Former Google China president reveals details on Apple's tablet - Page 4

I agree.

Just tell her to turn off that other camera.


(Since a camera adds 10 pounds, how many cameras do you have on you?)

This sounds familiar. People said an iPhone wouldn't work without a physical keypad either. We don't know anything about the device, yet it is being written off. Maybe the on screen keyboard will work great. Maybe it will have a split keyboard perfect for thumb typing on the go, who knows. A new dock connector seems probable as the current one isn't strong enough to hold a tablet upright. Imagine a tablet laying horizontal a dock connector on the bottom. How hard would it be for someone to make a keyboard that connected through that dock connector giving you a laptop like layout, it could even be hinged so it folded. Or maybe none of that will happen. It would still be good for the masses who want a more portable internet device.

Does this tablet make my butt look fat?

I just did a quick layout and it confirms my suspicion that the size would be 5.5"x8.5" based on a 10.1" diagonal measurement. This puts the mystery product right in the sweet spot for the most popular sized paper-based planners! Say goodbye to Franklin-Covey, Filofax, etc.!

Do you realize how much money people could save with a e-version of a personal planner with cloud-based backup? Not to mention the fruition of the early promise of Newton. If this does everything as promised by Mr. Google China, this will be in a prime position to lead in the tidal wave of replacements for paper-based consumer goods.

Video-conferencing for more than 3 or 4 people, perhaps? With the larger format, maybe up to 8 or 10 people at a time? Maybe they'll sell this as the definitive replacement for in-person meetings.

Sorry I meant the group of people that are anti iPhone OS on the tablet and justify that stance with what I would consider a list of non-reasons. My cost comment was derived from the common belief that this thing will cost less than a grand and I was still unimpressed with the assumptions made against a tablet running some iteration of iPhone OS and unfortunately made one of my own.

I didn't fully understand what you wanted, but I don't think this tablet is going match what you want it to be. Not because the concept is flawed but because it just doesn't aspire to be that. Maybe someone will make a modbook air (still wouldn't add another USB port or make it more compact though).

Interesting speculation...

It would also be cool if you could rotate the unit, so you could read text in vertical mode instead of wide screen video mode. Less scrolling. More info displayed on the screen.

To really benefit the business user, the machine would need to allow multiple apps to be open and copying/pasting between windows/apps - e.g., you'd need to open that spreadsheet, copy parts of some data, put it into a new spreadsheet, create a table or chart and plop that into an open PPT frame. Or even something as simple or rudimentary as side-by-side email message windows. If you can't work on your presentation while you're on the plane en route to the meeting, why would you tote it?

If one product goal is to truly replace paper planners, don't you imagine that some stylus or writing instrument would be required?

Maybe not required, since an on-screen keyboard would be one option. But it would enhance note-taking for anyone not wanting to type.

If we can judge by how the iPhone launch went it seems logical that there will be a rich set of base applications for the tablet written by Apple to provide the practical functionality required in this new class of device, but the app store is really the key to it's long term success.

Ultimately there will be unlimited uses for the device but it needs to launch with a defined usefulness to average people. That is why I believe it will be mostly about consuming content and not creating content, at least at first.

I still hope it is not called the slate that just sucks in my opinion. As much as it has been discussed here that SJ would never reuse the name Newton, I think it would be cool to see a resurrection of a device that was way ahead of it's time. I especially like the stylus input capability and handwriting recognition.

The thing that is strange about the report of a web cam is that clearly the device will be able to operate in the portrait and landscape view, where is the camera located?

That's why it's a little difficult to believe it has a camera. Again, even with the Google guy's comments, this product is still science fiction at this point.

Its actually hard to believe that a new product would not have a camera of some kind.

The same people who have always been the market for this device. The same people who care enough to drudge up rumors and information. People who want to do more with less, on the go.

"Laptops" today are for 1st computer users. They're a mobile, all in one package that can found at any price point. At some point, the person's particular needs are identified, and the people who need a full computer on the go opt for more expensive, more powerful, more complete Laptops.
Other people leave their laptop home, until they opt for more power for less money with the desktop route.

However, smartphones have been replacing peoples'24/7 laptop needs. Not completely, but in terms of the the basics. The iPhone does this better than any other device on the market. iPhone users, which in US terms is around 20 million, have gotten their feet wet with portable computing, the new way (the no-laptop way). We are all aware that the iPhone alone created smartphone users, and at the same time, mobile computer users, out of many NON mobile pc users.

