Well he may have a point as a tablet would be much easier to clean afterward. After all we are talking about one glass surface and if he is familiar with glass surfaces he might to be right at home.
You wouldn't even need magnets to hold the lid shut. Getting it open again might be tricky though.
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Originally Posted by ryancawdor
1. "My screen broke! It's not protected like a notebook!"
Extra care will be required when transporting it, and the damage rate will be much greater than notebooks.
It would have a thin metal lid.
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Originally Posted by ryancawdor
2. "Too much glare!".
Notebooks and desktop monitors are angled more or less vertically; a tablet will reflect ceiling lights and the sun a lot more.
It can be far more easily repositioned than a laptop screen. They might even make it a matte display.
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Originally Posted by ryancawdor
3. "The battery life sucks!"
A notebook can afford a thicker shell since the screen is separate. To make a compelling, slender tablet a smaller battery is mandated. Point is, even as battery technology advances, a tablet will have less battery life than a notebook, or be as thick as a notebook. And people will certainly complain about a thick tablet.
Yes, battery technology isn't very good but with a smaller screen, SSD and no optical drive, I think they'd get away with a smaller battery and be able to maintain good battery life.
The same people who are begging Apple for a tablet will be the first ones to complain about:
1. "My screen broke! It's not protected like a notebook!"
Extra care will be required when transporting it, and the damage rate will be much greater than notebooks.
2. "Too much glare!".
Notebooks and desktop monitors are angled more or less vertically; a tablet will reflect ceiling lights and the sun a lot more.
3. "The battery life sucks!"
A notebook can afford a thicker shell since the screen is separate. To make a compelling, slender tablet a smaller battery is mandated. Point is, even as battery technology advances, a tablet will have less battery life than a notebook, or be as thick as a notebook. And people will certainly complain about a thick tablet.
Those are just off the top of my head. Many more complaints will surface, none of which ever seem to be contemplated by the people most ravenous for such a product. It happens time and time again.
Its not the only bit of comment on this thread that has that written on it but its an unbelievable bit of work, I'm just sorry I'm only catching it now brightened up a dull saturday though!
That all depends on what type of glass they use. If it is glass. In any event on devices of the size I'm hoping for it won't be any more of an issue than it is on the Touch/iPhone.
It will HAVE to be glass if they want in on the lucrative p()rn surfer market!
It will be MORE of an issue because it is a BIGGER screen size
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Originally Posted by wizard69
Glare can be controlled if Apple wants to invest in the coating technologies. Even if they don't the tablet can be instantly oriented in a number of different ways far easier than a laptop. That hinged joint on a laptop really limits what you can do with it.
did someone mention that it will come with a metal lid? isnt that like a laptop screen then?
you can orientate AWAY from glare.. but then you loose the power to position exactly where you want it, and in the p()rn viewing market segment, this could be a deal breaker.
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Originally Posted by wizard69
That depends entirely on what they use for a processor and chip set. IF they go all ARM devices it can have a very long battery life. It is not uncommon to see 12 hrs battery time on some tablets. Of course Apple will go for the latest battery technology and will try to limit the size of the battery based on desired bulk. Or maybe the desire to limit thickness.
in other words you don't know.
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Originally Posted by wizard69
There is nothing wrong with complaints! That can make the world a better place to be. Take the Touch for instance, an excellent product but one I haven't yet sprung money on. Because - well I have complaints. Since many of those complaints are software related they will eventually go away (I Hope), but I express those complaints from time to time so that Apple knows what people are thinking.
So you WOULD buy the Touch in an instant if it met some criteria you have?
This is exactly the point! the people on this thread that are ravenous for the product will clamor for its release, and because it will be so built up in their minds, when it is a REAL product, they will look at it, say "MEH!" and not buy it.. waiting on "Ver2" but with rubbish sales Apple will not release a "Ver2" machine and then the whingers can start all over again.
It will HAVE to be glass if they want in on the lucrative p()rn surfer market!
Wyndex works on plastic doesn't it?
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It will be MORE of an issue because it is a BIGGER screen size
This I don't buy at least in the sizes I imagine this device to be. Besides there are all sorts of glasses that Apple could buy, some of them pretty tough.
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did someone mention that it will come with a metal lid? isnt that like a laptop screen then?
Yeah that doesn't make much sense. Plus the porn surfer would get the metal stuck to the glass.
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you can orientate AWAY from glare.. but then you loose the power to position exactly where you want it, and in the p()rn viewing market segment, this could be a deal breaker.
I still be glare will only be a problem is Apple allows it to be a problem.
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in other words you don't know.
Of course not we are talking about a device that supposedly doesn't exist right now. In any event if battery life is important to the segment that Apple will be marketing the device to they ARM would be a requirement as I simply don't believe that Intel has a chance in hell of hitting the right power envelope.
