Tablet only Macbook strategy - Page 2

That's the problem. Too many of us don't need a toy. We need something that expands, or ad's on to the possibilities of what is already available to us.
That's why I wouldn't choose to buy just a Laptop, or, just a plain single input tablet. But if the two were combined the combination offers more than just one or the other. I have no use for either by itself, and I'm definitely not going to buy two products to lug around, but together as one I see a whole new level of possibilities. Other than that. I've had a PowerBook before. It was the one Mac that I have owned that I sold. When I used it It was like I felt I was half way there, but I needed for it to do more, and the things I needed it to do are easily achievable for Apple in 2006.

The problem is, that makes them big, fat, heavy, and $$$expensive compared to a more focused product.

I'm typing this on an (ugh!) HP 17" laptop that weighs a ton, is thicker than a brick, and has a 1.5 hr battery life.

That's not a thin light machine to surf the web with.

iPods were "just expensive MP3 players" but totally revolutionized the market. Hopefully Apple can do the same for UMPC/Origamis.

i type much much faster than I write.....

[deadhorse mode]

8" widescreen multi-touch LCD
1.06GHz ULV Core Duo CPU w/2MB shared cache
533MHz FSB
512MB NAND flash memory
2GB DDR2 SDRAM (two SO-DIMM slots)
32GB 1.8" FlashRAM HDD
Intel GMA950 integrated GPU
WUSB (wireless USB)
AirPort Extreme
BlueTooth
Quad band cell capabilities
Pivoting iSight camera
stereo BlueTooth headset w/microphone
Stylus
Mac OS X 10.5
iLife '06
iWork '06

About the size of a DVD case (which is really close to a 16:10 ratio) and half again as thick...

[/deadhorse mode]

Would be a SWEET geek item, that's for sure

;^p

Actually that was the problem. Things are much smaller, cooler, and faster today.
Have you ever seen a titanium PowerBook? They could fit it in that space today.

Superb and I would buy one straight away. I think the pen would be kept via a magnetic connection.

I can't write, I can only draw.

So every word I have to write is a piece of art and takes at least a minute to complete.

Me, too. Which is why this device is not a desktop or notebook replacement. It's an accessory for browsing & viewing, with only occasional data entry (or hook up a wireless keyboard at your desk or something).

Keep it thin, light, simple, and inexpensive for "on the go". Just like an iPod is an on-the-go version of iTunes.

$2499 isn't exactly inexpensive, but sign me up for it anyway. Just please be sure that the handwriting is fantastic. One core dedicated to that should be able to handle adaptive handwriting recognition, eh?

Ouch. I wasn't thinking $2499. More like <$1000.

MacRonin has sort of the right idea with his specs, but I'd guess 512 MB or 1 GB of RAM. Maybe iPhoto, but you wouldn't want to use iMovie or iDVD on this little thing.

Nordstrodamus, I love the features that you have mentioned. The standard pointing device on my Mac is a Wacom tablet with either the pen or 3-button mouse. I'd love to be editing an image underneath the stylus rather than on a dislocated screen.

I have followed the imaging screen too. If each imaging element transcribed a single pixel, even with sub-pixel interpolation I think that the resolution might be too low for general scanning but for text input, perhaps it might work well. Of course, if the imaging elements were actually multi-pixel in their own right, overlain by a grown or deposited lens, now, that would be interesting!

more drool

Well then it's just a waste of $2.000+

Without a convertible keyboard it's useless to 99% of us at that price.

See, now here's another reason there is no tablet yet. (Sorry onlooker, I'm latching onto your post here ).

For all those in favor of a tablet:

What is the ideal size?
How much power does it need? (CPU/GPU/memory)
Keyboard attached or no?
Rotational media or flash?
etc...

These are honest questions. Rather than dispute the need or usefulness of a tablet (this time ), I'd rather know what everyone's expectation of the mythical Apple tablet would be. I know I've seen a few somewhat detailed descriptions in some of the numerous threads on this topic.

Even within the group that really does want and sees a need for a tablet there is some dispute as to what it should be. Now look at what Apple needs to deal with.

- There are those that seem to want the PDA on steroids.
- There are those that want a laptop with touchscreen (much like is offered by PC tablets now).
- There are those that likely want something even different.

Which group does Apple satisfy? This isn't as simple as just Apple building a single product. There seems no unified vision that will be satisfied by that strategy.

I can imagine that there'd be enough difference of opinion to divide the tablet camp into a few segments but which one would be the best move for Apple? I'm not sure to be honest. I think they can afford to wait a bit and put more thought into it (and I'm sure they are).

It's not like there's a booming tablet market that they'll need to fight their way into. When they decide to enter, I'm sure like I've mentioned on other occasions, the hardware is and has been there for a while. It's most likely software and apps (that actually work better on a tablet than a laptop) holding back any widespread adoption (yeah, my opinion and I'm sure there's a bunch of people who'd buy it just because it was aan Apple tablet).

