Hmmmm -- I wonder how this Tablet will be backed up. Maybe to a Time Capsule via Wi-Fi or maybe via USB cable to a Mac much like is done for the iPhone. Then again, with a MobileMe account one could use its Backup application to store limited amounts of data to Apple's iDisk cloud servers -- compressed and encrypted of course.
I?d like to discuss the logistics of how this will be backed up and charged.
I?d guarantee it?s not a Mac so I have to expect it to be synced and backed up like the iPods, iPhone and AppleTV? through iTunes. I understand why the iPods and iPhone don?t have WiFi backup, but a tablet could have WiFi syncing and backup like the AppleTV since I expect it to be device not carried with you to your Mac while at home but hopefully placed in a more social area of the house.
If the battery is 20-40 hours long like with the supposed specs of the Notion Ink device then it might not be much of an issue. But how would you likely charge it? a 30-pin connector-to-USB? Would this come with a power adapter like the iPhone or expect the user to plug into a PC like the iPod line? I?d wager that it has an AC adapter but I?m not so sure about the 30-pin connector. I have no better solution in mind but the 30-pin adapter seems like a wrong fit to me. Would the power cord have to be longer like a Mac or shorter like an iPhone? I?d think it would need to be longer for when reading comfortably on a couch, at a table or in bed. MagSafe?
So, would such a device be considered a Mac Tablet and as such, a Mac variant and so part of the quarterly Mac unit sales count?
Netbooks are counted as PC sales, yes? So, I would hope that a Mac tablet would count as a Mac sale.
Not sure why, but I'm just anticipating the changes in the market share ranking scramble that happens quarterly. If the iPhone halo effect continues apace and the Mac Tablet piles on ... we could eventually see a massive quarterly record along the lines of 5 million total Mac units sold, which would be quite nice.
It really depends on the operating system. My guess is that this phantom Apple tablet would have an ARM processor and thus run a modified version of the iPhone OS, not Mac OS X.
Thus, Apple would not market it as computer nor a Mac and won't report the tablet sales as a computer.
Based on previous failures of the PC industry in marketing tablets as personal computers, I am doubtful that Apple will try to take the same tack. My guess is that they will position the device as a media companion. Not a phone or iPod, but not a computer.
I’d like to discuss the logistics of how this will be backed up and charged.
(post truncated for legibility)
My guess is that this device would have a 30-pin iPod connector. In addition to charging and syncing capabilities, that connector also allows for analog video/audio out. Assuming that this is a heavily media-focused device, it would seem natural that Apple would continue to offer this connector.
The other less-likely charging option might be a Micro-USB port, as cellphone manufacturers have agreed on that interface to be the universal cellphone charger (even though Apple appears to not be participating on that front).
I would expect one or two USB ports, a stereo miniplug headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort connector.
My guess is that this device would have a 30-pin iPod connector. In addition to charging and syncing capabilities, that connector also allows for analog video/audio out.
I would expect one or two USB ports, a stereo miniplug headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort connector.
That sounds like a lot to me. 30-pin connector, USB port(s), headphone/mic jack, mDP port.
Having USB seems likely but with Apple going thinner and liking few ports I have to wonder if they’d want you to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, if at all. What about using the mDP port on the tablet for charging and syncing the device? I know that sounds odd but it does have Aux channels and does have ground and power channels. Apple already broke the mold somewhat with the 27” iMac’s wonky all-in-one DP input and output mDP port. That isn’t standard with the included GPU so it had to be something they designed in house that bypasses the internal GPU to supply a signal to the internal display.
(I’m gonna thrashed for this post \)
edit: Since Apple hasn’t used any other USB port standard I have doubts they’d go that route now. But I have a lot of doubts and questions about this mythical product.
I would say for the Tablet to be successful it must provide an easy to use input UI.
Possibly a UI where the keyboard is displayed on the screen with a typing box display on top showing a few lines of typed input would do the trick. Then take hands off the screen for a few moments ("moments" being user configurable) would return the display to whatever was there before the typing UI initiated.
That sounds like a lot to me. 30-pin connector, USB port(s), headphone/mic jack, mDP port.
Having USB seems likely but with Apple going thinner and liking few ports I have to wonder if they’d want you to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, if at all. What about using the mDP port on the tablet for charging and syncing the device? I know that sounds odd but it does have Aux channels and does have ground and power channels. Apple already broke the mold somewhat with the 27” iMac’s wonky all-in-one DP input and output mDP port. That isn’t standard with the included GPU so it had to be something they designed in house that bypasses the internal GPU to supply a signal to the internal display.
