Research Firm Predicts Apple Tablet, 300,000 iPhone Applications for 2010

[Yixian]

GOD I literally cannot wait for the tablet any longer... if it doesn't come out Q1 I'm gonna tear my hair out. I'm a medical student and this could potentially remove about 10kg from my bag in textbooks.

The OLED delay rumor better be nonsense.

 

[!¡ V ¡!]

Many people where want GPS and a Camera (still/video) on an iPT and I might have wanted that included as well with the iPT G3 release. However I find that for my requirements all I really needed was a Map of the city I was in as the Mapp.app caches the details and I find a street name if I stray of course it works for me. If it had GPS great however I can live without it. As for a camera, I barely use the one on my phone and having it usually causes problems when travelling to foreign countries as camera phones are banned and some places also have or thinking of incorporating a ban on camera based devices. Not sure how effective the enforcement is at these placed however I find little need for a camera.

Unless you can have video calling and lets face it the iPhone camera cannot rotate forward for voice calls.

What I do want to see is open up the built-in capabilities of the iPT with regards to FM Rx/Tx, BlueTooth no limitations and multi-tasking with 3rd party apps. To conserve batter usage give the option to the user to decide how many apps they would like to run in multi-tasking mode with an estimate battery usage time. Some of these options are critical requirements on a mobile device. I would like to make a call on Fring, text and surf. Some people can multi-task.

 

[kzin]

GOD I literally cannot wait for the tablet any longer... if it doesn't come out Q1 I'm gonna tear my hair out.

If it doesn't come out in Q1 (not just announced, but released), isn't under $750, doesn't allow non-iTunes based application installation (ie. the customer decides what is acceptable, not Apple), doesn't have a 9" or 10" screen, doesn't allow some form of user expandable storage (SDHC cards, for example), and doesn't have an option for being directly attached to a KVM switch (or at least an external keyboard and mouse) ... then I'm definitely buying an Entourage eDGe instead.

E-reader and tablet-computer all in one. Market based app installation AND non-Market based app installation. Under $500. Should be available in Q1. Keyboard via USB or Bluetooth. MicroSDHC cards via in-plug-USB adapters (and other USB storage as well).

Right now, for me, the Entourage eDGe is the device that Apple has to beat. The hardware must be better, the OS must be better, the software availability must be better (not just the number of titles, but also the diversity of mechanisms for getting that software), the e-reader capability and diversity of titles must be better, and the price has to be at least in the same ball park (if not also better). And, last, it has to stop being vaporware. Otherwise, why bother with Apple's tablet?

 

[cumanzor]

If it doesn't come out in Q1 (not just announced, but released), isn't under $750, doesn't allow non-iTunes based application installation (ie. the customer decides what is acceptable, not Apple), doesn't have a 9" or 10" screen, doesn't allow some form of user expandable storage (SDHC cards, for example), and doesn't have an option for being directly attached to a KVM switch (or at least an external keyboard and mouse) ... then I'm definitely buying an Entourage eDGe instead.

E-reader and tablet-computer all in one. Market based app installation AND non-Market based app installation. Under $500. Should be available in Q1. Keyboard via USB or Bluetooth. MicroSDHC cards via in-plug-USB adapters (and other USB storage as well).

Right now, for me, the Entourage eDGe is the device that Apple has to beat. The hardware must be better, the OS must be better, the software availability must be better (not just the number of titles, but also the diversity of mechanisms for getting that software), the e-reader capability and diversity of titles must be better, and the price has to be at least in the same ball park (if not also better). And, last, it has to stop being vaporware. Otherwise, why bother with Apple's tablet?

That looks awesome, hopefully they'll deliver. This looks very familiar to MS's courier though.

 

[headsupftw]

Did you even bother to read the links you just posted?

The first blog regarding Rogue Amoeba clearly states the whiny developer was in the wrong not Apple's approval process even though the latter could have been better (ldo).

Actually It is happening now.


Today, Rogue Amoeba announced they were giving up on iPhone development. Rogue Amoeba is a large OS X developer, and used to also create applications for the iPhone.

Facebook iPhone Dev Quits Project Over Apple Tyranny

 

[powers74]

clusterf^*k

They're going to need to refine the way they organize their apps...

word.

