The Register caught wind of it in August of 2004: Link
Nothing credible about either source, but it is available from the US Patent Office website. Let's not forget, Apple patents lots of things that never see the light of day.
This may be a really stupid question...but I was wondering what the advantages are to getting a tabletmac would be. I am in the market for a powerbook...should I wait until the tabletmac comes out? Are they comparable to each other?
This may be a really stupid question...but I was wondering what the advantages are to getting a tabletmac would be. I am in the market for a powerbook...should I wait until the tabletmac comes out? Are they comparable to each other?
As the saying goes... If you have the need now... buy it now..
Although, as several people have posted here, this tablet patent stuff is fairly old news... and I wouldnt hold your breath for an Apple Tablet... Not sure where he said it but Stevo pretty much shot the idea down in flames about a year and a half ago in an interview...
Then again he promised us 3Ghz a year after the G5 release too... and George W got re-elected... so stranger things haave happened!
... To repeat a promise that I made years ago: If Apple releases this, I will post a video of myself skipping my Palm m515 across/into a lake.
Please send it to me. I'll send you an M500 or something similar you can skip across the lake, and pretend it was the M515.
To forestall anyone else asking: This is a design patent. This means that they intend to release a product that looks almost exactly like the figure. The design patent prohibits anyone from making a product which looks almost exactly like it.
So, we can infer that there is a new product which looks almost exactly like the figure. Of interest is the fact that there is no apparent stylus, controls, or connector other than what appears to be an iPod dock connector at the bottom, and a round circle near the top.
My guess is the round circle is a power switch. The guy is tapping it with his finger...
(edit) So it's probably a video iPod. It won't function as an organizer, it'll just be a read-only thing like the iPod. So you'll probably want to keep the M515.
and a flippable screen with keyboard woulda been great...
Anyway, TabletPCs are suck. Don't see why Apple should get into the Tablet market too.
A 6-8 inch screen size would be cool with mini keyboard or something...
Hehe. You got that right. Tablets really suck at input. Maybe if it had a specialized finger GUI and Wacom input tablet flip cover on it, but otherwise, tablets as implemented by MS are useless short of the micro-niche markets (which don't need to have much input).
One just needs to look at why RIM is waxing compared to Palm or WinCE. They can barely replace pencil and paper notebooks as it stands now.
Have you ever used a mini-keyboard? Proof that there is a hell, IMO.
I'm not sure how is a tablet is useful where a laptop woldn't be more useful. The only thing I can think of is the UPS dude, and I don't see Apple going after the package delivery market anytime soon. Oh, and the restaurant business! The clerks at McDonalds could use tablets and punch at food icons on the screen!
I think that it's concievable that the next generations powerbooks may all have the ability to function this way and will sport a fully rotating display (and for the love of god a G5 processor)
I'm used to typing out SMS with my thumb since 8 years... I know small input
anyway, by input it would be nice even an on-screen keyboard... although they arent the best thing.
I would imagine this is the reincarnation of somekind of Newton (or the technology at least)
I'd love a PocketPC type device. They're getting better and better. An all screen device. Like the fake mini tablet from Spymac a few years back.
Bah, we'll see what mamma Apple dishes out.
Then again, they may NEVER actually market it.
Honestly, seeing that the tablet market is very very speialized and small, I dont see why Apple would waste resources. Again, if Apple could make a screen flippable device (iBook/PowerBook base) that flips on itself, that would be awesome. Then again, others have done it and I think it wasnt really successful.
Maybe it could be a wireless device with a base station...
like a next gen iMac Mini with WiFi and this is the screen to it that you can use a bit everywhere in the house. Horsepower done by the Mini and then image sent to the Tablet.
I think this has been discussed maaaany many years ago (even back in 1998-1999).
Have you ever used a mini-keyboard? Proof that there is a hell, IMO.
I'm not sure how is a tablet is useful where a laptop woldn't be more useful. The only thing I can think of is the UPS dude, and I don't see Apple going after the package delivery market anytime soon. Oh, and the restaurant business! The clerks at McDonalds could use tablets and punch at food icons on the screen!
Tablets are great when you are in meetings or on the field and want to write stuff out and dont have a place to put a laptop to type. Or in university class or something where you gotta be mobile taking notes. OR in the living room, etc. But at home, I think people prefer using a keyboard to chat, type, etc.
Its a very niche product.
JYD, since when is the PB12inch screen flippable? Mine doesnt
With a usb port, u can connect a keyboard if u want
Two problems with that:
1) Imagine that tablet with a standard keyboard. Try to keep both in your lap. Not gonna be very practical, so you'd have to be at a desk anyway.
2) The drawings in question have no visible ports. I could forsee this device being Bluetooth/Airport only for connectivity, but that has its own drawbacks.
Comments
This here is the real link
V/R,
Aries 1B
Edit:
Note the happy smile on the guy in figure 9?
He's smiling because he's using an Apple Tablet.
He's using The Tablet that changes the world.
He's using The Tablet that snuffs out the wretched, misbegotten, examples to be avoided Windows OS tablets that currently blight the world.
To repeat a promise that I made years ago: If Apple releases this, I will post a video of myself skipping my Palm m515 across/into a lake.
I bet if they do make a tablet it'll be 16x9 aspect ratio.
(I realize patent illustrations are not exact implementations)
iTab
From 12/10/2003 Digitimes article: Link
Hmmmm.....