I think a new newton sized PDA "*type thing", and a convertible tablet would be the best possible solution. (**The newton PDA is mostly because obviously some people just can get over the fact that the PDA is dead so they want to take control of the tablet). Here is why. If Apple has a media center, both the Newton PDA *TT, and the tablet should be able do what they do on their own on the go, and interact intuitively with the media center when they get home; but not everybody can afford a media center and the tablet. The PDA would be a more affordable experience enhancing option. The Tablet would obviously be the ultimate experience. (with both the PDA, or the tablet you should be able to use their screens to program the DVR without interrupting what the family is currently watching)
The Media Center should be the digital hub between your computer, TV, and stereo. With Wifi, you should be able to access your computer through your hub, or airport antenna with either of them. The media center should have a iPod base station, or inputs to put them there, and it should, or could double as an AirPort Express Base Station with AirTunes so you can update your iPod from your living room through your wifi, and access your music store account from your digital hub in your living room on your TV if you wish. And run that music through your home stereo from AIrTunes.
Use your included remote, your Newton, or your Tablet to control your stereo, and access many things on your computer from anywhere in your home. LIke address book, etc, etc... The convertible tablet would be better of course because you would have keyboard in your hands as well if you needed it, and you could work from anywhere, and then some, but I'd still like to have good graphics options on the tablet so I'd be able to sketch a model on my couch while they are watching TV, and I can take it straight from sketch to paint in painter. The same goes for ZBrush. And If kids are getting them for school they would probably like to be able to run Half life 2 under bootcamp when they are not in class. You cant do that very well without a keyboard. They will probably want to use it as an all around machine in school, or for work.
I personally still need the keyboard, and it has to be attached. Who wants to lug another part around? That is just stupid.


**If apple did a newly designed newton it would probably be the hottest thing on the market. before prople figured out that 99% of people don't really need a PDA, but doubling as a media center remote link, and a wireless phone ear piece it could actually be one trick unit. The problem is that if you do that your better off designing a phone with nokia, and loose the screen. Nokia already does the universal remote from their phones in europe. They can even start your car, and open your garage door.

Yeah, there definitely seem to be (at least) two camps here. Those that want the superPDA/iPod/VideoPod and those that want a laptop with a touchscreen.

I think the Windows market has clearly shown that people aren't willing to spend extra for a laptop with a touchscreen (i.e., a Windows Tablet). You end up with a big, bulky, expensive laptop that can also (awkwardly) be used as a tablet. Apple might be able to reinvent this market the same way they reinvented the MP3 player market, but I'm not sure how.

OTOH, PDAs died because you just can't do very much with them. Many things that you'd want to do with them today--in the age of cheap & freely available wireless netorking--require a much larger screen than any PDA had. Things like browsing the web at a reasonable size (800x600 or larger), watch videos, do e-mail, use iTunes and iPhoto, etc.

For all I know, Apple might transmogrify (thanks, Calvin & Hobbes!) the iPod line into a full-fledged touchscreen device. Maybe that'll be the first step (no OS X at this point), and then version 2 or 3 of that device will be an Intel-based device with full (or almost full) OS X on it.

So maybe everyone will be satisfied. The superPDA will come from the iPod division; the tabletMac will come from the Mac division. 8)

I'd never buy a tablet, my handwriting in english is too terrible.

Tablets also usually cost more and are more likely to break the screen when you drop them. Oh, not to mention the smudges on the screen from my hands that spit sweat when I'm writing at break-neck speeds.

I learned to type 120 words a minute so people wouldn't be subjected to my penmanship. Now, if it's not within reason, the tablet wont know what the heck I'm trying to say.

As for "throwing the pen away".. how are you supposed to input data? a keyboard? Envision the a hard drive, battery, screen, mobo, processor, etc at an incline.. now, before it falls, connect a keyboard.. I donno what physics class you took, but that keyboard better weigh 8 pounds so the thing doesn't fall over!

That's where I have to agree to agree to agree.... They have no idea what Apple can do in making this, and they already say they wouldn't accept a two in one unit. I think my arguments stand on their own why we would be better suited with a two in one unit. Apple designers/engineers merely have to overcome the drawbacks instilled into the minds of all these PC weenies that think it's bad because their limited knowledge is based on the PC design. Apple/Mac engineering, and design is a whole new world to them which is why I forgive them for their cluelessness.

I just bought a brand new iMac and I love it so much I want a laptop to go w/ it. A tablet/laptop would be even better.

Do you have anything to back that up? The most fragile part is the LCD, which is probably the same unit as a non-tablet but with a thin sensor layer on top of it.

People complain about smudges, but I don't get that problem on my Palm.

I think a tablet would be great as a virtual audio control surface or video mixer control. For day-to-day GUI use, I think touching the buttons on the screen as if they were buttons would be a lot more efficient than adjusting the cursor with a mouse and clicking.

However, I don't think it makes sense to eliminate the keyboard. For a lot of text entry the keyboard is the best way to go.

Absolutely:
1) when closed, crap on the ground on which I drop it cannot touch the screen of a laptop
2) Tablets are always 'open.'
&there4; ...

Structurally, I have no idea which are more shock/dent resistant. I'd imagine throwing pebbles at the face of both screens would be a bad idea, but dropping it is like dropping a slice of bread with peanut butter on it: if you're not high enough, it's going to land face-side down.