On th other hand Apple might not care at all about the user segment of the population that expects their tablet to work all day long. In that case Apple is very free to use thing sother than ARM.
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So you WOULD buy the Touch in an instant if it met some criteria you have?
Hell yes, it is hard enough to resist the unit in its current form.
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This is exactly the point! the people on this thread that are ravenous for the product will clamor for its release, and because it will be so built up in their minds, when it is a REAL product, they will look at it, say "MEH!" and not buy it.. waiting on "Ver2" but with rubbish sales Apple will not release a "Ver2" machine and then the whingers can start all over again.
That is an individuals evaluation. Take the case of the Touch, which is apparently selling like hotcakes this season, people buy in for various reasons. Some surprisingly use it as a media player. Others jailbreak it and use it as a PDA or development platform. If the device meets someones personal value equation they will buy. If not the device will be left on the shelf.
In any event, any small tablet that Apple releases will very much be a version 2. Lets face it version one is already here. It should be pretty obvious to Apple by now that people want a tablet platform they can run applications on. So hopefully new releases will better support that sort of customer.
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at least thats what I'm seeing here.
I'm not sure what you are seeing. It appears that your imagination has run away a bit here. Apple is in the tablet business already, whether they want to admit it or not, with the iPhone and Touch. They apparently don't want to admit it thus the lock up of even the Touch. Once Apple realize the potential they have I suspect we will see far better products for the tablet market. Will people buy, sure if it meets their needs.
I think they're on the way towards a 15" iPhone-style uber-portable computer. It'll be as thick as an iPhone, no-lid, and touch-screen of course. It'll be just as scratch-less, too, so no need for a case.
It will come with a detached keyboard, but considering what you'll be able to do via touch-screen, the keyboard will be optional. It'll be like carrying a clipboard or (paper) notebook.
Maybe they'll clip together the touch-screen and keyboard for easy-carry, or not. I figure they'll probably design a semi-detachable clip that holds the screen and keyboard together for carrying, and then functions as a base for the monitor portion when needed.
Just my $.02 on where we'll be in 3-5 years.
This jogs my recollection of a recent news item on Dell speaking of how he wants to establish product lust for their stuff. He's obviously looking at iPod, iPhone and Leopard, and it's commendable he's aiming high, but they're ultimately tied to Windows, so I don't think they have a realistic shot at accomplishing that vision. 5 years ago? Perhaps. Not now.
Is the tablet currently a niche product? Yes. It's great for hospital staff and college students, but other than that, most people don't use them.
IMHO, the reason that people continually mention tablets in the context of an ultraportable is because they think Apple can make a tablet for PMP/UMPC/laptop replacement and subsequently use the "OMG drool drool" factor to overcome the current "niche" stigma. I would definitely agree on the latter point (that's not the issue), and I tentatively agree on the first point. Here's why.
This isn't intended to be a desktop replacement. It is a laptop replacement. Many if not most business users who carry a laptop use an external keyboard and HDD when they are at their workstations, so that isn't an issue. The issue is this: can a slate form factor effectively replace a notebook form factor when the notebook is being used away from the desk?
What do we use notebooks for (in order of frequency)?
Typing emails, typing letters, chatting, and typing posts on boards like this one.
Surfing
Watching movies or music videos or YouTube or iPhoto-ing
Video chatting
Video/Audio/Photo editing
So can a slate do all this?
The iPhone has proven that 2. and 3. are easy. The larger screen (compared to iPhone) and ease of orientation (compared to a notebook) will naturally make this even better. Likewise, 4. would be easy as long as there was some way to prop it up (come on, be creative! A diminutive pop-out stand, perhaps?).
Video/Audio/Photo editing is, of course, where a slate shines because you can interact seemingly "directly" with the data. Physically pull loops across, drop them in, stretch them out to zoom in - touch would make video/audio editing a cinch. Modifier keys aren't a problem if you can simply drag and drop your own custom modifiers onto the side of the screen for one hand to work with. And photo editing is what all the artists are crazy about....
Which leaves us with the #1 thing that a notebook is used to do more than anything else: typing. And that's where a slate comes up short. Theoretically.
I mean, that's where all the slates I've seen come up short (unless they are clunky convertibles). Text entry is a bore because you can't touch type (you know, type without looking at the keyboard) so you might as well be using a Palm Pilot for all that the virtual keyboard is worth. And as much as people rejoice over handwriting recognition, there is no way anyone wants to type the next two pages of their report using handwriting recognition while they are sitting on the subway going to work, regardless of how good the handwriting recognition is. Unless you can make touch typing happen on the slate, then it's back to the laptop for me.
But the sheer quantity of patents Apple has taken out recently make me wonder if they could make a virtual keyboard that you could touch type on. Here are a few.
