True enough, but the Air isn't considered a true netbook because it starts at $1,800. For some reason, people expect "real netbooks" to be cheap.
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Steve Jobs Also Overseeing Apple Tablet or Netbook Device?
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True enough, but the Air isn't considered a true netbook because it starts at $1,800. For some reason, people expect "real netbooks" to be cheap.
The macbook air is more of a laptop still. its pretty big compared to some "netbooks", even though its light and extremely thin. a netbook from apple will probably be like a bigger iphone. in my opinion.
I am wondering if there really is a market for it though? is the iphone and ipod touch realy not good enough for small internet browsing sessions and send/receive emails?
I am wondering if there really is a market for it though? is the iphone and ipod touch realy not good enough for small internet browsing sessions and send/receive emails?
I don't buy that. The engineers, yes, but not jobs. It would literally cost no more than $30-50 for them to put in a higher quality display.
And if that were actually true, maybe steve jobs isn't as awesome as people think he is.
True enough, but the Air isn't considered a true netbook because it starts at $1,800. For some reason, people expect "real netbooks" to be cheap.
The MBA is not a netbook. Netbooks are typically smaller than the average laptop (i.e. screen size is <10".) The only thing the MBA has going for it that's netbook-esque is its weight.
The perfect product to in which to invest R&D is something all your competition thinks is the dumbest thing ever. Make it work; then make it sell; and you've just stomped all your naysaying competition.
Not enough profits. Competing with Acer on price is not any way to make money.
i
I pretty much agree with the whole post. However, I think Apple is giving an indication of how they might deal with some of the touch screen limitations in the iPhone 3 software. A modified desktop OS X is certainly possible. Lots of what you need for a very portable computer are definitely do-able on a touch screen, either with multi-touch gestures or small contextual buttons that appear as needed. Not that you'd want to do it all day on huge Excel spreadsheets / word-processing intensive documents, or Final Cut Pro, but I can see how it could work without too much aggravation. Pleasing the customers with usable software is going to be easier than meeting their unrealistic hardware spec dreams. But that's why Apple has a building full of engineers.
I find the entire idea very exciting and I love reading all the speculation.
I really hope whatever the device is or whatever it will be called it incorporates: SPEECH RECOGNITION and HANDWRITING RECOGNITION along with the present multitouch screen and gestures, and a physical keyboard. And before al the naysayers jump in, we know that Apple is interested in both and when they're ready it will be done the right way.
I would love to have a bluetooth headset and have the tablet record my dictation, podcast, email, etc. A physical keyboard to work on projects, and writing recognition.....ah I could keep going.
Okay, start ripping on me about handwriting recognition and speech recognition. I'm ready...
I think most people would think handwriting and speech recognition is cool enough---but do you really want to be surrounded with people on the bus, at lunch, etc. dictating email, notes, letters, sales figures, etc? Aren't cell phones obnoxious enough?
We've been through the glossy/matte discussion in a few hundred forums. People either love them and are not distracted by what others perceive as glare, or they can't get past the glare. I grew up with glossy screens, all our work Macs are glossy, and everybody loves them. Your mileage may vary but that doesn't mean it's stupid engineering, just not good for you.
And most people shouldn't put out OEM cost figures unless you're in the business, as most costs are task and volume dependent.
WRONG! They are going to be iDepends, they will be disposable, thus we get to buy them again and again!--)))
I agree any new device is going to be along these lines. The new level of App pricing is the handwriting on the wall for those who will look beyond their own fantasies. This is Apple setting up an ecosystem for developers who have more elaborate products in mind that will have to run on a new device.
As has been mentioned, Steve Jobs is very good at insulting an idea right up until the moment that Apple releases that exact thing. I could see them doing a netbook or tablet, maybe, but considering the Apple tradition of taking crappy consumer electronics (such as mp3 players and phones) and making them awesome, I could see Apple fulfilling the past rumor of making a kindle-like device, with a lot more functionality than just an e-book reader. You could then sell stuff for it from iTunes, which would of course make them a lot of money.
He's a shrewd, hard nosed business man, that's another $30-50 profit right there. The UMB is a nice piece of kit but the screen does not live up to the rest of it's build quality, of that there is little doubt. Hell, the screen on this cheapy Samsung NC10 I'm typing this on has better viewing angles!
Steve Jobs may not pay attention to every component in Apple products, but I'm pretty sure he's fully aware of something as significant as the displays they use.
I wasn't bitching about glossy displays. In fact, I don't have a problem with glossy displays.
I said steve jobs just thinks the screens look good because they are glossy and bright. Where did I say glossy sucks?
Really the displays suck because they have poor viewing angles, a horrible contrast ratio, etc--not because they're glossy.
In fact, I think the 24" glossy led acd has one of the most beautiful pictures of any monitor i've seen.
Hype and propaganda. There is no netbook that can do 3D rendering, unless you're running a 1997 copy of Bryce. If you think otherwise, pony up some evidence.
I'm in an Master of Science program in software engineering. About half of my colleagues in the program have netbooks that they bring to class. They are ok for browsing, e-mail, and note taking in a text editor. All of them (mostly EEE PCs and Dell minis, with a few others) are total dogs with Word or OpenOffice. Nobody bothers after the fourth or fifth time they try. Couple the craptasticness of a real word processor with the keyboards that are too cramped to type comfortably on for long, and nobody is even using them for "real word processing", which is allegedly the big advantage of a netbook over a smartphone.