 

[WLS]

I hope they call it "iTouch", just to screw with everyone who keeps using that name when referring to the iPod touch.

I hope they call it the Itouch-Air

 

[DonRivella]

'Research Firm'? I wonder what if their name is 'Take A Guess'.

 

[Brien]

word.

Yeah. 300,000+ in 2010, a million by 2011?

If they don't completely rethink the App Store, we're going to be drowning in fart apps.

 

[redmac]

I guess this device will have a video camera and blue-tooth headset that that will allow full scale video calls. I also think they may introduce a portable dock with keyboard, extra storage, battery power, RAM and USB+FW ports. This dock may be used as locked to the main device to protect the screen and together they may function like a touch screen mac book.

 

[LagunaSol]

If they don't completely rethink the App Store, we're going to be drowning in fart apps.

Good grief, enough with the tired "fart app" nonsense. There are no more fart apps for the iPhone than there are FTP apps for Windows.

If anything, Apple should be approving more apps, not cutting back. The marketplace will make the cream rise to the top and the dregs sink to the bottom. And consequently the creators of crap apps will eventually throw in the towel and move on to other lines of work. Like creating apps for Windows Mobile.

 

[kzin]

That looks awesome, hopefully they'll deliver. This looks very familiar to MS's courier though.

Yeah. The Yanko Design "MacBook Touch" design concept, the OLPC 2 design concept, and the MS courier design concept all have a strong resemblance to this. The "folding tablet", basically.

I'm not sure, but I think the OLPC 2 was first of that bunch.

Still, looks like the first one to actually market it will be the eDGe.

 

[DMann]

LOL! Fret not, the HeroCT 2x Platinum (2011) is going to have a larger screen, along with a sweet new HTC Android UI skin called TouchCheezWizFloMoGlo (TM).

Disclaimer: TouchCheezWizFloMoGlo will not be backwards compatible with HeroCT...

ROFL!

A highly believable and befitting trademark.

FLOMOGOFORSURE all over again.

Good grief, enough with the tired "fart app" nonsense. There are no more fart apps for the iPhone than there are FTP apps for Windows.

If anything, Apple should be approving more apps, not cutting back. The marketplace will make the cream rise to the top and the dregs sink to the bottom. And consequently the creators of crap apps will eventually throw in the towel and move on to other lines of work. Like creating apps for Windows Mobile.

It's app envy, all around.

Still, looks like the first one to actually market it will be the eDGe.

It looks like the first one to actually bring it to market it will have the eDGe, as well.

 

[kdarling]

Yeah. The Yanko Design "MacBook Touch" design concept, the OLPC 2 design concept, and the MS courier design concept all have a strong resemblance to this. The "folding tablet", basically.

And the idea goes back at least a decade before that.

More recently, a forerunner of the Courier was the Microsoft Codex project, which was two OQO touch computers cobbled together in a notebook case.

Unlike most concepts, the Codex project actually had software running. Many people, especially medical students it seems, use the offspring of that software, such as One Note and InkSeine, on Windows Tablets.

 

[scottness]

300,000 apps. What a joy. Maybe they should make their SDK for iPhone apps more difficult to acquire.

 

[twoodcc]

sounds good to me. can't wait for this tablet

 

[SFStateStudent]

Two MacTablets will work for me; not sure if I'll need all of those 300,000 apps though...lol

 

[LoCarbHotrod]

Can I work for a research firm and predict the obvious?

"Expect to see a new iPhone in Summer of 2010, and updates to the iPods in september. Also Steve Jobs will wear a black turtleneck and blue jeans in his next keynote."

 

[GfPQqmcRKUvP]

I really don't see why everyone always talks about an apple tablet being a competitor for the kindle or other e-readers. The largest advantage of the kindle type devices are the e ink screens. They are absolutely nothing like an LCD set up apple would have in a tablet. Why don't people realize this?

 

[kzin]

I really don't see why everyone always talks about an apple tablet being a competitor for the kindle or other e-readers. The largest advantage of the kindle type devices are the e ink screens. They are absolutely nothing like an LCD set up apple would have in a tablet. Why don't people realize this?

PixelQi just went into production, and says they're fulfilling a lot of orders for their hybrid LCD/e-paper displays.

