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What is the Ultimate Role of the Apple Tablet?
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HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
An
TV upgrade is certainly desirable. But this idea that the tablet will be the next-gen TV makes sense only for single people living alone. As soon as you take the tablet with you, anyone else living at your home will no longer have a (tablet) TV (replacement). I just don't see the tablet killing the TV for this simple reason. How it might be done is to make the tablet dock hold the TV functionality so that it is still an TV even when the tablet has left the building, but then you are closer to having 2 dedicated, separate devices.Similarly, the tablet as the ultimate all-in-one remote has merit... if you are single living alone. As soon as you take it with you, everyone else can't use the home AV stuff because the remote is missing. Besides, there are excellent, learn remotes that can be all-in-ones, which are made to survive being sat upon and dropped on the ground. How often does your current remotes hit the floor, get sat upon, end up in the dog's mouth, etc? Do you really picture this tablet being tough enough to fill this function? And do you want something as fragile as this will likely be at risk of being dropped, sat upon, etc?
Sure, the tablet of our imaginations can be all kinds of wonderful things. But when you step forward with concepts like practicality, and situations beyond your own (such as buyers who aren't single living alone), a lot of these ideas seem to be challenged.
I'm first in line for a next-gen (1080p capable)
TV. And I already own a terrific all-in-one learn remote from Universal Remotes (that cost a whole lot less than this tablet will likely cost). When I travel, the TV and the remote the family is used to using stays at home (so they can still enjoy the use of such things).If we're going to think about the mobility of this device, how that mobility affects others in the household means everyone at home probably needs one, or that mobility doesn't make the applications for it as broad as some of these imaginings make it out to be.
"I want..."
"It needs/should have..."
Options will increase the base price. Most likely, all your ports major will be in an 802.11 base, sold separately. The rest will be BT - want a kbd, use a BT model. This is how the price will be "shockingly low".
Prepare to be disappointed by the initial post-glitz capabilities of the device. It will be a cool toy next month, by the end of the year it will be a sought-after tool.
"It needs/should have..."
Options will increase the base price. Most likely, all your ports major will be in an 802.11 base, sold separately. The rest will be BT - want a kbd, use a BT model. This is how the price will be "shockingly low".
Prepare to be disappointed by the initial post-glitz capabilities of the device. It will be a cool toy next month, by the end of the year it will be a sought-after tool.
I am hoping that there will be full functionality for people overseas unlike the Kindle which is crippled for people like us in Australia
You make good points...
You make good points, and I agree.
But.
What if the Tablet is not an AppleTV replacement, but an AppleTV extension? In other words, what if the Tablet syncs to all your Apple devices (AppleTV, iMac, etc.) and allows you to take the same content with you when you leave?
When you ARE at home, what if it turns into a remote when it's on the same network? What if it allows you to purchase media on the go, which then tells the AppleTV to automatically download it for your family to watch as well?
If it could function both as a player and a portable manager for all of your media, I think it could really be something.
An
You make good points, and I agree.
But.
What if the Tablet is not an AppleTV replacement, but an AppleTV extension? In other words, what if the Tablet syncs to all your Apple devices (AppleTV, iMac, etc.) and allows you to take the same content with you when you leave?
When you ARE at home, what if it turns into a remote when it's on the same network? What if it allows you to purchase media on the go, which then tells the AppleTV to automatically download it for your family to watch as well?
If it could function both as a player and a portable manager for all of your media, I think it could really be something.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
2 challenges to this:
- Do enough colleges students have the money to buy this device? Else, the market as you see it is really their parents
- College textbooks are not priced so high because they are printed on paper. Publishers will not roll over on the very profitable college textbook market just because an electronic version of the book is e-published for this tablet.
The basic concept is terrific, and it even makes sense from a students point-of-view. But I just don't see the publishers deciding to now sell these very profitable textbooks on the cheap because they don't have to print them on paper anymore. Consider for example, how much cheaper movies & shows are priced as an DRM'd electronic version only vs. getting the same on the physical media of DVD
I find that more often than not, I can find the same content for less on DVD than the electronic version via iTunes). And much like the video industry seems very reluctant to get under Apple's thumb (like their buddies in the music industry), do you see the publishing industry behaving any differently?
totally agree with you on this - the new device must have something like iwork on it at a minimum (so i hope...)
anyways, regarding the article, what he says makes perfect sense to me. But then it's apple so what do we mortals know?
They say those who say it in the simplest way, say it best.
This is again proven here.