Ultrathin pressure-sensitivity integration (so that it knows how hard you are pressing and matches it to where you are pressing)
"Articulating" touchscreens that simulate keys with upward pressure from tiny dots
"Smart" touch sensing that can tell the difference between casual palm contact, pointing, multi-finger manipulation, typing, and handwriting
With these kind of patents, I can easily imagine a screen that will display any variety of fully customizable keyboards that you can feel underneath your fingers, that you can type on without looking since it knows the difference between contact and intentional pressure, that you can move around the screen at will, and that can even pop up when you start to type regardless of whether you "opened" it or anything.
Would this work on a slate? Try it. Prop up a three-ring binder to 20 degrees (or just open your MacBook all the way and flip it over) and imagine typing on a keyboard that you can both see and feel while 3-4 inches of visible screen area sit above it. The visible screen, of course, extends below underneath the partly transparent keyboard so you can see where everything is even if you don't need to enter text in that part of it. Works just fine for me as long as I put my fingers relatively low (imagine the spacebar just about an inch above the base; standard 13" screen). I don't know of any reason it wouldn't work for anybody else.
Somebody asked, "besides movies and some surfing, what can you do on a tablet?" I would ask what can't you do on a tablet like this that you somehow can do on a notebook?
And again, this is notebook replacement, not desktop replacement. If you are replacing the desktop, then we assume you have access to a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. End of problem.
Battery life won't be that bad if you have no optical drive or HDD. And 80 GB of SDD won't be that expensive by January.
Is the tablet currently a niche product? Yes. It's great for hospital staff and college students, but other than that, most people don't use them.
I'd have to say that there are a lot of uses for tablets that can be seen around town if one looks. These are often special purpose tablets but that is because of the lack of a good quality mass produced device.
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IMHO, the reason that people continually mention tablets in the context of an ultraportable is because they think Apple can make a tablet for PMP/UMPC/laptop replacement and subsequently use the "OMG drool drool" factor to overcome the current "niche" stigma. I would definitely agree on the latter point (that's not the issue), and I tentatively agree on the first point. Here's why.
Well not exactly! I see a tablet as not a replacement for a laptop but as a better device. lets face it many people are in a position of lugging around a laptop because they don't have a better alternative. It is not like they need all the capability a laptop offers. It is one of the reasons PDA's came into existence and where eventually replaced by smart phones.
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This isn't intended to be a desktop replacement. It is a laptop replacement. Many if not most business users who carry a laptop use an external keyboard and HDD when they are at their workstations, so that isn't an issue. The issue is this: can a slate form factor effectively replace a notebook form factor when the notebook is being used away from the desk?
As state above I don't see them as laptop replacements but rather as a better device. Laptops simply are a repackaging of the desktop concept into a portable device. Some people need that capability but the vast majority do not.
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What do we use notebooks for (in order of frequency)?
Typing emails, typing letters, chatting, and typing posts on boards like this one.
Surfing
Watching movies or music videos or YouTube or iPhoto-ing
Video chatting
Video/Audio/Photo editing
So can a slate do all this?
Probably, for sure with the exception of the last line. The important thing to point out is that the first four elements listed are very much a consumption of content as opposed to the generation of content. As to the Tablet many of those tasks above would be better handled on a small tablets if you are a person on the go. The key element being active movement about your environment.
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The iPhone has proven that 2. and 3. are easy. The larger screen (compared to iPhone) and ease of orientation (compared to a notebook) will naturally make this even better. Likewise, 4. would be easy as long as there was some way to prop it up (come on, be creative! A diminutive pop-out stand, perhaps?).
Pop out stand. Certainly possible and might be useful stationary. The thing is I can see people doing 4 while completely mobile just waling around. Not that I'd like such as enough idiots run into me at the mall as is, not to mention what one has to put up with on the road.
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Video/Audio/Photo editing is, of course, where a slate shines because you can interact seemingly "directly" with the data. Physically pull loops across, drop them in, stretch them out to zoom in - touch would make video/audio editing a cinch. Modifier keys aren't a problem if you can simply drag and drop your own custom modifiers onto the side of the screen for one hand to work with. And photo editing is what all the artists are crazy about....
Funny but I see photo editing and such as big iron tasks. Especially video where it often pays to have more than one disk drive and other hardware. Could tablets do such in the future - sure. I just don't think the technology is there yet.
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Which leaves us with the #1 thing that a notebook is used to do more than anything else: typing. And that's where a slate comes up short. Theoretically.
It is true that a slate will come up short with respect to typing. It is pretty hard to replace a keyboard. The key here is that a tablet wouldn't be used for mass text entry any more than an iPhone is. As long as the devices primary usage is in consumption mode, small amounts of text entry are not a problem.
If you look at your list this is what most usage would be, that is the consumption of content. It is a mode of usage that is more and more a part of the mobile life. One consumes music and video on the go, one uses GPS to find ones self, surfs the net to Ars and a bunch of other places, reads the E-Mail and does whatever else. Often from a coffee shop or the commute to work.
