New Pen-Based 'Modbook Pro' Tablet Launching in Early Fall

[Sackvillenb]

99% of the tasks you would want to do with your fingers will be easier on an iPad and 1% will be easier on this ModBook. (Things will be different once you plugin a keyboard.)

That's not what I meant. There's not that much I would want to do with my fingers here anyway... I like the touch-screen for some general uses, but it would be great for graphic design and image editing and artistic applications (although the touch interface could still be useful some other stuff, e.g. audio editing, depending on how they implement the interface). And, since there's a full blown OS on there, you could have applications like photoshop, etc, and, importantly, you could have a real file system. So, as per my prior post, you could have the best of both worlds: a touch screen interface with powerful hardware and powerful software, and a powerful OS. And yes, a keyboard would make it better.

 

[Apple Key]

I don't see what all the hype is about. This is nothing new. Axiotron (the same company, but rebranded as modbook, I guess?) has been doing this for years. The problem is that they don't add much value, and it is very expensive.

 

[JAT]

I don't think they will be able to do this with the MBP Retina, as the display is embedded to its enclosure.

It's not that, they remove the display, anyway. It would just be too expensive for no benefit. They are basically scooping out the logic board and putting it in a new case. Other than if you want a different cpu speed, they should use the cheapest version of the MBP. They can no doubt add RAM cheaper than Apple's retail price, too.

Since this has a dedicated display, prob no need for advanced gpu, either. I mean, there's only need for one version of gpu. IDK which offhand, but choice won't be necessary in this product.

 

[mjtomlin]

Wrong, the iPad's success proves nothing of the sort. As the iPad stands it is crippled. If the iPad ran all of iOS plus MacOS/Classic/Rosetta for those of us who want them it would greatly increase the amount of available useful software, especially for education and small business. This would in turn make the iPad even more successful than it is. By limiting the iPad to just iOS Apple has abandoned a tremendous resource of excellent software and culture as well a crippling their hardware. A shame.

Are you for real? You do know there have been Windows tablets for over 10 years now and guess what? They were a failure. Why? Because they were expensive, huge, heavy, hot machines that had crappy battery life. And the UI itself was not meant to be used as a touch based interface.

Apple made a device the way they wanted to make it; inexpensive, light, long battery life, and a new interface paradigm designed around touch. It's not at all a crippled device; it is what they wanted it to be.

It's like saying a car is a crippled truck because it can't haul the same stuff! Or a toaster is a crippled oven because you can't bake cookies in it! Two different products for two different purposes that can do some of the same things in different ways.

What you're asking for is currently NOT possible with all the specs you think you need. And don't even bring up Microsoft's Surface Pro... Wait until people try running Office on it... It's going to be a cumbersome dog... it is nothing more than a netbook trying to be a tablet. Tablet sized screens are too small to be productive with desktop designed software... It's why all those other small PC's never gained any traction. They were just novelties.

The iPad works because it is not trying to be a PC.

 

[WordMasterRice]

No, the iPad absolutely should not be this. Its success proves that iOS was the way to go. This is a niche product, and I hope it does well. But this is not a core business Apple wants to be involved in.

Maybe someday Apple will create an optional way to make an ARM-only OS X run on an iPad. But you'll never see a TV commercial for it.

No, it doesn't prove that iOS was the way to go, it only proves that with iOS this many have been sold. You have absolutely no way of knowing if it would have had the same or even more success with a real OS.

The only way for you to make your argument is if they launched both and the OSX version faded away, since that isn't what happened you are basing your post on things you pulled from your ass.

 

[kiljoy616]

And how are you supposed to type on this thing? Will you always have to connect a keyboard?

Built in keyboard I think this still has a keyboard underneath the screen, at least that what it looks like on their webpage.

 

[TsunamiTheClown]

I don't know..."HackBook Pro" actually rhymes...

js

 

[Lochias]

Not the World Headlines Daily

Why is this Page 1 news?

Because it is a Mac rumor. An interesting one, it would seem from the number of replies, including yours.

 

[Asclepio]

real stuff.

 

[Capt T]

Going, going, gon…

An idea, unfortunately, after it's time?

It was before it's time 5 years ago when they first had them. Unfortunately it and the windows tablets of that time, we're not really set up for touch interface.


Wonder with the new OS if that will change how well it works.

 

[notjustjay]

For those asking "Why not the Air?", check out the interview with the company at Ars Technica.

Basically they figure anyone looking to buy one of these wants the most powerful machine they can get under the hood.

 

[Sixtafoua]

This actually looks really cool. And it's completely legal, too!

 

[Rizzm]

Time for the lawsuits.

 

[G5isAlive]

Why is this Page 1 news?

why wouldn't it be? at least its not the latest greatest app for that.

though, I give them about as much chance for success as last time. still fun to read and think about.

