Touch Panels for Apple Netbook Ordered?

[salmon]

I disagree with arn's comment "It's a market that Apple has officially denied interest in." They've said that they're watching it, and that they have some "interesting ideas" about it.

Typically when Jobs pooh-poohs an idea, doesn't that mean they're working feverishly on it? Think video on iPod.

Jobs also said the Kindle is flawed because no one reads anymore, which to me means Apple's very interested in eBooks.

Obviously, what they have planned is a larger iPod touch with a book store built into iTMS. iTunes has redefined music distribution, they're trying with AppleTV, publishing is next - how about a store for self-published ebooks, and iLife/iWork specifically with an "authouring application"? Would-be authours, arise and throw off the shackles of the publishing industry!!

I've been drooling for such a device for 5+ years now. The iPod touch is DAMN close, but a bigger screen is all that's missing. I understand not everybody wants one because it won't fit in their pocket, but I (and many others) do. For those that do more reading, day-planning, light internet usage and video watching than music playing, it's a clear winner that would DRAMATICALLY expand the iPod market, IMO.

The other possibility with touch pads is incorporating them into their desktop keyboards. It's only a matter of time, given all of their emphasis and innovation on the track pad on the laptops, and it would be WAY better than their "Mighty" mouse.

BTW j5045096: It's sad that the corporate run health care system would demand that from you. But congrats on the newborn, hope he/she is doing well, and I hope you enjoyed the rest of your trip!

 

[koobcamuk]

The iPhone/iTouch is the platform Apple needs to keep pushing...this past weekend I was away on a camping/canoeing weekend and had my iPhone with me (left the MacBook Pro at home). I was able to text several people, send all the e-mails I needed to send; my wife calls me and tells me the Social Security card for our newborn arrived and gave me the number...while sitting on a canoe (taking a break) I logged on to my bank/insurance company, added our baby and opened up a joint savings account for her...all from my iPhone.

Quoted for hilarity.

 

[Chupa Chupa]

I doubt they'd drop the macbook no matter what they may release in the future. The macbook line is the main apple purchase for students apart from ipods.

Yeah, I didn't phrase that right. For clarification, I meant Apple would drop the low end $999 white MB, not the entire line.

 

[kingtj]

Umm, what's wrong with "late to the game"?

IMHO, you only have 2 "winning" strategies with product releases. Either A, you release something new/innovative first and try to establish yourself as THE standard for the product -- or B, you wait and see what you competitors do, and respond with a superior product after they've "shown their cards" already.

The real "losers" are usually the companies in-between, who rushed to release some half-baked products in response to the initial product release.

Apple is going about this the right way, considering they weren't the ones who "invented" the netbook concept. And really, I don't see the "problem" that some others do with the idea of Apple potentially doing a "higher end" netbook? Apple has *never* been about selling low-end budget-priced computers, and that's a winning strategy too. Even if "$350 buys you a netbook with 9 hours of battery life", there's a limit to how much quality can be offered at the $350 price point while still making a profit for the manufacturer. Cheap netbooks are typically going to come with Linux as their OS, for example, because it's the only viable choice that's free to include. Some people will gladly pay a little more to get OS X instead.

Late to the game as usual. By the time they get this product out, everyone else will be on their third generation of netbooks. These days $350 will buy you a netbook with 9 hours of battery life.

And how much will this thing cost??

I'll believe it when I see it.

(I *want* to believe, truly, but have learned to become highly skeptical, in light of a number of recent design and pricing decisions by Apple...)

 

[ZaoPetra]

Snow Leopard?

Does it seem likely that a tablet is being held up for lack of a downsized/streamlined operating system?

 

[acidfast7]

You must be joking or on crack!

The X-Mac is the mythical $1599-$1999 low-cost Mac mini-tower that will never happen as long as Steve Jobs runs Apple.

I hate to sound old, but back in the day, the low PowerMac tower was $1599 if I remember correctly and quite a powerful machine for the day too. Back then the Performa was the equivalent of today's iMacs.

Now, the low end Mac tower is $900 more and in some countries certainly more than $1000 or more expensive!

Personally, I'd never in a million years buy an iMac no matter how nice they are even though I like them.

Forcing people to end up with a useless expensive sweet widescreen LCD display that they have no use for in 3-5 yrs is nothing more than one of Steve Jobs' classic con jobs.

That's why you WON'T see an X-MAC or a $1599 Mac Pro anytime soon or possibly ever.

Well, unless, Mac sales start tanking and they get desperate, but honestly, even that probably wouldn't change Steve Jobs mind since Apple seems to have more interest in iPhone/iPod, etc than Macs lately.

And at the current pricing of new Mac products, I'm not optimistic for '09 for Macs.

I mean, c'mon, how many years has the Powermac G5/Mac Pro case design been used now?

