Apple is releasing a product for ease of studying/notetaking/etc. It's called the iPod. ...
No. The iPod is fundamentally an output-only device. Sure, there is a microphone gizmo for the larger model, but it's very limited and clunky and a 3rd-party product. Apple has resisted several suggestions to add data entry capability to the iPod, and I suspect newer models won't have the audio recording capability. Yes, you can get lecture podcasts and audiobooks, that's fine as far as it goes. But the iPod is not a tablet/PDA and never will be.
Put a sticky note on your monitor to never ever again mention the iPod in a tablet/PDA thread.
No. The iPod is fundamentally an output-only device. Sure, there is a microphone gizmo for the larger model, but it's very limited and clunky and a 3rd-party product. Apple has resisted several suggestions to add data entry capability to the iPod, and I suspect newer models won't have the audio recording capability. Yes, you can get lecture podcasts and audiobooks, that's fine as far as it goes. But the iPod is not a tablet/PDA and never will be.
Put a sticky note on your monitor to never ever again mention the iPod in a tablet/PDA thread.
It was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I guess the sarcasm was lost on you. I'll try harder next time. Duke, et al, actually tried this, remember?
It was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I guess the sarcasm was lost on you. I'll try harder next time. Duke, et al, actually tried this, remember?
Maybe use a smiley. Oh, the universities are definitely doing the podcast lectures. I live near Ball State and they are going great guns on it.
But a tablet/PDA's life and purpose are centered around data entry/update, not playback of read-only materials. It's really a shame that the PC tablets are such expensive, clunky, fragile, unreliable garbage. I can actually do writing on a Newton. The Treo has a tiny, difficult-to-use keyboard which makes writing painful, and a tiny screen. Cellphones these days are going to entry schemes which make writing long notes, especially technical ones, almost impossible. I still had a hope that somebody at Apple might have remembered what the original point of the Newton was, but I guess they're all gone.
Someday in the future, when time has erased the frustrating memory of the PC tablets, someone will rediscover the tablet concept... but it doesn't look like it will be Apple.
But a tablet/PDA's life and purpose are centered around data entry/update, not playback of read-only materials.
(snip)
I largely agree with the majority of your post, but feel compelled to respond to the above.
A PDA is wonderful for the playback (read here: organization and swift retrieval) of read-only materials. My Tungsten T5 (before it rolled tits to the sky and died) was glorious in pulling information out of the past in an efficient and organized manner. Documents To Go permitted the annotation of said documents giving me the raw power to both read and write on documents. Pictures, music, were also accessible, although I never used that capability. A tablet would be the same, but bigger.
As I've stated elsewhere, a tablet is a platform capable of unlimited functionality. An Apple Tablet would be even better than that.
I largely agree with the majority of your post, but feel compelled to respond to the above.
A PDA is wonderful for the playback (read here: organization and swift retrieval) of read-only materials. My Tungsten T5 (before it rolled tits to the sky and died) was glorious in pulling information out of the past in an efficient and organized manner. Documents To Go permitted the annotation of said documents giving me the raw power to both read and write on documents. Pictures, music, were also accessible, although I never used that capability. A tablet would be the same, but bigger.
As I've stated elsewhere, a tablet is a platform capable of unlimited functionality. An Apple Tablet would be even better than that.
V/R,
Aries 1B
Indianapolis
So what are you doing for a pda now?
If a tablet were done well, it would be a very good thing, I think. That size of 5x7 that was talked about should yield a screen of 7-8 inches. Even if it were 4x6, that should yield a 6-6.5" screen. That would make video watching much more enjoyable, and something that I would think about getting to watch podcasts on.
One may think Apple might offer a little PowerBook, or nano book as it has been called. It would be a lot easier on the eyes than a video iPod, and it would have input. With flash memory size increasing, it is one of those possibilities that I believe I would like to see.
If a tablet were done well, it would be a very good thing, I think. That size of 5x7 that was talked about should yield a screen of 7-8 inches. Even if it were 4x6, that should yield a 6-6.5" screen. That would make video watching much more enjoyable, and something that I would think about getting to watch podcasts on.
One may think Apple might offer a little PowerBook, or nano book as it has been called. It would be a lot easier on the eyes than a video iPod, and it would have input. With flash memory size increasing, it is one of those possibilities that I believe I would like to see.
Ho! Ho! Ho!My PDA?!Ho! Ho! Ho!
My PDA is a thousand fluttering post-its floating hither and yon!
