I love the fact that you cn see the faded out home button halfway under the screen on the right side. Sweet mockup
LOL didnt even see that. what a bum.
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New Analyst Mockup and Sales Estimates for Apple's Tablet
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LOL didnt even see that. what a bum.
Here's how it won't work
If it goes as envisioned in that article, there are a couple of problems:
It really seems like it will end up like the Macbook Air, which your regular person isn't going to want (especially without a DVD drive). The iPhone, I believe, will be its biggest competitor. If they don't want this to fail, it has to be better than the iPhone. I'd buy it in a second if it could share my existing AT&T service without replacing my iPhone. Make it so only one or the other works at one time, and I'm there. That would be a killer app, basically removing the need to tether my iPhone, but I doubt it'll happen.
If it goes as envisioned in that article, there are a couple of problems:
- No DVD drive
- Lack of ports for HDMI, USB, etc
- No Wacom-like pressure sensitivity, so those wanting to paint with it are out of luck
- Doesn't have more features than the iPhone (lacks the ability to make calls, take pictures, and fit in your pocket)
- Too pricey for average joe to take a chance on
It really seems like it will end up like the Macbook Air, which your regular person isn't going to want (especially without a DVD drive). The iPhone, I believe, will be its biggest competitor. If they don't want this to fail, it has to be better than the iPhone. I'd buy it in a second if it could share my existing AT&T service without replacing my iPhone. Make it so only one or the other works at one time, and I'm there. That would be a killer app, basically removing the need to tether my iPhone, but I doubt it'll happen.
- No DVD Drive = BIG PLUS! It isn't necessary
- Good, the LESS ports the better. 1 USB. It isn't meant to drive DVD's to a display.
- Wacom like pressure sensitivity would be nice.
- If it's iPhone like, I'm out. If it's OS-X like, I'm in.
- $600 to $800 seems to be about right, more then that makes the MacBook a better buy.
I like some of the ideas proposed by Leander Kahney from Cult Of Mac
http://cultofmac.com/why-apples-tablet-will-rock/14003
There's some interesting points raised there. Makes a lot more practical sense than being just a bigger iPod Touch.
http://cultofmac.com/why-apples-tablet-will-rock/14003
There's some interesting points raised there. Makes a lot more practical sense than being just a bigger iPod Touch.
I just dont understand the audience for this type of device. A bigger iPhone? Might as well just get a MacBook with a 3g card.
+ apple claims when you install snow leopard you get back 6GB of space on your computer, which means they have made it into a smaller form factor, perhaps for a smaller device ?
Except for the iPod Touch!
Just make it more like a Touch, which has been and is a great success, instead of like a PC minus a keyboard, which have all been failures except in smaller niche markets.
...except make it with a display so that one can read bigger web pages, see larger videos, etc., without squinting or needing excellent vision or reading glasses.
You're mostly right. It's just that this product might not be for people who already own iPhones or iPod Touches. There are far more potential customers who don't have either of those small devices, than the small percentage that do.
My guess, if this is a real product, is that it will run the Snow Leopard OS on (possibly multi-core) ARM, with the iPhone GUI on top instead of Finder/Cocoa.
He meant the price of a subsidized iphone, because the 
tablet will also be subsidized!!! So think of it this way the tablet will be a little less than a macbook to buy, but it will be subsidized to to compete with the prices of non-subsidized netbooks....
Also, does anyone know if this will be 30 or 60 USD a month??? Will they make a middle ground "tablet connect plan" for 45 dollars?
tablet will also be subsidized!!! So think of it this way the tablet will be a little less than a macbook to buy, but it will be subsidized to to compete with the prices of non-subsidized netbooks.... Also, does anyone know if this will be 30 or 60 USD a month??? Will they make a middle ground "tablet connect plan" for 45 dollars?
The internals of the machine are in the "tablet" computer that is slotted in. There are no "computer internals" for the docking station. It is just a vertically oriented docking station attached to the back of a LCD display. An Apple Cinema Display with a slot in the side. A pure LCD display doesn't need to be that thick; especially if are using LED backlight. Look at a MacBook's or MacBookPro's lid. It is a fraction of an inch thick. Can put a portion of the dock's power supply in a power brick if want to keep heat to a minimum.
In short, tossing the iMac motherboard and DVD drive out leaves substatively more room inside the iMac casing for something else. That isn't very hard to do. Might need a small board to be a USB hub, video connector (that the cinema displays have), and power routing circuitry, but that's about it. That all fits in the lower half (or 1/3 or 1/4 or 1/5 ) of the back rather easily.