The Register caught wind of it in August of 2004: Link
Nothing credible about either source, but it is available from the US Patent Office website. Let's not forget, Apple patents lots of things that never see the light of day.
Originally posted by sherpa_74
Can i suggest a name?
iTab
Maybe if Apple were starting up LSD production....
and a flippable screen with keyboard woulda been great...
Anyway, TabletPCs are suck. Don't see why Apple should get into the Tablet market too.
A 6-8 inch screen size would be cool with mini keyboard or something...
Originally posted by RYANQ
This may be a really stupid question...but I was wondering what the advantages are to getting a tabletmac would be. I am in the market for a powerbook...should I wait until the tabletmac comes out? Are they comparable to each other?
As the saying goes... If you have the need now... buy it now..
Although, as several people have posted here, this tablet patent stuff is fairly old news... and I wouldnt hold your breath for an Apple Tablet... Not sure where he said it but Stevo pretty much shot the idea down in flames about a year and a half ago in an interview...
Then again he promised us 3Ghz a year after the G5 release too... and George W got re-elected... so stranger things haave happened!
Originally posted by Aries 1B
... To repeat a promise that I made years ago: If Apple releases this, I will post a video of myself skipping my Palm m515 across/into a lake.
Please send it to me. I'll send you an M500 or something similar you can skip across the lake, and pretend it was the M515.
To forestall anyone else asking: This is a design patent. This means that they intend to release a product that looks almost exactly like the figure. The design patent prohibits anyone from making a product which looks almost exactly like it.
So, we can infer that there is a new product which looks almost exactly like the figure. Of interest is the fact that there is no apparent stylus, controls, or connector other than what appears to be an iPod dock connector at the bottom, and a round circle near the top.
My guess is the round circle is a power switch. The guy is tapping it with his finger...
(edit) So it's probably a video iPod. It won't function as an organizer, it'll just be a read-only thing like the iPod. So you'll probably want to keep the M515.
screen is too big/small
too heavy
too slow
not enough RAM
video chipset is slow/out-of-date
battery life is too short
wireless range is poor
not enough expansion
</tongue in cheek>
Originally posted by ZO
gotta be smaller...
and a flippable screen with keyboard woulda been great...
Anyway, TabletPCs are suck. Don't see why Apple should get into the Tablet market too.
A 6-8 inch screen size would be cool with mini keyboard or something...
Hehe. You got that right. Tablets really suck at input. Maybe if it had a specialized finger GUI and Wacom input tablet flip cover on it, but otherwise, tablets as implemented by MS are useless short of the micro-niche markets (which don't need to have much input).
One just needs to look at why RIM is waxing compared to Palm or WinCE. They can barely replace pencil and paper notebooks as it stands now.
Originally posted by ZO
gotta be smaller...
and a flippable screen with keyboard woulda been great...
Apple's already got one of those.
Have you ever used a mini-keyboard? Proof that there is a hell, IMO.
I'm not sure how is a tablet is useful where a laptop woldn't be more useful. The only thing I can think of is the UPS dude, and I don't see Apple going after the package delivery market anytime soon. Oh, and the restaurant business! The clerks at McDonalds could use tablets and punch at food icons on the screen!
anyway, by input it would be nice even an on-screen keyboard... although they arent the best thing.
I would imagine this is the reincarnation of somekind of Newton (or the technology at least)
I'd love a PocketPC type device. They're getting better and better. An all screen device. Like the fake mini tablet from Spymac a few years back.
Bah, we'll see what mamma Apple dishes out.
Then again, they may NEVER actually market it.
Honestly, seeing that the tablet market is very very speialized and small, I dont see why Apple would waste resources. Again, if Apple could make a screen flippable device (iBook/PowerBook base) that flips on itself, that would be awesome. Then again, others have done it and I think it wasnt really successful.
Maybe it could be a wireless device with a base station...
like a next gen iMac Mini with WiFi and this is the screen to it that you can use a bit everywhere in the house. Horsepower done by the Mini and then image sent to the Tablet.
I think this has been discussed maaaany many years ago (even back in 1998-1999).
Originally posted by Junkyard Dawg
Apple's already got one of those.
Have you ever used a mini-keyboard? Proof that there is a hell, IMO.
I'm not sure how is a tablet is useful where a laptop woldn't be more useful. The only thing I can think of is the UPS dude, and I don't see Apple going after the package delivery market anytime soon. Oh, and the restaurant business! The clerks at McDonalds could use tablets and punch at food icons on the screen!
Tablets are great when you are in meetings or on the field and want to write stuff out and dont have a place to put a laptop to type. Or in university class or something where you gotta be mobile taking notes. OR in the living room, etc. But at home, I think people prefer using a keyboard to chat, type, etc.
Its a very niche product.
JYD, since when is the PB12inch screen flippable? Mine doesnt
Originally posted by ZO
But at home, I think people prefer using a keyboard to chat, type, etc.
I don't think so.
With a usb port, u can connect a keyboard if u want
Originally posted by sherpa_74
I don't think so.
With a usb port, u can connect a keyboard if u want
Two problems with that:
1) Imagine that tablet with a standard keyboard. Try to keep both in your lap. Not gonna be very practical, so you'd have to be at a desk anyway.
2) The drawings in question have no visible ports. I could forsee this device being Bluetooth/Airport only for connectivity, but that has its own drawbacks.