(I’m gonna thrashed for this post \)
edit: Since Apple hasn’t used any other USB port standard I have doubts they’d go that route now. But I have a lot of doubts and questions about this mythical product.
Based on the theoretical size of this device, I don't think that a USB port and a Mini DisplayPort are really out of reach. If this tablet ships with a 10" screen, it's not that much smaller than my three-year-old MacBook. My computer has a minijack, two USB ports, one FireWire port, Mini-DVI, Ethernet, MagSafe power, and a Kensington security port. After all, the iPhone/iPod touch has two of the four connectors (30-pin iPod connector + stereo minijack) and they're puny devices.
The problem with charging through Mini DisplayPort is that if you plug the tablet into a TV, most likely it is *not* getting charged by the TV. I'm not even sure about using the AUX channels for data. Even if it is electrically possible, it might be a violation of the spec and it might risk some sort of damage with poorly designed cables and/or host devices. Admittedly, I know zero about the new iMac's DisplayPort configuration and capabilities.
The other thing I can imagine the tablet having is an SD card slot for transferring photos and videos.
Based on the theoretical size of this device, I don't think that a USB port and a Mini DisplayPort are really out of reach. After all, the iPhone/iPod touch has two of the four connectors (30-pin iPod connector + stereo minijack) and they're puny devices.
If this tablet ships with a 10" screen, it's not that much smaller than my three-year-old MacBook. My computer has a minijack, two USB ports, one FireWire port, Mini-DVI, Ethernet, MagSafe power, and a Kensington security port.
The problem with charging through Mini DisplayPort is that if you plug the tablet into a TV, most likely it is *not* getting charged by the TV. I'm not even sure about using the AUX channels for data. Even if it is electrically possible, it might be a violation of the spec and it might risk some sort of damage with poorly designed cables and/or host devices.
Kindle killing is no great achievement. The Kindle, like iPod Classic is a dead end product. To have any legs, Kindle has to keep acquiring new functionality, just like iPod had to morph from Classic to Touch. Problem is, Amazon has zero, say that again ZERO, expertise in this (i.e. computer hardware and software design and development).
Jeff Bezos has publicly stated (Newsweek) that he believes there is room in the market for a dedicated eReader. He sites digital cameras as an example of a product that did not die even with the rise of multifunction mobile devices. He is wrong. Digital cameras survive because for great pictures you need great lenses which of course cannot be incorporated in a pocket-sized mobile device. On the other hand the physical requirements for an eReader is no different from the physical requirements of a tablet computing device.
Moving right along, watch out for the day when El Steve-o announces that they are merging the iPhone OS and the Mac OS into a single OS that can run both iPhone apps and Mac apps. (Which is also the day Microsoft's CEO gets a massive coronary.) This will happen because Gen 6 iPhone (and iPod Touch) will be powerful enough to handle desktop/laptop computing. When you're out and about, it's a mobile device performing the usual mobile computing functions. When you're at home, it connects to your flatscreen, keyboard and mouse allowing you to do large screen computing*. This is how Apple does an end around on Windows computing.
As Sun Tzu said, strike the enemy where he is weakest. Or words to that effect. . .
*Actually, we'll start seeing keyboard-mouse-monitor kiosks spring up in airports, internet cafes, and other such places. Come to think of it, instead of a mouse, the iPhone becomes a simple touch pad.
Jeff Bezos has publicly stated (Newsweek) that he believes there is room in the market for a dedicated eReader. […] On the other hand the physical requirements for an eReader is no different from the physical requirements of a tablet computing device.
I think Bezos logic is flawed for the reasons you mention but a dedicated eReader will likely be considerably cheaper than anything Apple offers and will likely have much longer usability time for reading text. This makes the physical requirements very different. I think what we might see is a device like the iPhone that united some disparate things into one and made it the leading device, happen again with a tablet if it can make a “dumb” eReader a pointless market. Unlike the phone market the eReader market is not entrenched of a cultural necessity.
Quote:
Moving right along, watch out for the day when El Steve-o announces that they are merging the iPhone OS and the Mac OS into a single OS that can run both iPhone apps and Mac apps. (Which is also the day Microsoft's CEO gets a massive coronary.) This will happen because Gen 6 iPhone (and iPod Touch) will be powerful enough to handle desktop/laptop computing. When you're out and about, it's a mobile device performing the usual mobile computing functions. When you're at home, it connects to your flatscreen, keyboard and mouse allowing you to do large screen computing. This is how Apple does an end around on Windows computing.