Excellent post.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
Definately, but in these they (tablet &
TV) are separate, distinct devices (which is fine and what makes sense to me).Relative to the remote thing, while it is easy to imagine that it can become a remote when you are at home, I still don't see that working very well in a household with more than one person living there. Else, you still have to have the backup remote(s) ready whenever the "good remote" is gone. And you have to have dual training on how to control the equipment when the "good remote" is out with you. I can easily envision fights- at least lots of griping- when you want to take the "good remote" out of the house.
Again, giving it this capability is both cheap (hardware) and easy (software). But the practicality of it in households with more than one person seems challenging, unless you (more so it) are at home a great deal of the time (which then begs the question of why you need this super mobile device).
totally agree with you on this - the new device must have something like iwork on it at a minimum (so i hope...)
anyways, regarding the article, what he says makes perfect sense to me. But then it's apple so what do we mortals know?
If iwork is the minimum, what should be the median, autocad?
Get real people.
Here's a thought: the rumored Apple tablet will replace the Macbook Air, like the iPod nano replaced the iPod mini. Given that the Air is most likely the weakest seller in the Apple notebook lineup, it seems like the perfect product to ditch and replace with the rumored tablet.
I think I got it.
If they actually release a tablet-like device (still unsure) here's what I think it'll be:
New format.
- Will play all current iPhone apps as widgets or scaled up full screen
- Allows you to build iSlate apps for proper full screen resolution
- Will not run regular Mac Apps. There's no point. Everything will need to be constructed to be touch based and not just touch enabled regular apps (unlike the ****** stuff running on the Windows touch software)
- Some sort of new screen (or screen coating) that allows for long periods of reading (in colour). Unless Apple is the first to make a good and inexpensive colour e-ink... I think this is entirely possible, by the way, and would make me happier than a Care Bear. They won't go black and white like the other e-readers.
- iTunes rebranded as iStore with the addition of magazines (from some very big partners) and some new iLife/Pro software for creating and pushing RSS publications for the rest of us... Podcasts for publications, if you will. I'm incredibly excited for this one since school newsletters, community newspapers, any clubs you belong to, retailers, etc. could all push something more interactive than email newsletters to your inbox. Standardized rich media with offline capability.
- This iSlate will do all the regular iPod/iPhone stuff (including possible video calls). I would love if I could tie this to my rogers plan and use it as a phone, but it's not necessary.
- Could possibly replace the Macbook Air. I love the Macbook Air, but may not be big space here... Also, the Air is usually being used for surfing, email, media, anyways... don't know of anyone doing any real heavy lifting on it... doesn't need all Mac Apps to run on it.
If they actually release a tablet-like device (still unsure) here's what I think it'll be:
New format.
- Will play all current iPhone apps as widgets or scaled up full screen
- Allows you to build iSlate apps for proper full screen resolution
- Will not run regular Mac Apps. There's no point. Everything will need to be constructed to be touch based and not just touch enabled regular apps (unlike the ****** stuff running on the Windows touch software)
- Some sort of new screen (or screen coating) that allows for long periods of reading (in colour). Unless Apple is the first to make a good and inexpensive colour e-ink... I think this is entirely possible, by the way, and would make me happier than a Care Bear. They won't go black and white like the other e-readers.
- iTunes rebranded as iStore with the addition of magazines (from some very big partners) and some new iLife/Pro software for creating and pushing RSS publications for the rest of us... Podcasts for publications, if you will. I'm incredibly excited for this one since school newsletters, community newspapers, any clubs you belong to, retailers, etc. could all push something more interactive than email newsletters to your inbox. Standardized rich media with offline capability.
- This iSlate will do all the regular iPod/iPhone stuff (including possible video calls). I would love if I could tie this to my rogers plan and use it as a phone, but it's not necessary.
- Could possibly replace the Macbook Air. I love the Macbook Air, but may not be big space here... Also, the Air is usually being used for surfing, email, media, anyways... don't know of anyone doing any real heavy lifting on it... doesn't need all Mac Apps to run on it.
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
I keep seeing reference to the server farm and how that could play a major role in this product. But I also keep reading that many believe this product is going to be launched very soon- perhaps even late this month- while the new server farm is something to be built over the next few YEARS (noting the obvious: that is has to be built before it can offer ANY impact in this or any other device).
I am very surprised by people thinking that this tablet will come to a price around 600 $. I mean the 32 gb 3gs is 699 $. I mean guys think and be realistic. Apple charges 1499 for the macbook air which is way underpowered compared to the base 13" macbook pro. The lowest price i can think of this device to have is 899 $. And i would bet my house that it wont come any cheaper unsubsidized.
