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ThinkSecret's MWSF Wrapup

Originally posted by Codemonkey


I bought "new and better". I bought Jaguar. And .Mac. Bleeding edge, n'est pas? Apparently not. All I'm saying is: where does it end?
Click to expand...

So by that reckoning Apple should stop improving its software? and Adobe, Quark, Macromedia? And all the car manuafacturers should stop trying to make them more fuel efficient, environmentally friendly and safer?

You could do what my old boss did - put off making a purchase because he reckoned the computers he signed for would be bettered within months. Over a year I sat there trying to turn out a monthly title on a 486 PC while I tried to convince him that you buy what you need when you need it. You are always going to wish you'd waited, but then if you'd waited you'd wish you'd bought...
 
Tablet + High Speed Airport

Is a coincidence that high speed wireless and a tablet Mac might be rolled out at the same MacWorld? Suppose the tablet is little more than low-power G3 or G4 processor, display, batteries, and an 802.11g card. You could use it as a remote terminal for a much more powerful desktop machine elsewhere in your home/office. The same kind of software used in Apple Remote Desktop or Timbuktu could give you all the power of your dual-processor G4 Mac or XServe in a mobile form. The high speed wireless would allow the monitor to display the remote desktop with much higher fidelity and responsiveness than current solutions. Just a thought, I know nothing. Although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night...
 
That's interesting...

johnwillo has an interesting idea there. Although I don't think Apple will go down that road exactly, high speed air port could be very interesting in an iPad.
 
Re: Tablet + High Speed Airport

Just a thought, I know nothing. Although I did stay at a Holiday Inn Express last night... [/B]
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Ok, that was damn hilarious. That's actually a good idea, but I don't think Apple would use that as a selling point or an Expo highlight.
 
iApps

Before we complain about the price, I think we should see what the updates provide. Some of these apps have not been updated for a long time. I am sure they have been working on them, and maybe the price for the upgrade will not seem so bad once they are released. Apple usually creates great products, and paying for them will only increase the quality of future products. Thinks about the future not just today.
 
Re: That's interesting...

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
johnwillo has an interesting idea there. Although I don't think Apple will go down that road exactly, high speed air port could be very interesting in an iPad.
Click to expand...

I like this idea as well -- it plays off the Mac, possibly functioning as a DLD, and could potentially sell at a reasonable price. It mitigates some of my concerns about a free-standing tablet computer, which would be relatively expensive and not particularly compelling outside of the installed Mac base (and maybe not within it, either). I'd like to believe that Apple could come up with a tablet product which is more interesting than just a laptop with a stylus-sensitive screen, which is really all Microsoft has done.
 
Pay for iApps

What if for the $50 upgrade iDVD is now compatible with 3rd party DVD drives? I'm sure there are a lot of people that would be willing to pay $50 for that.
 
I agree with johnwillo, in fact the PC market has already jumped on this concept,

http://www.viewsonic.com/smartdisplays/

Could Thinksecret be on to something? The airpanel retails in the range of $1,000 to $1,300 USD. Having a dual display system, with one display being an Apple branded "airpanel" would be invaluable to me as a designer, both at home and at work. I could take my prototypes to staff meetings or I could work in front of the tube, without having to boot up my iBook and transfer files.

I see huge value to this idea. And it makes sense to me that Apple would release such a product, what with the various technologies surrounding it, 802.11g, Inkwell, bluetooth, etc. etc.
 
Now there's an idea!

Good find, aharon! Those Viewsonic things are the best Tablet PC I've ever seen. Imagine what Apple could do with that design idea, bluetooth, and high-speed Airport 😀 !
 
The thing that bothers me the most is the "100% Guarantee" that there will be no iMac/eMac updates.

More than just about anything, the consumer machines need a speed boost.

I sold my iBook in anticipation for speed bumped iMacs this week.

Bah, I guess I'll have to wait like everyone else.....
🙄
 
It's coming.

Apple's consumer machines do need a speed boost, and it looks like we just have to wait a few weeks. The good news is that Think Secret's report hinted at faster Power Macs (I know they aren't consumer machines, but they are at the front of Apple's clock speeds).
 
How about this....an iMac in a new enclosure with built in Svideo, Composite Video, DVI, Audio (RCA and Mini jacks) and of course FireWire, USB etc etc. In a DVD like enclosure that has a TV tuner built in like a TIVO or Replay TV type device, but also has a wireless display using bluetooth or 802.11g. Also ethernet of course for DSL/Cable connections. You can use a traditional monitor and this as a desktop computer, or put it in an entertainment system and use the remote panel as a laptop.

That sounds like a reality....surely the technology is there for it. Make the panel be wireless or have a DVI connector...add a stand and it is a desktop monitor....or a dual monitor as mentioned above.