The internals nightmare would the same nightmare as when the tablet computer was not docked to the bigger screen and in the mobile configuration. It is small and thin. However that is the same problem faced by iPod and netbooks. Those products are shipping now. The connectors on he side are a small challenge. Need power, video, and USB to all "plug" in.
USB can use the iPod set up if necesssary. The video and power would need something new that was up for lots of capture/release cycles.
If one expects a 13" MacBook "power" in that tablet ... that would be a nightmare problem. However, the "power" is not going to be near that.
Except a MacBook with a 3G card would cost a lot more than $600. There are a lot of folks out there (including me) who would love to have a MBP (or even MB); but I refuse to pay the ridiculous prices they are charging for them. That is why I own a Mac mini. Your average non-Apple fan just isn't going to pay that munch money, no matter how attractive and cool the Apple stores at their local mall are. Not when you can buy a full featured Windows laptop for half the price. Like it or not but the Microsoft TV ads are true as far as price goes. But if the price is in the $600 range they will buy it.
Nope, it's even WORSE, because they don't even come up with rumors themselves...they just lurk around here, suck whatever information they consider relevant and then publish to everyone's "awe"...and of course, get a lot of money for that.
In a nutshell, this article is just a rehash of the "best" rumors and mockups put together in a Blendtec without any consistent basis apart from obscure taiwanese news sites...move along, citizens..!
The audience is here...someone like me, who doesn't need a full-blown notebook, but still needs something on the go for those occasional business travels...iPhone? Maybe too small. Netbooks? Too cramped. An iTablet? The perfect size, yet thin, powerful and with reasonable input capabilities.
Ok people... SERIOUSLY, how many times do I have to point out the OBVIOUS?
1) Apple bought P.A. Semi to make chips for their mobile devices such as the iPhone, the iPod Touch, and this Tablet. The Tablet will have an ARM processor.
2) Mac OS X Snow Leopard is INTEL ONLY!!!
3) The Tablet will most definitely have the App Store!
4) OS X is NOT designed for Multi-Touch.
5) iPhone OS was designed specifically for Multi-Touch.
Conclusion... THE TABLET WILL NOT RUN OS X! IT WILL RUN THE IPHONE OS.
Why is this so hard to understand?
Now... Will the Tablet possibly have new features in the iPhone OS such as file usage, multi tasking, iChat video? YES! I think it very likely will debut such features, and then those features will show up on the iPhone shortly after.
Yes. I have also predicted that on the Tablet we will finally see iWork and iLife mobile!
No! It will most definitely have an onscreen keyboard when needed like the iPhone, but will also be able to sync with the wireless keyboard which would be an option when purchasing.
Now this guys mockup might be just a bigger iPhone, but I think he is right on target as far as the iPhone OS and multi tasking with App Store apps goes!
It is the perfect solution, and gives developers no requirement to change their apps, but time to add "fullscreen" or higher res functionality later if they desire.
It will be called Apple Touch. At $699, it runs an ARM based OSX, with a new 'Multitouch Finder'. It will feature a virtual keyboard suited for 'Two thumbs' typing and one hand typing. Holding the device with one hand, the device automatically detects the mode for typing, in this case the right hand. A full translucent keyboard is displayed and features dictionary based auto-correction. When holding the device with two hands from the sides. The keyboard is split into two, placed at the edge of the screen where your thumbs are. Software such as the new iLife '10 will be compatible(Universal Binary) with both Mac OS X and Apple Touch OS.
One more thing... For business users, designers, students, there will a Pro version. Apple Touch Pro. At $799, it features a pen digitizer with 1024 levels of pressure, tilt and erase. Additional pens priced at $29.
Developers preview by September. New version of XCode now supporting Apple Touch OS and includes Apple Touch Simulator. Native OSX apps are easy to port as well as use the CocoaTouch API that exist on the iPhone. Developers can compile their apps as Universal Binary to support the ARM architecture. Applications will not be sandboxed. Apple Touch and Apple Touch Pro will launch by January 2010.
One more thing... For business users, designers, students, there will a Pro version. Apple Touch Pro. At $799, it features a pen digitizer with 1024 levels of pressure, tilt and erase. Additional pens priced at $29.
Developers preview by September. New version of XCode now supporting Apple Touch OS and includes Apple Touch Simulator. Native OSX apps are easy to port as well as use the CocoaTouch API that exist on the iPhone. Developers can compile their apps as Universal Binary to support the ARM architecture. Applications will not be sandboxed. Apple Touch and Apple Touch Pro will launch by January 2010.
If it has a Mac OS then I'll most likely get one. But an iPhone OS? Wouldn't look at it twice..
