Quit taking everything I want to write about when I get home.
Edit, now that I am at home, here is what I think the tablet will be:
It will run an enhanced version of iPhone OS, it will run iPhone apps, but the App store will add a section for Tablet only Apps. Why not OSX? Apple will want to position this as a device that compliments your computer, not replaces it. With research indicating that most people purchase netbook as a secondary computer, this approach should work fine.
No finder. Apple likes to sync (and finder wouldn't be very touch friendly anyway), if additional features are needed, additional in app libraries will be provided.
It will multitask, think the new snow leopard expose plus an x shown in the upper left hand corner of each window like on mobile safari and the dashboard. Expose would be activated either through a four finger swipe like o the new macbooks or through the activation of a hardware button. Multitasking would serve to differentiate between the tablet and the iPhone, at least until the 4th generation (likely multicore) iPhone comes out.
Built in WiFi and 3G (maybe 4G or whatever is next), possibly with a 3G-free version (similar to the iPod touch/iPhone). Tethering permitted to share the iPhones 3G connection. The 3G version would probably come carrier locked (sadly) with a subsidy.
Despite Apples hate of styli, I think it will come with a pop-out stylus unless they come up with a better way of taking notes/having handwriting recognition. The education market is too big of a market to ignore.
It will have a front facing camera and all the usual goodies, like accelerometers, GPS, ambient light sensor, compass, etc. I'm not sure about a rear facing camera, but it could be there too.
Sync over wifi might come as well, it will be needed if the tablet is as full featured as I want it to be.
Now for some potential "killer" features ranging from the likely to the unlikely (we need to dream don't we?):
Video Player
No need to discuss this. Watching videos would be much more enjoyable than on the iPhone. Should be capable of playing HD content. Maybe Apples second device to come with HDMI out?
ebook reader/ebook store
This is the next logical expansion of itunes sales. Now it would serve a market much smaller than music and videos as lets be honest, no one reads anymore. However, there is a market in desperate need of a revamp. Textbooks. Textbooks are big, heavy and expensive, and you are afraid to write in them as that lowers the resale value. A tablet with an online ebook store could address those issues. The book reader would let you add notes to the books and the store could potentially sell you individual chapters, or allow you to "rent" the textbook for a semester. Now an ebook reader wouldn't be as nice on an LCD screen, but the ambient light sensor automatically adjusting brightness should help a lot, and this tablet would let you do a lot more than read books.
iwork/iwork.com synchronization
iwork'10 could could come with a library. itunes would be able to sync that library (or part of the library) with the tablet. Mobileme would sync with that library and update your tablet and computer libraries as needed. Notes taken on the tablet would be added to your computers library when you sync. You could take notes through typing on the onscreen keyboard (or optional bluetooth keyboard), use handwriting recognition (either keeping the your handwriting or converting it to standard text), and draw free form.
Apple TV enhancement
Act as Apple TV remote. Provide additional details about what you are watching (synopsis, ratings, reviews, similar movies etc). If Apple TV ever included a TV tuner, you could have box scores of the game you are watching show up on the tablet. Allow you to navigate all Apple TV functions without leaving your movie. Provide the option to buy the movie you are currently renting, and copy movies to the tablet (if the tablet and Apple TV are synced to the same mac).
Supplementary multi touch monitor
Programs could include multi touch support to make their use easier with the tablet. Zoom in, rotate, cut/crop images, etc.
Improved VNC/screen sharing
The iPhone has VNC applications that are surprisingly good. A tablet with a larger screen would allow you to navigate your mac quite easily on your tablet. However it could be improved even more. The tablet could have native VNC support (macs already do) and any application could be allowed to access it, and multiple applications could interact with your home computer at the same time. For example, you could have tablet version of photoshop open up photoshop on your computer that would at as a server and allow you to perform processor intensive tasks on your tablet. Unlike traditional VNC programs where you are sent a mirror image of the desktop, the dedicated app would only receive the information it needs from its parent application on computer. If you were working on a photo, the photo changes you made would be streamed to you as they are done. None of the computer UI would be visible from the tablet, instead the tablet app would have its own touch optimized UI which would then transmit the appropriate commands back to its parent application. The finished file could be saved both to the computer and to the tablet (within the application) with the option of sending it to the appropriate library on the tablet as well (i.e., music/video to the iPod library) It would be easily done over a network, or the internet if you had a static IP. This stuff is new to me, so I don't know how easy it would be to connect over the internet if you have an IP that changes, although I understand that it can be done.
