Tablet Review: Why Not?
It's been nearly five months since the Cringely column (http://www.pbs.org/cringely/pulpit/pulpit20031127.html) and some time longer since the Quanta rumors - no tablet, probably not for a very long time.
Apple must see that their design market would make it profitable, and there are definitely killer apps for the the tablet (Alias|Wavefront Sketchbook). Steve's comment on it being a niche market is old, and completely meaningless given the circumstances of the Mac... or did he say that about pda's?
Watching Windows users draw on a screen is torture. I'm patient, but I'm overripe to buy a new system and I want a Windows tablet. I've been with Apple through thick and thin, but I'm just plain frustrated now. Why why why, oh why, won't they release one?
Apple must see that their design market would make it profitable, and there are definitely killer apps for the the tablet (Alias|Wavefront Sketchbook). Steve's comment on it being a niche market is old, and completely meaningless given the circumstances of the Mac... or did he say that about pda's?
Watching Windows users draw on a screen is torture. I'm patient, but I'm overripe to buy a new system and I want a Windows tablet. I've been with Apple through thick and thin, but I'm just plain frustrated now. Why why why, oh why, won't they release one?
Comments
It's faster and easier to use a keyboard for a device that big. Handwriting would be better served on a small palm sized device.
Steve had it right. Who wants to write out email or IM with a pen? That is so 1950's!
http://news.com.com/2100-1005-5112612.html
To date, shipments of tablets based on the Microsoft Tablet PC OS have grown. IDC predicts unit shipments to hit about 500,000 this year; and several companies, including Motion Computing, Acer, Hewlett-Packard and Toshiba, have come out with second-generation models. But the tablet market is still relatively small when measured against the worldwide notebook PC market, which totaled more than 30 million units last year, according to IDC.
Niche product on niche marketshare would mean not even remotely enough sales to justify product development. Besides, they have other issues to worry about right now (G5's, mini ipods, etc.)
Originally posted by Outsider
Other.
It's faster and easier to use a keyboard for a device that big. Handwriting would be better served on a small palm sized device.
Short hand!! Court reporters, journalist, interns, paralegals...
Anyway, the tablet is not the right tool for a great deal of writing, true, but a laptop is totally useless if one is on foot but must takes notes.
Aside from note taking, the killer app for tablets is drawing. Drawing? Yeah, sketching, doodling, drafting, brainstorming. Having one's scrawl converted on-the-fly to sharp paths and curves.
I voted "No profitability." The screen technology necessary is 5 to 7 years away.
Screed
Originally posted by sCreeD
I voted "No profitability." The screen technology necessary is 5 to 7 years away.
Screed
Huh? How so? Wacom's Cintiq display is very good. If it was made vastly cheaper/lighter/better by a company like Apple utilizing the technology across all of its screen products, we'd see basically the entire Mac line become fat-assed Newtons or "Smart Cintiqs" neither would be bad in my opinion.
Hell, I want a mouse keyboard -and- touch/pen screen. Sometimes I just want to draw onscreen.
Notice Wacom came down by $1000 on the Cintiq...a sign (?) that I for one have been praying will ultimately be shown to mean Apple will be using similar technology. Maybe Apple even licensed it from Wacom? Pure fantasy for now, though.
Originally posted by Outsider
Steve had it right. Who wants to write out email or IM with a pen? That is so 1950's!
And typing (qwerty) is so late 1860s...
Yet none of us will really want speech to be the primary input method for it's total lack of privacy and how it quickly taxes the vocal chords.
Originally posted by MCQ
Tablets are definitely a niche product... you'd have to prove otherwise:
Newsflash: sucky products don't sell.
As for 'something in between a handheld and a 12"', try a Newton MessagePad 2x00 form factor. It's damned near perfect. Big enough for real use, small enough for portability.
Can you slip it in your shirt pocket? Nope. But I wouldn't take notes on a Post-It note, either.
I *STILL* have not found a handheld/PDA/tablet that comes close to the usability of my almost seven year old Newton.
Originally posted by Kickaha
I *STILL* have not found a handheld/PDA/tablet that comes close to the usability of my almost seven year old Newton.
Ditto!
Still use mine daily (although it is usually used near my desk).
It's one of those things that if you 'get it" you get it if you don't you don't.
Too bad, because people are really missing out.
I think a modernized newton in iPod min stylings with nice big color screen and running Mac OS X lite would do the trick.
Mmmm....
Am I unique in that I am an artist, own a Mac, and would increase my efficiency and potential creativity by drawing on screen, warranting a purchase?
And there's nothing stopping Apple from adding a keyboard, making it a functional laptop, the technology has been there for more than a year.
Dock.
Metadata tagged data that multiple apps can access.
Dynamic language for programming.
Heavily integrated syncing.
etc
I suspect a tablet will come out as soon as people forget enough about the Newton for Jobs to save face.
