Woz helps take the wraps off Modbook Pro tablet (photos)

[AppleInsider]

Users clamoring for a high-performance tablet computer running Mac OS X have a new option this week, with Mac modifier Axiotron announcing the Modbook Pro tablet at Macworld Expo, available now for pre-order.

The tablet Mac, introduced with the help of Apple co-founder and Axiotron board member Steve Wozniak, uses the 15.4" unibody MacBook Pro as its base system.* Until today, Axiotron only sold Modbooks built on top of the 13" MacBook, but the company is adding the extra power and utility of the MacBook Pro to its offerings.

The Modbook Pro will sport a black luster finish and aluminum construction.* Its Synergy Touch screen supports both touch and pen input simultaneously -- a feature Axiomatic says is not available on any other tablet.*

The unit almost exactly matches the MacBook Pro's feature set with Ethernet, FireWire 800, two USB 2.0 ports, Mini DisplayPort, digital audio, ExpressCard/34 and Bluetooth.*

With up to a 2.8GHz Core 2 Duo processor, the system is well-powered.* The 15.4" WXGA display is the largest available on a tablet computer, and its 0.93 inch depth is slightly thinner than the MacBook base system.*Graphics are provided with the NVIDIA GeForce 9600M GT processor.* A 320GB 7200-rpm hard drive or 128GB solid-state drive provide storage, and a camera and GPS system are also built in.







Axiomatic's screen bezel also sports a built-in three-button keybar with a power button, Mod Key, and battery indicator.* The optical drive bay and a pen garage with magnetic pen catch are on top.* A user interface called Quicktouch appears translucently on the screen with an overlay of buttons, pads, and alphanumeric keys.* Axiotron's Quickscript handwriting recognition technology helps with writing and notetaking, and the system supports both landscape and portrait mode.

























Axiotron's*SketchBook Express 2009*comes with every Pro purchase.* Billed as "a studio in your hands", SketchBook is designed to make sketching with a digitizer pen easy with features like a gesture-based interface, simulated paper, arced tool palate, and no manual required to get started. *Sketches can be saved in standard file formats for simple sharing.





A partitioned drive pre-installed with Microsoft Vista is available with the Modbook Pro as an option.* The company estimates a ship date of May/June 2009 and is accepting pre-orders*online*soon.* The Modbook Pro starts at $4,999 for the new 2.4GHz Apple MacBook Pro base system.*Limited time Macworld pricing is available for around $4500.*For customers who want to convert hardware they already own, the Modservice Pro option starts at $3,049.

[ View this article at AppleInsider.com ]

[SpamSandwich]

I just knew he was after Jobs' job!

[studiomusic]

What's up with his watch?

[bloggerblog]

I didn't see an adjustable easel on this ModBook, I depend heavily on my Cintiq's easel. In my opinion it would be a mistake to leave it out.

[PatsFan83]

Originally Posted by studiomusic

What's up with his watch?

You mean watches?

[JakeTheRock]

I just read the info on their site about the ModBook Pro, and it actually looks pretty cool...
Sadly, though, 5,000 is way too much to spend on a laptop, even a tablet, with those specs

[aaarrrgggh]

Well, at least this makes the 17" MBP look cheap. Hard to imagine them selling many of these, but would love to hear who is in the market for something like this (at that price).

[Kasper]

Originally Posted by studiomusic

What's up with his watch?

i got some close ups of the watch, u want me to add them?

K

[dmz]

Whoa -- looks like somebody's mancrush got the better of them.

[freeny]

You know what this article needs?...

More photos of Woz...

[Chris_CA]

Originally Posted by studiomusic

What's up with his watch?

Woz is "old school".
They are not watches. One is a sundial and the other a portable StarGate?

And 8 photos of Woz (none with the tablet) and only 5 of the tablet?

Nice close-up of his badge though.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by Kasper

i got some close ups of the watch, u want me to add them?

K

I would be curious to see them. One of them looks like a toy watch you'd find in a cereal box, though at least it's black and not some neon color.

[bloggerblog]

Originally Posted by Kasper

i got some close ups of the watch, u want me to add them?

K

Yes

[Kasper]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

Yes

reload the article. last one in the Woz section

[bloggerblog]

OMG! Is that a Nixie watch!!!

[Kasper]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

OMG! Is that a Nixie watch!!!

there's a dirty Kleenex in there or a parachute ...

[JAQ]

If Jobs is looking to get back the weight he lost, Woz appears to have found it.

[bloggerblog]

Yes it is, I found it through Google, and it's $395
http://www.cathodecorner.com/nixiewatch/
click thumbnail for a larger image.

[OriginalMacRat]

The economy must be really bad!

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by aaarrrgggh

Well, at least this makes the 17" MBP look cheap. Hard to imagine them selling many of these, but would love to hear who is in the market for something like this (at that price).

Originally Posted by JakeTheRock

I just read the info on their site about the ModBook Pro, and it actually looks pretty cool...
Sadly, though, 5,000 is way too much to spend on a laptop, even a tablet, with those specs

Some notebooks used to cost about that at. I went to Apple-History and found a model at a whopping 25MHz CPU, 10" mono screen starting at $4700.

I certainly don't expect to ever buy it, but I think it's nice that there is an option for those that really do need it.

[sandau]

the most notable parts of all these pictures was the inside of Woz' nose.