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I mean, that's where all the slates I've seen come up short (unless they are clunky convertibles). Text entry is a bore because you can't touch type (you know, type without looking at the keyboard) so you might as well be using a Palm Pilot for all that the virtual keyboard is worth. And as much as people rejoice over handwriting recognition, there is no way anyone wants to type the next two pages of their report using handwriting recognition while they are sitting on the subway going to work, regardless of how good the handwriting recognition is. Unless you can make touch typing happen on the slate, then it's back to the laptop for me.
But here you are looking at an entirely different set of requirements, that is writing reports. None of which are easy to do while moving along on public transportation. If this is a requirement then I have to say you are looking at he wrong device. I'd also have to wonder why you would piss away personal time writing reports on the subway. Of course around here there are no subways or other monuments to human greed.
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But the sheer quantity of patents Apple has taken out recently make me wonder if they could make a virtual keyboard that you could touch type on. Here are a few.
Ultrathin pressure-sensitivity integration (so that it knows how hard you are pressing and matches it to where you are pressing)
"Articulating" touchscreens that simulate keys with upward pressure from tiny dots
"Smart" touch sensing that can tell the difference between casual palm contact, pointing, multi-finger manipulation, typing, and handwriting
With these kind of patents, I can easily imagine a screen that will display any variety of fully customizable keyboards that you can feel underneath your fingers, that you can type on without looking since it knows the difference between contact and intentional pressure, that you can move around the screen at will, and that can even pop up when you start to type regardless of whether you "opened" it or anything.
Wouldn't make much of a difference if used in total mobile mode. Such a keyboard might be fine for use on the desktop but if you have a desk top why not plug in a real keyboard?
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Would this work on a slate? Try it. Prop up a three-ring binder to 20 degrees (or just open your MacBook all the way and flip it over) and imagine typing on a keyboard that you can both see and feel while 3-4 inches of visible screen area sit above it. The visible screen, of course, extends below underneath the partly transparent keyboard so you can see where everything is even if you don't need to enter text in that part of it. Works just fine for me as long as I put my fingers relatively low (imagine the spacebar just about an inch above the base; standard 13" screen). I don't know of any reason it wouldn't work for anybody else.
Well I'm not sure about how this would work in practice. Either way I don't see a tablet as being a mass text entry device.
This is probably an issue of perception as I don't see a tablet as a device that replaces a laptop at all. It is a machine for an entirely different set of needs.
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Somebody asked, "besides movies and some surfing, what can you do on a tablet?" I would ask what can't you do on a tablet like this that you somehow can do on a notebook?
Likewise there are things done on tablets that just can't be done easily on a laptop. I've seen surveyors, telephone service crews and others out in the field using tablet devices. Tablets are used most likely for a number of reasons but I would imagine that some of those reason include portability, ruggedness and the ability to be used with one hand holding and the other imputing.
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And again, this is notebook replacement, not desktop replacement. If you are replacing the desktop, then we assume you have access to a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. End of problem.
Well again no tablets shouldn't be seen as desktop replacements nor laptop replacements. They are a better device for the majority of the people in the world that need a portable computing device. The only reason for the limited success so far is the issue of having the right technology to put into them. Well that and avoiding the temptation to make the device to big. The bigness factor is the result of people think of a laptop replacement when in reality that isn't what most people need.
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Battery life won't be that bad if you have no optical drive or HDD. And 80 GB of SDD won't be that expensive by January.
Very important points. I suspect that we will easily have 32 GB in a Touch sized device in a month or two. Go to a device that out grows the pocket and sky's the limit.
The one good thing about hoping that Apple is involved in a tablet is that they understand the need for memory in these devices. Many of the potential products out there are to memory constrained to consider. Even Nokia took a step backwards with their N810.
Why is it that soon as some rumor mentions Apple releasing an "ultra portable" everyone writes about a "tablet pc"???
First of all, I don't think it's everyone, perhaps just the same handful of techno geeks(no offense) writing those posts. I AGREE!
And second of all...WHO needs a friggin tablet??? When was the last time you EVER saw a person walking around with a tablet? I bet NEVER. Tablets and pen devices have never sold well in the mass market
Seriously. Tablets don't have full keyboards. They are gimmicks at best. I AGREEE! the reality is technology needs to make our lives easier and what we find easy is touch type pen input so stick with what works!
People WANT to be able to TYPE on a keyboard and look at a screen. If Apple gets rid of the optical drive and thins the laptop to a ridiculous degree that should satisfy those that want ultra portability. For those that want even smaller...get an iphone or ipod touch. Really. I think Apple should modify that prototype and make it a clamshell with built in touch type keyboard
Of course NO ONE knows what Apple will release or if they will release ANYTHING close to the rumor. Heck...maybe they will release a tablet some time down the road. The iphone and ipod touch are kinda tablet like. But at least those fit in your pocket. I just don't see the need or desire for a tablet.