Im my honest opinion, An apple tablet will be nothing more than a hot selling mistake. While im sure Apple will sell a bunch when released, This will be because most people have never really used a similar device so they dont fully understand its realistic use.
People think long and hard about why you want a tablet and how you will use it?
Will you use it to watch movies on the go, maybe in the car, maybe on a plane?
How are you going to position it? do you plan on holding a 2-3 pound device in an upright position for 1.5-2 hours? go find a 2 lb weight in your garage and hold it for 15 minutes, see how long you last. Now your response to this may be "yea but there will be stands made for it". Doesn't caring around a stand defeat the purpose of having an ultra portable device? plus the macbook air comes with a stand built in that also has a keyboard on it.
Will you use it to surf the web and read/write email?
Have fun with that one.. Do you plan on holding it with one hand while typing granny style with the other? Or maybe lay it down on a table or surface and type with both hands, but now your neck is going to be getting strained from looking strait down, Plus if you have some were to lay it down, why not just use a netbook or macbook air? Its easy to type on the iphone because you can use both thumbs, with this, you can not.
Were are you going to store it when your traveling?
Since the main purpose or idea behind this device is portability, Were are you going to carry it? it wont fit into your pocket like an iphone, Its going to be the same weight and rough dimensions of a macbook air, so why not just buy an air? an air is no less portable.
A talet will simply give us all of the portability of a macbook air with all of the restrictions of an iphone, so whats the point, it doesnt bring out the "best of both world" of these 2 items, but the worst of each. If Apple makes this product, it would be a big mistake.
I would much rather purchase a slower macbook air, Maybe they SHOULD come out with a 12.x" Atom with a small ssd and call it a netbook air and sell it for $599 or $149/$199 with data plan (verizon)
(keyword their is should, i highly doubt they will)
People think long and hard about why you want a tablet and how you will use it?
Will you use it to watch movies on the go, maybe in the car, maybe on a plane?
How are you going to position it? do you plan on holding a 2-3 pound device in an upright position for 1.5-2 hours? go find a 2 lb weight in your garage and hold it for 15 minutes, see how long you last. Now your response to this may be "yea but there will be stands made for it". Doesn't caring around a stand defeat the purpose of having an ultra portable device? plus the macbook air comes with a stand built in that also has a keyboard on it.
Will you use it to surf the web and read/write email?
Have fun with that one.. Do you plan on holding it with one hand while typing granny style with the other? Or maybe lay it down on a table or surface and type with both hands, but now your neck is going to be getting strained from looking strait down, Plus if you have some were to lay it down, why not just use a netbook or macbook air? Its easy to type on the iphone because you can use both thumbs, with this, you can not.
Were are you going to store it when your traveling?
Since the main purpose or idea behind this device is portability, Were are you going to carry it? it wont fit into your pocket like an iphone, Its going to be the same weight and rough dimensions of a macbook air, so why not just buy an air? an air is no less portable.
A talet will simply give us all of the portability of a macbook air with all of the restrictions of an iphone, so whats the point, it doesnt bring out the "best of both world" of these 2 items, but the worst of each. If Apple makes this product, it would be a big mistake.
I would much rather purchase a slower macbook air, Maybe they SHOULD come out with a 12.x" Atom with a small ssd and call it a netbook air and sell it for $599 or $149/$199 with data plan (verizon)
(keyword their is should, i highly doubt they will)
Tablet Uses 2
Just musing about uses; nothing exhaustive. Many others on here (like #259) agree it needs some productivity provisions (iWork "lite", etc). I'm sure the Stevenator has already dealt with this; he surely knows that MERELY a big iPod touch is not a good idea; it HAS to do more. So I mentioned one of my big interests: writing. That's all.
As for getting a netbook, perish the thought! I've been an Apple fanboy/user since the Apple II/Lisa/first Macintosh days and I'll never go to the Dark Side! January 26 is little more than three weeks away---then I'll KNOW what I'm going to do: iSlate or 13" MB/MBP. But I trust that the Tablet will do it for me!! That, and a whole lot more, hopefully. The Apple Remote Destop/Back to my Mac idea, also floated here, is VERY intriguing.
Just musing about uses; nothing exhaustive. Many others on here (like #259) agree it needs some productivity provisions (iWork "lite", etc). I'm sure the Stevenator has already dealt with this; he surely knows that MERELY a big iPod touch is not a good idea; it HAS to do more. So I mentioned one of my big interests: writing. That's all.