I can’t see this happening. There is absolutely no reason why I need one giant version of OS X to be installable on the iPhone, AppleTV and Macs. To have the code for frameworks, drivers, UI elements for any product in one software package. Having a SW that is designed hand in hand with the HW is where Apple thrives. Trying to shoehorn an OS into every other piece of HW is where the competition survives.
Quote:
As Sun Tzu said, strike the enemy where he is weakest. Or words to that effect.
He also said to make your weaknesses look like strengths to detour the enemy and your strengths look like weaknesses to build a false confidence so can you ever really know where the enemy is truly weakest?
Quote:
*Actually, we'll start seeing keyboard-mouse-monitor kiosks spring up in airports, internet cafes, and other such places. Come to think of it, instead of a mouse, the iPhone becomes a simple touch pad.
The public communication device seems pretty dead to me. If I have my iPhone I’m not going to use a kiosk that will likely cost money. I’ll use the iPhone or likely my laptop. Notebooks are outselling desktop PCs, airports have WiFi with many being free, and airlines are pushing WiFI now, too.
Actually, we'll start seeing keyboard-mouse-monitor kiosks spring up in airports, internet cafes, and other such places. Come to think of it, instead of a mouse, the iPhone becomes a simple touch pad.
Highly unlikely.
The amount of tasks one can accomplish with your smartphone continues to grow. Also, some societies are culturally predisposed to avoid public terminals. The Japanese for example consider such devices to be unsanitary. Hence, they are the leaders in contactless NFC (Near Field Communications) transaction systems. You wave your "Osaifu-keitai" (literally "wallet phone") over a sensor to pay for groceries, enter an office building, check into your flight, ride the subway, buy a movie ticket, etc.
Plus, the overhead of installing, maintaining, upgrading, and providing anti-vandalism/theft security for kiosks is substantial. You are better off mounting a WiFi router on the ceiling and letting people connect to that.
In terms of security, I'd much rather use my own device rather some public terminal anyhow.
I personally think 1.4 ~ 2 million units in a year is a gross underestimate. If this is an iPod Touch on steroids (large-screen format for iApps, wi-fi, special rich-media support, more storage, faster processing, etc.) for $600... it'll sell a lot more than 2 million units in a year... try that number quarterly, if Apple can meet the demand.
It's not just a Kindle killer. If it's remotely as good as it's envisioned (and I'm sure it will be), it redefines the entire "netbook" category as well...
That is right. If the Apple Tablet device is anything like the rumors, the education market alone will exceed 2M/year. Anybody who has been through graduate medical education, nursing, engineering will understand the huge potential. Who wants to carry 10 lbs of books everyday?
There there is the potential of reading newspapers, magazines, etc with multimedia. Plus TV shows, movies on demand, newscasts on demand, etc.
It may not be able to do 3D rendering with Vectorworks, etc but I suspect it will be good enough to do basic calculations, solve equations, run spreadsheets, or even databases especially cloud apps. I remember doing that kind of stuff with a 8088 machine and I thought that was hot.
Here's why I don't think the tablet will be a good effect for school.
DRM will put a hurt on this, numerous school textbooks are commonly tied to a university email account. For this to succeed and blow the doors open for education aspects they would have to significantly offer lower prices to drive incentive for these digital books so users who purchase them can see a real savings. Right now its just not feasible for widespread adoption for education, I could see it being used very sparingly by some though
I believe it was the Kindle that showed us what can happen when your content gets yanked, you lose it and all your work. While I do have faith in technology not failing my faith in having digital content yanked is very VERY low.
As for the handwriting, this means very little to very few. Most get a laptop to get away from having to write (unless you have a mathematical/science class) because its slower than typing. I'm assuming for this device to be capable of the same you'd need a stand and a keyboard, both of which are just extra things to carry around as a student.
Another question leaps to mind -- what kind of power source is likely to sit inside the Tablet I wonder ? If one is to use it hours on end it best have a fairly useful charge life such as 6 to 8 hours. If not, then a quick change battery pack will be needed.
If this thing has an ARM processor (which in all likelihood it will), it will not run OS X and would not be considered a Mac.