Ideally you would be able to use your tablet to turn on your computer (wake from lan) from anywhere in the world and open an application of your choosing and work on files as if you were at your desktop.
September announcement with availability in limited quantities before Christmas. Steve wouldn't touch CES with a 10 foot pole.
You might be wrong. Steve has a big ego, but he likely also knows he could steal the show with this device. I think the biggest mistake you can make with Steve is to ever assume you know what he'll do. The reason I think it won't be out this year is I don't think it will be ready yet. If this will be a Mac (like I continue to stress) the amount of work and time Apple need to have put it is "a lot", and I don't think it's done yet personally. With Snow Leopard the iPhone and all that stuff going on, I think they need more time to finish it off, and they also know this has to be refined too, which takes a long time. They won't be worried about getting this out before Christmas. If this thing is real, and as big of a deal as I think it will be, for Apple Mac touch will be bigger than "the shopping season". They're thinking an industry shift, which can happen at any time in the year. 2010, CES at the earliest. If I had to place a bet on this one, I think it will be out around March or April 2010.
There is a reason why I have not purchased another macbook pro laptop, I no longer desire to walk around with a bulky clam shell computer in a bag slung over my shoulder. This is why I am holding out for Apple's tablet device. A 10" screen mini computer running full osx is definitely the way to go, I can not wait to get my hands on my new Apple mini netbook device. Only Apple can truly make a revolutionary product all these other netbooks are trying to emulate but fail at because of clunk designs, and shoddy software ala windoze.
While I am all for netbooks running Linux, which I run Linux on my personal computer at home "Ubuntu". Going full touch screen is the way of the future, and I want to be there when Apple makes this a reality.
You might be wrong. Steve has a big ego, but he likely also knows he could steal the show with this device. I think the biggest mistake you can make with Steve is to ever assume you know what he'll do. The reason I think it won't be out this year is I don't think it will be ready yet. If this will be a Mac (like I continue to stress) the amount of work and time Apple need to have put it is "a lot", and I don't think it's done yet personally. With Snow Leopard the iPhone and all that stuff going on, I think they need more time to finish it off, and they also know this has to be refined too, which takes a long time. They won't be worried about getting this out before Christmas. If this thing is real, and as big of a deal as I think it will be, for Apple Mac touch will be bigger than "the shopping season". They're thinking an industry shift, which can happen at any time in the year. 2010, CES at the earliest. If I had to place a bet on this one, I think it will be out around March or April 2010.
I have to agree fully with this response, Apple has never been known to behave like the rest of the over zealous, cash greedy, mediocre corporate america technology companies, by rushing a product out for a holiday shopping spree. Leave it up to Apple to do the right thing and polish this product to a very high standard that everyone else will obviously copy once its released. And yes I do believe April-May 2010 is when we will most likely see this Apple tablet multimedia device.
As a previous owner of a tablet PC (I know) I cannot impress upon you how useful the handwriting feature is - especially when jotting down notes, creating quick flowcharts and basically totally getting rid of a pad of paper and pen during a meeting. That, by far, was my most useful automated device - I just wish tablets would be less expensive so IT shops could roll those out in place of laptops. I just wish I could ditch the paper and pen during meetings so everything goes back to being synced through automation like I did back in my consulting days...
There is a reason why I have not purchased another macbook pro laptop, I no longer desire to walk around with a bulky clam shell computer in a bag slung over my shoulder. This is why I am holding out for Apple's tablet device. A 10" screen mini computer running full osx is definitely the way to go, I can not wait to get my hands on my new Apple mini netbook device. Only Apple can truly make a revolutionary product all these other netbooks are trying to emulate but fail at because of clunk designs, and shoddy software ala windoze.
While I am all for netbooks running Linux, which I run Linux on my personal computer at home "Ubuntu". Going full touch screen is the way of the future, and I want to be there when Apple makes this a reality.
I've been reading the thread though with all the information gathered by other posters it seems clear that the device won't have a full OSX implementation. It's going to be somewhere in between an iphone and a mac.
Steve seems to think the device is ready. I guess we're gonna find out soon.
