Steve Jobs Also Overseeing Apple Tablet or Netbook Device?

[guet]

Apple iTablet to be a hit if it has:
- Full Mac OS X inside (not the limited OS X found on iPhone or iPod touch). Can Apple deliver? We need thousands for our University. The price is not a problem.

A tablet with desktop OS X is not going to happen, because you can't have a purely touch screen interface with current OS X apps and APIs - it just won't work, no matter what the resolution. There are too many assumptions made about the nature of the pointing device (i.e. not a finger covering the item you're looking at), many controls are too small, no control click, menus would be too fiddly etc etc.

Mobile OS X is the future of the mobile platform, and will be used for their future tablet (suspect a tablet rather than a netbook). It could easily run keynote/powerpoint presentations, with a bit of work, but I doubt very much that would be a priority. You are describing an edge case, and building a product around it (presenting on a portable tablet). They may migrate the iWork apps to it, but not on the first iteration - the first iteration will be a bigger ipod, featuring mail, surfing, maps, photos etc. All the Apple apps adapted slightly to run on a higher res screen (wouldn't take much).

A tablet would make sense for gaming, internet, email, reading. Pretty much all the activities that people use netbooks for. It would *not* make sense for extensive data input, or manipulation (without a paired bluetooth keyboard, and even then, it's not a given), but that's fine, that's what larger computers are for.

Actually, this (first picture) would be awesome:
Next Apple moves will be Books and Games…

I agree that books and games are the next focus, but features like DVD drives are dead in the water (look to the Air for confirmation of this). However the general styling (a bigger ipod) isn't too far off probably. There's no way it will run desktop OS X though - aside from the practical reasons noted above they've poured too many resource into Mobile OS X for it to be a sideshow - note the twin tracks at WWDC, and the revenue from mobile devices which is dramatically increasing.

The natural fit for this device is Mobile OS X - I'd go so far as to say that Steve is now bored with the desktop, and you won't see any more shiny new desktop products - the new focus is laptops and mobile.

 

[yegon]

Maybe this is a stupid question, but do netbooks have 3G like a phone? Never had a netbook before.. not really sure what they do..

Not a stupid question. Some of the newer netbooks have a WWAN slot where you shove a sim card, the older ones you generally use a dongle. The only thing missing, for my usage, from my Samsung NC10 is such a slot.

 

[iPhoneNYC]

I would like to focus on the size of this theoretical tablet we are discussing. iPods fit everywhere, the Touch and iPhone can fit in one's packet, bag, etc. A tablet could get slightly bigger and fit one's coat pocket but that's not a huge increase in size. A 10" screen turns into a small MacBook. I think we have to agree what Apple has that the others don't is the App Store. So what is the right size?

 

[freddiecable]

i am also a skeptic. such a device would need a physical keyboard in order to be usable and efficient - even if it has multi-touch back and forth, up and down, in and out. it would become a 10" mac book air. and for under 500 USD? nah

 

[JDee]

But a real keyboard, I think. A full-sized virtual keyboard strikes me as only marginally more useful than a miniature one.

$799.

This will definitely not happen with multi touch devices - Steve Jobs was complaing at the official iPhone launch that the keyboard functions were there if you didn't even need them... hense why the iPhone is a touch device where the keyboard changes if you are in Safari, Mail and different applications to suit what application you are running.

I don't know what to think - I should really get off these rumors sites, as much as I love them I am getting far too un-patient to see what Apple are going to release next.

Anyone else with me??

 

[Winni]

Netbooks achieve, in a larger form factor, nothing more than an iPhone or other modern smartphone. The screen size is a plus over the iPhone, at the expense of having a device that isn't nearly as portable.

So you are telling me that writing on the iPhone is as comfortable as writing on a real keyboard (as the NetBooks have them) and that you can also run VMWare on an iPhone (as our student at work does it on his EeePC)?

The difference between the iPhone and a netbook is that the iPhone is nothing more than a cool-looking toy with very limited real-world use but a netbook is a fully functioning, but very small computer. Sure, netbooks are not fast (yet), but the point is that they run fully featured operating systems and use input devices that don't keep you from doing real work with them.

 

[Megadust]

Easy pill.

Fingers crossed it's a new touch screen tablet. This is exactly where Apple and the market need to venture. A larger version of the iPhone would be a very east pill to swallow.

 

[metalmaniac]

Stylus?