But many are starting to want more than email games and web browsing on the go. It makes that Laptop seem appealing again, but its much more than most need on the go, both in features/size/price. However, an iPhone-like device that is larger with more processing power, multi-tasking ability, and enough screen real estate & genius multi -touch to support Apple's productivity suites, would definitely sell.

As much as the technophiles want all of Snow Leopard crammed into nothing but 1/4 thick HD screen, that's not where we're at right now.

Eh, no worries, thanks for the kind words, however. It's all as exciting as that thrilling iPhone OS X notification I've come to love and admire: "NOTHING TO UNDO - CANCEL."

I mean, if there's nothing to undo, why must I cancel? And if nothing actually happened, what is it specifically I am canceling? I guess we're all canceling much to do about nuthin'

Strange. Yet another mystery of life...

I like it, but might it actually be positioned on the corner to accommodate both vertical and horizontal orientation? Or maybe just on the shorter side to act as a vid conf cam and notepad simultaneously? I have no idea.

And don't forget the "tactile feedback" keyboard the R&D dept came up with, ohhh but wait didn't RIM first use that technology on their touchscreen phones Storm and Storm2? Which many of you blasted and said you'd never want it? Now all of a sudden Apple uses it and its innovative. You guys kill me.

Yeah, but me 87 year old Irish Mum could still whip 'em.

I'm not into whips, especially from 87 year old mums.

I really don't understand how Apple is gonna make me need this device. It sounds like it'll be a nice to have... but i don't see myself using it at work, at home or on public transport..

Hmmmmm, and given that you apparently can't tell the difference between a poorly implemented full screen rocker switch scheme and what Apple has patented, you pretty much kill us.

That does remain to seen. We only have rumors, patent-bases speculations and saucer-eyed desires to go by, but keep in mind Apple has a good track record since Jobs return of bringing out game changers.

If it's like the tablet I imagine it's main selling point will actually be it's versatility. Couch surfing, train, plane, school desk, cafe bar etc. Wherever there's a flat smooth surface or a couch you can use it, as since it's lighter, thinner and smaller than even the Air you'll take it with you more often than you would a laptop.

If this device in its base form really does check in at USD $800 then as far as I'm concerned it's DOA.

Already the Macbook is down to $999 and that figure is trending downwards. Clearly the impression is that the tablet will not be running the Mac OS proper and really it's not suited to it. Multi-tasking would still be a pain on such a small device and typing on it, no matter how clever the UI, is simply going to be inferior to a laptop or even a netbook.

At $800 the device would provide zero competition for inexpensive netbooks and have inherent shortcomings stacked up against even Mac's entry-level laptops. On the PC side, $800 buys quite a capable laptop.

If this thing does have a 10-inch screen and an $800 price tag, it will be strictly a low-volume niche product. So few consumers will find it meets their needs that it will invariably be a sales flop. Considering uncertain economic times, such a device brought to market at this time seems like a very bad move for a company that is on such a great roll.

I've posted numerous times insisting that if Apple does bring out a tablet in 2010, it will be essentially a Touch with a screen in the 5-inch to 7-inch range, and a price tag much closer to $500 (for the base model) than $800. I stand by that prediction on account of the latter makes sense, the former not even remotely. Then again, the rumours have been persistent, so who knows. A few more weeks and Apple will, it seems, let us know what the real deal is.

Deep down I'd like to see Apple debut two models, one under 7" and the other over 10". That would make a greater number of people happy. Further I'm hoping the implementation of the two devices is optimized for two different use cases.

By that I mean the 7" class device is optimized for portability to a greater extent than the 10" inch device. Part of that optimization would be a clam shell design to allow for Golding the device to a pocketable size. Or in other words a folding screen device. It may have additional I/O and other capabilities to support the gaming world. This device would function perfectly well as a cell phone and would not need to be opened to do so.

As to all the rumors about this great new user interface or user interaction capability I don't know what it is. Touch has to be there so I don't see that as the innovation. There may be new user interface widgets that a larger screen allows but even there I don't see a reason to blow ones horn. Blowing they have been because I think the leaks are very caculated and not accidental at all.

So what are they talking about with respect to this wonderful user interaction? I'm guessing voice input, but not just commands. Voice input would really be useful if the input could be directly transcribed into text for E-Mails and the like. This would really be hot and would work really well on a system where the active app owns the screen. It would certainly be better than the keyboard even if you had to correct the occasional mistakes. Another possibility is 3D proximity detection where interface elements cand be manipulated with out actually touching the screen.