Apple may pretend there is just ONE other tablet coming but I suspect they will end up making these things in every flavor under the sun, just like they did with MP3 players.
You gotta charge the thing somehow, and if it's got any media playback capability at all you'd almost certainly want to be able to plug in headphones or a headset.
Certainly a headphone Jack or two is required. Yeah I said two, for those cases where you want to share with a friend but not the whole world.
As to charging I'm really hoping for a standard USB Jack so that we can sip power from the ports as we find them. If the port can do On the Go USB all the better. But for me at least one USB port would be nice. It greatly reduces the need for the expensive and unreliable Apple dock cable.
Quote:
Built-In Bluetooth is a given, but the vast majority of headphones out there are wired. This device could get away with no other ports though.
Bluetooth is a given but I'm not a big fan of the tech. In any event my perspective:
1. An SD slot! Especially considering this is replacing CDROMs for movie distribution. Ideally though the SD file system would be completely accessible for backup, file transfer and whatever.
2. WiFI. This is far more important than Blutooth in my estimation.
3. About that head phone Jack it should have audio in or we should have a separate Jack for that. Or both. Audio in on the headphone Jack for voice over IP and the separate audio in for recording.
4. Ethernet. Yeah I know it is old tech but it is also very reliable and one hell of a lot faster. Plus it works a lot better in hotel rooms from my experience.
5. A wide range DC input port for charging from just about anywhere. Nominal voltage would be about 12VDC so that we can grab power from DC systems in cars and such. Wide range and smart enough that it can work from solar and other alternative power sources.
That may seem like a lot of ports but implemented right theY should have little impact on the tablets appearance. For things like the audio ports as long as this guy can do voice over IP I'm happy. USB simply because it is a huge market of neat tech that opens up this tablets potential application base hugely. Those should be considered top of the list followed by WiFi, SD, Ethernet, and Blutooth.
Comments
... In a lot of the judgments we are forming about this product, we seem to be limited to what we have seen and experienced already.
Marshall McLuhan said "whoever it was discovered water, you can bet it wasn't a fish."
I think Appleinsider is wrong. The product (or family of products?) will debut in September with product in stores by November.
Unless they go fancy and wait for flexible displays for the product then they have no reason to wait till 2010.
It wont be here until 2010. Probably demoed at CES, but who knows exactly. I'd say 2010 anyway, between January and May.
Quit taking everything I want to write about when I get home.
Edit, now that I am at home, here is what I think the tablet will be:
It will run an enhanced version of iPhone OS, it will run iPhone apps, but the App store will add a section for Tablet only Apps. Why not OSX? Apple will want to position this as a device that compliments your computer, not replaces it. With research indicating that most people purchase netbook as a secondary computer, this approach should work fine.
No finder. Apple likes to sync (and finder wouldn't be very touch friendly anyway), if additional features are needed, additional in app libraries will be provided.
It will multitask, think the new snow leopard expose plus an x shown in the upper left hand corner of each window like on mobile safari and the dashboard. Expose would be activated either through a four finger swipe like o the new macbooks or through the activation of a hardware button. Multitasking would serve to differentiate between the tablet and the iPhone, at least until the 4th generation (likely multicore) iPhone comes out.
Built in WiFi and 3G (maybe 4G or whatever is next), possibly with a 3G-free version (similar to the iPod touch/iPhone). Tethering permitted to share the iPhones 3G connection. The 3G version would probably come carrier locked (sadly) with a subsidy.
Despite Apples hate of styli, I think it will come with a pop-out stylus unless they come up with a better way of taking notes/having handwriting recognition. The education market is too big of a market to ignore.
It will have a front facing camera and all the usual goodies, like accelerometers, GPS, ambient light sensor, compass, etc. I'm not sure about a rear facing camera, but it could be there too.
Sync over wifi might come as well, it will be needed if the tablet is as full featured as I want it to be.