Apple is just redesigning the term "long in the tooth" when it comes to towers.
Swap out some parts, shove it in the same old case, yeah, that's the ticket.

NOT!

Sad, in my opinion.

I like that the iMac frees up my deskspace. That must have some value?

 

[dernhelm]

Having an inexpensive netbook would go against Apple's marketing of selling the whole package, not just the hardware so I agree that an Apple netbook would be considerably higher priced - but also better configured.

I think Apple's lineup is already confusing to consumers. Why is the lowest priced 15" notebook $2000? Many PC users I know just don't want a 13" notebook and will not switch for that cost.

I've said this before, but offer 4 sizes - 11" in addition to the 3 current sizes. Each size comes as either MB or MBP with the Pros having firewire, larger standard hard drive, faster processor etc. The white MB will probably be gone fairly soon and the Air would be a stand-alone product line, possibly even an 11-inch version. It gives the consumer much more choice and simplifies things in the process.

When Apple first switched to Intel, I thought they'd take the opportunity then to combine the macbook and macbo8ok pro lines. Build the same body, but put high end stuff in the pro line (FW 800+, eSata, high end graphics, 7200 RPM drives, ECC RAM, etc.) and more consumer-stuff in the low end (low-end FW 400, 5400 RPM drives, standard ram, no eSata, lower end graphics, etc).

That never happened (for whatever reason), and the "perfect time" to make that happen has already passed (with the UniBody enclosure). So my guess is that Apple has already decided that this was somehow undesirable, and is not likely to EVER make it happen.

Those hoping for the reappearance of the 12" MBP are likely to be disappointed.

Does it seem likely that a tablet is being held up for lack of a downsized/streamlined operating system?

Good point. Whatever "tablet" style device Apple does eventually build will almost assuredly have a "Flash" drive instead of a hard drive. A super svelt version of the OS would make that more palatable. Of course, 64 bit would be pointless on such a device...

I like that the iMac frees up my deskspace. That must have some value?

Not only that, but in all the years that I've owned computers, I have NEVER upgraded the monitor on a system. Every 4-5 years, I sell (or give away to charity) my old computer with old monitor, and buy brand new kit. It doesn't matter one whit to me if the monitor is "one" with the computer, or entirely separate.

 

[Canada Chas]

I can't see this being true. People keep talking about Apple needs a netbook, Apple needs a tablet. They don't realize that Apple already has one. It's called the iPhone. It fits into your pocket and does virtually everything a Netbook does.

One day the lines between laptop/netbook will blur as the only reason people like netbooks is because they are portable and cheap. They are really made to do e-mail, surf the web, throw a couple pictures and music on it and maybe some basic word processing. iphone does that all really well, except for maybe the word processing.

If you have a computer at home weather it be a laptop or desktop, and you own an iPhone, what need is there for a "Netbook"

 

[cswiger1]

Someone might have said this already but I don't have the time to read all the posts...

I would LOVE a macbook with a touch screen. I'm an engineering student (students are huge buyers of the macbook line) and would love to have a tablet to take notes on. I don't want to loose the keyboard because then it really is a highly impractical, oversized iPod touch, but I can't even use my macbook for taking notes now (try typing an equation faster than writing it by hand). Apple had successfully marketed their products to people in my demographic for quite a few years now, and I think they could pull off a touch screen MB. I don't go out buying random gadgets that I don't need just because they are cool either (iPod are sweet and I LOVE music, but I don’t even own one because I’m too cheap). It would seriously help me out. I hate carrying around reams of paper (eText books with a note taking interface would have a huge market too). Of course, it would probably look a little different because the screen would have to somehow lay flat, and not everyone would want or even like it, BUT I WOULD LOVE ONE.

 

[gkarris]

Apple has said it has "ideas" about how to make a better netbook, so we know it's at least on management's minds. Whether this is it, who knows. But if it is, based on previous Apple exec comments it won't compete with inexpensive netbooks, i.e., it will cost significantly more than the typical $299-399.

I'm guessing somewhere in the $799-999 range, but it will have a true C2D, not a wimpy Atom. It would also probably mean the end of the MBA and lowend MB lines. I don't think Apple can support 4 different laptop lines. It's too confusing for consumers.

I'd be in line for a basic low powered C2D 2.0+ tablet/netbook/subnote MB if Apple can keep it under $1000. As long as it has a real keyboard, BT/802.11n, 5+ hrs *real* battery life/and 60GB+ SATA 2.5" SSD I'm happy.

Won't be able to compete at that pricing...

I say that's what the Apple - Intel Atom rumor is for. A 10" Touch Screen computer with nVidia Ion chipset. Mini Display Port out and hook that puppy up to a large screen and watch 1080p videos...