Originally posted by Kickaha
Have you noticed how MacOS X is becoming increasingly more Newtonlike?
Dock.
Metadata tagged data that multiple apps can access.
Dynamic language for programming.
Heavily integrated syncing.
etc
I suspect a tablet will come out as soon as people forget enough about the Newton for Jobs to save face.
Trash noise? (similar)
Solid window dragging
Sheets (then called Slips) Ok Slips were a bit different but also would be cool to have in Mac OS X.
HWR
X as close box
Anyway it was (is) a nice little OS. R.I.P.
Yes, that's exactly it - Jobs saving face.
Originally posted by Phong
Everyone seems to think of a tablet as writing tool, and downplay it as such, when its strength is in drawing and illustrating. If you wanted a computer for word processing and sending emails, buy a $200 used iBook.
Am I unique in that I am an artist, own a Mac, and would increase my efficiency and potential creativity by drawing on screen, warranting a purchase?
And there's nothing stopping Apple from adding a keyboard, making it a functional laptop, the technology has been there for more than a year.
Yes, me too.
I have a laptop that has a keyboard that I barely use and a Wacom tablet that I would use constantly if it were built in but rarely use since it uses wires and I need to carry it around.
I need a tablet mac with easel back that stands alone and I want a mini-Powerbook-like bluetooth keyboard for when I feel like typing. I don't want integrated camera unless it is truly seamless.
The fold out stand can double as a handle to hold it.
Niche product my @ss. Most Mac users are artists of some sort. How many of you use Photoshop without a wacom? How many of you dont want one? Your honor I rest my case.
Originally posted by onlooker
POLL ANSWER = OTHER.
.... Most Mac users are artists of some sort....
I missed that market survey. Would you mind posting a link?
Originally posted by johnq
Huh? How so? Wacom's Cintiq display is very good.
Agreed but it does need a computer attached do it. And current notebook technology make current tablet and tablet/laptop hybrids too cumbersome (nod to Outsider). What I was referring to was the "resolution" of paper. It's much finer and paper doesn't have to be backlit and it's a lot cheaper.
So building a tablet from the specs up (rather current technology), we would need:
- non-backlit displays with 200+dpi resolution 8" to 12" (nope)
- wireless connectivity (check)
- very small hard drives (check)
- at least 8-10 hours of battery life, but Palm-like battery life is preferred (nope)
- all the above must weigh less than 2 to 3 pounds
- finally, survive multiple drops and bangs
- finally finally, no more than $1199
Is that doable? Sure, but not any time soon, particularly the display, hence my initial comment about the screen.Screed
Apps that would be GREAT for tablet use:
o Web Surfing / Safari
o Music Playing / iTunes
o Video Playing / Quicktime / DVD Player
o Photo Viewing / iPhoto
o Calendar Viewing / iCal
o Address Book Viewing / Address Book
o E-Mail Reading / Mail
(tons of others I'm sure)
Apps that would be OKAY for tablet use:
o Calendar Maintenance / iCal
o Address Book Maintenance / Address Book
o E-Mail Responding / Mail
(tons of others I'm sure)
Apps that would SUCK for tablet use: Insert any apps that require massive keyboard usage Word Processing / Spreadsheet etc. and/or any app that requires 'lots of screen'. (and tons of others I'm sure)
No matter how good inkwell type technology gets I just don't think it'll ever be perfect... It can't be... was that round circle the person just wrote the letter 'OH'? or was it the number 'ZERO'?? or was is just a circle??? - was that line an accent? or an apostrophe?? or maybe a dot over the letter 'i' and the user is just really sloppy/lazy??? finally could it just the stylus hitting screen by mistake. Lots of other examples can be added here but you get the idea. If your application need lots of precise and speedy text input a tablet isn't for you.
Lots more stuff can be added to this post but the fact is till people come to the understand of what a tablet is GREAT for, what a table is GOOD for and what a tablet would SUCK for a table, any tablet will be looked upon as 'not good enough'.
Just my .02 cents
Dave
Here's another one: music notation. Prop the tablet up like a sheet on a piano or stand and notate away. Also can be used at sheet reading; during a concert, it could automatically flip the page based on the timing of the piece.
Screed ...evil, musical genius
Originally posted by sCreeD
non-backlit displays with 200+dpi resolution 8" to 12" (nope)
It doesn't need that resolution. Particularly if a couple of good apps are 'tweaked' with tablet use in mind.
16dpi for the 'pen' resolution and 72dpi for the output res should be plenty. You aren't going to make the Mona Lisa on _any_ sort of idea jotter/sketcher. The point is to have some way to input basics on the move.
A program like OmniGraffle is near perfect IMNSHO for this sort of thing. 'Gosh, the office heirarchy changed -> open file, nudge boxes - save accuracy + prettyness for later'
Or for someone like UPS. You can attach scripts to buttons, have the IR port double as a laser scanner -> custom 'vertical' app for on the go types. Meter readers.