LOL. If netbooks with 10" display width in size have "too cramped" keyboards how is a soft keyboard on a screen of the same width going to be substantively wider?
Nice parroting of the official Apple complaint about netbooks. Not sure how they solve that with this tablet though if the same physical width constraints ( except if do without the keyboard for most usages).
Or it is just a knock on the sub 10" models.
Be patient.
People seem to be forgetting something, this is Apple we are talking about.
Apple has nearly always surprised even the geekiest of us with features that no one expected.
Before you start ripping on Apple's tablet, think about what we do know (which is very little):
Now think about this logically. If Apple were to spend years upon years developing a new product, would that product really be as disappointing as some of these rumors makes it seem?
Would Apple really spend years of research and development to release a giant iPod? No!
If this were to run on the iPhone OS, wouldn't there have been a leak about people beta testing this? Like a SDK for simulating a 10" touchscreen?
With the iPhone OS eliminated, that leaves TWO options:
So, the logical thing to assume is the tablet will run on Snow Leopard. But here is a new thought, what about a distribution of Snow Leopard capable of running iPhone OS applications inside? Like Parallels runs Windows/Linux inside.
Physically, we can probably expect aluminum design. For that size, the iPhone construction would not be nearly as stable or reliable as a design similar to the unibody MBP line.
With those features in mind, it would be likely to have magsafe charging port, no ethernet port, mini display (maybe Apple will unveil a micro displayport?), AT LEAST ONE USB port (or a micro USB with an adapter to full sized USB), headphones jack, and SD card slot. This idea is too perfect for photographers and artists to not have a way to easily upload pictures from a camera.
Or, a revolutionary idea, a wireless dock. Wifi N has enough speed to easily support plugging peripherals into a dock and streaming the information wirelessly.
Most likely, though, the tablet would have the required ports to support Apple's newest displays. It is perfect match. Add a cradle for the tablet to put on your desk and we have a winner.
This is Apple we are talking about, this device is going to have a twist no one expected.
=]
I am super excited.
People seem to be forgetting something, this is Apple we are talking about.
Apple has nearly always surprised even the geekiest of us with features that no one expected.
Before you start ripping on Apple's tablet, think about what we do know (which is very little):
- After 3+ years of rumors, Apple has to be about ready to release this beast
- Apple would not release a tablet that does not fully use the hardware
- Who said it is going to look like a bigger iPod Touch or iPhone?
Now think about this logically. If Apple were to spend years upon years developing a new product, would that product really be as disappointing as some of these rumors makes it seem?
Would Apple really spend years of research and development to release a giant iPod? No!
If this were to run on the iPhone OS, wouldn't there have been a leak about people beta testing this? Like a SDK for simulating a 10" touchscreen?
With the iPhone OS eliminated, that leaves TWO options:
- Snow Leopard
- New OS
So, the logical thing to assume is the tablet will run on Snow Leopard. But here is a new thought, what about a distribution of Snow Leopard capable of running iPhone OS applications inside? Like Parallels runs Windows/Linux inside.
Physically, we can probably expect aluminum design. For that size, the iPhone construction would not be nearly as stable or reliable as a design similar to the unibody MBP line.
With those features in mind, it would be likely to have magsafe charging port, no ethernet port, mini display (maybe Apple will unveil a micro displayport?), AT LEAST ONE USB port (or a micro USB with an adapter to full sized USB), headphones jack, and SD card slot. This idea is too perfect for photographers and artists to not have a way to easily upload pictures from a camera.
Or, a revolutionary idea, a wireless dock. Wifi N has enough speed to easily support plugging peripherals into a dock and streaming the information wirelessly.
Most likely, though, the tablet would have the required ports to support Apple's newest displays. It is perfect match. Add a cradle for the tablet to put on your desk and we have a winner.
This is Apple we are talking about, this device is going to have a twist no one expected.
=]
I am super excited.
No DVD drive- Thank god, who uses those damn things anyway? They were soooo 'turn of the century'. It's all about digital nowadays. Movies/Tv Shows/Music are all digitally downloaded, along with all programs. Pretty much anything is served up digitally- not on some silly spinning optical disc.
Lack of ports for HDMI, USB, etc This thing isn't supposed to replace a laptop - it's a different product all together. It's a portable media/internet device. HDMI port would be used by about 1% of the consumers about 1% of their time (0.01% of the overall usage of the device
accoridng to my highly scientific (see "pulled out of my a$s" statistics - but seirously) ) and it would be hideous. USB would be useless given the software it will be running - it's not meant to replace a computer. USB could be useful if the OS was more like that of a full on computer - but what would you hook up to this thing? It's meant to be used 'on the go' or around the house. not at a desk. Printers are all wifi nowadays anyway and cameras can be also. Bluetooth can be used for wireless keyboard, etc. A usb port would make it uglier too.No Wacom-like pressure sensitivity, so those wanting to paint with it are out of luck ...ok, so what? This device isn't for some niche group of artists looking to compose art on a 8'' touchscreen. It's a portable media/internet device.