[MarceloR]

how did he get THAT past airport security?

[solipsism]

The Urwerk UR-202 is the coolest watch I've ever seen.

• http://www.urwerk.com/watches_202.asp

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by bloggerblog

Yes it is, I found it through Google, and it's $395
http://www.cathodecorner.com/nixiewatch/
click thumbnail for a larger image.

I think they should have done a steam-punk-esque shell with nice metal finishes and metal band rather than just a black finish and black plastic.

[zanshin]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

Some notebooks used to cost about that at. I went to Apple-History and found a model at a whopping 25MHz CPU, 10" mono screen starting at $4700.

(sigh...)

THOSE were the days... I still have invoices laying around somewhere for a IIcx at over $4800, and a couple years later, 5 brand new IIci models totalling over $20K.

I bought my Engineering folks those 25MHz PowerBook 170s at over $5K a pop, then had to add GlobalVillage fax modems, and third party PowerWave daisy-chained 10BaseT ethernet adapters, and of course, extra batteries for the open bay (since there was no such thing as a CD player, let alone in a laptop). The screen was mono, but it was gorgeous. Damn LCD screens were total crap in those days.

God, we made a butt-load of money with those laptops running System 6.04 and Microsoft Office in a very industrial products business that was ultimately acquired by GE. We had more Macs than PCs; everybody who was anybody had them; the CEO, EVPs, Marketing, HR, Engineering; the CFO came from Public Accounting (a Big 6 guy, when there still was 6 of them) who used to schlep in with SE30s and ImageWriters when they audited companies. He demanded that the whole accounting group be given Macs.

We wired the office with 10BaseT over the ceiling tiles, and the only connected PCs were CAD units using AutoCAD and using BNC cable connectors. Other PCs (all IBM) ran DOS and only ran things like PFS File and PFS Write.

Then of course, Microsoft stole OS2 from IBM, sold it as Windows, and the office computing world went straight to hell for all eternity.

Here's to ya, Woz... thanks for the start of really great things. I didn't make as much off Apple as you did, but I'm doing just fine.

EDIT: Maybe that's why I don't even blink at the thought of a 17" MBP for < $4K.

[MsNly]

Originally Posted by studiomusic

What's up with his watch?

I'm pretty sure its a binary watch, a friend showed me one today.

[teckstud]

All you bitches criticizing Woz.
Talk about the product- finally something exciting out of MacWorld.

[JeffDM]

Originally Posted by solipsism

The Urwerk UR-202 is the coolest watch I've ever seen.

• http://www.urwerk.com/watches_202.asp

Seems even more backwards, though I only come to that opinion because there is no apparent way to buy online, you have to meat-bag yourself to a store or maybe call. Heck, I can't even find a price. (homer simpson) Would I be better off buying a train, which I can also afford? (/homer simpson)

[solipsism]

Originally Posted by JeffDM

Seems even more backwards, though I only come to that opinion because there is no apparent way to buy online, you have to meat-bag yourself to a store or maybe call. Heck, I can't even find a price. (homer simpson) Would I be better off buying a train, which I can also afford? (/homer simpson)

Some sites say that it's over $100k and that they are only making around 200, so you aren't going to find a Shopping Cart on their site for the watch. It's not practical in any way and I don't even wear watches, but the tech is pretty cool the way it uniquely synergies art and innovative mechanical design.

The video reveals some of the workings about half way through:

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLTBnIszCLE

[lordyoupeoplearedense]

Originally Posted by teckstud

All you bitches criticizing Woz.
Talk about the product- finally something exciting out of MacWorld.

In another thread, you said spending $3000 on a laptop was moronic. Yet you think a $5000 tablet is exciting.

Nurse Ratched will be by shortly with your medication.

[Dunks]

Originally Posted by MsNly

I'm pretty sure its a binary watch, a friend showed me one today.

To me it looks like it contains three old school vacuum tubes (hence the thickness). Each tube looks like it contains wires shaped like numbers which i assume indicate the time by glowing inside the vacuum....?

[bloggerblog]

Originally Posted by Dunks

To me it looks like it contains three old school vacuum tubes (hence the thickness). Each tube looks like it contains wires shaped like numbers which i assume indicate the time by glowing inside the vacuum....?

urrr... I already posted a link for this watch ($395). The vacuum tubes are called Nixie tubes.
http://www.cathodecorner.com/nixiewatch/

[infrared]

daft question but does it have a hardware keyboard or would that have to be added?

[hillstones]

Woz needs to get off his Segway and start WALKING!

What a rip off for a laptop. Apple's top of the line is now only $2,799. No one will spend double for a tablet. They should clean off all the damn fingerprints too if they want it to look desirable.

[nofear1az]

Originally Posted by JAQ

If Jobs is looking to get back the weight he lost, Woz appears to have found it.

[Zimzim]

That butt ugly watch tells you everything you need to know about this oaf, and why he's on the axiotronic stand and not the apple stand. He's been an embarrassing passenger for too long.

[Watters]

Originally Posted by Zimzim

That butt ugly watch tells you everything you need to know about this oaf, and why he's on the axiotronic stand and not the apple stand. He's been an embarrassing passenger for too long.

Your a douche bag. The man is the co-founder, show some respect.

[Zimzim]

Only if you learn to spell. I can think what I like of Woz. I see him and I see pre OSX MacOS, and I don't wanna go there