I was thinking the same. There are a lot of people talking about it now and it is snowballing, no one has any proof but there has to be a reason why its getting so much press and attention.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Speculation About a 'MacBook Touch' Builds
- Thread starter MacRumors
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
I was thinking the same. There are a lot of people talking about it now and it is snowballing, no one has any proof but there has to be a reason why its getting so much press and attention.
yep - your right. I love how a rumor starts out as one thing, and next we have the starship enterprise... "Computer 2 to beam aboard"
Am i the only one thinking Tablet if it's coming would be more shapely like the Air. More than the Slab like setup of the images we've seen so.
ThinK Modbook Air but made by Apple.
So that siting on the lap or desk in landscape it would have a nice natural slope, but is light and thin and easy to hold in the hand. Indeed weighting to one side would make it easier to hold in one hand while the other is working.
ThinK Modbook Air but made by Apple.
So that siting on the lap or desk in landscape it would have a nice natural slope, but is light and thin and easy to hold in the hand. Indeed weighting to one side would make it easier to hold in one hand while the other is working.
Flopped???? The iPod touch? No way. It's probably beating the heck out of the Classic even though there are lots of good reasons to get the 160Gb version of that thing.
Umm... ok let's go anecdotal: i have two of them, an 8 and a 32, plus I have given two 16s as gifts, and five more of my relatives have all asked if they can have my smaller one or will i get them at least a 16Gb one for -- fill in the occasion: their birthday, next Christmas, the hell of it. My answer to them all currently is no because my budget is in rehab but I will probably relent by around October. I hope they keep the refurbs flowing on these things...
Btw, all the new requests happened after my relatives had read about the App Store and / or had messed around with a couple of cheap but entertaining apps on my 8Gb iPod touch. I love watching video products on that thing but I've noticed I always watch stuff on at least a 13" screen first unless it's a TV show. So... bring on the larger cousins of the iPod touch, I am saving up for them right now!
(i guess i have given up hope for a 12" powerbook replacement already... i love my MacBook Air and my powerbooks ain't dead yet, so my hardware budget is newly focused on iPods again).
An iPod touch stretched up into like a 5x9 or so (or whatever would accommodate a properly proportioned video screen, roughly that size) would be the new perfect for video and for browsing websites whose mobile versions either suck or don't exist. I guess a question would be whether that is too unwieldy to use with games depending on use of the accelerometer.
The internal real estate on the 32Gb iPod touch proved irresistible to me. I just caved in and got it last week. I like looking at it and knowing I still have room left for, um... The Wire, Season 3, even though I already piled in ten full length movies, the entire season of The Black Donnelleys because I haven't watched that in awhile, plus some music videos and about 500 tracks of music. And three games from the App store.
Missing something?
Hi, I am new here, but have read many articles on this website. If you are looking for a market for a touch system, just look at the Retail Market. Every Restaurant in the world uses 'touch screen' systems. Then there are the retail stores. And the beat goes on!
Hi, I am new here, but have read many articles on this website. If you are looking for a market for a touch system, just look at the Retail Market. Every Restaurant in the world uses 'touch screen' systems. Then there are the retail stores. And the beat goes on!
i am very anxious to see the design. I have no interest in buying one, but i always love looking and playing with a new apple toy! lets hope for the best
What's funny is that I think macbook/pro revisions would be a lot more desirable and smart on apple's part than this imaginary touch-capable bible. At this rate people act as if the technology is already confirmed.
I said that on prior threads, but good points. My wife used to work on the assembly line putting together the micros line of touch screen kiosks (well until the company closed). Would be a way for Apple to jump into the small business and start getting a foot into enterprise solutions.Hey, here is an idea. A 3 foot x 2 foot touch terminal placed in the middle of a mall or shopping complex or hotel. you walk up, touch the screen and get info on a store - pull up a menu to the restaurant, click the map and it tells you where it is, click another link to call a taxi to your location to take you there.
of course some malls already had this and they pulled them out.....
Or a 1 foot x 1 foot mounted on the back of a seat on a bus or plane, touch up your favorite show or movie during the commute - get information on where you are traveling to.
This would be good for when I go to the beach or mountains and cell phone service is lacking and the hotel does not have wireless (would also be a away for my wife to not have to say " your not taking your laptop on vacation again are you?")