Maybe the Apple Tablet will use a PixelQi display, and that's why PixelQi has just ramped up into production: to be ready for a Q1 release and such.

Then you get the speed, color, and brightness from an LCD during active use (and when not reading an e-book), or the low power consumption and static "always on" type nature of e-paper when the LCD is off (device is in stand-bye, you're between page-turns of an e-book, or even when the device is _off_).

That's one way that I can see Apple delivering an Apple Tablet that is aimed to be both a general purpose "Apple Tablet" (iPhone or Mac based, either one), and is also aimed at competing with e-readers.

I'm not saying "this is likely", but it is possible.

 

[peterdevries]

The iTunes Store has become Windows. 300,000 crap apps is nothing to to cheer about. Have you see some of the junk up there that has been approved?

Some guy writes an app that will let you call your friend. So does he make an app that you can input the person's name so it shows up on the home screen? Noooooo..... He creates like 100 separate apps each with a "different" name. That is one of the most ridiculous things I have ever seen. Like 10 pages of the same app, over and over, and over just with a different name.

Call John
Call Jane
Call Joe
Call Janet
Call Jeff

etc....

WTF??

I'd like to see more focus on good quality apps. Like on the Mac. There are tons more apps available on Windows, but they almost all suck. The ratio is much smaller on OS X. There may be less on the Mac, but more of them are gems.

I really don't understand what people are complaining about. I find the apps that I want and need without any effort. As of yet I haven't been annoyed by hundreds of fart apps that stood in the way of the other apps. I find the iTunes store search feature and categorizations useful enough to be able to navigate around these useless apps.

 

[peterdevries]

I really don't see why everyone always talks about an apple tablet being a competitor for the kindle or other e-readers. The largest advantage of the kindle type devices are the e ink screens. They are absolutely nothing like an LCD set up apple would have in a tablet. Why don't people realize this?

Why don't you realize that an LCD offers so much more potential to the device? Imagine being able to not only read books, but also watch video's, read magazines, email etc. And yes, this might sound like a laptop, but think of this functionality in a kindle sized device..

This thing will only succeed if Apple does to it what they did with the iPhone: make it a device that can do more and do those things better than the existing devices. Convergence of consumer electronics is the word to remember here.

Many people are lugging around many pieces of consumer electronics (Cellphones, e-readers, laptops, calculators, portable dvd players, iPods) that could easily be integrated into one device with current technology. The iPhone has made a significant step towards that feat combining portable audio into a phone in a way that from ease of use and natural feel easily surpasses all previous efforts. Add to that the browsing and email features and it is still one of the of not THE best portable consumer electronics device around.

If Apple gets it right, as they did with the iPhone, than the tablet will be a game changer. e-book readers might look nifty and cool, but at the moment they were introduced they were obsolete. I predict that a large percentage of people that bought these devices will put them in a drawer and replace them with a color LCD or OLED screen type as soon as devices become available that have enough power.

 

[LagunaSol]

I really don't understand what people are complaining about. I find the apps that I want and need without any effort. As of yet I haven't been annoyed by hundreds of fart apps that stood in the way of the other apps. I find the iTunes store search feature and categorizations useful enough to be able to navigate around these useless apps.

Apple's competitors' FUD machines have been running full steam, and apparently with some results.

I too can't understand the dismay about the number of apps. Geez people, exercise your right to choose. I have hundreds of apps, and not a single fart app among them.

Mindblowing, isn't it.

 

[firewood]

GOD I literally cannot wait for the tablet any longer... if it doesn't come out Q1 I'm gonna tear my hair out. I'm a medical student and this could potentially remove about 10kg from my bag in textbooks.

So what's wrong with getting a Kindle instead of waiting?

 

[firewood]

I wonder what their predictions are based on..... rumors?

Apple changed their rules. They no longer list updates on the front page of the App store. Only new apps. This will easily double the number of apps as developers switch to listing new apps instead of updating old one. Triple isn't too far fetched given how often apps used to be updated on average.

99.8% of the 100k apps might be garbage. But it's a different 99.8% for every individual. And if it goes up to 99.9% of 300k being garbage, that's still 50 more apps that you might want to use.