Ultra portable laptop yes...tablet no. But thats just me.
Me too, I just want a basic pocket laptop
I'm in the market for a new apple laptop. I can wait to see what happens in January at Macworld. I like the portability of the macbook alot...but would prefer a dedicated graphics card. If Apple does release an ultra portable, I am sure it will be thinner and lighter...but it may be even LESS powerful than even the macbook. For me, I want portability since I travel alot, but I also want alittle power too. Right now the macbook is it. So I'd probably choose that over the ultra portable since the difference in weight and size shouldn't be too great. I do hope that the macbook does get a dedicated graphics card tho.
An ultra portable will obviously have a much smaller HD if they use a flash drive. I think the technology is super cool. But to have a laptop with a 64 gig HD would kinda suck...even with instant boot times. It'll be the first step toward the future and you KNOW Apple will make it drool worthy...but it just wouldn't be practical for me. Heck...If I'm gonna just use an ultra portable to check email...I'll just carry my iphone or ipod touch in my pocket. You see what I mean?
For those wanting a full mac os on an ultra portable...keep in mind for the smaller size, you'll have no optical drive, no ability to play dvds or cds on the road, plus a way smaller flash drive(maybe only 64 gigs!!) and not alot of power to work on anything much more than emails and light light work.
Maybe it'd be cool and worth it for some. But I think the majority of people won't mind carrying a macbook in their backpacks.
Just my opinion. Can't wait till January. :-)
I'm a highly mobile business person and there are millions of similar poeple whom would rather choose the size over the power. I want a jacket pocket computer that has the largest touch type keyboard and screen yet will fold up and fit into a jacket pocket that can run desktop applications. It does not need to be the fastest computer and I am ok storing files on USB drives, etc. if the built in HD is limited but having a jacket pocket computer is much better than lugging a briefcase, etc. all the time. For me on the road that type of computer would provide more functionality as I would have the computer all the time and be able to use it more and be more efficient.
It seems that too many have lost touch, and have decided to create a, not even that good of a, gadget in their heads. Not a Phone, not a usable computer, but a gadget. And it's continually argued that "this is the only thing they want", and that "this is Apples vision", in so many words, Gadgets get used for about a month, maybe two. The lost concept of an actual usable computer is absolutely forgotten in this thread.
It seems that too many have lost touch, and have decided to create a, not even that good of a, gadget in their heads. Not a Phone, not a usable computer, but a gadget. And it's continually argued that "this is the only thing they want", and that "this is Apples vision", in so many words, Gadgets get used for about a month, maybe two. The lost concept of an actual usable computer is absolutely forgotten in this thread.
Let's see how shocked you are when Apple releases their 11" touch tablet in 2008.
It seems that too many have lost touch, and have decided to create a, not even that good of a, gadget in their heads. Not a Phone, not a usable computer, but a gadget.
I for one haven't lost the devices importance as a communications device. But lets face the concept of a phone is how many years old now. As long as it has long and short distance networking capabilities, and the required I/O it can be used for communications.
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And it's continually argued that "this is the only thing they want", and that "this is Apples vision", in so many words,
Hell there are lots of things I want, hopefully I will get a few of those before passing on. A beefed up Tablet / iPhone type device though is one that I hope to see on the market soon.
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Gadgets get used for about a month, maybe two. The lost concept of an actual usable computer is absolutely forgotten in this thread.
See this is the problem I have with the naysayers, is that they project their need on to the rest of us. Such a device for me would replace my personal need for a laptop. What is usable and desirable to you may be entirely different than what is good for me.
I look at the pocketable device this way I already carry around a cell phone, a much smarter device will not be that much more of a burden if it replaces the cell phone. Even a larger device could potentially replace the cell. All it really ha to do is to be able to establish communications with other people. That can be something skip like, video conferencing like or even Cell phone like. Even WiFi and WiMax enabled would do it for me
While a combo device could be cool, I still think there is room for a pocket laptop that does not try to replace a phone. There are hundreds of millions of mobile sales people and other mobile managers/executives whom would love to have a basic laptop with a touch type keyboard that would be carried in your jacket pocket. Thus far MS has missed the mark as they pushed everyone to build 7" pen input devices nobody wants; Apple being more innovative has the opportunity to capture the market for the first pocket laptop. 2008 will be very interesting as the technology is there to build such a device but so far all of the devices have been either too small or too large.
While a combo device could be cool, I still think there is room for a pocket laptop that does not try to replace a phone. There are hundreds of millions of mobile sales people and other mobile managers/executives whom would love to have a basic laptop with a touch type keyboard that would be carried in your jacket pocket.
Well I can agree with the issue of the pocket, it has to go there. But the idea that it needs to emulate a laptop and have touch typing will kill it dead.
