Could Apple revolutionize education with a Tablet Mac?

majormatt

I have ten (paper) notebooks. A dozen books. Pencils, pens, calculators and I must lay them all out to do my studying and homework. I lose stuff, forget stuff and so on and hence forth.



I just dream of an Apple Tablet, being able to take notes, scribble my math, work on problems, etc. I just love the paper medium, it is a natural way to think, but it has drawbacks. A tablet Mac could cure these ills.



To be able to naturally write notes, work on stuff while being able to launch applications or read books on it would be insanely great. Best of both worlds.



We know Apple has included Inkwell (Newton technology) into Mac OS X and that bodes well for a Tablet Mac, but why hasnt Apple released a tablet mac? I think they're waiting a bit into the Intel transition. Why design a product all around the PPC G4 all of a sudden then to go intel? That'd be pouring resources into the past.



I have seen some some tablet PCs but so far, they are too thick and the screens are way too small. I can just envision Jobs & Co. releasing a less than inch thick tabelt with a gorgeous large screen.



Apple may not be the first to make a tablet, but like the iPod Im hoping Apple will bring a product to the market that is dramatically better.

sunilraman

you're talking more about the PADD style stuff from star trek next gen for example, where they have several A4/Legal /slightly smaller-size "datapads". like you, i like to spread my material around.



so what you are talking about is maybe a bunch of these "tablet PCs" in the sense that there are say 3 "tablets" which are your different screens and apps, all running wirelessly of a central or networked mac mini like "base station". apple could do a "tablet pc" but just One Central tablet IMO doesn't give you the flexibility and joy of paper or even a dual-monitor setup.

t'hain esh kelch

My writing on my Newton 130, looks NOWHERE near the writing I do on a paper.. Useless I say..

bancho

I'm pretty certain that most if not all the people who dream of tablet utoipia never actually used one for any length of time if at all.



Tablets can possibly excel at some specific specialized apps but suck pretty badly as general computing devices.



If you restricted it to note taking use then you may have something. Then at the end of the day upload it to your main machine.

bergz

Quote:

Originally posted by Bancho

If you restricted it to note taking use then you may have something. Then at the end of the day upload it to your main machine.

Which would be inefficient, cumbersome and costly compared to feed-scanning hand-written paper notes and using the same handwriting recognition SW.



--B

jayhigh

Setting aside the Intel switch, Apple (and I'm sure they are thinking/have thought about it) may be waiting for the technology to grow a little bit so they can make them thinner and durable. *shrugs*



The one drawback that I can think of for me personally with tablets is that you wont be able to rest your hand on the screen to write properly. To me, holding my hand just above the screen while writing would ware out my arm.

bancho

Quote:

Originally posted by bergz

Which would be inefficient, cumbersome and costly compared to feed-scanning hand-written paper notes and using the same handwriting recognition SW.



--B

Agreed, which is why I'd still never bother.

bergz

Quote:

Originally posted by Bancho

Agreed, which is why I'd still never bother.

All tabletMac threads end the same way.



--B

majormatt

My utopian dream dies

jms698

Quote:

Originally posted by jayhigh

The one drawback that I can think of for me personally with tablets is that you wont be able to rest your hand on the screen to write properly. To me, holding my hand just above the screen while writing would ware out my arm.

Tablet screens, unlike PDAs, aren't touch sensitive. They only pick up the writing of the special pen you have to use to write on them. This means that you can rest your arm on them just fine while writing.



However, I agree that tablets need to become lighter, cheaper, faster and get a better screen before they become a must-have item.

cosmonut

Whether or not they actually happen, I still think Apple is best positioned to create a tablet that actually works well. You've got to think that there's a bunch of folks at Apple who've had lots of meetings about this.

sunilraman

somewhere between the 12inch iBook and the iPod is the TabletPC/ Newton2.0 ...it WILL run on an Intel chip. the only question is, (A) will apple release this commercially, (B) at what point within the next 10 years will this happen if it does ... and (C) is it in deep skunkworks at cupertino or is it slowly moving up their list of priorities

fng

Pen and paper is still too hard to beat. There's huge advantages to having a computer paper replacement. You can date and track every addition on every page. Automatically hyperlink and index. But every pen based input I've tried is just too unruly. Referring to two different pages at the same time is still difficult with computers. Even with PDF. There's a long road to go.

sunilraman

Quote:

Originally posted by fng

Pen and paper is still too hard to beat. There's huge advantages to having a computer paper replacement. You can date and track every addition on every page. Automatically hyperlink and index. But every pen based input I've tried is just too unruly. Referring to two different pages at the same time is still difficult with computers. Even with PDF. There's a long road to go.

and right now apple is really the only major company that "gets it" as far as how this might happen, that is, making things easy and natural and fun to use...

aries 1b

Quote:

Originally posted by Bancho

I'm pretty certain that most if not all the people who dream of tablet utoipia never actually used one for any length of time if at all.



Tablets can possibly excel at some specific specialized apps but suck pretty badly as general computing devices.



If you restricted it to note taking use then you may have something. Then at the end of the day upload it to your main machine.

I used a Newton 2000 for work (uploading to a Mac7600). I used it for EVERYTHING; the 7600 became my backup and email machine. My employer then went to Windows machines and I went kicking, screaming and crying to Palm.



My experience with the first Apple Tablet was more positive than what you imply above.