All the iApps are there save the PVR stuff, you could even maybe add a real Radio tuner (or of course you have streaming audio...Broadband..)

Ohh yeah, lets also bring back the Remote from the 5200 TV days ....😎....full system.

Let the flames begin....I am not saying it is going to happen....but I would buy the above system since I mostly use my laptop from my couch while watching TV....over my DSL....

One more thing. Plasma displays are coming down in price....why not have a Plasma display with DVI input be your entertainment screen.

-Compufix
 
A little too revolutionary...

Compufix's idea is cool, but too cool. Anything Apple tried like that would crash and burn like the Newton. It's too revolutionary for our time.
Currently more Americans own outhouses than TiVos. That makes Apple's market share look huge.
I think it'll be at least three years before we see something so integrated with our TVs. It really depends on whether or not PC companies look into the same technology and whether or not TiVo becomes a real force (or a small niche).
The technology probably does exist to make a really killer TV/iMac/TiVo/Tablet/Ethernet/etc. entertainment hub. There are two drawbacks to Apple, however:
1. Apple is still focusing on being the center of your digital hub, we've yet to migrate to the entertainment hub.
2. This would cost a fortune.
It sounds cool, though. 🙂
 
Re: Tablet + High Speed Airport

How about.................

The powerbook and Ibook .... with Touchscreens? And swivel hinges?


Yeah I would then get the Ti Book!!!
 
More Tablet Heresy

A (very) unlikely variant of my tablet-as-remote-desktop idea: would such a tablet even need to be Power PC-based? Given Marklar, Apple could use cheaper or faster PC hardware in a tablet...and you could still run your Power PC software on remote platforms. Now I'm positive that this won't happen, especially since Pentiums eat batteries like potato chips, but kind of an interesting idea.
 
I have more and more friends looking into TIVO and Replay....I also have more and more people building hi end stereo systems. All this technology is coming down in price....

Think of this...Video production was ALWYAS a big ticket item for cost. Until a little company called NewTek released a video production studio on a card called the Video toaster for a little known home computer called the Amiga. It revolutionized the business.

I think that Apple could re-introduce their TV option with an updated PVR program (they already have YEARS with this technology in the Apple Video Player). Also...they already have functions like internet sharing...so basically with a wireless card, this COULD act like a linksys type product as well to share the internet connection with laptops. I think this is more doable than most people are thinking.

But, I am just an optimist that loves technology.
 
Moo

I would rather pay for a bundle of Apple iApps for €50 then I would pay €100 for an email address and a rubbish slow iDisk service (.Mac). Presumably the full updated iApps would come with Mac OS X updates that you buy and new Macs.... so it probably won't be too expensive.

-James
 
Compufix, do you see the tablet portion as able to perform as a full-function notebook computer?

If so, this could change personal computing for the average consumer. You buy one computer now, to act as a desktop, a notebook, an entertainment center...

I will pay lots for this, could this be the high iMac pricing we saw predicted recently?

A special model?

...
 
iMac Multimedia Edition?

What if Compufix's idea is like a Multimedia iMac?
Like the Multimedia Wintel (I don't remember who makes it, I just remember the commercial), but obviously much much better?
 
Re: Now there's an idea!

Originally posted by pyrotoaster
Good find, aharon! Those Viewsonic things are the best Tablet PC I've ever seen. Imagine what Apple could do with that design idea, bluetooth, and high-speed Airport 😀 !
Click to expand...

That's the thing, these Viewsonic units are not meant to be a full TabletPC, just a "smart display" in this respect I think they're a much better idea than the real TabletPCs. I could see Apple making detachable "smart displays" for the iMac. It's the kind of thing that you don't really "need", but once you start using will change the way you use your computer. Sometimes you just want to sit down in front of the TV and do some light surfing - the iPad and pen-based interface are perfect in this scenario. I could see myself actually reading and eBook on one of these, whereas I really can't sit down and read one on a laptop - just doesn't feel right.

I do think Apple will make detachable smart displays for the iMac, but they had better make it an option, otherwise it would add waaaaay too much to the price. This goes along with what I said in a previous thread that Apple might make the iMac display removable - not just for use with smart displays, but also just so you could upgrade your 15" to something larger. The iPad WILL happen, it's just a matter of when.
 
Re: Re: Now there's an idea!

Originally posted by lmalave


That's the thing, these Viewsonic units are not meant to be a full TabletPC, just a "smart display" in this respect I think they're a much better idea than the real TabletPCs.
Click to expand...

PyroToaster....this is what I mean....The display will be removable..not a full fledge computer but rather just a remote monitor with a touch sensitive screen like the LCD drawing Tablet (I forget who makes it....maybe Wacom?).

The computer you are thinking of Pyrotoaster is the HP Multimedia computer...a regular PC with a few multimedia extras and a special "Multimedia" edition Windows....cheesy if you ask me.
 
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