Damn right, i know i could. Give me 5 mins and check back on this post, i will give you an example of sellable touchscreen..
I like having a keyboard
I like computers and laptops just the way they are. Sure the iphone is cool but If my only computer was like an oversized I touch I'd kill myself. Mice/trackpads and keyboards=
good. I'm afraid that one day everything will be touch. I really would hate that. Maybe apple is just trying to compete with the HP tablet thingy that's on that TV commercial. Someone tell Steve Jobs I'd keep my macbook over that tablet thingy.
I like computers and laptops just the way they are. Sure the iphone is cool but If my only computer was like an oversized I touch I'd kill myself. Mice/trackpads and keyboards=
good. I'm afraid that one day everything will be touch. I really would hate that. Maybe apple is just trying to compete with the HP tablet thingy that's on that TV commercial. Someone tell Steve Jobs I'd keep my macbook over that tablet thingy.Not sure if this has been posted yet... sorry but I don't want to read every single post here.
http://images.macnn.com/esta/content/0807/toshibaminibookbig.jpg
Look at the Toshiba Prototype... 64gb SSD - not bad. But in particular I'm intrigued by the keyboard. Certainly not fast... but once used to I imagine it's competent.
BTW that thing is UGLY! Jeez I hope Apple would at least make their's stylish...
http://images.macnn.com/esta/content/0807/toshibaminibookbig.jpg
Look at the Toshiba Prototype... 64gb SSD - not bad. But in particular I'm intrigued by the keyboard. Certainly not fast... but once used to I imagine it's competent.
BTW that thing is UGLY! Jeez I hope Apple would at least make their's stylish...
What would be a killer in this is an "OLED" screen like this as an example:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcAm3KihFho
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ufs9Wx0VXQ
otherwise can you imagine the amount of repairs/replacements due to dropping?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NcAm3KihFho
and
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Ufs9Wx0VXQ
otherwise can you imagine the amount of repairs/replacements due to dropping?
What gets me about all this hype is that touch screen technology is nothing new.
1. Its been around for ever in some ATM's.
2. Planar has a touch screen monitor for your desktop (required you to plug in a 9pin serial port http://www.planartouch.com/ )
3. we had PDA's and pocket pc's for a while (of course they required special smaller apps that worked similar to the normal computer apps) - remember the ipaq. HP still sells a version running Windows.
4. it's been around in tablets for a few years now - there are a number of Windows tablets (although apple does not have one outside of the axiotron modbook).
5. restaurants have the touch kiosks/pos systems.
You know what is lacking - voice recognition. yeah that has been around for a while, but is still very fustrating to teach and get working properly.
but since we are on the subject of touch. what i would like to see is a device about the size of the long rectangle DVD cases, that had all the ports of a laptop (USB, firewire, audio in/out, power adapter - basically what is on a macbook now). Has a good size hard drive, wireless, bluetooth, and a built in slot loading superdrive that is capable of running all my current laptop apps, has about 2-4 gb ram, and a good battery life (4 to 5 hrs).
I mean lets talk about a modbook about the size of a dvd case (ok to be as thick as macbook, mm mabe a little thinner - but don't lose the drives). then beef up the voice recognition capabilities and touch capabilities. Now you got the awesome portable for the businessman, student, field tech or someone who works on the road (photographer, tv crew, whatever).
Basically a cross between:
and
1. Its been around for ever in some ATM's.
2. Planar has a touch screen monitor for your desktop (required you to plug in a 9pin serial port http://www.planartouch.com/ )
3. we had PDA's and pocket pc's for a while (of course they required special smaller apps that worked similar to the normal computer apps) - remember the ipaq. HP still sells a version running Windows.
4. it's been around in tablets for a few years now - there are a number of Windows tablets (although apple does not have one outside of the axiotron modbook).
5. restaurants have the touch kiosks/pos systems.
You know what is lacking - voice recognition. yeah that has been around for a while, but is still very fustrating to teach and get working properly.
but since we are on the subject of touch. what i would like to see is a device about the size of the long rectangle DVD cases, that had all the ports of a laptop (USB, firewire, audio in/out, power adapter - basically what is on a macbook now). Has a good size hard drive, wireless, bluetooth, and a built in slot loading superdrive that is capable of running all my current laptop apps, has about 2-4 gb ram, and a good battery life (4 to 5 hrs).