Whatever the final deal is it had better be good as Apple has the hype machine in overdrive. There is a good possibility that the interface will not live up to expectations. Let's hope Apple actually has something here that is more than just a few new Touch widgets.


Dave

Naaahhh, It's gonna be a standard booklet size of 5.5" x 8.5".

This size is commonly used today for booklets and pamphlets.
Just fold an 8.5" by 11" page in 2 along the short side and voila!

Time will tell.

And how do you fit the 10.1" screen in then? And how do you have a decent sized soft keyboard?

Good old Pythagorean theorem.

a squared + b squared = c squared

5.5 squared + 8.5 squared = 10.1 squared

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pythagorean_theorem

The keyboard will be huge at 5.5 or 8.5. Either size is bigger than the landscape keyboard on the iPhone.

Time will tell.

Yes that has been publicized before. I suspect it is true and I suspect that Apples reported response at the time was also true. That response was something like the technology didn't exist to deliver what they where asking for.

Considering the tech at the time I don't doubt this one bit.

Tablets and laptops seen in doctors offices these days are NOT used as life saving devices. More exactly they are office automation tools. Depending upon whom is using the device a tablet may or may not work. That would depend entirely upon the amount of text input being done.

The medical industry has had an interest in automation suitable for their needs long before Jobs got sick. As to Apple producing a device dedicated to that market that won't happen. The volume is way to low. Besides the needs of the medical establishment are not unlike many other industries. It is far better to come up with general purpose hardware that allows for wide adoption and let software vendors do the adaptation of the device to specific markets.

Actuall the ability to do hardware adaptation would be nice too. The problem is coming up with a rigged mechanical interface on a consummer grade device. Apples new checkout system highlights just how poor the options are on the iPod Touch. A rugged port for addins like a barcode reader, an analog interface, an IR thermometer or any number of other "things" would be really nice. In this regards the dock connector is crap for portable device even though it has many of the signals required to get the job done. The trick is can Apple come up with a consumer device that can also economically support an add on port suitable for commercial use. Given that the dock is crap for this it will be tricky to say the least.

Of everything you had to say this bothered me the most. If you are in your own home the Tablet is not likely to be a big issue when it come to "safety". First off dining at the Y will expose you to more bugs. Further if you jave kids they are always spreading bugs around without an once of embarassment. On top of everything else that gets shared in a home a tablet is of no big concern. Especially considering that people are constantly cleaning the grease off the thing anyways.

I just find the current attitude in the country with respect to the new found need to sterilize everything sickening. Unfortunately this could end up backfiring big time because of the potential of something even less desirable filling the void. I'm not a Luddite here either but I've seen so many strange things this year that i have to believe this country no longer has a connection to science.

For example if you walk into the Malls around here you will find hand sanitizers at the entrances. Now explain to me what good that does? Think about it you are walking into a complex with thousands of people in it from all over the area. Many obviously sick. Their germs are in the air and on anything they touch or sneeze on. But hey there is sanitizer at the entrance.

What is even worst is that you have people in government telling us how successful the precautions where or are. Hoping of course that we don't realize there was never valid evidence of danger in this country in the first place.



Dave

I understand that seems large to carry but think about the history of reading.

If 5.5" x 8.5" was ideal I'd think we wouldn't have nearly all periodicals that size or larger. I'd think newpapers would fold out to be about 3' x 3'

edit: I just did the math, that is 10.1" 16:9 but without unneeded margins it seems smaller. Now it's looking a bit small. \

Hardback novels are about that size but remember that they are pretty much all text while this device will likely need to supercede eInk devices by offering colour publications with images and possibly imbedded video.

I still think iTunes LP and Extras came out of the need to create an standards-based platform for publishers. So I have to assume a 10.1" 16:9 720p display.

You don't know that. I could just as easily say that his statements are made as part of Apples hype. That is this is a carefully crafted statement to reach a certain level of pre release excitement. The fact is either one of us could be correct or simply wrong because we are guessing.

And you would be a complete idiot in my opinion. Turning down an offer is a sign of strength and integerity and would be what I would expect from some one that can't put their heart and soul into a job.

In any event you display an attitude that has done great harm to this country when it comes to how are corporations are managed. Frankly I've seen this idea expressed similarly before, where people actually get black balled for taking a different view on an offer.

I just about landed on the floor laughing over this statement. At the executive level it is almost expected that you will move from company to company and industry to industry. Hell look at Apples executive staff today. How many of those individuals where brought in after Steve Jobs came back?

