> Keyboard, Mouse, PDA, Wireless Headphones, Internet via GSM Phone
FireWire –> iPod, Computer, Hard Drive, DVD/CD writer, Video Camera, iSight
USB 2.0 –> Printer, PDA, Digital Still Camera
mini-DVI w/adapter for:
-> ADC & VGA for larger monitor
-> DVI for video projector or HDTV
-> S-Video for video projector or TV
-> Composite for video projector or TV
Stereo mini out
Stereo mini in
Rendezvous for seamless connectivity to other devices

Input:
Inkwell via touch screen &/or stylus
Keyboard & mouse via Bluetooth or USB
Microphone
Remote control via Bluetooth

Applications:
inkwell, iPhoto, iTunes, iMovie, Safari, QuickTime, iSync, Rendezvous
Preview or Acrobat Reader, Mail, iCal, Address Book, Sherlock, iChat AV
Keynote, FileMaker, Quicken,

A/V Formats:
Pixlet, MPEG-4, MPEG-2, MPEG-1, AAC, MP3, WAV, AIFF, Audible, JPEG, TIFF, GIF

Accessories:
Charger, External Battery, Stand, clip for iSight, Portable folding BT keyboard, BT mouse
Headphone w/Microphone boom, quality stereo headphones

Price ??:
$699 to $999


Create a device that is bigger that the largest PDA or Archos type device, yet smaller than the average notebook or tablet computer. Imagine if you will, holding a device (about the size of a DVD case) away from you anywhere from 12" to 18". Obviously a 4" screen would be inadequate, but a 7" to 9" diagonal widescreen would be more than acceptable. It could still be small enough to fit in a stack of books, a briefcase, a large purse, of any number of other carrying cases. It would be something that could be viewed in an office, at home, in a coffee shop, on an airplane or train, or even in the backseat of a car.

The idea is not to see how much visual information one can cram into a small space (3" to 4" screens) or replace existing devices like the TV or Video Projector. The idea is to create a device that is a reasonable compromise between portability & "acceptable or pleasurable" viewing for multiple applications & that also complements existing devices.

Although a 4 lb, 12" notebook computer displays video beautifully (I use one everyday), it is too big for the situations I have described. Beyond the innumerable business applications it could fulfill, it could display video & photos on a screen that is much bigger than an Archos type device or PDA, & yet smaller than a notebook computer. It doesn’t need to carry everything all the time, so it doesn’t require a massive hard drive. The internal HD needs only to be large enough for the OS, applications & enough storage to carry material while you away from any connectivity to other devices or the internet.

From a strictly “video perspective”, a large part of its success would hinge upon Apple's ability to distribute video clips through an online store much like iTMS. This store could provide educational content, business content, news content, & entertainment content beyond just movies. To be truly successful, it must integrate into Apple's "Digital Lifestyle" strategy, & be truly portable (ubiquitous wireless connectivity & good battery life).

Originally Posted by: lajocaab on Feb 11, 04 | 11:05 pm

 

[Snowy_River]

PDAs ARE dead. Phones are good at very basic web info, contact, calendar, etc. PDAs, currently, dont bring that much more to the table except basic office apps, etc. However, I dont think you can really work or web browse on a PDA type device, its too restricted by power and form factor.

I would like, and I think we are going to see it, is an apple tablet, running a lite version of OSX. Full web browsing, office apps, etc. I dont think we will see it with a keyboard, unless it is an on-screen option. It will be about the size of its paper replacement, a notebook (about 9x11), and very thin, so it isnt like carrying a laptop.

Street Price: $700-800 (I would like to see it at $500, but apple was selling ipods at 500 not all that long ago!)

Though it's been said a couple of times, I feel that I must reiterate. PDAs are NOT dead. Smart phones are either not as fully functional, or are too big. Get a smart phone that's small enough to be comfortable, and you don't have enough room to display the information, or allow proper input. As it is, my Palm Tungsten T5 is barely adequate for such things, but it's small size is indispensable. So, it's the perfect balance between my phone and my laptop. I wouldn't want a phone that was large enough to replace my T5.

Tablets are another matter. I think that if they were properly designed, they could be a tremendous hit. Imagine a board room meeting where everyone has one, instead of a packet of papers. Now, it's true that you can do this with laptops, but the fact that the screen of the laptop stay up and in the way, rather than laying down like a real notebook, would interfere with the meeting.

Of course, this is a limited example, but it gets one idea across. There are, of course, others. Think of a student taking notes in class. I used to do this on my laptop, but I couldn't add figures easily enough, so I stopped. Overall, I think there is a potential market for this, it's just a question of whether the technology has matured enough for them to be truly viable.

 

[bystem]

IBM hasn't made a dual core CPU you right... but they have made a 3 and a 9 core CPU. (Xbox 360 and PS3 Respectivly) additionally Pentium Chips are Cycle per Cycle The slowest on the market they still have yet to make True 64Bit CPU's and All the Video game consoles (next gen) are running IBM CPU's and that will certianly help kill intel. Hyper-threading technology sucks.
IBM needs to hurry up and invent Multi-Threading.

I thought the POWER was available dual core ...

 

[27ray]

I want one...

Yeah those tablet PCs have become such a colossol hit! I mean you can't go anywhere without seeing one.

I hope Apple doesn't waste its money developing a tablet PC when there is so much work to be done on making good value, fast ibooks and powerbooks. Something they apparently no longer have an interest in.

Welli bought a 500 iBook so i could sit out side and read e-mail and surf the internet, now what i wanted was a smaller tablet, slightly bigger than the Palm Tungsten and smaller and lighter than the iBook. a tablet woud fit perfectly in this whole and if you tie it to iTunes though the airport express and let it act as a wireless head of your mac why wouldn't everyone want one??

