Official Apple Multi-touch 'Mac tablet' discussion, poll and mock-up thread.
I suspect tablets, when they are done properly (i.e. when Apple does one) will begin to replace notebooks. I think Apple's ultra-portable--the one they are most definitely working on--may not even be a notebook.
Think 10", thin slab of tough plastic or aluminum with hardened iPhone-like multi-touch glass display. Probably no optical disk-slot either. Just a simple looking, powerful OS X tablet device, like the iPhone's big brother if you will. Same virtual-keyboard, and same great, touchable software. Only this time it will have a real processor, a large screen, and full-blown OS X. This will be Apple's first real multi-touch Mac. No mouse, no hardware keyboard, just OS X. You've all seen the patents I'm sure, the ones where the buttons grow when the display is touched, this would enable someone to easily press the button they wanted to. i.e. close, minimize or zoom etc. etc. Touch screen is the future, and the future may be closer than most of us think.
I did mention this is the Mac tablet mock-up thread too, so feel free to show all of us how good this thing could look, thanks.
Here are some images from some recent Apple patents over the last couple of years:
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Think 10", thin slab of tough plastic or aluminum with hardened iPhone-like multi-touch glass display. Probably no optical disk-slot either. Just a simple looking, powerful OS X tablet device, like the iPhone's big brother if you will. Same virtual-keyboard, and same great, touchable software. Only this time it will have a real processor, a large screen, and full-blown OS X. This will be Apple's first real multi-touch Mac. No mouse, no hardware keyboard, just OS X. You've all seen the patents I'm sure, the ones where the buttons grow when the display is touched, this would enable someone to easily press the button they wanted to. i.e. close, minimize or zoom etc. etc. Touch screen is the future, and the future may be closer than most of us think.
I did mention this is the Mac tablet mock-up thread too, so feel free to show all of us how good this thing could look, thanks.
Here are some images from some recent Apple patents over the last couple of years:
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Comments
(The Leopard desktop is on there only to show you guys it's a Mac. The Leopard UI would obviously need to be specially tailored for finger input.)
i was in desperate need of relief from the iphone
Yes.
Right on Ireland, I think I actually posted on this (among with many others) a while back. I think 10 inches would be the perfect size and maybe a 7 inch too, to round out the line. I believe one of the coolest features it could have, would be a picture viewing action when it was docked, maybe even with some sort of frame. It could even sync wirelessly while it charges in a dock in your house away from your computer.
kcd
It's funny no one seems interested in a Multi-touch Apple tablet thread, yet if Apple came out with it all would be all over it.
There's room for an Apple "tablet" like computer. Perhaps it is the rumored MacBook thin. But imaginary spec-wise:
11" 1152x768 resolution multi-touch screen
10.5 x 7 x 0.75 inch form factor
Full-size hardware keyboard
1.2 GHz Core 2 Duo
32 GB flash
1 SO-DIMM slot with 512 MB memory
BT/WiFi/HSDPA/WiFi radios
2 USB ports
Audio in/out ports
Min-DVI out.
No optical
No trackpad/nipple
$799
Why hardware keyboard? I don't think a soft keyboard UI would be there yet. Too many people feel the top of the keys to get themselves oriented while typing. That's a really tough piece of software to write...
2. That processor is by no means fast enough.
3. Where'd you price that thing, heaven?
4. If you wanted to plug in an external Apple (or any other brand) keyboard you could, via USB.
$799
I don't see it being cheaper than the lowest Macbook but you never know. If it was cheaper, it would be a big hit in schools. I think it would be very popular in hospitals too. The processor, although slower isn't terrible. It's still dual 1.2GHz and the lowest Mini is dual 1.66GHz and it's fine for most things. It would be great to see a dual 1.83 though.
I think they can get rid of the keyboard as people can easily plug in a USB one.
I think it would also come with a magnetically latched fold over panel to prevent scratches.
I think it would also come with a magnetically latched fold over panel to prevent scratches.
Well it could, but I'm talking a tablet with iPhone-like glass.
The iPhone has me in it's spell. I voted yes.
LOLLS
1. Clearly you are missing the point of this thread.
2. That processor is by no means fast enough.
3. Where'd you price that thing, heaven?
4. If you wanted to plug in an external Apple (or any other brand) keyboard you could, via USB.
1. I voted no.
2. It's a freaking 1.2 GHz Core 2 Duo! And it has to be an enclosed that's 0.75 inches thick. It really only can live in an enclosure thats 0.5 to 0.6 inches thick. That's 2 cores operating at 1.2 GHz. I chose it because it's the ultra low voltage version that has a TDP of something like 10 watts. It's fast enough and it's really really low power.
3. It's a price point slotted between the iPhone ($599) and the MacBook ($1099). You don't want it to have the same price as a iPhone or the MacBook
4. One could. But I'll take the extra 0.25" in thickness required to make it a laptop with a touchscreen and a unique folding mechanism to put it in a tablet form.
5. For a tablet, it probably needs to be less than 1 lb, maybe even 1 lb. I'm afraid all I've got are fantasy specs. For something of this size, 10+ inches, to weight less than one pound, it would require some ultra light weight materals. I don't think it really can be done...
1. Clearly you are missing the point of this thread.
2. That processor is by no means fast enough.
3. Where'd you price that thing, heaven?
4. If you wanted to plug in an external Apple (or any other brand) keyboard you could, via USB.
Plug?
PLUG?!
This is the early 21st Century, man!
Bluetooth!
And a STYLUS!!!!!!
V/R,
Aries 1B
When Apple launched The Phone Everyone Wants, they also distributed the environmental test article for the Tablet to more than half a million testers and they made about 50% profit doing it!. Now they'll get real-world data on the durability of the materials, manufacturing techniques and packaging techniques that they'll use for The Tablet. My iPhone regularly notifies me that it's notifying Apple how things are going in/on my phone!
God those people are smart!
And I still want my STYLUS!
V/R,
Aries 1B
There are YouTube clips of people already typing quite quickly and accurately on the iPhone. A larger touch interface would make it almost as fast as a regular board once you were used to it.