Suppliers hope Apple Newton pad boosts Flash orders
With the price of NAND flash memory slumping below manufacturers' cost, Taiwanese suppliers are looking towards Apple's next big thing in hopes that it will help revitalize the market later this year.
Citing sources at Taiwan memory makers, DigiTimes notes that despite procuring about $1.2 to 1.3 billion worth of NAND flash memory for its products in calendar year 2007, Apple has yet to place any substantial orders this year.
Although the Cupertino-based company recently introduced a solid-state disk (SSD) version of its MacBook Air, suppliers believe the steep retail price of that model will do little to encourage widespread consumption amongst consumers, "which can hardly spur meaningful SSD penetration and NAND flash procurement."
Instead, the memory makers are reportedly anticipating the launch of the company's first ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) as a possible catalyst to improve demand and boost NAND pricing later in the year.
Like the MacBook Air's 64GB SSD, the device is said to employ multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash, as opposed to single-level cell (SLC), which represents the latest and most dense form of flash memory.
For its processor, the tablet-like device is widely presumed to use Intel's Atom processor, which will eventually include a dual-core 1.87GHz model, according to a leaked Intel roadmap that made its way around the Web on Monday.
Citing sources at Taiwan memory makers, DigiTimes notes that despite procuring about $1.2 to 1.3 billion worth of NAND flash memory for its products in calendar year 2007, Apple has yet to place any substantial orders this year.
Although the Cupertino-based company recently introduced a solid-state disk (SSD) version of its MacBook Air, suppliers believe the steep retail price of that model will do little to encourage widespread consumption amongst consumers, "which can hardly spur meaningful SSD penetration and NAND flash procurement."
Instead, the memory makers are reportedly anticipating the launch of the company's first ultra-mobile PC (UMPC) as a possible catalyst to improve demand and boost NAND pricing later in the year.
Like the MacBook Air's 64GB SSD, the device is said to employ multi-level cell (MLC) NAND flash, as opposed to single-level cell (SLC), which represents the latest and most dense form of flash memory.
For its processor, the tablet-like device is widely presumed to use Intel's Atom processor, which will eventually include a dual-core 1.87GHz model, according to a leaked Intel roadmap that made its way around the Web on Monday.
Comments
And what's the use case for a multi-touch tablet? What large market segment would justify buying one? If Apple actually builds one, I think that's a signal to sell AAPL because Apple's run out of marketable ideas.
Does a Newton Pad make any kind of sense? Is there really a large enough market between the Macbook Air and iPhone/iPod Touch? I have the SDK and I can tell you that if I needed anything more than the iPhone can do, I would just get a notebook. I can see them boosting the memory and maybe the processing power on both of their current product lines, but putting something in between them seems like the bad old days of not enough separation between market segments. I do not think Apple would make that mistake with Steve riding herd.
This sounds like a truckfull of....wishful thinking.
Does a Newton Pad make any kind of sense? Is there really a large enough market between the Macbook Air and iPhone/iPod Touch? I have the SDK and I can tell you that if I needed anything more than the iPhone can do, I would just get a notebook. I can see them boosting the memory and maybe the processing power on both of their current product lines, but putting something in between them seems like the bad old days of not enough separation between market segments. I do not think Apple would make that mistake with Steve riding herd.
This is HUGE.
This is all caps.... huge.
It will dwarf the touch market in one month if they bring it out and do it right.
That being said, this is some of the biggest wishful thinking Appleinsider's done for a while.
If this thing is done right, it'll have much more power and need a much bigger battery.
And it will need the more powerful cpu and memory.
The bigger video, and need for real apps running in a multitasking way would take you so far beyond what the touch can do it would be amazing.
Don't think of this as just having a little bigger screen.
Think of it being a real multi-tasking computer......
And there's no way it's going to take off if the only option they provide is the flash memory - it's way too expensive.
That does sound like wishful thinking. I'd buy one but I don't see many other people doing the same. It would be even more limiting than Air and people have already criticized Air to lack this and that.
And there's no way it's going to take off if the only option they provide is the flash memory - it's way too expensive.
I wouldn't compare a newton to the air, anymore than comparing the old newton to an old thinkpad.
As thin as the air is, it's a laptop computer.
A newton or tablet should never be confused with a lap computer.
If it is, it wasn't designed or placed in it's market place correctly.....
2) What the power usage differences between the 1.87GHz Atom and the 1.8GHz MBA Merom?
Yes, the newton was killed. And Steve shouldn't be blamed really. The market could not deal with what the newton could do and forced him to sacrifice the newton.
That was the newton's reward for the heroic deeds it did. Tears was in Steve's eyes as he raised the knife to strike. But the noble newton told him he forgave him and for him to do what must be done. Despite the tragedy though the spirit of the newton lived on.
Scores of newton diehards kept the newton spirit alive and going. The legend of the newton was passed down to the younger generation. The stories were told...songs were sung.
But as the years past and people started to forget (except the truly devoted) the spirit of the newton waited. It was waiting, plotting, and watching all this time. Watching patiently it was..behind the scenes...in the shadows. But not anymore.
Now soon with a thunderous clap it will be reborn!! And he will destroy all who oppose him! But this time he will not be called the Newton.
Oh no.
Just like firefox is the rebirth of netscape risen from the ashes like the phoenix, the 2nd coming of the Newton will be of the like. He will have a new name, a new vision, a new purpose....a new power.
So let all umpc, tablet pc's and mids beware him. For now and forever........MACTOUCH FTW!!!!!111
Does it make sense to keep calling this a Newton? With ARM processors going bye-bye and no connection to Newton's software, what does this have to do with a handheld that happened at Apple while Steve Jobs wasn't there?
I don't like the Newton either. I do expect Apple to grow the Mobile OS X platform and it can't get much smaller so bigger is the best move.