My Tablet is an 8 1/2" x 11'' spiral bound notebook made in Tennessee.
dfiler got me excited with the GPS feature I hadn't even thought of, but I think we all agree that Apple's not coming out with a tablet anytime soon.
Meanwhile, macosrumors (yeah I know) repeatedly mentions a "super-thin iBook". If this comes about and it's really usable, I might have to buy an Intel Mac after all.
Meanwhile, macosrumors (yeah I know) repeatedly mentions a "super-thin iBook". If this comes about and it's really usable, I might have to buy an Intel Mac after all. [/B][/QUOTE]
What an appealing idea, to have a smaller PowerBook. It is not only MOSR, but that guy that had MacWhispers, I forget his name, he says that he hears from these chinese/taiwanese friends of his that Apple is much interested in larger flash memory drives, has been involved in this, and so something will be coming down the pike. He thought that the announcement for the video able iPod would be a 'tablet', or a smaller notebook, and that this would make for a lighter device, without a HD, and with flash memory. At least that is what I remember of his musings a few weeks ago.
... Apple's not ever going to come out with a Tablet. ...
Not sure I'd say 'not ever'. I'd expect it to be the dominant type of computer in another 20 to 30 years, and Apple's been on the deathwatch so many times I'm not going to assume they'll be gone then, so if they make it to that point they'll have to come out with one. But for the foreseeable future, I agree: forget it. Yes, with a misty reluctance, but forget it.
I think revolutionizing education is a whole topic onto itself, but I do know that the things I would buy from Apple this year if they made them are Quad PowerMac w/Nvidia QuadroFX 4500, (done), an iHome (media center - not iMac), and an Apple convertible tablet/laptop. With airport, or bluetooth built in, and capability to use it with the iHome, your PowerMac, and a plethora of other stuff that I have come up with in other Tablet threads. I think Apple would at least completely regenerate the way computer manufacturers look at the Tablet industry.
And again they would sell like crazy, and Apple would be credited with taking a great idea, and actually doing it right.
Comments
Originally posted by Rhumgod
Apple is releasing a product for ease of studying/notetaking/etc. It's called the iPod. ...
No. The iPod is fundamentally an output-only device. Sure, there is a microphone gizmo for the larger model, but it's very limited and clunky and a 3rd-party product. Apple has resisted several suggestions to add data entry capability to the iPod, and I suspect newer models won't have the audio recording capability. Yes, you can get lecture podcasts and audiobooks, that's fine as far as it goes. But the iPod is not a tablet/PDA and never will be.
Put a sticky note on your monitor to never ever again mention the iPod in a tablet/PDA thread.
Originally posted by cubist
No. The iPod is fundamentally an output-only device. Sure, there is a microphone gizmo for the larger model, but it's very limited and clunky and a 3rd-party product. Apple has resisted several suggestions to add data entry capability to the iPod, and I suspect newer models won't have the audio recording capability. Yes, you can get lecture podcasts and audiobooks, that's fine as far as it goes. But the iPod is not a tablet/PDA and never will be.
Put a sticky note on your monitor to never ever again mention the iPod in a tablet/PDA thread.
It was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I guess the sarcasm was lost on you. I'll try harder next time. Duke, et al, actually tried this, remember?
Originally posted by Rhumgod
It was completely tongue-in-cheek, but I guess the sarcasm was lost on you. I'll try harder next time. Duke, et al, actually tried this, remember?
Maybe use a smiley. Oh, the universities are definitely doing the podcast lectures. I live near Ball State and they are going great guns on it.
But a tablet/PDA's life and purpose are centered around data entry/update, not playback of read-only materials. It's really a shame that the PC tablets are such expensive, clunky, fragile, unreliable garbage. I can actually do writing on a Newton. The Treo has a tiny, difficult-to-use keyboard which makes writing painful, and a tiny screen. Cellphones these days are going to entry schemes which make writing long notes, especially technical ones, almost impossible. I still had a hope that somebody at Apple might have remembered what the original point of the Newton was, but I guess they're all gone.
Someday in the future, when time has erased the frustrating memory of the PC tablets, someone will rediscover the tablet concept... but it doesn't look like it will be Apple.
Originally posted by cubist from up 'round Muncie
(snip)
But a tablet/PDA's life and purpose are centered around data entry/update, not playback of read-only materials.
(snip)
I largely agree with the majority of your post, but feel compelled to respond to the above.