As for getting a netbook, perish the thought! I've been an Apple fanboy/user since the Apple II/Lisa/first Macintosh days and I'll never go to the Dark Side!
January 26 is little more than three weeks away---then I'll KNOW what I'm going to do: iSlate or 13" MB/MBP. But I trust that the Tablet will do it for me!! That, and a whole lot more, hopefully. The Apple Remote Destop/Back to my Mac idea, also floated here, is VERY intriguing. Actually I think iWork and iLife would work well on this kind of device - throw in some level of auto-syncing of content (not only with your Mac but also with the cloud, for non-Mac users and full portability), and those applications could easily be re-tooled to work reasonably well on a larger touchscreen, and would be a painless extension of your existing desktop/laptop.
They may not provide complete functionality like their desktop counterparts, but they would provide enough to allow portable content, 'lite' features (simple photo editing/adjustments, display of presentations, data entry), and would add a valuable set of features to supplement all the content-related benefits that a bigger iPod/iPhone would inherit (as well as all the likely ones that are rumoured - reading books/magazines/newspapers, video chat, portable TV/video player).
HobeSoundDarryl
macrumors G5
That's the $64K question. This thread is full of wishful imagination that it is going to do everything short of raising the dead. But almost any of these dreams face some practical challenges when they are thought through a little further.
For example, there are some posts about "tossing" content such as movies from one device to another... which has a coolness factor. But how often are we really going to be doing that? And how does legal (file) tossing get screened out from illegal (file) tossing?
There's a lot of discussion about the lack of need for a keyboard because we'll be able to talk to the device via voice recognition. That's great for dictation, but it becomes a problem when you are an attendee to a meeting or lecture and someone else is presenting the information. Are you going to try to talk at that same time as them? Of course not, so we'll use a stylus and hand-write the notes (but then, why not use a laptop with keyboard instead?)
I see several references thinking this might be a Star Trek-like PADD materialized as a 21st-century product. That's great, but those PADDs would allow you to order it to transcribe a lecture for you and it would be able to do that. Or, you might ask it to help figure out complex problems ("computer, theorize how we can escape the gravity of the nearby black hole with our dilithium crystals misaligned as they are now"), but that would be a massive leap in software capabilities, probably requiring 22nd or 23rd-century chipsets to function in something as thin as this product. If Apple has a PADD about to launch with these kinds of capabilities, everyone will be buying one. But I think we can be pretty confident that that is too much of a leap (in 2010)... even for Apple.
As I keep trying to realistically imagine it, I keep coming back to a super Kindle/ipod, mostly super because of elements like full color, a bigger screen, touch screen, iTunes apps use and similar. The descriptions of it playing all kinds of media makes sense, and it would be nice to be able to watch a movie on a screen bigger than the iPod/iTouch (but you can do that on a laptop and that comes with a built-in stand). As the imaginations of what it could be move ever farther beyond this- including many way beyond this- I keep thinking of the disappointment to come when it can't raise the dead, cure cancer, make the U.S. government actually look out for the little guy, get the Beatles on iTunes, and so on.
Especially troubling are ideas that would have other industries cutting their own throats (profits) so that media & content they flow to users via this device will be a lot cheaper than they are now. That's just not going to happen, just like it hasn't happened for the kinds of media flowing to iPhones, iPods and Apple TVs.
Gruber of all people should understand that apps are not the OS.
John actually blew a lot of credibility with those statements. The fact is the majority of what the average user interacts with on the iPhine are APLICATIONS not the OS. Some of those apps would transfer to a tablet just fine. Others could use enhancements even if they did run on the larger device.
One example here is Safari. The larger screen (and the likely larger RAM) would allow for more features from the desktop version. However you could easily do a lot of browsing with the current iPhone Safari on a larger device. That is the case with many apps currently on the iPhone.
If the new tablet is making use of UIKit and the other iPhone frameworks then it is derived from iPhone. Really it is a simply as that. Considering it took Apple three years to firm up those libraries after iPhone delivery I'm pretty sure they are not going to repeat the cycle.
As to the new device it certainly will gave capabilities beyound what iPhone and it's apps have. That is a given but the expansion in capability will be done in such a way as to be transparent to current iPhone apps. The capability to do that is built right into Cocoa-(Touch).