The problem is simple such devices are sever compromises form the engineering point of view. From the human factors point of view also. Try using a classically designed laptop hand held. It doesn't work well at all. This is why just about every field application of a computing device is in the form of a tablet.
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Thus far MS has missed the mark as they pushed everyone to build 7" pen input devices nobody wants; Apple being more innovative has the opportunity to capture the market for the first pocket laptop.
What you want Apple to do is to go backwards technology wise. i don't see that happening! In any event it isn't the pen that has failed the machines that MS has put out it is the price and OS. It doesn't matter who it is, if the OS and the associated applications are not optimized for the environment they will work in the hardware will be useless.
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2008 will be very interesting as the technology is there to build such a device but so far all of the devices have been either too small or too large.
Yep another thing we can agree upon! The question I have is how soon will the technology hit the market place. If Apple goes the Intel route we might have to wait until after mid year. Arm based devices could be available in a couple of months.
Well I can agree with the issue of the pocket, it has to go there. But the idea that it needs to emulate a laptop and have touch typing will kill it dead.
The problem is simple such devices are sever compromises form the engineering point of view. From the human factors point of view also. Try using a classically designed laptop hand held. It doesn't work well at all. This is why just about every field application of a computing device is in the form of a tablet.
This type of jacke size handheld is not for the low level blue collar field worker but rather white collar professionals. Typically sales, marketing, projet managers, and executives. I have asked about 50 friends whom all are in that category and they currently use either a subnotebook/notebook; all of them would rather have a pocket laptop something like the HP Jornada 728 I still use. It is a bit of a compromise with a smaller screen and a smaller keyboard but for people on the go in those sectors most would rather that type of device over any pen input device or larger device.
What you want Apple to do is to go backwards technology wise. i don't see that happening! In any event it isn't the pen that has failed the machines that MS has put out it is the price and OS. It doesn't matter who it is, if the OS and the associated applications are not optimized for the environment they will work in the hardware will be useless.
The reality is mainstream users regardless of their OS preference already use and find a touch type keyboard easy. Pen input is not that popular and right now it would be reinventing the wheel. Technology needs to make it easier not learn a new way to input or write. There has yet to be a pen input device that was very popular. Maybe in 10-20 years pen input might improve and the same goes for voice input. I've used many pen inputs and voice input softwares and they are just not very easy to use compared to a simple touch type keyboard.
UMPC's thus far have been pen input primarily and as the recent Forbes article pointed out only 350K sold in 07' . The problem was several issues pen input is not what most people other than techies find desirable, the devices were not jacket size so they got compared to everything not jacket size and with the weak computer specs and price they did not sell well at all.
Yep another thing we can agree upon! The question I have is how soon will the technology hit the market place. If Apple goes the Intel route we might have to wait until after mid year. Arm based devices could be available in a couple of months.
Dave
To me it seems simple. The majority of the worlds mobile computers that run full desktop OS (mac or ms) primarily use a touch type keyboard. Not everyone needs the fastest cpu/memory, etc.; many just need a basic laptop but would prefer one they could fit into their jacket pocket. There are over 113 new laptops sold per year and if a pocket laptop were available I bet at least 10% would opt for that. Devices of the past like the Psion already proved that a handheld if the form factor and keyboard is well designed can provide easy touch typing in a device as small as 6.9" x 3.6" x .9". If someone is able to do that and have full desktop applications that would be a huge hit. The technology is now availble but thus far there has yet to be the first pocket laptop.
That seems like the most simple natural progression from laptops to jacket pocket laptops. That does not require a paradigm shift in human behavior that pen input would as everyone already uses that method of input already.
Comments
Well he may have a point as a tablet would be much easier to clean afterward. After all we are talking about one glass surface and if he is familiar with glass surfaces he might to be right at home.
You wouldn't even need magnets to hold the lid shut. Getting it open again might be tricky though.
1. "My screen broke! It's not protected like a notebook!"
Extra care will be required when transporting it, and the damage rate will be much greater than notebooks.
It would have a thin metal lid.
2. "Too much glare!".
Notebooks and desktop monitors are angled more or less vertically; a tablet will reflect ceiling lights and the sun a lot more.
It can be far more easily repositioned than a laptop screen. They might even make it a matte display.
3. "The battery life sucks!"
A notebook can afford a thicker shell since the screen is separate. To make a compelling, slender tablet a smaller battery is mandated. Point is, even as battery technology advances, a tablet will have less battery life than a notebook, or be as thick as a notebook. And people will certainly complain about a thick tablet.
Yes, battery technology isn't very good but with a smaller screen, SSD and no optical drive, I think they'd get away with a smaller battery and be able to maintain good battery life.
The same people who are begging Apple for a tablet will be the first ones to complain about:
1. "My screen broke! It's not protected like a notebook!"
Extra care will be required when transporting it, and the damage rate will be much greater than notebooks.
2. "Too much glare!".