For me a mac tablet would be perfect, im sure a bluetooth connection will be included, so mouse and keyboard would be usable, but on the road you just have the screen.

Anyway, from a purely experimental POV (im a science type) I stuck OSX on a toshiba M200 which has the stylus working in OSX much like the modbook, but with a twist out keyboard and trackpad.(Its completely unusable and unstable so dont worry, im not a hackintosh fan or an OSX stealer, i have the licenses etc and now its gone anyway.)

When my m200 is using doze I use MS onenote to take down all my university notes which is great as no longer do i have to lug around pages of loose leaf notes, I just have the tablet.

But Mac offers no discernible method of using a tablet input as a viable note taking app, and if they use multi-touch, I doubt any stylus, or useful handwriting app would exist in an apple tablet.

With stuff like the Newton in the past and the Amazon book reading tablet thing, and the fact onenote is loved by MS haters and fans alike shows that (especially for the student and business markets) that an apple touch tablet with these abilities in an OS thats actually pretty good would rinse the market.


Well, speculation aye, if they do release a tablet capable of virtualisation, Onenote will go on under Unity in VMware (If at all possible) and i'll buy one of those iPhone imitation finger stylus'.

EDIT:
Extra note : I do believe I read somewhere that Apple are updating thier handwriting recognition frameworks for 10.6 which leads my personal speculation to wander that little bit further

 

[Bigdaddyguido]

Disagreement

First off I would like to say I have no expectations of this new device, I think apple could go a number of different directions.

For one, why do so many people assume this has to be $100-200 more than the iPhone? Let's say they realease an 8" device with a small flash based drive and just wifi. I personally would value my iPhone with all the accelorometers, gps, edge/3g, light sensors, proximity sensors and tiny form factor, not to mention the fact it's my $300 iPod as well. All that junk costs lots of money and pushed the price up. Plus I think most consumers think of the iPhone costing 200-300 since that's what everyone pays. This isn't to say apple won't put out a betyvery tricked out tablet that costs $900, I'm just saying it is feasible to release an apple caliber product for less.

And for everyone saying that no one used tablets, no one used mp3 players until the iPod came out. If apple did a tablet right, one you could take notes on and such, I think they could open a whole new market again. Again, I make no predictions what direction this device will go, but for everyone to pigeon hold this as a $900 piece of junk with less portability and usability than an iPhone or a laptop is ridiculous.

 

[DELLsFan]

Didn't apple say they weren't interested in the netbook segment? since no one seems to care I'll go ahead and say 'bout time... Everyone else has one and they seem to be popular. I really liked the MacBook Mini hoax on april fools day, looked pretty legit. I'd guess $500 for an apple netbook.

... and shortly thereafter a drop in the Time Capsule prices. Holy MACaroni! Those are just priced too high!

 

[swagi]

Before this gets blown totally out of control, repeat after me: there is no such thing as Apple tax. There is no such thing as Apple tax: either you buy an apple or you don't, simple as that. Nobody forces you to buy apple, nobody will send you to behind bars if you don't.


AND, conversely, there is a thing such as an 'MS tax': a tax on my nerves and sanity when IT administrators refuse anything else other than a windows machine on my work network.

"Apple tax" is a very misleading concept, but in itself it is true. Mind you, this comes from someone, who really really really paid Apple tax (can you imagine, that I bought an iBook for more than 2000 $ and a Powerbook for more than 3000 $ in their respective times).

"Apple tax" in itself means, that you pay a premium price for a product, that offers no substantial quality difference with its competitors. Just to put that into some perspective let me tell you:

- Apple does not use significantly better displays in their machines than their competitors.
- Apple does not use higher grade quality HDDs in their machines.
- Apple does not use specially designed high quality graphic solutions in their machines, that other competitors don't use.

In the late 90s, there was a different situation. And I can tell you, as I still refrain from buying an Intel based laptop, as they are all inferior quality to the PPC laptops I own - at least in my perception. In the late 90s Apple used better quality parts.

Today everything in your laptop is generic and cheap except the trackpad. And using standard netbook parts, those machines retail below 500 bucks. Could you really imagine that?

A portable Apple computer that is even cheaper than the Mac mini?

 

[MrCrowbar]

This is my guess and concept .

Awesome! Looks very sleek and fit into the current line nicely. I suppose the whole screen is the trackpad, in this case, smooth glass is kind of bad (sticky for sliding actions, shows prints, etc.)