Clearly you don't have a clue what it is like working at that level. People get fired with little concern over things like job performance. Often a new CEO or manager simply wants his own team so the old one goes to the A-Z line. On the otherhand managers and such often leave on their own because the challenges they are looking for are no longer there.

Interestingly at that level management understands the needs of executives to seek out certain kinds of challenges. People are often hired simply to apply their skills and drive to solving one issue with the understanding that they may not be with the organization that long.

Well we can hope so. However AIR is a good example of Apple taking a good idea and screwing it up. That possibility is there for the tablet line up. There are many things Apple can get wrong from contracts to pricing to performance and everything else that may inhibit people. Horse races are won at the finish line, Apple may be on the way but crossing that line is a few days away.

Lots of people thought Hitler was a great thinker, that doesn't mean the average person wants to be associated with them. Now I don't consider you to be Hitler but you have been drinking the fanboi punch. So just step back and take a second look at life. Apple isn't perfect and the world of a corporate excutive is different place than where you are at right now.



Dave

This is all part of the hype machine. It is not like these people don't know each other, and keeping secrets are no problem. Just think back to the pre Segway days when Steve Jobs himself issued carefully crafted comments to rev up the hype machine around that scooter.

These excutives understand the value of viral marketing and are not shy about helping each other out. This sort of statement could be lots of things from calculated disinformation, to a reflection of rumors or a first person account. However I don't believe it to be a leak of any sort. You don't get to that level of management with out knowing when to shut up.

Dave

A larger device is possible a few years down the road but cost and other issues point to it not being what Apple will turn to in the short run. Apple has been cautiously expanding its product line, each expansion serving another market segment. That cautious approach is likely to continue, meaning that Apple will likely bring out a great product later this month that many will declare to be a disappointment, considering all the anticipation and two years from now, Apple will dominate yet another market segment because of what they bring to market this year.

Not all tactile feedback technologies are created equal. RIM's tactile tech sucked which is why they droped it in the storm 2.

I'm well aware of Apple's "rumor" control. Though it seems in the past they allow rumor sites or news media outlets for that kind hype.


He turned down an offer from Apple to Work for the competitor. You believe Microsoft is a much better company then Apple with that statement (I obviously believe the opposite). Also to add, turning down a offer can also show that he is a cretin, like I mentioned before.


Please Kid, The reason the country is in a covert divide is that people are forgetting values and more importantly family. People forget or make light of the "Tea Party" thats real patriotism. Also the racism and pre judgement of this country will ultimately lead it to its destruction and the most important, the lack of christian values. It's people like YOU who are the problem with the country, no love and enjoy to pre judge and attack someone's values, not knowing anything about them.


Gil & Sculley (2) .... Also because it's "EXPECTED" doesn't mean thats normal. A Founder/CEO that's with the company from the beginning is a CEO/Founder that is truly passionate about what they do. I dislike microsoft, though Steve Ballmer, and Bill Gates were there from the beginning and still are (meaning steve) their good examples of businessmen sticking to what they believe in. I would have said Paul Allen but he's been away from Microsoft for awhile now.


You should have landed harder on the floor.


I like the Air (I personally don't have one) it's limiting for my needs at the moment, but millions of people enjoy theirs since it fit there needs. Why bash a product that doesn't fit your needs little boy.?


Apple isn't perfect, but they make their user's lives much simpler then others you little girl.... Again if your not into what the company offers then cool thats your thing.




Dave Berkowitz ??..... I think so your a lunatic

I hear a webcam adds 20 pounds. Which is probably why people still have real instead of cyber-webcam s3x

From my work experience, you don't get to that level of management without some level of outright incompetence, covered up by blaming others, and all sorts of "manager" tricks.

FINALLY. At least you get it. Apple is cautious, meaning, this "tablet" isn't going to take over the world. It's NOT going to be as big as the iPhone. BUT, it will be a significant player in whatever market segment they enter/ reinvent.

Apple goes for product quality, not necessarily quantity.

this thing seems like it would be ungainly to carry around / hold.

The iphone works because it fits in your pocket and also in your hand. I don't see something larger lasting long without a handle of some kind, otherwise it's going to be bouncing off the ground way too much...

so yet another beautiful device will have a fugly 3rd party case on it. ergh.

like this horrid oakley case:

Steve Jobs would vomit if he ever saw that ugly thing surrounding his beautiful iPhone!