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Steve Jobs on Apple Tablet: 'This will be the most important thing I've ever done."

cmfilms said:
How is this thing going to live up to all these expectations? I'm going to go into skeptical mode Wednesday morning.

I think it's just going to be a Bamboo with a reading light clamped to it. There. Now I should be pleasantly surprised! ;)
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I imagine this will follow along with every other Apple type event.

1.) Insane Hype
2.) Apple releases a great product
3.) People are expecting the Messiah, yet only get a great product
4.) Stock dips
5.) Apple sells tons of new device, outperforms expectations, outpaces rest of market.
6.) Stock surges
7.) Rumors of new product
8.) Repeat 1 - 7
 
hoping that when he says "the most important thing i've ever done," that's it's important in a OLPC kinda way. at the very least, i hope his life's work isn't just to make some super-cool gadget but to somehow help humanity in general. :)
 
iDisk said:
A P P L E LOVERS DO YOU REALIZE WE ARE WITNESSING HISTORY!!!???

  • 1998 = iMac
  • 2001 = iPod
  • 2007 = iPhone
  • 2010 = ????

and for those who remember the unvailing of the iMac in 1984 them too....

WHAT COMPANY DOES THIS!!!!!!????? WHAT CEO CREATES THIS??????

WE ARE SERIOUSLY SEEING HISTORY!!!!! A P P L E = COMPUTER TECHNOLOGY/INNOVATION
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err... also, don'f forget to inhale from time to time. :rolleyes:
 
Head up own arse syndrome all over again. Just as it was with the iPhone.

Sorry, Arn but this should be page two at most, let alone a headline.
 
@glowingstar, "somehow help humanity in general", you mean the way Bill Gates does? Personally I would prefer Steve Jobs to keep on helping people like me with "supercool gadgets". Hopefully, like the tablet!

Just as a matter of information, it appears, unsurprisingly (to me, at least), that Mac users are far more generous with charitable donations than Windows users (http://blog.globalgiving.org/2008/03/26/mac-users-are-more-generous-than-windows-users/).
 
cvaldes said:
This is only as good as your gullibility. After all, I could have written a cronjob that uttered the same words of flattery ten years ago. I would have found it amusing for a week or two, but sadly lacking and pathetic thereafter.

In any case, facial recognition isn't the same as emotional identification. Whether or not your computer recognizes you or your dog and wishes you a nice day is largely immaterial.
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I agree with what you're saying, but I think you missed the sense of my post. If Apple, or anyone else, can incorporate aspects of our emotions into a product it will be a game changer. It doesn't have to be as spectacular as the HAL 9000. It has to be more meaningful than that goofy paper clip that MS came up with.

This is what we do with machines, we capture little bits of ourselves. All sorts of motorized devices have replaced or amplified our muscles. Optical devices and sensors outperform our eyes. Calculators, computers and digital memory have amplified our intellectual capabilities. We have yet to seriously integrate emotionally with machines so I see this as an area of opportunity. Again, not something as comprehensive as HAL, but the first baby steps of recognition and response. If a computer can recognize my face with quite high reliability, if it can see what quadrant of the screen I'm looking at or if it can see whether I'm looking at the screen or not would be impressive and useful. Importantly, the machine would be adapting to us rather than the other way around. My point is that if we start interacting with our machines emotionally, even in very simple ways, it will be a sea change, to say the least.
 
"Most Important Thing I've Ever Done."

When Jobs has these words to say about this new product, I think it points to it being more of a digital media hub than just a tablet. Something that unifies work on a laptop, photos from a camera, video from the TV, music from the iPod, Internet content, and any other media wirelessly accessible, into a gesture-based device that has a stand to sit it up-right or that can be interfaced with via virtual keyboard and finger-gestures.

The only way this idea could possibly be cooler, is if tactile contact is completely done away with. By this I mean, that Apple has succeeded at making finger/hand gestures practical for such a device, without fingers/hands ever having to touch the device.

That's the only way I can see Apple one-upping any competing tablets, blowing all other products in that category out of the way.
 
neutrino23 said:
I agree with what you're saying, but I think you missed the sense of my post. If Apple, or anyone else, can incorporate aspects of our emotions into a product it will be a game changer. It doesn't have to be as spectacular as the HAL 9000. It has to be more meaningful than that goofy paper clip that MS came up with.

This is what we do with machines, we capture little bits of ourselves. All sorts of motorized devices have replaced or amplified our muscles. Optical devices and sensors outperform our eyes. Calculators, computers and digital memory have amplified our intellectual capabilities. We have yet to seriously integrate emotionally with machines so I see this as an area of opportunity. Again, not something as comprehensive as HAL, but the first baby steps of recognition and response. If a computer can recognize my face with quite high reliability, if it can see what quadrant of the screen I'm looking at or if it can see whether I'm looking at the screen or not would be impressive and useful. Importantly, the machine would be adapting to us rather than the other way around. My point is that if we start interacting with our machines emotionally, even in very simple ways, it will be a sea change, to say the least.
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That's all very nice, but computers have a difficult time recognizing speech and handwriting right now. To expect them to understand and adapt to human emotion at this time is rather implausible.