A simple dev tool to translate iPhone apps to it...

$399 16gig and $499 32Gig versions...

 

[guzhogi]

Some people have said Apple is an innovator and hasn't been "late to the game". Innovator, yes, but Apple has been late to the game in some places. There were MP3 players before the iPod. Apple just made a stylish one. There was a GUI interface before the Mac OS. Apple ripped off Xerox & made a more stylish one (which got ripped off by MS which has way more marketshare Apple). Apple still doesn't have a true gaming console like an xBox or Playstation. While Apple did make the Pippin, look where it is now. For Christmas, my family got a Nintendo Wii, and that seems like something Apple SOOO should have come up with. And we still don't have a netbook or xMac. Sure, Apple brought the first multi-touch device to market, but many things Apple has done, someone has done before. So Apple can be innovative/make things more stylish, but Apple isn't always the earliest to the game.

 

[guzhogi]

Someone might have said this already but I don't have the time to read all the posts...

I would LOVE a macbook with a touch screen. I'm an engineering student (students are huge buyers of the macbook line) and would love to have a tablet to take notes on. I don't want to loose the keyboard because then it really is a highly impractical, oversized iPod touch, but I can't even use my macbook for taking notes now (try typing an equation faster than writing it by hand). Apple had successfully marketed their products to people in my demographic for quite a few years now, and I think they could pull off a touch screen MB. I don't go out buying random gadgets that I don't need just because they are cool either (iPod are sweet and I LOVE music, but I don’t even own one because I’m too cheap). It would seriously help me out. I hate carrying around reams of paper (eText books with a note taking interface would have a huge market too). Of course, it would probably look a little different because the screen would have to somehow lay flat, and not everyone would want or even like it, BUT I WOULD LOVE ONE.

I would like a touchscreen MacBook, too. Preferably one where I can do the multitouch w/ my fingers as well as use a stylus. I'm one who doesn't mind smudges on my screen too much. But I also have big, clunky fingers, too so a stylus would help.

 

[ATimson]

I don't want to loose the keyboard because then it really is a highly impractical, oversized iPod touch, but I can't even use my macbook for taking notes now (try typing an equation faster than writing it by hand).

Depends on how you type it. If you just use carats and function names instead of hunting out superscript or the square root or integral symbols, typing's still faster. Especially when you have to either keep switching in-and-out of tablet mode (which is slow), or hand-write all the non-equation stuff (which is slow as well).

 

[striatedglutes]

If it is indeed an 8-12" touch screen netbook, I believe we will see something that:

- Pushes their bluetooth keyboard (or hell, maybe even has a few usb ports for a wired one) as an option for the input device and maybe comes with a detachable/very basic stand for the unit itself. This way, they can make it super thin/portable (omit the keyboard) and the unit itself will really just be a monitor. It won't have to stand up super tall, just tall enough so that the viewing angle is pleasant and using the touch feature is comfortable from a chair while using the unit on a table with a keyboard in front of it.

- Only has a 3G connection if battery life permits. If so, could you swap in your ATT sim? Make calls with your headphones that have a mic on them?

- Gets spun (at least a little bit) as an eBook reader, and we will see eBooks appear in iTunes. Partnered with Amazon, this could get interesting. I know Apple won't want to share its profits, but I'm sure Amazon wants more eBook adoption and market share. I know very little about this market, but I'm guessing the margins are probably pretty high and maybe there's a price point in there where both Apple and Amazon can be happy.

- Comes in one hardware configuration (memory variants excluded) and runs Snow Leopard natively just fine. Resolution will be 1280x800 at the least.

 

[Stately]

I can't see this being true. People keep talking about Apple needs a netbook, Apple needs a tablet. They don't realize that Apple already has one. It's called the iPhone. It fits into your pocket and does virtually everything a Netbook does.

One day the lines between laptop/netbook will blur as the only reason people like netbooks is because they are portable and cheap. They are really made to do e-mail, surf the web, throw a couple pictures and music on it and maybe some basic word processing. iphone does that all really well, except for maybe the word processing.

If you have a computer at home weather it be a laptop or desktop, and you own an iPhone, what need is there for a "Netbook"

You are somewhat correct. The iphone is a beautiful tablet. The problem that exists is the lack of full OS so that pro apps can be run, documents can be edited quickly and efficiently and better processors for speed and graphics. And if you are asking where's the room for all of that extra stuff.. well that's my point. We need a tablet. Iphonesque in form, yet larger with much more function. So like you said, Virtually we have both tablet and netbook in the iphone but technically we do not.

 

[rlmccormick]

Late to the game as usual. By the time they get this product out, everyone else will be on their third generation of netbooks.

I'm sure a lot of people thought the same about Apple coming out with a cell phone too. Apple's 1st generation cell phone was better than most others nth generation. I don't doubt they can pull something off here too.