My nirvana is contained in my signature (not the error stuff)



V/R,

Aries 1B

bancho

Quote:

Originally posted by Aries 1B

I used a Newton 2000 for work (uploading to a Mac7600). I used it for EVERYTHING; the 7600 became my backup and email machine. My employer then went to Windows machines and I went kicking, screaming and crying to Palm.



My experience with the first Apple Tablet was more positive than what you imply above.



My nirvana is contained in my signature (not the error stuff)



V/R,

Aries 1B

Mine was pretty sour to be honest. The problem is that a lot of what people imagine the "tablet" simplifying actually takes more effort than it would on a standard laptop. You, at least, have some experience with the concepts and it worked for you. Most here haven't used one at length and I can only imagine think they're cool based on how they're used in Star Trek.



My personal experience was in training the US Navy to use tablets in conjunction with electronic technical manuals to maintain/troubleshoot aircraft and the whole thing was utter crap. Maybe the interface played a part, maybe the hardware was not up to snuff, but the fact was that a standard laptop smoked the tablets in usability and ergonomics. The tablets flopped in spectacular fashion and they were replaced by cheap, easily replaceable laptops (the time I spent dealing with them spanned nearly 4 years though and those were some painful years).



If anyone can pull it off, it'd be Apple and I'm sure it'd be an amazing and elegaant device. The fact that they haven't bothered releasing one yet (yeah, I'm sure they're toying with them) is that for the most part, the tablet is an answer in search of a question. I want to see the apps that actually work *better* on a tablet than on a laptop (I've yet to see any). I want to see some innovation. I don't just want to see a tablet show up at the Apple store with the same load of apps that a Mini or iBook does. Show me the problem it solves.

sunilraman

so your Navy-Tablet experience was not a bunch of people in tight-fitting neo-lycra jumpsuits walking around with 12" diagonal wide 1/2" thick datapads talking about dilithium cores and plasma injectors?



seriously though i think you have mentioned a first-hand example why tablet computing still in this day and age has not taken off. sounds like in your case a laptop just sitting one of those fairly tall moveable-toolbox thingys would do just fine.

sunilraman

The Washington Post just demolished Windows Mobile 5. Particularly interesting is mention of "a spinning beachball cursor" ... Hmm... now where have I seen that before WHAT THE F*KKKKKK ???



".....The tax imposed by Windows Mobile gets steeper once you move outside its core Calendar and Contacts applications.



Its Notes program, intended for you to jot down quick memos to yourself, locks up the entire handheld for five long seconds -- a spinning-beach-ball cursor is meant to persuade you that the system is still working -- every time you close a note. And that's not the only time or place you'll see this unwanted cursor......"



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092400219.html



Anyway, also, Treo will be running WinMobile 5 announced this morning/afternoon USA time



*sigh* I'll wait until this smartphone/ iTunesphone/ handheld thing stops being shitty before I even think of needing one

aries 1b

Quote:

Originally posted by sunilraman

The Washington Post just demolished Windows Mobile 5. Particularly interesting is mention of "a spinning beachball cursor" ... Hmm... now where have I seen that before WHAT THE F*KKKKKK ???



".....The tax imposed by Windows Mobile gets steeper once you move outside its core Calendar and Contacts applications.



Its Notes program, intended for you to jot down quick memos to yourself, locks up the entire handheld for five long seconds -- a spinning-beach-ball cursor is meant to persuade you that the system is still working -- every time you close a note. And that's not the only time or place you'll see this unwanted cursor......"



http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn...092400219.html



Anyway, also, Treo will be running WinMobile 5 announced this morning/afternoon USA time



*sigh* I'll wait until this smartphone/ iTunesphone/ handheld thing stops being shitty before I even think of needing one

I need a new cell phone as does my wife AND we need new PDAs... but we'll wait.



V/R,



Aries 1B

aries 1b

Quote:

Originally posted by Bancho

My personal experience was in training the US Navy to use tablets in conjunction with electronic technical manuals to maintain/troubleshoot aircraft and the whole thing was utter crap. Maybe the interface played a part, maybe the hardware was not up to snuff, but the fact was that a standard laptop smoked the tablets in usability and ergonomics. The tablets flopped in spectacular fashion and they were replaced by cheap, easily replaceable laptops (the time I spent dealing with them spanned nearly 4 years though and those were some painful years).

Greetings from the Naval Air Warfare Center -Aircraft Division-Indianapolis (BRAC Class of 96)!



What project were you supporting? What hardware/Tablets were you using? We fiddled with Original Newtons for the Marines for a spell. Went Windows of course.



V/R,



Aries 1B

cosmonut

I completely understand why some think tablets are an answer in search of a problem. But as a municipal employee, I know that our health department takes them out on restaurant inspections and code violation calls. Before, they'd have to fill out a form on paper, take it back to the office, type it into the computer, print out records, and maybe even return a printed notice back to a property.



Now, with tablets, they fill out their forms on the tablet. They have a printer in their cars to print whatever documents are needed on paper. When they return to the office all the data is synced into their mainframe records. Theirs was a case of a problem with a sensible solution.



I've got to think that Apple could create a really great home data appliance. A person could use the tablet to browse the Web, watch video, display photos, listen to music, manage calendars, contacts and to do lists, display recipes, perform video chats, and more.



On the road or out and about, people can use them to do the same as bove, plus load GPS information, auto-sense (via Bonjour) location data on the building or business you're in, and probably a bunch of other things.



Sure, I know other PDAs can do a lot of this stuff, but nobody has built a REALLY great solution to make this kind of technology mainstream and easy to use for every soccer mom and non-tech person out there. Just my thoughts.