OS X already runs on ARM processors. I don't know why people don't get it. The iPhone is running OS X. It doesn't have a large screen and uses multitouch rather than a mouse and keyboard but it is programmed by third parties using objective-c and the Cocoa API's. That is part of the reason so many apps have been developed in a short period of time.
For most people, e-ink and incredibly limited functionality will not be worth the cost of a kindle when compared to an Apple tablet. You don't have to be in the same product category to takes sales away from another product. Of course some people will probably stick with e-ink devices much like some people stick with dedicated pmp's, but the vast majority probably wont.
The point of e-ink and the Kindle in particular is to read. This is difficult on reflective screens. It's hard on the eyes, etc... It's a bit why touch screen e-readers even with e-ink are not as comfortable on the eyes as a Kindle. When you read a paper book it doesn't shine back at you and that is just wonderful. It's what makes reading effortless. Reading books and articles on my current laptops/iPhone is unbearable unless it's for a very short period of time. There is reason why people download a pdf file and then print it to read.
Am eagerly looking forward to both a Kindle and an Apple tablet.
While it's true that this tablet may reshape human/computer interaction in some way, all of this hype and speculation have driven this product way into Segway land.
Nothing short of Steve Jobs giving virgin birth to this thing live on stage will do at this point.
Another note that I haven't seen elsewhere: Time's new interactive content prototype is a bit like iTunes Extras, no? Movies+movie related media, journalism+story related media.
While it's true that this tablet may reshape human/computer interaction in some way, all of this hype and speculation have driven this product way into Segway land.
Nothing short of Steve Jobs giving virgin birth to this thing live on stage will do at this point.
Another note that I haven't seen elsewhere: Time's new interactive content prototype is a bit like iTunes Extras, no? Movies+movie related media, journalism+story related media.
Jobs gave good advice to save the Segway but it was not adhered to .
The iTunes Extra and iTunes LP do function a lot like I?d expect from an publishers setup of open source web-code for content.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cthobs
Those that think this thing is going to be a Kindle Killer are not serious readers.
OUtside of using the hyperbolic term ?killer? why can?t an Apple tablet be a serious reader and contender to the Kindle?
Comments
Hmmmm -- I wonder how this Tablet will be backed up. Maybe to a Time Capsule via Wi-Fi or maybe via USB cable to a Mac much like is done for the iPhone. Then again, with a MobileMe account one could use its Backup application to store limited amounts of data to Apple's iDisk cloud servers -- compressed and encrypted of course.
I?d like to discuss the logistics of how this will be backed up and charged.
I?d guarantee it?s not a Mac so I have to expect it to be synced and backed up like the iPods, iPhone and AppleTV? through iTunes. I understand why the iPods and iPhone don?t have WiFi backup, but a tablet could have WiFi syncing and backup like the AppleTV since I expect it to be device not carried with you to your Mac while at home but hopefully placed in a more social area of the house.
If the battery is 20-40 hours long like with the supposed specs of the Notion Ink device then it might not be much of an issue. But how would you likely charge it? a 30-pin connector-to-USB? Would this come with a power adapter like the iPhone or expect the user to plug into a PC like the iPod line? I?d wager that it has an AC adapter but I?m not so sure about the 30-pin connector. I have no better solution in mind but the 30-pin adapter seems like a wrong fit to me. Would the power cord have to be longer like a Mac or shorter like an iPhone? I?d think it would need to be longer for when reading comfortably on a couch, at a table or in bed. MagSafe?
So, would such a device be considered a Mac Tablet and as such, a Mac variant and so part of the quarterly Mac unit sales count?
Netbooks are counted as PC sales, yes? So, I would hope that a Mac tablet would count as a Mac sale.
Not sure why, but I'm just anticipating the changes in the market share ranking scramble that happens quarterly. If the iPhone halo effect continues apace and the Mac Tablet piles on ... we could eventually see a massive quarterly record along the lines of 5 million total Mac units sold, which would be quite nice.
It really depends on the operating system. My guess is that this phantom Apple tablet would have an ARM processor and thus run a modified version of the iPhone OS, not Mac OS X.
Thus, Apple would not market it as computer nor a Mac and won't report the tablet sales as a computer.
Based on previous failures of the PC industry in marketing tablets as personal computers, I am doubtful that Apple will try to take the same tack. My guess is that they will position the device as a media companion. Not a phone or iPod, but not a computer.
I’d like to discuss the logistics of how this will be backed up and charged.