I've seen combination laptops/tablets before and have yet to be impressed. They make good tablets but usually bulky laptops.

Again, however, I have no use for a tablet-only system. (and, as a disclaimer, I can't afford a laptop anyway right now).

If Apple made a tablet, I think we'd all need to examine what it's like before making judgements (as per onlooker's post). However, I, personally, need a keyboard, period.

I hadn't considered tablet-only units. My sister has a "combination" unit, and its thickness is actually comparable to laptops, the touch sensor doesn't really add much thickness.

Frankly, dropping any type of portable computer larger than a Palm from waist height is almost certainly going to cause damage to the screen, open or closed, no matter the type of machine it is.

So you are saying I gotta get REALLY baked before I make my PB&Js?!?

;^p

David Pogue of The New York Times today panned the Ultra Mobile PC running MS Windows Tablet OS. While he is very cranky about a lack of keyboard, these problems could perhaps be addressed by rethinking and retooling the operating software...hopefully by Apple. In any case, again as with the TabletPC, the OS seems to be the primary problem, making a keyboard desirable in the case of this machine. I don't want a machine like the one reviewed below, but if Apple can instead make a tablet on which I can get some real work done, I am all for it.

David Pogue's review of the UltraMobile PC

While I agree with Pogue on this one, he's usually a pro-Apple stooge. Every new OS Apple releases is practically without complaint from his column.

The guy's written several Mac OS help books, several of which I've owned. While he's a smart guy, it's hard to see him as objective .

How about that one laser keyboard? It is quite small and integrating that would be perfect.

Well I think 57 to 38 isn't a bad meter, and I think 50% + of those 38 would probably reconsider once it was here. And it also seems that about 20% of those 38 just wanted a big PDA - so, you can count that, but wanting a big PDA is not of any real relevance being that this topic isn't about just a big screen with a pen input. We were trying to discuss a real tablet that would be usable by the most users possible. Obviously if used for school a student would probably want to do some gaming in their free time, and that isn't possible with a big PDA. Expanding the existing laptop design is obviously the most versatile decision because it can adapt itself to anything that is already being done, and expands it into new territories.
Sales would be the key factor, and chances of a large enough group buying a pen only input big PDA device would be less than enough to keep this thing a float. I just don't see it happening that way.

Acer & Toshiba do a combined Laptop/Tablet here in the uk.

Great article. I was starting to think he didn't 'get it' when he talked about the lack of a keyboard, but then David went on to talk about more likely uses--presentations, multimedia, etc.

The biggest complaints seem to be about input method (whether physical or OS-based) and small screen (number of pixels). Apple could fix the former with great engineering, and the latter with a screen with at least 800x600 resolution, if not more.

One thing David didn't emphasize (and why he still might not quite 'get it') is that, since a UMPC is not designed to be your primary PC, text input is not critically important.

I have a desktop. I don't need a desktop replacement. I want the equivalent of a computer iPod: an accessory that's small, light, and easy for web browsing and media playback.

Again, maybe I'm wanting something from the iPod division rather than the Mac division (but I do want it with OS X so I can use iPhoto, Mail, iCal, etc.).

For me, a laptop with a touchscreen and a bulky convertible keyboard (e.g., most Windows tablets) is useless and expensive.

I agree with you. I want a device that can do everything you said and be able to control my music from my Power Mac etc. In a way act as a remote control. I suppose my vision of a tablet is a mutimedia device rather than something I would being doing spreadsheets and word documents on.

Such is the vision of my 8" tablet; a small on-the-go computer for secondary tasks...

The 13.3" & 17" tablets would be for more 'traditional' usage, and better integrate with 'traditional' input devices...

;^p

I think the above would be a more plausable idea for a Tablet. In fact an 8" tablet would be ideal. With a cut down version of OSX and possibly with a feature like being able to control other devices such as TV's HI Fi. Idealy this would be flash based to make it as thin as possible and probably running a xscale processor from Intel?

That's it, guys! Perfect.

Hey, Apple, come talk to Jimbo, MacRonin and me. We have a business plan for ya.

So you want a big PDA. Start a new thread. Your mucking ours up.

60 to 39.

No, I want a small, highly portable Mac OS X tablet

[deadhorse mode]

8" widescreen multi-touch LCD
1.06GHz ULV Core Duo CPU w/2MB shared cache
533MHz FSB
512MB NAND flash memory
2GB DDR2 SDRAM (two SO-DIMM slots)
32GB 1.8" FlashRAM HDD
Intel GMA950 integrated GPU
WUSB (wireless USB)
AirPort Extreme
BlueTooth
Quad band cell capabilities
Pivoting iSight camera
stereo BlueTooth headset w/microphone
Stylus
Mac OS X 10.5

About the size of a DVD case (which is really close to a 16:10 ratio) and half again as thick...

[/deadhorse mode]

Sorry about all the muck

Smells like my horse mighta let loose with a few road apples

(with an instant 'knock on wood', would't want to bring any bad mojo to the Apple tablet party!)

;*p