A PDA is wonderful for the playback (read here: organization and swift retrieval) of read-only materials. My Tungsten T5 (before it rolled tits to the sky and died) was glorious in pulling information out of the past in an efficient and organized manner. Documents To Go permitted the annotation of said documents giving me the raw power to both read and write on documents. Pictures, music, were also accessible, although I never used that capability. A tablet would be the same, but
As I've stated elsewhere, a tablet is a platform capable of unlimited functionality. An Apple Tablet would be even better than that.
V/R,
Aries 1B
Indianapolis
Originally posted by Aries 1B
I largely agree with the majority of your post, but feel compelled to respond to the above.
A PDA is wonderful for the playback (read here: organization and swift retrieval) of read-only materials. My Tungsten T5 (before it rolled tits to the sky and died) was glorious in pulling information out of the past in an efficient and organized manner. Documents To Go permitted the annotation of said documents giving me the raw power to both read and write on documents. Pictures, music, were also accessible, although I never used that capability. A tablet would be the same, but
As I've stated elsewhere, a tablet is a platform capable of unlimited functionality. An Apple Tablet would be even better than that.
V/R,
Aries 1B
Indianapolis
So what are you doing for a pda now?
If a tablet were done well, it would be a very good thing, I think. That size of 5x7 that was talked about should yield a screen of 7-8 inches. Even if it were 4x6, that should yield a 6-6.5" screen. That would make video watching much more enjoyable, and something that I would think about getting to watch podcasts on.
One may think Apple might offer a little PowerBook, or nano book as it has been called. It would be a lot easier on the eyes than a video iPod, and it would have input. With flash memory size increasing, it is one of those possibilities that I believe I would like to see.
Originally posted by NordicMan
So what are you doing for a pda now?
If a tablet were done well, it would be a very good thing, I think. That size of 5x7 that was talked about should yield a screen of 7-8 inches. Even if it were 4x6, that should yield a 6-6.5" screen. That would make video watching much more enjoyable, and something that I would think about getting to watch podcasts on.
One may think Apple might offer a little PowerBook, or nano book as it has been called. It would be a lot easier on the eyes than a video iPod, and it would have input. With flash memory size increasing, it is one of those possibilities that I believe I would like to see.
Ho! Ho! Ho!
On the up side, the battery life is pretty good.
V/R,
Aries 1B
Originally posted by Aries 1B
... On the up side, the battery life is pretty good.
On the down side, I bet syncing it and import/export are a real pain.
Originally posted by cubist
On the down side, I bet syncing it and import/export are a real pain.
The World may be synchronizing by iSync and Documents to Go...
but here at Clavius Moonbase, it's still one hand-written (ASCII) character at a time.
(Actually import and export are greatly enhanced thanks to the Xerox Corporation. Keep the lid down, or you'll go blind...).
V/R,
Aries 1B
Meanwhile, macosrumors (yeah I know) repeatedly mentions a "super-thin iBook". If this comes about and it's really usable, I might have to buy an Intel Mac after all.
What an appealing idea, to have a smaller PowerBook. It is not only MOSR, but that guy that had MacWhispers, I forget his name, he says that he hears from these chinese/taiwanese friends of his that Apple is much interested in larger flash memory drives, has been involved in this, and so something will be coming down the pike. He thought that the announcement for the video able iPod would be a 'tablet', or a smaller notebook, and that this would make for a lighter device, without a HD, and with flash memory. At least that is what I remember of his musings a few weeks ago.
Originally posted by cubist
dfiler got me excited with the GPS feature I hadn't even thought of, but I think we all agree that Apple's not coming out with a tablet anytime soon.
GPS, iPublishing, All your notes from school, photos, movies, pen input....
Apple's not ever going to come out with a Tablet.
V/R,
Aries 1B
Originally posted by Aries 1B
... Apple's not ever going to come out with a Tablet. ...
Not sure I'd say 'not ever'. I'd expect it to be the dominant type of computer in another 20 to 30 years, and Apple's been on the deathwatch so many times I'm not going to assume they'll be gone then, so if they make it to that point they'll have to come out with one. But for the foreseeable future, I agree: forget it. Yes, with a misty reluctance, but forget it.
And again they would sell like crazy, and Apple would be credited with taking a great idea, and actually doing it right.
Originally posted by cubist
Not sure I'd say 'not ever'... But for the foreseeable future, I agree: forget it. Yes, with a misty reluctance, but forget it.
For the rest of my life, then.
I've enjoyed it, but I'm out of this thread.
V/R,
Aries 1B