I mean lets talk about a modbook about the size of a dvd case (ok to be as thick as macbook, mm mabe a little thinner - but don't lose the drives). then beef up the voice recognition capabilities and touch capabilities. Now you got the awesome portable for the businessman, student, field tech or someone who works on the road (photographer, tv crew, whatever).
Basically a cross between:
and
I was looking for the mock-ups of an 8" diagonal pad in a iPod like dock, but this does it justice.
That is what Apple should do.
Rocketman
question about Atom
does Atom support Wi-Max like Centrino 2. Because if it does, that would be even cooler. Though, i don't know if it would be free or not (probably won't) but maybe they will put 3G from AT&T. All I know is, if thi comes out, I will have to decide between a MB or this MBT.
does Atom support Wi-Max like Centrino 2. Because if it does, that would be even cooler. Though, i don't know if it would be free or not (probably won't) but maybe they will put 3G from AT&T. All I know is, if thi comes out, I will have to decide between a MB or this MBT.
ebooks on itunes
The next logical step would be to sell ebooks through itunes. And a tablet Mac with touch interface sounds like a good idea to me.
The next logical step would be to sell ebooks through itunes. And a tablet Mac with touch interface sounds like a good idea to me.
appearantly some people think so.
But they are not a mac, and i shutter to think how this works. Vista, Dell gotta have problems......
Sad part is, this is kinda what I was trying to describe, only a little smaller.... but still have th features of the first pic wher you can flip the screen and about the size of that first device but still have all the ports and a real keyboard/track pad for those who need it. Dang Dell, beat me to it - just not in size. but similar needing to run osx and smaller
*Edit - Crud -> I should not have read up on this thing... Now I want it, this exact one - but running OS X.. External opticle - ok I would settle for external, but it has an optional doc. http://www.gottabemobile.com/DellOfficiallyLaunchesXTTabletPC.aspx
Toshiba sells one with a build in DVD-+RW
Come on apple, do us one better, give us this, smaller, and running osx at a reasonable price.....
like I said, cross my two pictures - make it the size of a DVD case (or a little larger) and about as thick as a super drive or tray loading laptop drive.
weight - well, it would have to be made of some super durable lightweight plastic.
A technics turntable costs $444.95 x 2 plus mixer, 3 million units sold.
a standard in the mixing world can last forever and gain a company loads of cred n exposure.
Well i want an iMix anyway.
My guess would be that the only "styluses" used with such a device would be your own fingers, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see.
I'd like to see someway that Apple could create a (perfect) form of handwriting recognition, without a stylus.
I'm picturing Steve demoing the tablet by writing on it without using anything but his hands... either by using one finger, or even putting your hand in the "writing position", as if you were writing... but not holding a pencil.
Two DIFFERENT OS's
All right, I feel your thinking needs to be clarified.
IMO: Mac OS incorporates multitouch, but only dependent upon the input device... The main screen will not be designed to be touched without some interpretive software. That is, it'll work with a multitouch trackpad. It'll work using the iphone or ipod touch as a trackpad. I think we'll also see small multitouch cinema displays as an input device, but fundamentally Mac OS is keyboard/mouse driven.
The tablet(s) will be iphone OS driven. They will not be designed as replacements for your mac, but as accessories. Therefore, they will be aggressively priced at $1000 or less. They will do everything I need to do. They will not do everything everybody wants. You will still need a Mac. I will take my tablet around between work and home.
There's no way you'll see a multitouch screen coupled with a touch keyboard. (dumb) You WILL be able to couple a REAL ketboard with a tablet by means of bluetooth or Keyboard/dock combo. You'll probably be able to do this with iphone as well. (wifi keyboard?)
The tablets are coming. They will not replace your desktop or laptop. They will not run Mac OS. Nevertheless, they are miraculous. You WILL lust in your heart.
All right, I feel your thinking needs to be clarified.