(post truncated for legibility)
My guess is that this device would have a 30-pin iPod connector. In addition to charging and syncing capabilities, that connector also allows for analog video/audio out. Assuming that this is a heavily media-focused device, it would seem natural that Apple would continue to offer this connector.
The other less-likely charging option might be a Micro-USB port, as cellphone manufacturers have agreed on that interface to be the universal cellphone charger (even though Apple appears to not be participating on that front).
I would expect one or two USB ports, a stereo miniplug headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort connector.
My guess is that this device would have a 30-pin iPod connector. In addition to charging and syncing capabilities, that connector also allows for analog video/audio out.
I would expect one or two USB ports, a stereo miniplug headphone jack, and a Mini DisplayPort connector.
That sounds like a lot to me. 30-pin connector, USB port(s), headphone/mic jack, mDP port.
Having USB seems likely but with Apple going thinner and liking few ports I have to wonder if they’d want you to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, if at all. What about using the mDP port on the tablet for charging and syncing the device? I know that sounds odd but it does have Aux channels and does have ground and power channels. Apple already broke the mold somewhat with the 27” iMac’s wonky all-in-one DP input and output mDP port. That isn’t standard with the included GPU so it had to be something they designed in house that bypasses the internal GPU to supply a signal to the internal display.
(I’m gonna thrashed for this post
edit: Since Apple hasn’t used any other USB port standard I have doubts they’d go that route now. But I have a lot of doubts and questions about this mythical product.
Possibly a UI where the keyboard is displayed on the screen with a typing box display on top showing a few lines of typed input would do the trick. Then take hands off the screen for a few moments ("moments" being user configurable) would return the display to whatever was there before the typing UI initiated.
That sounds like a lot to me. 30-pin connector, USB port(s), headphone/mic jack, mDP port.
Having USB seems likely but with Apple going thinner and liking few ports I have to wonder if they’d want you to use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse, if at all. What about using the mDP port on the tablet for charging and syncing the device? I know that sounds odd but it does have Aux channels and does have ground and power channels. Apple already broke the mold somewhat with the 27” iMac’s wonky all-in-one DP input and output mDP port. That isn’t standard with the included GPU so it had to be something they designed in house that bypasses the internal GPU to supply a signal to the internal display.
(I’m gonna thrashed for this post
edit: Since Apple hasn’t used any other USB port standard I have doubts they’d go that route now. But I have a lot of doubts and questions about this mythical product.
Based on the theoretical size of this device, I don't think that a USB port and a Mini DisplayPort are really out of reach. If this tablet ships with a 10" screen, it's not that much smaller than my three-year-old MacBook. My computer has a minijack, two USB ports, one FireWire port, Mini-DVI, Ethernet, MagSafe power, and a Kensington security port. After all, the iPhone/iPod touch has two of the four connectors (30-pin iPod connector + stereo minijack) and they're puny devices.
The problem with charging through Mini DisplayPort is that if you plug the tablet into a TV, most likely it is *not* getting charged by the TV. I'm not even sure about using the AUX channels for data. Even if it is electrically possible, it might be a violation of the spec and it might risk some sort of damage with poorly designed cables and/or host devices. Admittedly, I know zero about the new iMac's DisplayPort configuration and capabilities.
The other thing I can imagine the tablet having is an SD card slot for transferring photos and videos.
Based on the theoretical size of this device, I don't think that a USB port and a Mini DisplayPort are really out of reach. After all, the iPhone/iPod touch has two of the four connectors (30-pin iPod connector + stereo minijack) and they're puny devices.
If this tablet ships with a 10" screen, it's not that much smaller than my three-year-old MacBook. My computer has a minijack, two USB ports, one FireWire port, Mini-DVI, Ethernet, MagSafe power, and a Kensington security port.
The problem with charging through Mini DisplayPort is that if you plug the tablet into a TV, most likely it is *not* getting charged by the TV. I'm not even sure about using the AUX channels for data. Even if it is electrically possible, it might be a violation of the spec and it might risk some sort of damage with poorly designed cables and/or host devices.
All good points.
Jeff Bezos has publicly stated (Newsweek) that he believes there is room in the market for a dedicated eReader. He sites digital cameras as an example of a product that did not die even with the rise of multifunction mobile devices. He is wrong. Digital cameras survive because for great pictures you need great lenses which of course cannot be incorporated in a pocket-sized mobile device. On the other hand the physical requirements for an eReader is no different from the physical requirements of a tablet computing device.