For example, how do you get them to understand sarcasm? Many live human beings don't understand it on the Internet, and these are people who live with it. Add to that people who *DON'T* see it on a regular basis and you will witness mass confusion.

Your ambitions are fine and worthy, but even today most of Google Voice's transcripts of my mom's v-mails are almost totally inscrutable and often a complete joke. To expect today's systems (even the very best) to understand human emotion is unrealistic.
 
gibbz said:
I imagine this will follow along with every other Apple type event.

1.) Insane Hype
2.) Apple releases a great product
3.) People are expecting the Messiah, yet only get a great product
4.) Stock dips
5.) Apple sells tons of new device, outperforms expectations, outpaces rest of market.
6.) Stock surges
7.) Rumors of new product
8.) Repeat 1 - 7
Click to expand...

Yup, this is it.
 
i read this entire thread. not necessarily because i believed this quote to be fact or fiction but because it is interesting to hear peoples reactions.



there are those with expectations, those with ideas, those with cynicism, those with arrogant self centered touting, and those with simple interest and excitement for what is to come.



myself? i would rather this thing cost $2000 than have it be an underachieving $200 piece of junk. as has been stated many times apple doesn't quest to cater to everyone.
some of the ideas have been interesting. most noteworthy for me is that of the tablet being used as a new way of interfacing with your computer. i bought a netbook with the specific purpose of hacking for os x and using it to control my computer via remote desktop. if this tablet enables that in a creative and new way i'll want one. of course there is so much more potential that goes alongside it as most already realize.

to the people whining on about macbook and apple tv updates, will you be more excited when the first flying car is introduced or when gm brings out the next generation corvette with 50 more hp and a .2 second faster quarter mile?

and to the dude masturbating to his stock portfolio all up in this thread i truly don't want to dignify your idiocy with a response but do keep in mind whether apple's singular goal is to innovate or to make their shareholders money the goal is one and the same. money enables innovation, innovation drives profits. whatever price you bought in at is money you gave apple, every word of hype you spout is advertising. if the pr man says our stock reports will promote our emphasis on shareholder profits then they are pleasing their shareholders. i buy products to use them and better express myself and live my life in a modern and changing world. you buy your stocks to use them and increase your account balance in a selfish world. either way we both seemingly have hope for something noteworthy to further our own pursuits. so whether you are the type of person that a product was designed to empower or the type of person who will simply aim to exploit at the end of the day we should both be able to sit back and spout optimism and hope for an exciting future.
 
jamisonbaines said:
and to the dude masturbating to his stock portfolio all up in this thread i truly don't want to dignify your idiocy with a response but do keep in mind whether apple's singular goal is to innovate or to make their shareholders money the goal is one and the same.
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You need to grow up.

I will point out that stock portfolio performance and product usage are two mutually exclusive scenarios. I have no problem making tons of money off of an investment that I personally do not participate in as a consumer. Likewise, there are consumer purchases that I will make without investing in the corporate parent as a whole, simply because my investment strategy or personal spending habits doesn't fit.

Remember, diversity is one of the key elements of my stock investment strategy. What Apple does or doesn't do isn't the exclusive reasoning for all of my investment actions.

And frankly, if your investment overperformed in their ability to increase shareholder value, you would probably be more willing to let them pursue more radical ideas.
 
"This will be the most important thing I've ever done"

Maybe he isnt talking about the tablet... maybe he hand selected a new CEO to take over whom he trusts, and trained, and feels that they can maintain the future of apple

or maybe he's lowering the cost of all their products... psshhtt yeah right

maybe he cured cancer, or bought out microsoft hahaha

or maybe he'll just be like... "i called geico!!!"


but if it is the tablet, heres some interesting things that it could be:
-everything is on screen... no mouse, no keyboard, it has awesome gestures that make computing QUICK, maybe they will focus on speed and efficiency of things due to the touch screen. double tap means close window, on screen swiping for expose, etc.
-im figuring it will be a cheap laptop, hopefully around $400... remember kids, $400 for a laptop is really cheap... but then look... its made by apple!
-the all in one book/notebook. This would be GREAT for college... All you would need is the tablet... no more $700 books. and the ability to write on it smoothly and easily would be sick


I think we know exactly what its gonna be like, and wont be surprised, because we already accepted it as part of reality. Theres really nothing else that I (or any of you) have thought of... honestly, what more can it be

i think it is simply gonna be a cheap macbook (which is still amazing [although, not too innovative... just not surprising or life changing as they claim... but maybe it will be life changing because it could possibly get more people to switch to apple os's])
 
Cassie said:
If so, it better change the world. I really doubt this thing could be better then what Apple did for the computing industry in its early days.
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I know I've said this elsewhere on these forums recently but I think what Apple are aiming for with the tablet, the only thing that really makes sense to me anyway, is the worlds first true consumer-targeted computer.