-ray

 

[HumanJHawkins]

O gosh here we go again... <CUT> The market for tablet is not yet big enough for Apple to enter it.

You seem to be forgetting that Apple often creates a market... Look at iTunes or the iPod. Even back with the original iMac, Apple created a market for an all-in-one computer like that where it was almost non-existant.

I am not saying I buy the tablet thing... Just that the lack of a market for it does not seem to be relevant.

 

[GregA]

not really, i don't see that connection. the mac mini has no monitor because it'd be hard to keep it at the $500 range (unless they include some 13" CRT )

The Mac Mini has, apparently, an unusual dock-like connector on the back-top of it (hidden under the cover). When the Mini was released, many rumour sites said they thought the Mac Mini was originally going to also be a dock for the iPod. It is entirely possible that, if it was a dock, it was a dock for a tablet. The timing would also coincide with the timing of the Tablet patent.

That doesn't mean it would have been a MacMini + Tablet for $500, rather that perhaps there were other design goals that we don't know about yet (and maybe never will).

 

[speleoterra]

FOUND IT !!!!

http://www.itablet.com/english/Products_itablet=04.htm

 

[fraggle]

IBM needs to hurry up and invent Multi-Threading.

AFAIK both the POWER5 and the Cell support SMT.

edit: The XBox 360 CPU does it, too.

 

[Flickta]

I think the only way Apple will make a tablet PC is making it more of an accessory rather a computer. There are iBooks and Pbooks already - for computing. iPad - an electronic notepad - would be cool.

 

[NBathan]

Seriously

Come on guys. Seriously, what does a tablet do that your great powerbook doesn't already? Tablet PCs always seemed like a tech demo rather than usable solution. Big "so what" if you ask me.

 

[aegisdesign]

PDAs are not dead. You'll have to pull my Palm V from my cold, dead fingers first! The problem with using a phone as a Personal Digital Assistant is that it's more or less read-only. If I can't enter a new appointment just by writing it in, then I would have to carry a dayplanner as well as a phone that supposedly replaces it. And you won't find me entering a paragraph or two of notes on a phone using the keypad, that's for sure. You can't put a fully functional touch screen on a phone, either - there's no room for it, and the glass is going to shatter on the first day when I carry it around in my jeans pocket.

My Sony Ericsson p910i is evidence to the contrary. A much better PDA than my Palm Vx.

 

[Veldek]

Yeah. It was a patent that described the click wheel that showed up on the iPod Mini. The real intention of the patented mechnism were being disguised by describing it in a device other than the one on which it finally appeared.

So, this points out to this patent not being a tablet, but being disguised as a tablet and used for something else.

 

[intlplby]

someone mentioned the idea of a tablet with simply and OS X remote access client and as far as i can see that seems to be a huge step in the future of laptops.

this is not a 'now' thing, but doesn't seem too incredibly far off. i guess it is basically an extension of the NC computer idea that places like oracle had in mind.

if the telecommunications industry got the bandwidth high enough you could essentially combine the cell phone and the laptop into one. you would not need to worry about making a super fast mobile processor.

all you would need is to be able to communicate with your mac at home or in your office fast enough that it behaves and looks as quick as if you were at your mac at home.

if the limit is 1.67 G4 now it would instead be 2.7GHz G5 instead.

you could also reduce the form factor of the laptop too. since it would be easy to miniaturize something that simply has to communicate a version of apple remote desktop.

if it gets lost stolen or broken you have nothing to worry about since everything is safe at home. you could have high amounts of diskspace available at home.

if such was the case, both a laptop version and a tablet version could both be very feasible. it'd be basically a remote for your primary machine.

 

[Windowlicker]

In the System Preferences, try "option-click" of "Displays". (in Tiger)
Then you will see "Rotate" menu in there. You can rotate your screen orientation with it.
I believe this is an implication of coming Tablet Mac. Other than that, it is just an useless feature.

For some reason I'm not getting anything.. What's the hardware? I'm using PMG5 and a 17"ASD

 

[elmimmo]

If they are doing that, they had better spend some time at enhancing Inkwell. As of now, it is simply "decent" (double space hell).

That's when writing in one of the three only languages supported (I just tried English, though, but there's also French and German).. Time to add a frigging Spanish dictionary to Inkwell, then, because in that language (or whatever other that is not it is in the languages tab of the Inkwell PrefPane) you'll be swearing at every three words out of four.

As of now, Inkwell is an absolute crap at recognizing Spanish (or Catalan, by the way).

I guess, though, if Apple refuses to *at least* bundle the Spanish voices (Mexican, though) that came all those years with Mac OS 9 and before (not even dreaming about enhancing them or getting something to the level of Speechissimo) when we are already in the 5th major release of X, it's stupid to think that they will be pouring any efforts in bringing English features into Spanish that never were there before.

 

[Les Kern]

IF they are coming out with a tablet (which I doubt) they had better do something Apple-like to make it a hit. I had a top-of-the-line PC version, and it was trash. I GAVE it away, no crap. If Apple follows the PC concept for this product, it will die. If they get creative and link it to a "media center" thing, MAYBE. I think it will take a lot more than even that to turn around a market that started low and stayed there.
Of course they are VERY good at that.

 

[Savage Henry]

You seem to be forgetting that Apple often creates a market... Look at iTunes or the iPod. Even back with the original iMac, Apple created a market for an all-in-one computer like that where it was almost non-existant.

I am not saying I buy the tablet thing... Just that the lack of a market for it does not seem to be relevant.

In the case of iTunes, iPod, iMac it wasn't actually a lack of market, the market was already there it was the product that wasn't.

In the case of PDAs the products are already there, but the market isn't. So why put another product amongst the mass of others in a moribund market?