Apple tablet could have 'imminent' Jan. 2010 debut - report

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  • Reply 41 of 46
    kibitzerkibitzer Posts: 1,114member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by cmf2 View Post


    The headline is misleading. AI is suggesting that Apple will announce the tablet in January, but it wouldn't ship until February or March. So it would be a little early to see product place holders.



    If that's what AI is suggesting, I'd think that doesn't fit Apple's recent behavior for introducing game-changers. See my previous comment about vaporware. I believe that Apple will time its announcement close to actually having product available for sale. If a late January announcement - February - maybe. March - too far out.



    The only justification I could see for an expedited announcement would be to put Apple's stamp on the current ongoing discussions about industry standards for distribution of e-book content and music and video streaming.
  • Reply 42 of 46
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Kibitzer View Post


    I believe that Apple will time its announcement close to actually having product available for sale. If a late January announcement - February - maybe. March - too far out.



    The only justification I could see for an expedited announcement would be to put Apple's stamp on the current ongoing discussions about industry standards for distribution of e-book content and music and video streaming.



    Apple has been doing this more and more often and with some much longer gaps between announcements over the last few years. The longest I recall is the AppleTV, but my theory for the demo followed by a 6 month wait was more to show studios the interest people had in a device that could keep their content secure. That didn?t pan out so well.



    Many Macs have been had initial delays of weeks, like the 27? iMacs with Core-i processors. I know this been the case with MBPs, too but don?t recall exactly which models and when. I think the revamped 17? MBP took a couple months to come to market after introduction. The iPhone was done as such but since phone users in the US are usually under contract a 6 month advancement notice makes a lot of since as it allows up to 25% of your built-in fanbase ready for the launch.



    As you state, a tablet with publishers (and TV studios) with a subscription model are likely reason enough to announce the device ahead of time. Another reason for a multi-week pre-launch announcement could be if there is a new SDK for developers for a tablet specific App Store or just a revising of iPhone apps to make them compatible with the Tablet. There is also the strategic move of announcing vapourware, but I a working demo doesn?t exactly fall into that category.
  • Reply 43 of 46
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by hillstones View Post


    I am guessing most of you will have no use for a 10" tablet device, since most of you already own a laptop and/or iPhone. Most here seem to brag quite a bit...



    Hard to have any authority making a statement like that when we don't even know what the "tablet" IS. A lot will depend on the OS, and the implementation. If it operates more like a MacBook than an iPod, then it could probably replace the laptop altogether for ME. (and likely for several others.).... If it's more like and iPod than a MacBook, then I'd likely stick with the MacBook.



    But a 10" tablet COULD be quite a nice gadget... IF it has more of the functionality of a full computer (the comparison to a "netbook" comes to mind, but with Apple flare.)
  • Reply 44 of 46
    I think my suggestion of the 1.8" dual-platter 240 to 320 GB hard drive isn't so far-fetched.



    Since the tablet will likely load a LOT of content locally, while going with an SSD is viable, even with 128 GB of flash memory (using the new Toshiba 64 GB flash memory modules) may not be completely viable since these new interactive magazines will use a LOT of storage space locally just for one issue. The 128 GB all flash memory might be viable on the rumored 7" model, though.



    If these 1.8" hard drives can survive on the iPod classic, they'll survice on the Apple tablet computer. And given the larger physical size of the tablet, it means a much larger battery pack, which means reasonable battery life per charge even with these tiny hard drives.



    But in a few years as the Apple tablet evolves, we will see a complete switch to all SSD storage, and probably by 2012 the display will switch to Organic LED displays, which by then offers almost the same text quality of e-ink but with the ability to display in color and also display clear 720p video.
  • Reply 45 of 46
    solipsismsolipsism Posts: 25,726member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SactoMan01 View Post


    I think my suggestion of the 1.8" dual-platter 240 to 320 GB hard drive isn't so far-fetched.



    Since the tablet will likely load a LOT of content locally, while going with an SSD is viable, even with 128 GB of flash memory (using the new Toshiba 64 GB flash memory modules) may not be completely viable since these new interactive magazines will use a LOT of storage space locally just for one issue. The 128 GB all flash memory might be viable on the rumored 7" model, though.



    If these 1.8" hard drives can survive on the iPod classic, they'll survice on the Apple tablet computer. And given the larger physical size of the tablet, it means a much larger battery pack, which means reasonable battery life per charge even with these tiny hard drives.



    But in a few years as the Apple tablet evolves, we will see a complete switch to all SSD storage, and probably by 2012 the display will switch to Organic LED displays, which by then offers almost the same text quality of e-ink but with the ability to display in color and also display clear 720p video.



    I think it can go either way right now but I?m leaning toward a complimentary device that syncs with iTunes. I see the use of NAND, but not an SSD or HDD. Something more akin to what is in the Touch. With HDD you have a larger size drive that is slower and using a little more power and more prone to breaking (overall, the power usage and durability does seem to be pretty solid these days).



    Text and images wouldn?t be that big for a magazine. Video could be HTTP Live Streaming but that makes it inconvenient for offline viewing. If they make subscriptions like Podcasts then only the unread magazines could be on the device, constantly updating with the newest material.



    With the iTunes LP and iTunes Extras looking like a template I have to wonder if a 720p display will be used with the tablet for the publisher?s template. I also wonder if Pixel Qi, or something very similar, will be used since it seems to offer the best of both worlds right now while offering a great power efficiency.
  • Reply 46 of 46
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SactoMan01 View Post


    Here's my current guess on what the device will be like:

    ...

    2) ARM11 CPU with PA Semi technology to keep power consumption down.



    3) Unknown GPU technology to allow smooth 720p HDTV playback.

    ...



    I hope you're joking. the ARM11 core (used in many smartphones like the original iphone / iphone 3G) is ancient at this point, there is no way they would release a larger tablet that has LESS power than an iPhone 3GS. It's higher resolution display and more advanced applications will certainky require more horsepower than an iPhone. It is far more likely the device will use a dual-core implementation of the new ARM Cortex-A9, possibly a custom SoC created by PA SEMI.



    Also, 720P video playback is hardly an issue. First of all, the embedded GPU core on modern ARM SoCs has nothing to do with video decoding. This is handled by a seperate Imaging/Video core. Every major SoC manufacturer's newer chips can decode 720P video (many can do 1080P now) and many can encode HD video as well from the camera.

    Again, the iTablet will probably integrate some custom video decode logic.
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