Notebooks and desktop monitors are angled more or less vertically; a tablet will reflect ceiling lights and the sun a lot more.
3. "The battery life sucks!"
A notebook can afford a thicker shell since the screen is separate. To make a compelling, slender tablet a smaller battery is mandated. Point is, even as battery technology advances, a tablet will have less battery life than a notebook, or be as thick as a notebook. And people will certainly complain about a thick tablet.
Those are just off the top of my head. Many more complaints will surface, none of which ever seem to be contemplated by the people most ravenous for such a product. It happens time and time again.
You're dead right. Now, where's my tablet.
Again, agreed.
That post had 'douche' written all over it.
Its not the only bit of comment on this thread that has that written on it
Some interesting points here!
That all depends on what type of glass they use. If it is glass. In any event on devices of the size I'm hoping for it won't be any more of an issue than it is on the Touch/iPhone.
It will HAVE to be glass if they want in on the lucrative p()rn surfer market!
It will be MORE of an issue because it is a BIGGER screen size
Glare can be controlled if Apple wants to invest in the coating technologies. Even if they don't the tablet can be instantly oriented in a number of different ways far easier than a laptop. That hinged joint on a laptop really limits what you can do with it.
did someone mention that it will come with a metal lid? isnt that like a laptop screen then?
you can orientate AWAY from glare.. but then you loose the power to position exactly where you want it, and in the p()rn viewing market segment, this could be a deal breaker.
That depends entirely on what they use for a processor and chip set. IF they go all ARM devices it can have a very long battery life. It is not uncommon to see 12 hrs battery time on some tablets. Of course Apple will go for the latest battery technology and will try to limit the size of the battery based on desired bulk. Or maybe the desire to limit thickness.
in other words you don't know.
There is nothing wrong with complaints! That can make the world a better place to be. Take the Touch for instance, an excellent product but one I haven't yet sprung money on. Because - well I have complaints. Since many of those complaints are software related they will eventually go away (I Hope), but I express those complaints from time to time so that Apple knows what people are thinking.
So you WOULD buy the Touch in an instant if it met some criteria you have?
This is exactly the point! the people on this thread that are ravenous for the product will clamor for its release, and because it will be so built up in their minds, when it is a REAL product, they will look at it, say "MEH!" and not buy it.. waiting on "Ver2" but with rubbish sales Apple will not release a "Ver2" machine and then the whingers can start all over again.
at least thats what I'm seeing here.
It will HAVE to be glass if they want in on the lucrative p()rn surfer market!
Wyndex works on plastic doesn't it?
It will be MORE of an issue because it is a BIGGER screen size
This I don't buy at least in the sizes I imagine this device to be. Besides there are all sorts of glasses that Apple could buy, some of them pretty tough.
did someone mention that it will come with a metal lid? isnt that like a laptop screen then?
Yeah that doesn't make much sense. Plus the porn surfer would get the metal stuck to the glass.
you can orientate AWAY from glare.. but then you loose the power to position exactly where you want it, and in the p()rn viewing market segment, this could be a deal breaker.
I still be glare will only be a problem is Apple allows it to be a problem.
in other words you don't know.
Of course not we are talking about a device that supposedly doesn't exist right now. In any event if battery life is important to the segment that Apple will be marketing the device to they ARM would be a requirement as I simply don't believe that Intel has a chance in hell of hitting the right power envelope.
On th other hand Apple might not care at all about the user segment of the population that expects their tablet to work all day long. In that case Apple is very free to use thing sother than ARM.
So you WOULD buy the Touch in an instant if it met some criteria you have?
Hell yes, it is hard enough to resist the unit in its current form.
This is exactly the point! the people on this thread that are ravenous for the product will clamor for its release, and because it will be so built up in their minds, when it is a REAL product, they will look at it, say "MEH!" and not buy it.. waiting on "Ver2" but with rubbish sales Apple will not release a "Ver2" machine and then the whingers can start all over again.
That is an individuals evaluation. Take the case of the Touch, which is apparently selling like hotcakes this season, people buy in for various reasons. Some surprisingly use it as a media player. Others jailbreak it and use it as a PDA or development platform. If the device meets someones personal value equation they will buy. If not the device will be left on the shelf.
In any event, any small tablet that Apple releases will very much be a version 2. Lets face it version one is already here. It should be pretty obvious to Apple by now that people want a tablet platform they can run applications on. So hopefully new releases will better support that sort of customer.
at least thats what I'm seeing here.
I'm not sure what you are seeing. It appears that your imagination has run away a bit here. Apple is in the tablet business already, whether they want to admit it or not, with the iPhone and Touch. They apparently don't want to admit it thus the lock up of even the Touch. Once Apple realize the potential they have I suspect we will see far better products for the tablet market. Will people buy, sure if it meets their needs.
Dave
It appears that your imagination has run away a bit here.
MY imagination has run away???