Now for some potential "killer" features ranging from the likely to the unlikely (we need to dream don't we?):
Video Player
No need to discuss this. Watching videos would be much more enjoyable than on the iPhone. Should be capable of playing HD content. Maybe Apples second device to come with HDMI out?
ebook reader/ebook store
This is the next logical expansion of itunes sales. Now it would serve a market much smaller than music and videos as lets be honest, no one reads anymore. However, there is a market in desperate need of a revamp. Textbooks. Textbooks are big, heavy and expensive, and you are afraid to write in them as that lowers the resale value. A tablet with an online ebook store could address those issues. The book reader would let you add notes to the books and the store could potentially sell you individual chapters, or allow you to "rent" the textbook for a semester. Now an ebook reader wouldn't be as nice on an LCD screen, but the ambient light sensor automatically adjusting brightness should help a lot, and this tablet would let you do a lot more than read books.
iwork/iwork.com synchronization
iwork'10 could could come with a library. itunes would be able to sync that library (or part of the library) with the tablet. Mobileme would sync with that library and update your tablet and computer libraries as needed. Notes taken on the tablet would be added to your computers library when you sync. You could take notes through typing on the onscreen keyboard (or optional bluetooth keyboard), use handwriting recognition (either keeping the your handwriting or converting it to standard text), and draw free form.
Apple TV enhancement
Act as Apple TV remote. Provide additional details about what you are watching (synopsis, ratings, reviews, similar movies etc). If Apple TV ever included a TV tuner, you could have box scores of the game you are watching show up on the tablet. Allow you to navigate all Apple TV functions without leaving your movie. Provide the option to buy the movie you are currently renting, and copy movies to the tablet (if the tablet and Apple TV are synced to the same mac).
Supplementary multi touch monitor
Programs could include multi touch support to make their use easier with the tablet. Zoom in, rotate, cut/crop images, etc.
Improved VNC/screen sharing
The iPhone has VNC applications that are surprisingly good. A tablet with a larger screen would allow you to navigate your mac quite easily on your tablet. However it could be improved even more. The tablet could have native VNC support (macs already do) and any application could be allowed to access it, and multiple applications could interact with your home computer at the same time. For example, you could have tablet version of photoshop open up photoshop on your computer that would at as a server and allow you to perform processor intensive tasks on your tablet. Unlike traditional VNC programs where you are sent a mirror image of the desktop, the dedicated app would only receive the information it needs from its parent application on computer. If you were working on a photo, the photo changes you made would be streamed to you as they are done. None of the computer UI would be visible from the tablet, instead the tablet app would have its own touch optimized UI which would then transmit the appropriate commands back to its parent application. The finished file could be saved both to the computer and to the tablet (within the application) with the option of sending it to the appropriate library on the tablet as well (i.e., music/video to the iPod library) It would be easily done over a network, or the internet if you had a static IP. This stuff is new to me, so I don't know how easy it would be to connect over the internet if you have an IP that changes, although I understand that it can be done.
Ideally you would be able to use your tablet to turn on your computer (wake from lan) from anywhere in the world and open an application of your choosing and work on files as if you were at your desktop.
Just my thoughts.
Not bad.
It wont be here until 2010. Probably demoed at CES, but who knows exactly. I'd say 2010 anyway, between January and May.
September announcement with availability in limited quantities before Christmas. Steve wouldn't touch CES with a 10 foot pole.
Oh, I forgot to reply to this post.
I must say that I really like this tablet design. Still kinda bummed that it won't be a flexible display though.
September announcement with availability in limited quantities before Christmas. Steve wouldn't touch CES with a 10 foot pole.
You might be wrong. Steve has a big ego, but he likely also knows he could steal the show with this device. I think the biggest mistake you can make with Steve is to ever assume you know what he'll do. The reason I think it won't be out this year is I don't think it will be ready yet. If this will be a Mac (like I continue to stress) the amount of work and time Apple need to have put it is "a lot", and I don't think it's done yet personally. With Snow Leopard the iPhone and all that stuff going on, I think they need more time to finish it off, and they also know this has to be refined too, which takes a long time. They won't be worried about getting this out before Christmas. If this thing is real, and as big of a deal as I think it will be, for Apple Mac touch will be bigger than "the shopping season". They're thinking an industry shift, which can happen at any time in the year. 2010, CES at the earliest. If I had to place a bet on this one, I think it will be out around March or April 2010.
While I am all for netbooks running Linux, which I run Linux on my personal computer at home "Ubuntu". Going full touch screen is the way of the future, and I want to be there when Apple makes this a reality.