PS: ARM is going no where. Atom cannot compete with ARM. Consider Atom a class between ARM and C2D.
It is coming.....it is coming soon whether you like it or not. Perhaps sooner than you think.
Yes, the newton was killed. And Steve shouldn't be blamed really. The market could not deal with what the newton could do and forced him to sacrifice the newton.
That was the newton's reward for the heroic deeds it did. Tears was in Steve's eyes as he raised the knife to strike. But the noble newton told him he forgave him and for him to do what must be done. Despite the tragedy though the spirit of the newton lived on.
Scores of newton diehards kept the newton spirit alive and going. The legend of the newton was passed down to the younger generation. The stories were told...songs were sung.
But as the years past and people started to forget (except the truly devoted) the spirit of the newton waited. It was waiting, plotting, and watching all this time. Watching patiently it was..behind the scenes...in the shadows. But not anymore.
Now soon with a thunderous clap it will be reborn!! And he will destroy all who oppose him! But this time he will not be called the Newton.
Oh no.
Just like firefox is the rebirth of netscape risen from the ashes like the phoenix, the 2nd coming of the Newton will be of the like. He will have a new name, a new vision, a new purpose....a new power.
So let all umpc, tablet pc's and mids beware him. For now and forever........MACTOUCH FTW!!!!!111
Its been a slow day at work this morning.
Now, that's not to say Apple wouldn't come out with a device that would look like an iPod Touch with a 6-9" screen. Once the 3rd party apps start flowing, Apple will have an entire ecosystem built around mobile OS X, so I would guess any UMPC type device would probably run that instead of Mac OS X. I'd love to be wrong, but I see Apple promoting the platform where it can control everything, like it does with mobile OS X.
As for if there is a market for it, I suspect that will develop once there is a good selection of 3rd party apps. I certainly wouldn't expect anything before MacWorld 2009. And maybe not even that soon if the 3rd party apps don't materialized. If you are stuck with only Apple supplied apps, it will be a flop.
So not only is Steve going to reinvent the umpc or mid. He is going to reinvent the newton itself using his own vision of what it should be what it should have been.
And while whatever it will be people will still consider it the newton 2.0, Steve will consider it version 1.0 of whatever the final product will be.
1) How large is the Atom chip compared to the 22mm^2 Merom used in the MBA?
2) What the power usage differences between the 1.87GHz Atom and the 1.8GHz MBA Merom?
The Atom chip is much smaller, but does also require a support chip, which is also much smaller than the chips for the Merom. The power consumption is about 10%, or less than the Merom, depending on the speed of the chips.
Does it make sense to keep calling this a Newton? With ARM processors going bye-bye and no connection to Newton's software, what does this have to do with a handheld that happened at Apple while Steve Jobs wasn't there?
It's just referring to the size category, and the fact that the Newton was the first keyboardless device that used screen input only, for a consumer device.
1) Watch Videos (maybe sync videos where ever you are).
2) Surf the net
3) Play games
4) Do arty things: draw, manipulate photos (e.g. arranging a photo album much easier on big screen).
5) Read books
Imagine being able to carry a magazine sized screen anywhere (to places like laptops are too cumbersome) e.g. watch videos, surf or read a book in bed. Games which are good on a iPod Touch will be even cooler on a big screen. Surfing will be easier on big screen as you can see more of whole page (bigger screen very important for older folks as well). I think it'll just be simply more convenient for many tasks except text entry than a laptop (I suspect voice recognition in the future will help with text). I can think of lots of other uses , if you're doing a technical thing like cooking or fixing plumbing you can have a digital recipe book or manual with you, much better than a laptop for those situations. Business and professionals like doctors, engineers will find a host of use for them.
Does anyone know if the iPhone/touch SDK makes any assumptions or provide guidelines on the screen resolution applications should expect to see? A slightly larger touch (I think 50% larger is the current rumor) would, I assume, also have a higher resolution screen. And Apple would want to make sure all those apps being developed will work OK if/when a touch computer comes out with a screen resolution different from the iPhone.
As for if there is a market for it, I suspect that will develop once there is a good selection of 3rd party apps. I certainly wouldn't expect anything before MacWorld 2009. And maybe not even that soon if the 3rd party apps don't materialized. If you are stuck with only Apple supplied apps, it will be a flop.
I would imagine that Apple, like Palm and MS, has allowed for higher screen sizes in the SDK. The day of fixed rez GUI's are over.
As long as the SDK allows developers to come out with the programs they want to write, and think they can sell, which seems to be the case, the programs will flow like water.
It's doubtful that Palm, MS, Symbian, RIM, and other Mac developers aren't now evaluating the SDK with a good deal of hope for it (and for themselves). I wouldn't be surprised if we don't have at least 50 to a 100 programs ready by late June when the ver. 2 software is released, even with a beta SDK. From what I hear, the SDK is very stable, and only some issues about the store itself remain open enough to be questioned.
Does it make sense to keep calling this a Newton? With ARM processors going bye-bye and no connection to Newton's software, what does this have to do with a handheld that happened at Apple while Steve Jobs wasn't there?
It'll hang around until a real name comes along because there's a LOT of affection for the Newton.
7 or 8" diag screen and connectivity to a lightweight keyboard/dock (with its own memory and ports... maybe even a graphics chip to drive a bigger monitor) and I'm all over this thing.
Never mind the fact that apple wants to see its iphone and touch platforms do well. Introducing a tablet right now would not be good business for them. And as far as ultra-portable goes they would be shooting themselves in the foot, having just released the macbook air... Helloooo that WAS the ultra-portable. It doesn't get much smaller than that, folks.
For those who are drooling over the thought of an eee-pc sized mac should wake up and smell the coffee. Same with the newton/tablet fanatics.