All current OS's are built around concepts and metaphors that originated in the business world and are now horribly out of date. The learning curve to a non-technical user even for OS X is huge and many are either scared away or don't maintain the system. Certainly a vast number of home users don't utilise the power of modern applications and the OS they run on. With a tablet based around the design language of the iPhone Apple could create something simple, powerful, attractive and that people will actually WANT to use. Vastly easier to use than a normal laptop or desktop, small applications built to do a single job well without any of the extra features that for most home users just get in the way.

Or they could just launch a big iPod that doesn't ever leave the geek ghetto. We'll see on Wednesday I'll guess. :D
 
cvaldes said:
You need to grow up.
Click to expand...


different perspectives on life. some people would donate their time and every cent they have to humanitarian causes, some people build mansions and furnish them with rainforest hardwood and poached hunting trophies. i'm not saying i'm the former nor you the latter. i view the things you have written as being far more immature on the whole that my own opinions but of course opinion isn't valued in $$.

i just come here out of interest. my thoughts shouldn't be a reflection on any corporation just as any corporation shouldn't be a reflection on my thoughts. i am excited to welcome some cool new technology.
 
smiddlehurst said:
I know I've said this elsewhere on these forums recently but I think what Apple are aiming for with the tablet, the only thing that really makes sense to me anyway, is the worlds first true consumer-targeted computer.

All current OS's are built around concepts and metaphors that originated in the business world and are now horribly out of date. The learning curve to a non-technical user even for OS X is huge and many are either scared away or don't maintain the system. Certainly a vast number of home users don't utilise the power of modern applications and the OS they run on. With a tablet based around the design language of the iPhone Apple could create something simple, powerful, attractive and that people will actually WANT to use. Vastly easier to use than a normal laptop or desktop, small applications built to do a single job well without any of the extra features that for most home users just get in the way.

Or they could just launch a big iPod that doesn't ever leave the geek ghetto. We'll see on Wednesday I'll guess. :D
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i actually like that idea... a computer that computer-retarded people can use... but how much simpler can it be?

i mean a mac, you turn it on. then you click the program you want to use, use the program, close the lid. the end. idk it already is pretty simple...

maybe it comes set up with the perfect set of freeware programs that are user friendly (moreso than linux):
-An Office Suite
-iPhoto
-iTunes
-Safari
-Maybe photobooth or a paint-esque program for fun

Really what more do you need for basic computing? I think Steve thinks that they overcomplicated things (yes... Apple overcomplicating things lol) so they put just the things you need in an operating system... Really with those programs, you can basically do everything you can on a computer, except video/image editing/ garage band.

I mean, maybe iCal and iChat, but what else would you need? (iTunes can replace quick time player....... maybe)

So maybe you're right; its a simplified version of a computer with JUST the programs you need. Extremely simple

Simplicity, simplicity, simplicity.
 
I'm sorry but stuff doesn't add up.

Apple has been very secretive about this yet top executives and family members are telling tech blogs about how excited Steve is with his new tablet?

Click Through ads is the only thing this is about.
 
Peace said:
I'm sorry but stuff doesn't add up.

Apple has been very secretive about this yet top executives and family members are telling tech blogs about how excited Steve is with his new tablet?

Click Through ads is the only thing this is about.
Click to expand...

a cheap os / product / software with click ads all over the place

ive head of that before... thats unapple like... maybe they really really lowered the price because of this... thats unapple like too... who knows... hopefully that isnt it
 
Peace said:
I'm sorry but stuff doesn't add up.

Apple has been very secretive about this yet top executives and family members are telling tech blogs about how excited Steve is with his new tablet?

Click Through ads is the only thing this is about.
Click to expand...
Click through ads directly benefit the media sources, not Apple itself.

The main benefit of "leaked" information is increased shareholder value, but with the recent turmoil in the worldwide stock market, that has not been the result for Apple Inc. over the past few weeks (or almost anyone else).
 
cvaldes said:
Click through ads directly benefit the media sources, not Apple itself.

The main benefit of "leaked" information is increased shareholder value, but with the recent turmoil in the worldwide stock market, that has not been the result for Apple Inc. over the past few weeks (or almost anyone else).
Click to expand...

I was referring to the blogs as far as click throughs are concerned.;)
 
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