Doesn't have more features than the iPhone (lacks the ability to make calls, take pictures, and fit in your pocket) how could it? The iPhone browses the web, downloads and plays music/movies/tvshows/audiobooks etc. Access the web through many different apps, etc. and does a ton of other stuff too. It will do what the iPhone does- only better and on a bigger screen. It will be their first TRUE Multitouch device. The iPhone and macbooks are limited to one handed multitouch (see: twisting fingers etc.) This device will be big enough to accept multitouch input from both hands eg. the microsoft surface
Too pricey for average joe to take a chance on
A lot of people would say that about a $300 iPod touch too, but they're selling like hotcakes
The iPhone, I believe, will be its biggest competitor. They're completely different devices. Although there is some overlap, the iPhone is a smartphone meant to be in your pocket at all times. This is...well... the beginning of a new genre of mobile electronics. The closest thing is a netbook, but in a few months we'll all see how this is definitely NOT a netbook. Hopefully (and according to reports) it will be truly innovative.
d buy it in a second if it could share my existing AT&T service without replacing my iPhone. Make it so only one or the other works at one time, and I'm there. That would be a killer app, basically removing the need to tether my iPhone, but I doubt it'll happen.
Could be interesting - As long as the phone would still work while I'm using the tablet - maybe just diable the internet going to the iphone. You're right, coming from a company that charges $20 for unlimited texts and like $35 just for tethering (on top of existing $30 for internet) that will definitely not happen from any US wireless carrier.
Sorry if I came off harsh at all, all of my opinions are just that opinions and are meant to be humble
My own predictions: $499 or $599, 32/64gb, 9''or10'' multitouch screen. OS is based on the iPhone's OS but much more powerful. Runs all iPhone apps as 'widgets' as seen in the (horrible) mockup on the front page. Maybe subsidized by a carrier but I'm sure you'll be able to buy one out of contract. They haven't had the best experiences with AT&T, I doubt they'd want to tie down their next 'jesus device' - which this thing will be. I think most of our speculation is in vein- remember 4 years ago when we were all clammering about the iPhone. Some people even suggesting that it would be an iPod where the clickwheel is a rotary dial? Boy- were we way off base!! We couldn't imagine what it was because it was a completely revolutionary and innovative product - I beleive this will be the same way. Lets wait and see!! I just pray that it comes out before winter- although I doubt it.
Because I'll only use a keyboard when I need it; like the iPhone, I don't have to see it all the time. Seriously, to compare an Apple product with those ridiculous netbooks is a joke.
My thoughts for the appearance of the rumored tablet are far off from theirs.
First, the home button wouldn't even be there. Second, it wouldn't have a chrome bezel like the iPhone/iPod Touch. If anything, the tablet would be as thin or thinner than the MacBook Air. And flat. Round is good for the iPhone, iPod Nano and the iPod Touch, but not for a computer. I would agree that there should be some ports for USB, but not many, and definitely a DVD/BluRay slot. The price range, I can agree with being $600-$700 but I don't see it being much lower.
What would be really cool, or at least to me would be a Dual Boot, or simultaneous boot of OS X and iPhone OS X.
First, the home button wouldn't even be there. Second, it wouldn't have a chrome bezel like the iPhone/iPod Touch. If anything, the tablet would be as thin or thinner than the MacBook Air. And flat. Round is good for the iPhone, iPod Nano and the iPod Touch, but not for a computer. I would agree that there should be some ports for USB, but not many, and definitely a DVD/BluRay slot. The price range, I can agree with being $600-$700 but I don't see it being much lower.
What would be really cool, or at least to me would be a Dual Boot, or simultaneous boot of OS X and iPhone OS X.
When will Apple get it? We wanted a netbook over a year ago, and instead they gave us the abomination known as the Air. We said great but we still want a netbook. Now they are going to give us an iPod Touch with Marfan's Syndrome?
I am lovin' what you're saying man! I really hope it is more of a full fledged computer like you're speculating. If it ran snowleopard that would be amazing.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10265214-37.html?tag=rtcol;pop
read that, pretty interesting! I really hope they go this route - althought I think it would be more like $799-$899 if they did.
it for sure will not run the same OS as the iPhone, but I imagine a more advanced OS that is more similar to the iPhone's than Leopard. I hope i'm proven wrong though!!!