The glass trackpads have the perfect surface IMO, I's use that to cover the display. It would be kind of matte but durable and comfortable to use. You'd have used to get used to using no trackpad button at all.

Actually, I think Apple would rather make it with a big touch screen instead of a keyboard, kind of like a Nintendo DS. This would give you two 10" wide screens. For surfing where you don't really nedd the keyboard, you can just hide it and have another browser window on the bottom screen.

The bad thing about a pocketable tablet would be the exposed display. My iPhone screen is still flawless, even after a year of abuse in my pants pockets though. And you can't really use a tablet on your lap or on a desk.

Anyway, this concept mockup is a winner!

 

[Lesser Evets]

IiPods fit everywhere, the Touch and iPhone can fit in one's packet, bag, etc. ... A 10" screen turns into a small MacBook. I think we have to agree what Apple has that the others don't is the App Store. So what is the right size?

What is this weird obsession with pocket sizes? I note a good number of people confused over this device not fitting into someone's pocket. It's insane.

The thing will have a 10" screen. It's probably a large iPT that is meant to reshape the netbook market. Final design will probably look like a large iPT.

If Apple is serious they will make it have stylus input for notes and data creation sans finger.

 

[iMacmatician]

If an iPhone, unsubsidized, runs $499, you can bet this is going to be in the $799 range, which is a good chunk of change.

And the 32 GB iPod touch is $399 (which would be the price of a 64 GB in September). The device may not have iPhone features (or have them as BTO).

I'm sure it depends on the features and specs, but I don't see a 32 GB mini-tablet costing anything outrageous.

i wonder what OS it will run, Mac OSX or iPhone OSX...

iPhone OS, with additional OS/apps features. Someone in the thread said that mobile Safari can't download files. Maybe an "extended" mobile Safari in the mini-tablet will have that capability.

I am seeing mobile iLife and iWork in the mini-tablet, as well as multitasking/windowed/split-screen functionality.

A tablet with desktop OS X is not going to happen, because…

You hit the nail on the head and said it better than I could.

The natural fit for this device is Mobile OS X - I'd go so far as to say that Steve is now bored with the desktop, and you won't see any more shiny new desktop products - the new focus is laptops and mobile.

I actually agree here, given certain specification and BTO options on the latest iMacs and Mac Pros.

I would like to focus on the size of this theoretical tablet we are discussing. iPods fit everywhere, the Touch and iPhone can fit in one's packet, bag, etc. A tablet could get slightly bigger and fit one's coat pocket but that's not a huge increase in size. A 10" screen turns into a small MacBook. I think we have to agree what Apple has that the others don't is the App Store. So what is the right size?

I don't know, but I carry around my 7.5"x3.25" calculator around everywhere I go. (Has a stylus too.)

 

[Ping Guo]

Can somebody explain?

What is a tablet good for, and why should Apple make one? Isn't operating with a stylus much slower than typing/trackpad? How does one hold and operate a tablet? One hand holding, the other writing? Flat on a table? It seems too big to hold in two hands and thumb type, a la the iPhone.

I'm trying to understand, as I've never seen anybody out and about carrying or using a tablet. Now netbooks... I see plenty of those.

 

[iMacmatician]

What is this weird obsession with pocket sizes? I note a good number of people confused over this device not fitting into someone's pocket. It's insane.

I don't think most netbooks are pocketable either.

 

[MrCrowbar]

So you are telling me that writing on the iPhone is as comfortable as writing on a real keyboard (as the NetBooks have them) and that you can also run VMWare on an iPhone (as our student at work does it on his EeePC)?

The difference between the iPhone and a netbook is that the iPhone is nothing more than a cool-looking toy with very limited real-world use but a netbook is a fully functioning, but very small computer. Sure, netbooks are not fast (yet), but the point is that they run fully featured operating systems and use input devices that don't keep you from doing real work with them.

Keep in mind that Netbook keyboards are generally smaller and seriously bad quality compared to your average Macbook. I's rather have a wider but thinner notebook than a small but very thick netbook. Makes sense for students too, if they can just put the computer between 2 normal in their bag. Here's an old mockup I made, based on the bluetooth keyboard:




Actually, I'd add a glass trackpad on the bottom, maybe 2/3 the size of the one on 13" Macbooks. A little palmrest is always nice anyway so you can balance the think nicely on your lap.

Just think 12" powerbook but in the new notebook design and considerably thinner.

