The Future, Redux
Please familiarize yourself with <a href="http://forums.appleinsider.com/cgi-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=001459"; target="_blank">this</a> thread before responding here.
Hey guys! I've taken all of your suggestions and performed some experiments of my own, and here is the updated model I have for the iPad:
The first thing you'll notice is the updated form factor. There are 2 major differences: it is now vertical, and it has angled grips at the top.
You will find that you end up holding the book on your arm, at the corner, and at approximately 45 degrees.
This design is the same, with the corners cut off to make it comfortable.
Secondly, I've revised some of the measurements and components layout to be a bit more realistic. Of course, they don't need quarter inch buffer zones, but this represents the associated motherboard space they would occupy. Mostly, now vertical, I wanted to maintain the convection cooling system (hence the hotter things being higher). Vents on the back will allow air cooling.
Finally: a FireWire port! Now this will have no power jack, only the port (a la iPod, which has a custom wall plug->FW charger [reuse = lower development costs]). That means the only things to plug into this will be FW and headphones.
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
[ 03-30-2002: Message edited by: Gametes ]</p>
Hey guys! I've taken all of your suggestions and performed some experiments of my own, and here is the updated model I have for the iPad:
The first thing you'll notice is the updated form factor. There are 2 major differences: it is now vertical, and it has angled grips at the top.
- Why is it vertical?- Step 1 Think of a waiter in a restaurant. He does not hold the plates out from his hand; he rests them on his arm. If you were to hold a notebook out from your hand, you would not be able to bear down on it. This is why one rests the notebook on the arm, cradling it.
- Step 2 Now, put a notebook so that the long way is perpendicular to the long way of your arm. Again, it is hard to write at the top and bottom of the page. By aligning the two long ways, your arm acts like a spine, providing support all along the notebook.
- Step 3 Now, holding the notebook this way, elbow at your side, place your arm so that it is parallel to the flat of your chest. Then hold your arm perpendicular. Compare, repeat, and compare. Since we have established the tablet must rest on your arm the long way, the layout (vertical or horizontal) now is reduced to simply matching which way is more natural. If you stand with your arms at your side, and bend your elbows to halfway up, you will find that your lower arm does not go to either straight with the body or straight away, but at an angle with your chest. This angle varies, but it is closer to being "away" than "near", especially as the weight borne increases. Thus, the screen must be vertical, as the arm most closely is. - Why are the grips angled and at the top?
Well, extend the argument for the vertical assembly. The notebook must be vertical with regards to your head. Yet the arm most comfortably bears weight at 45 degrees. Hence, with this design, both these specifications are met, and equally well for right and left handers.
You will find that you end up holding the book on your arm, at the corner, and at approximately 45 degrees.
This design is the same, with the corners cut off to make it comfortable.
Secondly, I've revised some of the measurements and components layout to be a bit more realistic. Of course, they don't need quarter inch buffer zones, but this represents the associated motherboard space they would occupy. Mostly, now vertical, I wanted to maintain the convection cooling system (hence the hotter things being higher). Vents on the back will allow air cooling.
Finally: a FireWire port! Now this will have no power jack, only the port (a la iPod, which has a custom wall plug->FW charger [reuse = lower development costs]). That means the only things to plug into this will be FW and headphones.
<img src="graemlins/smokin.gif" border="0" alt="[Chilling]" />
[ 03-30-2002: Message edited by: Gametes ]</p>
Comments
First: Modern marketing requires that the prices be $699, 799, 899. In this regard, your low end model is very close to the new 10GB iPod at 499. Is this enough of a separation? probably not for something that your are giving such capabilities to.
Second: Apple would never have product variations priced at only $100 apart. That is definitely not enough separation for the consumer to make an easy decision.
If you are going to get into product design, you can't just do the hardware and software. You must consider the marketing as well.
As for the price: I understand they are awfully close, in dollars, but as far as what you get they are astoundingly different. For 200$ (40%!) more, sure you get more function, but it's also much larger and all that. NOBODY would mistake the iTablet for an mp3 player. For 200$ (30%!) less, sure it's much smaller, but you get so much less function. NOBODY would mistake the iPod for a tablet.
For this reason, they are not competing products.
But I still agree marketing segmentation is a major concern. Just vs the iBook, not really the iPod.
As for the intervals...They are deliberately close. That way, customers will say "jeez, only 100$ for double the RAM, an extra 100MHZ, and some more HD; that sure is a great deal." I think everybody would talk themselves into the top-end model.
[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Gametes ]</p>
I think the bottom machine needs 256 RAM just to function well, this still leaves the top end model the best deal.
And what about selling (or including) a small stand and a single USB port on the bottom (rounded part, directly below the apple...err..****, the battery is their.
[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: juanvaldes ]</p>
I've personally used a 300MHz/128MB machine in X, and it's tolerable. Better bus and processor couldn't hurt here. Besides, Apple's official position -- whether or not you share it -- is that 128MB is fine. Hence, the entry level configuration.
The USB port has been discussed ad nauseum. Please review the previous thread pointed to in my first post.
It seems to me that these markets are very different, as we would predict by the function of their products: A PDA is just a calendar and contact list; an organizer. A tablet (at least, this one) is a computer capable of running any application effectively, through a pen-interface.
Even if Apple couldn't make any money on a PDA, that doesn't address whether they could on this, because different people are appealed to.
I think the PDA market (businessmen) is exhausted, while the tablet market (professionals) is untapped. Please take each of those two categories very loosely.