You might be wrong. Steve has a big ego, but he likely also knows he could steal the show with this device. I think the biggest mistake you can make with Steve is to ever assume you know what he'll do. The reason I think it won't be out this year is I don't think it will be ready yet. If this will be a Mac (like I continue to stress) the amount of work and time Apple need to have put it is "a lot", and I don't think it's done yet personally. With Snow Leopard the iPhone and all that stuff going on, I think they need more time to finish it off, and they also know this has to be refined too, which takes a long time. They won't be worried about getting this out before Christmas. If this thing is real, and as big of a deal as I think it will be, for Apple Mac touch will be bigger than "the shopping season". They're thinking an industry shift, which can happen at any time in the year. 2010, CES at the earliest. If I had to place a bet on this one, I think it will be out around March or April 2010.
I have to agree fully with this response, Apple has never been known to behave like the rest of the over zealous, cash greedy, mediocre corporate america technology companies, by rushing a product out for a holiday shopping spree. Leave it up to Apple to do the right thing and polish this product to a very high standard that everyone else will obviously copy once its released. And yes I do believe April-May 2010 is when we will most likely see this Apple tablet multimedia device.
Not bad.
As a previous owner of a tablet PC (I know) I cannot impress upon you how useful the handwriting feature is - especially when jotting down notes, creating quick flowcharts and basically totally getting rid of a pad of paper and pen during a meeting. That, by far, was my most useful automated device - I just wish tablets would be less expensive so IT shops could roll those out in place of laptops. I just wish I could ditch the paper and pen during meetings so everything goes back to being synced through automation like I did back in my consulting days...
There is a reason why I have not purchased another macbook pro laptop, I no longer desire to walk around with a bulky clam shell computer in a bag slung over my shoulder. This is why I am holding out for Apple's tablet device. A 10" screen mini computer running full osx is definitely the way to go, I can not wait to get my hands on my new Apple mini netbook device. Only Apple can truly make a revolutionary product all these other netbooks are trying to emulate but fail at because of clunk designs, and shoddy software ala windoze.
While I am all for netbooks running Linux, which I run Linux on my personal computer at home "Ubuntu". Going full touch screen is the way of the future, and I want to be there when Apple makes this a reality.
I've been reading the thread though with all the information gathered by other posters it seems clear that the device won't have a full OSX implementation. It's going to be somewhere in between an iphone and a mac.
Steve seems to think the device is ready. I guess we're gonna find out soon.
Apple may pretend there is just ONE other tablet coming but I suspect they will end up making these things in every flavor under the sun, just like they did with MP3 players.
Yay...I want an iTablet Shuffle...
You gotta charge the thing somehow, and if it's got any media playback capability at all you'd almost certainly want to be able to plug in headphones or a headset.
Certainly a headphone Jack or two is required. Yeah I said two, for those cases where you want to share with a friend but not the whole world.
As to charging I'm really hoping for a standard USB Jack so that we can sip power from the ports as we find them. If the port can do On the Go USB all the better. But for me at least one USB port would be nice. It greatly reduces the need for the expensive and unreliable Apple dock cable.
Built-In Bluetooth is a given, but the vast majority of headphones out there are wired. This device could get away with no other ports though.
Bluetooth is a given but I'm not a big fan of the tech. In any event my perspective:
1. An SD slot! Especially considering this is replacing CDROMs for movie distribution. Ideally though the SD file system would be completely accessible for backup, file transfer and whatever.
2. WiFI. This is far more important than Blutooth in my estimation.
3. About that head phone Jack it should have audio in or we should have a separate Jack for that. Or both. Audio in on the headphone Jack for voice over IP and the separate audio in for recording.
4. Ethernet. Yeah I know it is old tech but it is also very reliable and one hell of a lot faster. Plus it works a lot better in hotel rooms from my experience.
5. A wide range DC input port for charging from just about anywhere. Nominal voltage would be about 12VDC so that we can grab power from DC systems in cars and such. Wide range and smart enough that it can work from solar and other alternative power sources.
That may seem like a lot of ports but implemented right theY should have little impact on the tablets appearance. For things like the audio ports as long as this guy can do voice over IP I'm happy. USB simply because it is a huge market of neat tech that opens up this tablets potential application base hugely. Those should be considered top of the list followed by WiFi, SD, Ethernet, and Blutooth.
Dave