I'm not sure where John is coming from but I'd be absolutely shocked if the iPhone SDK wasn't the basis for Tablet development. The only thing I'd question is how much would they extend the SDK and just what are those new features. Even with this supposed grand new interface you will still need to touch the screen from time to time so I don't see touch going away totally.
Maybe I'm wrong but I wonder how developers out there see these statements. Any developers care to chime in?
John actually blew a lot of credibility with those statements. The fact is the majority of what the average user interacts with on the iPhine are APLICATIONS not the OS. Some of those apps would transfer to a tablet just fine. Others could use enhancements even if they did run on the larger device.
One example here is Safari. The larger screen (and the likely larger RAM) would allow for more features from the desktop version. However you could easily do a lot of browsing with the current iPhone Safari on a larger device. That is the case with many apps currently on the iPhone.
If the new tablet is making use of UIKit and the other iPhone frameworks then it is derived from iPhone. Really it is a simply as that. Considering it took Apple three years to firm up those libraries after iPhone delivery I'm pretty sure they are not going to repeat the cycle.
As to the new device it certainly will gave capabilities beyound what iPhone and it's apps have. That is a given but the expansion in capability will be done in such a way as to be transparent to current iPhone apps. The capability to do that is built right into Cocoa-(Touch).
I'm not sure where John is coming from but I'd be absolutely shocked if the iPhone SDK wasn't the basis for Tablet development. The only thing I'd question is how much would they extend the SDK and just what are those new features. Even with this supposed grand new interface you will still need to touch the screen from time to time so I don't see touch going away totally.
Maybe I'm wrong but I wonder how developers out there see these statements. Any developers care to chime in?
Who knows.
As much as it probably a great device, I think people who will buy it will be people like me that have a great 27"iMac(aka desktop) and don't buy into laptops as they don't want to be without their files but with a tablet would happily couch surf, catch up on emails, or drag it along in their briefcase as an e-reader or to catch up on their Movie/TV series on the bus/train/plane to work or take with on holidays... or show the friends/parents the latest vacation pictures, etc.
It won't however replace the iPhone/smartphone. It will simply compete in that netbook/laptop space where it makes sense. Of course if they have some new killer feature or killer implementation of video conferencing, etc. that'd change things.
Sigh, some of us will probably end up owning ALL ( iMac, MacBook, iSlate, iPhone) and they're probably banking on it.
As much as it probably a great device, I think people who will buy it will be people like me that have a great 27"iMac(aka desktop) and don't buy into laptops as they don't want to be without their files but with a tablet would happily couch surf, catch up on emails, or drag it along in their briefcase as an e-reader or to catch up on their Movie/TV series on the bus/train/plane to work or take with on holidays... or show the friends/parents the latest vacation pictures, etc.
It won't however replace the iPhone/smartphone. It will simply compete in that netbook/laptop space where it makes sense. Of course if they have some new killer feature or killer implementation of video conferencing, etc. that'd change things.
Sigh, some of us will probably end up owning ALL ( iMac, MacBook, iSlate, iPhone) and they're probably banking on it.
No reason to be searching for a deeper meaning here. It will be a big-screen iPod touch (with 3G-wireless support). It doesn't have to be more than that as should be obvious to anyone who has made full and good use of an iPhone/iPod touch.
It's pretty simple, a larger screen will result in vastly enhanced internet, multimedia, and reading experiences. That's all that is needed for a lot of low-end or relaxed computing tasks and after you add in a good mix of the existing 100,000+ iPhone/iPod touch apps any new Apple tablet will be well on its way to success.
Frankly, however, I don't expect this device to be as successful as either the iPhone or iPod. (at least not immediately). But it should be a modest initial success and the reader or player of choice for those who can both afford the product and live within its limitations (the major issue being the lack of a physical keyboard for long-form text entry).
Of course, Apple could throw in something a little extra, like a fully integrated video conferencing capability. But basically it will just be a big-screen iPod touch.
It's pretty simple, a larger screen will result in vastly enhanced internet, multimedia, and reading experiences. That's all that is needed for a lot of low-end or relaxed computing tasks and after you add in a good mix of the existing 100,000+ iPhone/iPod touch apps any new Apple tablet will be well on its way to success.
Frankly, however, I don't expect this device to be as successful as either the iPhone or iPod. (at least not immediately). But it should be a modest initial success and the reader or player of choice for those who can both afford the product and live within its limitations (the major issue being the lack of a physical keyboard for long-form text entry).
Of course, Apple could throw in something a little extra, like a fully integrated video conferencing capability. But basically it will just be a big-screen iPod touch.