 

[kornyboy]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 2_2_1 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/525.18.1 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.1.1 Mobile/5H11 Safari/525.20)

Touch screen MacBook Mini?

Tablet possibly. Only $1999.

 

[ivladster]

Late to the game as usual. By the time they get this product out, everyone else will be on their third generation of netbooks. These days $350 will buy you a netbook with 9 hours of battery life.

And how much will this thing cost??

I'll believe it when I see it.

(I *want* to believe, truly, but have learned to become highly skeptical, in light of a number of recent design and pricing decisions by Apple...)

Way to be so negative.

 

[gmcalpin]

I call it the xMac. It IS the xMac (it uses "Bloomfield", for crying out loud), it's just $1,000 more than people expected.

People are generally too optimistic.

I agree, although I'd say $1000 more than people wanted, $300 more than people had any sane reason to hope for...

Add magical Apple fairy dust at the factory

Total = $699.00

I think you're about $100 too optimistic there.

 

[skellener]

The article calls it a netbook but it won't be. It also won't be coming in between $300-$400.

 

[ivladster]

Some people have said Apple is an innovator and hasn't been "late to the game". Innovator, yes, but Apple has been late to the game in some places. There were MP3 players before the iPod. Apple just made a stylish one. There was a GUI interface before the Mac OS. Apple ripped off Xerox & made a more stylish one (which got ripped off by MS which has way more marketshare Apple). Apple still doesn't have a true gaming console like an xBox or Playstation. While Apple did make the Pippin, look where it is now. For Christmas, my family got a Nintendo Wii, and that seems like something Apple SOOO should have come up with. And we still don't have a netbook or xMac. Sure, Apple brought the first multi-touch device to market, but many things Apple has done, someone has done before. So Apple can be innovative/make things more stylish, but Apple isn't always the earliest to the game.

Uhhh DUUUUUHHH, you just realized that?
Apple waits and sees what product is failing in industry and then goes in and make something cluster-!%$@-mind-blowing. A lot of netbooks are not what they can be, now its time for papa Apple to come into the game.

As for gaming, uhhhh i know apple never really cared about games, but maybe iPhone will change their mind.

Remember apple was a computer company, not entertaining company; now it seems like table is turning.

 

[iMacmatician]

I saw an article recently that said Intel was working to greatly lower the expense of the ULV type processors used in the Macbook Air to bring more power to the high end netbook market.

Yeah that was a good sign for cheaper MacBook Airs (and other devices).

My money is on a Macbook Air model for $899 or $999, putting it in it's rightful place below the Macbook in price.

I'm not ignoring this possibility either, although I can also see price cuts in the regular MacBook Air line.

The iphone is a beautiful tablet. The problem that exists is the lack of full OS so that pro apps can be run, documents can be edited quickly and efficiently and better processors for speed and graphics.

I agree with you on the pro apps part (but who would run pro apps on a netbook?), but the documents issue depends on software and the processor issue is dependent on hardware, although a netbook would still be faster (full OS/apps have more overhead though).

The article calls it a netbook but it won't be. It also won't be coming in between $300-$400.

The iPod touch is that expensive. I don't expect either an Apple netbook or a larger-than-iPod touch device to fall below $499 in its cheapest model.

 

[Lesser Evets]

Does it seem likely that a tablet is being held up for lack of a downsized/streamlined operating system?

I believe the tablet is held up for several reasons.

The tablet will be an out cropping of super compressed computer tech like in the iPhone, but a lot more capable to function more like a real Mac. Apple needs time to engineer that. The OS isn't such a problem, I believe. The other problem Apple has with tablets is figuring out a palpable market to aim for and succeed in.

With each passing month they are closing in on a better design and capability in a light tablet, but until they figure out enough of a market I doubt they'll release any such device.

The iPhone was probably an outcropping of tablet research and probably perpetuates tablet research and development. The iPhon is probably the perfect fuel for realization of a larger version for wider computer needs. How it fits in between iPhone and Laptop will be a hairy situation. I'm not looking forward to a mere iPhone with larger screen and writing recognition; I want a slightly limited notebook that is far lighter and allows art/writing on screen and can be combined with a keyboard to allow quick text entry.

 

[Stately]

I could definitely see a larger iphone that could pack in full os and better processors, along with the ability to do video conferencing and document editing. I wouldn't mind the iphone being larger. I actually thought it was going to be when the first one was released. When I actually realized how small it was I was shocked.

 

[redwin11]

The iPhone is small because it needs to fit in your pocket - can't people accept that Laptops don't need to be any smaller than they currently are?

Apple should just keep on working on the Macbook line and that would do me fine.

Now, touch-screen iMac, that's a different matter.