Moving right along, watch out for the day when El Steve-o announces that they are merging the iPhone OS and the Mac OS into a single OS that can run both iPhone apps and Mac apps. (Which is also the day Microsoft's CEO gets a massive coronary.) This will happen because Gen 6 iPhone (and iPod Touch) will be powerful enough to handle desktop/laptop computing. When you're out and about, it's a mobile device performing the usual mobile computing functions. When you're at home, it connects to your flatscreen, keyboard and mouse allowing you to do large screen computing*. This is how Apple does an end around on Windows computing.
As Sun Tzu said, strike the enemy where he is weakest. Or words to that effect. . .
*Actually, we'll start seeing keyboard-mouse-monitor kiosks spring up in airports, internet cafes, and other such places. Come to think of it, instead of a mouse, the iPhone becomes a simple touch pad.
Jeff Bezos has publicly stated (Newsweek) that he believes there is room in the market for a dedicated eReader. […] On the other hand the physical requirements for an eReader is no different from the physical requirements of a tablet computing device.
I think Bezos logic is flawed for the reasons you mention but a dedicated eReader will likely be considerably cheaper than anything Apple offers and will likely have much longer usability time for reading text. This makes the physical requirements very different. I think what we might see is a device like the iPhone that united some disparate things into one and made it the leading device, happen again with a tablet if it can make a “dumb” eReader a pointless market. Unlike the phone market the eReader market is not entrenched of a cultural necessity.
Moving right along, watch out for the day when El Steve-o announces that they are merging the iPhone OS and the Mac OS into a single OS that can run both iPhone apps and Mac apps. (Which is also the day Microsoft's CEO gets a massive coronary.) This will happen because Gen 6 iPhone (and iPod Touch) will be powerful enough to handle desktop/laptop computing. When you're out and about, it's a mobile device performing the usual mobile computing functions. When you're at home, it connects to your flatscreen, keyboard and mouse allowing you to do large screen computing. This is how Apple does an end around on Windows computing.
I can’t see this happening. There is absolutely no reason why I need one giant version of OS X to be installable on the iPhone, AppleTV and Macs. To have the code for frameworks, drivers, UI elements for any product in one software package. Having a SW that is designed hand in hand with the HW is where Apple thrives. Trying to shoehorn an OS into every other piece of HW is where the competition survives.
As Sun Tzu said, strike the enemy where he is weakest. Or words to that effect.
He also said to make your weaknesses look like strengths to detour the enemy and your strengths look like weaknesses to build a false confidence so can you ever really know where the enemy is truly weakest?
*Actually, we'll start seeing keyboard-mouse-monitor kiosks spring up in airports, internet cafes, and other such places. Come to think of it, instead of a mouse, the iPhone becomes a simple touch pad.
The public communication device seems pretty dead to me. If I have my iPhone I’m not going to use a kiosk that will likely cost money. I’ll use the iPhone or likely my laptop. Notebooks are outselling desktop PCs, airports have WiFi with many being free, and airlines are pushing WiFI now, too.
I hope that in 10.7 The Dashboard layer's widgets are replaced with apps.
When you purchase an app, you can try it out in the Dashboard right away.
The only problem is GPS chips, multitouch, screen rotation, etc.
That's where the multi-touch tablet comes in
Apple will definitely move all its systems to incorporate touch!
Actually, we'll start seeing keyboard-mouse-monitor kiosks spring up in airports, internet cafes, and other such places. Come to think of it, instead of a mouse, the iPhone becomes a simple touch pad.
Highly unlikely.
The amount of tasks one can accomplish with your smartphone continues to grow. Also, some societies are culturally predisposed to avoid public terminals. The Japanese for example consider such devices to be unsanitary. Hence, they are the leaders in contactless NFC (Near Field Communications) transaction systems. You wave your "Osaifu-keitai" (literally "wallet phone") over a sensor to pay for groceries, enter an office building, check into your flight, ride the subway, buy a movie ticket, etc.
Plus, the overhead of installing, maintaining, upgrading, and providing anti-vandalism/theft security for kiosks is substantial. You are better off mounting a WiFi router on the ceiling and letting people connect to that.
In terms of security, I'd much rather use my own device rather some public terminal anyhow.
I personally think 1.4 ~ 2 million units in a year is a gross underestimate. If this is an iPod Touch on steroids (large-screen format for iApps, wi-fi, special rich-media support, more storage, faster processing, etc.) for $600... it'll sell a lot more than 2 million units in a year... try that number quarterly, if Apple can meet the demand.