IMO: Mac OS incorporates multitouch, but only dependent upon the input device... The main screen will not be designed to be touched without some interpretive software. That is, it'll work with a multitouch trackpad. It'll work using the iphone or ipod touch as a trackpad. I think we'll also see small multitouch cinema displays as an input device, but fundamentally Mac OS is keyboard/mouse driven.
The tablet(s) will be iphone OS driven. They will not be designed as replacements for your mac, but as accessories. Therefore, they will be aggressively priced at $1000 or less. They will do everything I need to do. They will not do everything everybody wants. You will still need a Mac. I will take my tablet around between work and home.
There's no way you'll see a multitouch screen coupled with a touch keyboard. (dumb) You WILL be able to couple a REAL ketboard with a tablet by means of bluetooth or Keyboard/dock combo. You'll probably be able to do this with iphone as well. (wifi keyboard?)
The tablets are coming. They will not replace your desktop or laptop. They will not run Mac OS. Nevertheless, they are miraculous. You WILL lust in your heart.
I wish Mac users would quit torturing themselves with this persistent rumor of the tablet. It may happen but gen 1 will be like all other gen 1 Apple products..Come on guys you KNOW it is true and you KNOW what I'm talking about.
Meanwhile I have my little Gateway that I got brand new on their refurb site for $600. Dropped the free copy of Vista business that has been gathering dust since I got it in Feb '07 on it with SP1 and its a really good little tablet with something like 98% handwriting accuracy with some really solid tablet integration into the OS. That coupled with the just shy of 6 hours I get with the ULV 1.2Ghz system makes this a nice and cheap walk around tablet with a wacom digitizer that allows touching.
Apple has MASSIVE, MASSIVE ground to make up when it comes to a tablet. Me being me, jaded and all (I should change my UN to SiliconJade.) I expect Apple will eventually create a tablet. The OS will have 1 or 2 selling point gimic features that will be touted by Apple as proof that they are the king when it comes to any type of UI...meanwhile the rest of the OS will feel like the tablet feature will be tacked on. Similar to the use of coverflow in finder. How would I make it better? No idea. It feels like a tacked on feature someone saw and said oh cool! Lets add that as a few option.
My point being. The first generation of any tablet by Apple is going to be all style...virtually zero substance.
And what with MS demoing touch in Windows 7 I expect this to be rushed to market in time to one up them...which will contribute to the half baked impression no doubt.
I'd love to be wrong, but 3 years on the Mac platform has taught me otherwise. My expectations from Apple have been dropping on a quarterly basis. Now all I expect is iPhone crap, and incremental changes to OS X with different icons. Maintain the status quo. Don't rock the boat. Don't make changes so drastic that it might cause a loss in profits even if that change might be innovation. *shrugs* Maybe this time will be different?
Meanwhile I have my little Gateway that I got brand new on their refurb site for $600. Dropped the free copy of Vista business that has been gathering dust since I got it in Feb '07 on it with SP1 and its a really good little tablet with something like 98% handwriting accuracy with some really solid tablet integration into the OS. That coupled with the just shy of 6 hours I get with the ULV 1.2Ghz system makes this a nice and cheap walk around tablet with a wacom digitizer that allows touching.
Apple has MASSIVE, MASSIVE ground to make up when it comes to a tablet. Me being me, jaded and all (I should change my UN to SiliconJade.) I expect Apple will eventually create a tablet. The OS will have 1 or 2 selling point gimic features that will be touted by Apple as proof that they are the king when it comes to any type of UI...meanwhile the rest of the OS will feel like the tablet feature will be tacked on. Similar to the use of coverflow in finder. How would I make it better? No idea. It feels like a tacked on feature someone saw and said oh cool! Lets add that as a few option.
My point being. The first generation of any tablet by Apple is going to be all style...virtually zero substance.
And what with MS demoing touch in Windows 7 I expect this to be rushed to market in time to one up them...which will contribute to the half baked impression no doubt.
I'd love to be wrong, but 3 years on the Mac platform has taught me otherwise. My expectations from Apple have been dropping on a quarterly basis. Now all I expect is iPhone crap, and incremental changes to OS X with different icons. Maintain the status quo. Don't rock the boat. Don't make changes so drastic that it might cause a loss in profits even if that change might be innovation. *shrugs* Maybe this time will be different?