My impression after a year of watching people use them for eight hours a day is that they're a toy. Most of the owners readily admit that, especially after they discover the limitations.
Not to sound sacrilegious but that was one of the reasons I went with a Dell Mini9.
It runs OSX almost flawlessly, comes with bluetooth, WiFi (and MobileBroadband if you spend the money), had a user serviceable battery, RAM and SSD (good for upgrading the SSD and RAM before installing OSX).
Base mini9 (w/Bluetooth and 1.3MP WebCam) ~ $300
2GB RAM upgrade (after purchase) ~$30
32GB SSD upgrade (after purchase) ~$120
Total ~ $450
throw in another $120 for a retail copy of OSX, and you're at ~ $570 for a subsidy free netbook, running OSX.
(add another $100 if you want 3G included in the netbook, an option you can't get included, even in a MacBook Air)
There are other OSX running Netbooks out there, take a look at the comparison chart from Boing Boing: http://gadgets.boingboing.net/2008/12/17/osx-netbook-compatib.html
Or the Gizmodo article http://i.gizmodo.com/5156903/how-to-hackintosh-a-Dell-mini-9-into-the-ultimate-os-x-netbook
I appreciate the Dell Mini9 community that insists on purchasing a retail copy of OSX for installation, instead of supporting copyright violation by using hacked ISOs. (I hear the Lenovo S10 is supposed to be a pretty good choice also, and offers a 10" screen instead of the Mini9's 9", as well as a better keyboard)
If you DO go that route though, the procedure has streamlined quite a bit since even the Gizmodo article, so I'd suggest checking out the MyDellMini OSX forum directly (link at the bottom of Gizmodo's article)
Considering the popularity of running OSX on Netbooks, I wonder just how much Apple might be missing the boat by not releasing a product in the space (even if they choose to redefine the space).
Just to give an idea of what we're hopefully going to be owning come this summer:
THE ABOVE IMAGE IS NOT REAL.
This is from 9to5mac.com as a "what if."
THE ABOVE IMAGE IS NOT REAL.
This is from 9to5mac.com as a "what if."
Just to give an idea of what we're hopefully going to be owning come this summer:
THE ABOVE IMAGE IS NOT REAL.
This is from 9to5mac.com as a "what if."
First thing that comes to mind looking at that mockup is
"when is Apple going to get rid of the tacky white plastic cables and accessories???"...
Something like this with a nice docking station for desk side use would be wonderful.Just to give an idea of what we're hopefully going to be owning come this summer:
A long time ago, Apple had the Duo concept. Concept wise it was great.
A modern day version would be cool. When on the go you have a touch tablet with Mac OS X and the ability to use an external wireless (BT) keyboard and mouse. Then upon return to home/office, you plug it into the cradle and now you have your desktop computer with all it's resources (monitor, HDs, keyboard, mouse, etc.).
Just to give an idea of what we're hopefully going to be owning come this summer:
THE ABOVE IMAGE IS NOT REAL.
This is from 9to5mac.com as a "what if."
That's actually pretty cool, it wouldn't be a laptop replacement, but could definitely have its uses.
UNLESS.................,
unless Steve is able to solve this problem and somehow make this device have a larger screen AND still be very pocketable. Oh my, how would one be able to make such a device? *puts finger to lips like dr. evil*
How about two screens, that can be opened up to show one larger screen, and with the tap of an icon / button a multi-touch keyboard appears, like with the iphone?
Oh- and it slides in to an imac like doc.
Very True. but what color should they be? Silver or Black?
Funny you said that.
That is from a patent Apple filed last year...
Imagine something like that, with an extra CPU, HD and GPU inside of it. It would actually use a lot of OSX core services. Time Machine, Grand Central, Open GL...
Combine it with what's above. It would really be only for mobile note taking, word processing, music/movies...
Still not a complete replacement, but close.
Yeah, my point exactly.
That Mockup and patent are kind of a fanboy wet dream, but it seems a lot of the tech is coming into place for something like that...
Yes, seen similar before. Interesting idea. The technology to make this a feasible option is available. Of course there will be compromises. For many, the end result may be a good fit in that they have their desktop, but can take their tablet for on the go purposes.Funny you said that.
That is from a patent Apple filed last year...
Imagine something like that, with an extra CPU, HD and GPU inside of it. It would actually use a lot of OSX core services. Time Machine, Grand Central, Open GL...
like this?
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That has some possibilities. Would be great to use for a dock to watch iTunes movies on a bigger screen.
What I would like to see coming out of Cupertino is an ePod - an iPod Touch on steroids aimed at the education market(k-12). It would have a 10" screen, and would run a slightly tweaked iPhone OS. Apple would include a word processor so you could use it for writing school documents, safari to do some research, and either an Apple included or 3rd party app to make a textbook-reader. I don't think this is enough for collage kids, so it would not decrease MacBook sales, but would add a whole new market. This would be amazing, especially for the textbooks - those things are heavy! And of course, there would need to be a , 3rd party or Apple brand, non-cramped, non-bluetooth physical keyboard. It would have a little hinge between the keyboard and the ePos so that it looks like a netbook (a very nice one).
Of course, this is more likely to be called an iProd (perhaps for prodigy?) as discovered in iPhone OS 3.0 beta. This is just my two cents, though.
SG
Of course, this is more likely to be called an iProd (perhaps for prodigy?) as discovered in iPhone OS 3.0 beta. This is just my two cents, though.
SG