There is NO tool currently available that can do what this can do. Good luck walking from lab to lab, cubicle to cubicle, class to class, site to site, etc, and using a PDA or a laptop. You'd either be overfeatured or underfeatured. This would be ideal.
<strong>Why is that Fran?
It seems to me that these markets are very different, as we would predict by the function of their products: A PDA is just a calendar and contact list; an organizer. A tablet (at least, this one) is a computer capable of running any application effectively, through a pen-interface.</strong><hr></blockquote>
What, then, is a Newton?
[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</p>
<strong>Why is that Fran?
It seems to me that these markets are very different, as we would predict by the function of their products: A PDA is just a calendar and contact list; an organizer. A tablet (at least, this one) is a computer capable of running any application effectively, through a pen-interface.
Even if Apple couldn't make any money on a PDA, that doesn't address whether they could on this, because different people are appealed to.
I think the PDA market (businessmen) is exhausted, while the tablet market (professionals) is untapped. Please take each of those two categories very loosely.
There is NO tool currently available that can do what this can do. Good luck walking from lab to lab, cubicle to cubicle, class to class, site to site, etc, and using a PDA or a laptop. You'd either be overfeatured or underfeatured. This would be ideal.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Can you point me to a company that sells a tablet well enough to warrant entering the market, hopefully to make money. Also, a market as small as the Macs as well.
This has been discussed to death here, Apple is not going to do a pad.
<strong>
What, then, is a Newton?
[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
Better looking than that thing anyway! <img src="graemlins/lol.gif" border="0" alt="[Laughing]" />
J :cool:
<strong>What, then, is a Newton?</strong><hr></blockquote>
A Newton is a product that hasn't been updated in 6 years.
[quote]Originally posted by Bhodi:
<strong>Can you point me to a company that sells a tablet well enough to warrant entering the market?</strong><hr></blockquote>
Are you saying Apple can only enter markets where others have already pioneered? Great company you've got planned, Mr. Dell.
Ever hear of the GUI, Newton, Airport, iMovie...?
[quote]Originally posted by Jamie:
<strong>Better looking than that thing anyway!</strong><hr></blockquote>
Thank you for your constructive and intelligent criticism. Your opinion is important, really.
You must be very stupid if you think that an outline (literally) of a shape is even possible to construct
[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Gametes ]</p>
<strong>
What, then, is a Newton?
[ 03-31-2002: Message edited by: Amorph ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
A Newton is wonderful. But a nice bright white screen (without taking up the fine arts of Newton disassembly/reassembly and soldering), a modern connection interface (the dongle connects the Newton to the Serial cable which connects to the USB to Serial Adapter and let's just avoid the subject of the software fun and games necessary to make this work if you want to stay in OS X). Airport and Firewire....mmmm! It would be nice to display documents natively in their original format (Drawings, the prof's syllabus, etc.). Color would be nice. The Newton is an incredible display of technology....left unfinished five years ago. It still whips Palms but it would be nice to have more.
<strong>1. With the other thread on this subject the unit has the screen in a vertical orientation. Wouldn't it be cool to have a little icon in the dock you could tap to rotate the screen between portrait and landscape? You'd probably use it most of the time in Vertical but there are situations where Horizontal would work much better.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I agree the orientation would have to be switchable just for good measure, even though (an long thought) I've concluded that vertical is preferable most of the time. I think that this feature would appear in the "Displays" menubar icon and in System Prefs.
[quote]<strong>2. How is the screen protected while it is in your backpack, etc? Love my Newton's built in lid, but I'm sure Apple could come up with an even slicker solution, I mean, it has been_5_years.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Hinges, flaps, latches...all manner of moving parts and appendages at all are bad. I absolutely agree protection is imperative, though. My personal solution is that Apple include with every Tablet a sleeve (neoprene, leather, whatever) which has a durable hard insert inside the skin on one side, like a shell. This way, it's like a bag: you don't have to have it with you if you don't need it, but the protection is there when you do.
This has the added benefit over a lid of protecting the whole Tablet from blemishes and minor damage.
Also, how would I keep a (huge) lid side-neutral?
PS - I own a Newton, but for every bit I adore it, I'm frustrated by its obsoleteness/incompleteness. It's time the concept matured.
1. A laptop is divisive. By that I mean, the screen sticking up on a laptop is an obstacle between you and the folks sitting on the other side of the table. My Newton is nice and flat. People like it when you aren't hiding behind something.
2. I can write instead of typing. My typing sounds like a hailstorm in a trailer park. typing can be distracting to others. Plus I type quite a bit at home working on papers. By mixing dictation, typing (on my desktop unit), and writing (on my newton) I am not constantly doing the exact same motions which should help keep my carpal tunnel open a little longer.
3. I can jot a note wile standing, in a pew , anywhere. Walking across campus and need to jot down a number? No problem. Get inspired to add to your paper, just whip it out your Newt and write in it, even if you are in the cafeteria.
My Newt is an all in one solution for my mobile needs. It doesn't weigh a ton and slips right in my backpack. I take notes in all my classes except Hebrew (OS X doesn't have a native Hebrew input Solution either). I like having all of my notes at my fingertips and the alarms keep me on time. Just the same I could use just a bit more power. I'd love to be able to access standard Mac Apps for a quick reference (pdfs, Word docs, reference programs, etc). I love my newt, but bring on the iTablet!