 

[Lesser Evets]

If the 10" screen has the resolution density of the iPT/iPhone, this thing will score. Bigger isn't necessarily better, but more compact is definitely a plus. Why tote around a current 15" laptop when you can chop off the keyboard, reduce weight to 1/3, and have it all in a 10" screen?

I don't think most netbooks are pocketable either.

I suppose it is a question of "how portable", but why does portability have to go hand in hand with a pocket?

At least a tablet can be used standing up, if the keyboard or control interface works with the two hands holding it. That would be true portability to me. Most likely that is what is being worked on.

 

[riesvantwisk]

Apple is not going to release a netbook or tablet yet.

Apple is working on Snow Leopard to get all that functionality in for touch screen interface in.
That said, apple will not create a netbook like we currently see (a laptop but smaller). Apple will create a full tabloid the size of half a A4 (or letter) that is just full touch screen. The keyboard will be handled by a virtual keyboard. To protext the display will in bags etc, only a alu cover will close it. So the lid will not contain the screen. The lid can also be folded all the way to the back making it a very flat device. It will have SSD and about 1Gb on boards and will be a fully fledged OSX. They are currently fighting a bit with Intel about licenses to get it all approved, it has a atom processor on board.

There is really no point in making a netbook like we see nowdays because apple has a macbook air.

However, apple needs to way for releasing pointy devices because snowleopard will support that.

Ries

 

[Journojulz]

I am so excited about this new 'thing'

I reckon we are on the cusp of something as groundbreaking as the ipod or iphone.

Not a breakthrough in technological ability - but a revolution in user friendliness.

When i first picked up my iphone - i thought to myself "the future is here, this what we were promised in the 70s"

Now we will see what comes next - something thrice the size of the iphone would suit me down to the ground.

I have a solution to the virtual keyboard problem if anyone is interested....

If you have taken apart a remote control, you will know the 'click' is a rubber sheet with conductive contacts on it.

Get one of those that lines up with the virtual keys - and there you are.
Looks like a real keyboard, feels like a real keyboard, rolls up into a cigar tube.

 

[bytethese]

What if a company such as AT&T subsidized the device? Wouldn't this then allow Apple to release a high end product with a lower price tag?

I already have an iPhone, I don't want service on some other device. I just want a smaller notebook to take with me everyday.

 

[Jayomat]

what about a "netbook", with two touchscreens? one instead of the "normal LCD" display and one where the keyboard used to be. if you flip it, you have a convenient screen to read and in "laptop-use", a nice keyboard.

hmm....

would be cool though

i must get some PS skills to make a mockup

 

[iMav]

I just don't ever see people walking around with netbooks or tablets. I don't know anyone who owns one nor do I ever hear people discussing a need for them. IMO, this whole market segment is more overblown and more loaded with artificial hype than a Van Halen reunion tour.

Personally, I loved seeing Diamond Dave back with VH. Saw them in Las Vegas and it was a great show.

I have an Aspire One and absolutely love it. Great for trips to the datacenter and as a night table middle-of-the-night-web-browsing-session. I also use it as my primary computer when traveling. (coupled with a Verizon data card...and there are mods to put a 3g data card internally)

I think if Apple could put out a netbook with great battery life (use some of the 17" MBP tech to blow other netbook batteries out of the water) and couple it with built in 3g (perhaps another AT&T deal?), and at least one other knock-your-socks-off feature, they would have a winner on their hands.

I'd certainly buy one.

 

[iMacmatician]

Apple is working on Snow Leopard to get all that functionality in for touch screen interface in.

Interestingly, the only multi-touch functionality I've heard so far in Snow Leopard is for the trackpad—not the display.

They are currently fighting a bit with Intel about licenses to get it all approved, it has a atom processor on board.

Quite interesting. So I guess the old AppleInsider rumor about Atom making its way into Apple's product line may be true?

 

[Vulpinemac]

Didn't apple say they weren't interested in the netbook segment? since no one seems to care I'll go ahead and say 'bout time... Everyone else has one and they seem to be popular. I really liked the MacBook Mini hoax on april fools day, looked pretty legit. I'd guess $500 for an apple netbook.

Actually, Apple said they weren't interested in Netbooks, but that had some ideas for the segment.

I, personally, don't like the netbook concept. I understand it's great for some people, but if you're going to have something that portable, why limit the device to having to put it down on something to use it?