 

[ThunderSkunk]

Awesome! Finally!

Though we keep a few original Modbooks around, they're big, bulky and a bit underpowered working with large files.

This will be great, with the new Wacom panel & more horsepower. Kind of wish they used the 15", but what can you do.

I put a couple of our engineers on building our own version of this, but it turned into a timesink & we abandoned it.

We'll take a dozen.

Back to your regularly scheduled FUD... This is not a Mobile organizer, or a PDA, kiddies, this is a design & graphics tablet. ...for that tiny segment of the market that designs and engineers the physical world around you, which still very much requires a full-featured OS and an accurate pen or stylus.

 

[Yamcha]

This will be great for graphic professionals..

 

[ellsworth]

I've played around with an older modified iBook version of the Modbook and it was definitely a heavy chunk of a hardware. Their was a "software" based keyboard that was accessible from a little arrow below the app dock that would pop-up when selected. The probably that I saw right-off the bat (aside from the weight of the thing) was the pen/digitizer screen's responsiveness. It seem that every time you would click or try to select something, the cursor would move away slightly selecting something else. It was very annoying. You would literally have to "stab" the screen to select what you wanted sometimes. I only had access to it for about a half hour so it's not a significant review of the old product. I remember noting that the thing cost $2,000. Back in 2009'ish, that was a lot of money for an ibook+conversion.

The stylus pen is honestly a thing of the past. I know Nintendo DS and a few other hardware still use them but they honestly should have thought about using a touchscreen/digitizer combo with this thing. I also agree that they should have build this around the macbook air.


We graphic professionals are smart enough to stay away from something like this that just isn't at all practical or financially reasonable.

 

[Prodo123]

This company'll get sued just like Psystar...

 

[GorgonPhone]

Yeah, if it isn't made by Apple it's lame.
Why do these other companies keep trying to think different?
That's just wrong.

cause they are lame.

 

[RebelScum]

This is why the x86 Surface has a chance.

Absolutely agree.

http://www.rgbfilter.com/?p=16081

Of particular interest I think; the difference between X86 and SOC:

Microsoft set out to do something different: create a tablet that could replace a laptop. And it looks like that, with Surface, they succeeded. But then, it’s as though Microsoft said to themselves, “Wow. We’ve created the best tablet experience on the planet. Now do it again, but this time, leave some stuff out.” MS needs to honour its legacy client base, but there is no RT base to speak of that needs the same consideration. If you have a tablet in-hand that answers the needs of almost all of your clients, why make another one?​

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This company'll get sued just like Psystar...

Psystar was selling Hackintoshes built from scratch with unlicensed copies of OSX (or multiple installs of a single purchased copy).

These guys are selling you back your own machine in a modified case.

I don't see them getting sued for that.

 

[G5isAlive]

I think Apple should put a stop to products like this. It damages the brand is confusing to many people who may think this is an Apple product.

a consumer who does zero homework deserves to be confused.

 

[spritelyjim]

What most of you don't realize is that not only is this perfectly legal, but that Apple ALREADY SANCTIONED the Modbook in the past. They've been through several different license types sorting this out, but they basically treat this like a third-party accessory.

As far as usefulness, this is in essence a way nicer, more convenient version of the Cintiq, and portable too. So it fills a professional niche; you know, the kinds of professional niches that Apple can't or won't fill.

 

[mdelvecchio]

How useful is OS X without a keyboard? Really?

uh, bluetooth?

its for artists and those who rely on pressure-sensitive apps. likely not you.

 

[WestonHarvey1]

Wrong, the iPad's success proves nothing of the sort. As the iPad stands it is crippled. If the iPad ran all of iOS plus MacOS/Classic/Rosetta for those of us who want them it would greatly increase the amount of available useful software, especially for education and small business. This would in turn make the iPad even more successful than it is. By limiting the iPad to just iOS Apple has abandoned a tremendous resource of excellent software and culture as well a crippling their hardware. A shame.

I disagree. You've been able to buy fully functioning Windows computers in tablet form for a decade now. They've never attracted consumers. They have specific niche uses and that's where they're always going to stay.

Take a person who has used an iPad and hand them a new tablet and say "here's your stylus! Pretend it's a mouse. You want to close that window? Tap on that tiny X right there... wait no you missed it... nope you missed it..." That's not going to fly.

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You have absolutely no way of knowing if it would have had the same or even more success with a real OS.

Yes I do. See above. There's this thing called "history" - it's really useful. When you have an idea, you can look to history to see if someone already tried it, and see how it worked out for them.

 

[Lindenhurst]

The company owner should be prepared to fade away again and not make it again.

Flawed in so many ways!

Explain please? How is it flawed.
Who wouldn't like to have a tablet that runs OSX. Certainly capable of doing more productive things than an iPad would do.

If for one am interested in seeing the details....