It's not just a Kindle killer. If it's remotely as good as it's envisioned (and I'm sure it will be), it redefines the entire "netbook" category as well...
That is right. If the Apple Tablet device is anything like the rumors, the education market alone will exceed 2M/year. Anybody who has been through graduate medical education, nursing, engineering will understand the huge potential. Who wants to carry 10 lbs of books everyday?
There there is the potential of reading newspapers, magazines, etc with multimedia. Plus TV shows, movies on demand, newscasts on demand, etc.
It may not be able to do 3D rendering with Vectorworks, etc but I suspect it will be good enough to do basic calculations, solve equations, run spreadsheets, or even databases especially cloud apps. I remember doing that kind of stuff with a 8088 machine and I thought that was hot.
DRM will put a hurt on this, numerous school textbooks are commonly tied to a university email account. For this to succeed and blow the doors open for education aspects they would have to significantly offer lower prices to drive incentive for these digital books so users who purchase them can see a real savings. Right now its just not feasible for widespread adoption for education, I could see it being used very sparingly by some though
I believe it was the Kindle that showed us what can happen when your content gets yanked, you lose it and all your work. While I do have faith in technology not failing my faith in having digital content yanked is very VERY low.
As for the handwriting, this means very little to very few. Most get a laptop to get away from having to write (unless you have a mathematical/science class) because its slower than typing. I'm assuming for this device to be capable of the same you'd need a stand and a keyboard, both of which are just extra things to carry around as a student.
Another question leaps to mind -- what kind of power source is likely to sit inside the Tablet I wonder ? If one is to use it hours on end it best have a fairly useful charge life such as 6 to 8 hours. If not, then a quick change battery pack will be needed.
How thick is the bottom half of a Macbook AIR?
Very unlikely.
If this thing has an ARM processor (which in all likelihood it will), it will not run OS X and would not be considered a Mac.
OS X already runs on ARM processors. I don't know why people don't get it. The iPhone is running OS X. It doesn't have a large screen and uses multitouch rather than a mouse and keyboard but it is programmed by third parties using objective-c and the Cocoa API's. That is part of the reason so many apps have been developed in a short period of time.
For most people, e-ink and incredibly limited functionality will not be worth the cost of a kindle when compared to an Apple tablet. You don't have to be in the same product category to takes sales away from another product. Of course some people will probably stick with e-ink devices much like some people stick with dedicated pmp's, but the vast majority probably wont.
The point of e-ink and the Kindle in particular is to read. This is difficult on reflective screens. It's hard on the eyes, etc... It's a bit why touch screen e-readers even with e-ink are not as comfortable on the eyes as a Kindle. When you read a paper book it doesn't shine back at you and that is just wonderful. It's what makes reading effortless. Reading books and articles on my current laptops/iPhone is unbearable unless it's for a very short period of time. There is reason why people download a pdf file and then print it to read.
Am eagerly looking forward to both a Kindle and an Apple tablet.
philip
I hope the price is more like $399 and not $599. That would really fit into everyone's price range. But, I am glad to see my stocks go up.
You have got to be kidding?
You do know what company we are talking about here?
You should as apparently you own stock in it.
$599 is the absolute bottom of the pricing scale. I think its probably too cheap.
Don't get me wrong, I would buy two at $399.
But in reality, I might not even be able to buy one as it will more likely cost $799.
Nothing short of Steve Jobs giving virgin birth to this thing live on stage will do at this point.
Another note that I haven't seen elsewhere: Time's new interactive content prototype is a bit like iTunes Extras, no? Movies+movie related media, journalism+story related media.
While it's true that this tablet may reshape human/computer interaction in some way, all of this hype and speculation have driven this product way into Segway land.
Nothing short of Steve Jobs giving virgin birth to this thing live on stage will do at this point.
Another note that I haven't seen elsewhere: Time's new interactive content prototype is a bit like iTunes Extras, no? Movies+movie related media, journalism+story related media.
Jobs gave good advice to save the Segway but it was not adhered to .
The iTunes Extra and iTunes LP do function a lot like I?d expect from an publishers setup of open source web-code for content.
Those that think this thing is going to be a Kindle Killer are not serious readers.
OUtside of using the hyperbolic term ?killer? why can?t an Apple tablet be a serious reader and contender to the Kindle?