This thread has become totally ridiculous.
TAbL3T FTW!!11!!1!!!!! W00t
I can see that once the seasonal madness forum gets opened up again
It will come with a detached keyboard, but considering what you'll be able to do via touch-screen, the keyboard will be optional. It'll be like carrying a clipboard or (paper) notebook.
Maybe they'll clip together the touch-screen and keyboard for easy-carry, or not. I figure they'll probably design a semi-detachable clip that holds the screen and keyboard together for carrying, and then functions as a base for the monitor portion when needed.
Just my $.02 on where we'll be in 3-5 years.
This jogs my recollection of a recent news item on Dell speaking of how he wants to establish product lust for their stuff. He's obviously looking at iPod, iPhone and Leopard, and it's commendable he's aiming high, but they're ultimately tied to Windows, so I don't think they have a realistic shot at accomplishing that vision. 5 years ago? Perhaps. Not now.
IMHO, the reason that people continually mention tablets in the context of an ultraportable is because they think Apple can make a tablet for PMP/UMPC/laptop replacement and subsequently use the "OMG drool drool" factor to overcome the current "niche" stigma. I would definitely agree on the latter point (that's not the issue), and I tentatively agree on the first point. Here's why.
This isn't intended to be a desktop replacement. It is a laptop replacement. Many if not most business users who carry a laptop use an external keyboard and HDD when they are at their workstations, so that isn't an issue. The issue is this: can a slate form factor effectively replace a notebook form factor when the notebook is being used away from the desk?
What do we use notebooks for (in order of frequency)?
- Typing emails, typing letters, chatting, and typing posts on boards like this one.
- Surfing
- Watching movies or music videos or YouTube or iPhoto-ing
- Video chatting
- Video/Audio/Photo editing
So can a slate do all this?The iPhone has proven that 2. and 3. are easy. The larger screen (compared to iPhone) and ease of orientation (compared to a notebook) will naturally make this even better. Likewise, 4. would be easy as long as there was some way to prop it up (come on, be creative! A diminutive pop-out stand, perhaps?).
Video/Audio/Photo editing is, of course, where a slate shines because you can interact seemingly "directly" with the data. Physically pull loops across, drop them in, stretch them out to zoom in - touch would make video/audio editing a cinch. Modifier keys aren't a problem if you can simply drag and drop your own custom modifiers onto the side of the screen for one hand to work with. And photo editing is what all the artists are crazy about....
Which leaves us with the #1 thing that a notebook is used to do more than anything else: typing. And that's where a slate comes up short. Theoretically.
I mean, that's where all the slates I've seen come up short (unless they are clunky convertibles). Text entry is a bore because you can't touch type (you know, type without looking at the keyboard) so you might as well be using a Palm Pilot for all that the virtual keyboard is worth. And as much as people rejoice over handwriting recognition, there is no way anyone wants to type the next two pages of their report using handwriting recognition while they are sitting on the subway going to work, regardless of how good the handwriting recognition is. Unless you can make touch typing happen on the slate, then it's back to the laptop for me.
But the sheer quantity of patents Apple has taken out recently make me wonder if they could make a virtual keyboard that you could touch type on. Here are a few.
- Ultrathin pressure-sensitivity integration (so that it knows how hard you are pressing and matches it to where you are pressing)
- "Articulating" touchscreens that simulate keys with upward pressure from tiny dots
- "Smart" touch sensing that can tell the difference between casual palm contact, pointing, multi-finger manipulation, typing, and handwriting
With these kind of patents, I can easily imagine a screen that will display any variety of fully customizable keyboards that you can feel underneath your fingers, that you can type on without looking since it knows the difference between contact and intentional pressure, that you can move around the screen at will, and that can even pop up when you start to type regardless of whether you "opened" it or anything.Would this work on a slate? Try it. Prop up a three-ring binder to 20 degrees (or just open your MacBook all the way and flip it over) and imagine typing on a keyboard that you can both see and feel while 3-4 inches of visible screen area sit above it. The visible screen, of course, extends below underneath the partly transparent keyboard so you can see where everything is even if you don't need to enter text in that part of it. Works just fine for me as long as I put my fingers relatively low (imagine the spacebar just about an inch above the base; standard 13" screen). I don't know of any reason it wouldn't work for anybody else.
Somebody asked, "besides movies and some surfing, what can you do on a tablet?" I would ask what can't you do on a tablet like this that you somehow can do on a notebook?
And again, this is notebook replacement, not desktop replacement. If you are replacing the desktop, then we assume you have access to a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. End of problem.
Battery life won't be that bad if you have no optical drive or HDD. And 80 GB of SDD won't be that expensive by January.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/12/18/a...let-t221-umpc/
Is the tablet currently a niche product? Yes. It's great for hospital staff and college students, but other than that, most people don't use them.
I'd have to say that there are a lot of uses for tablets that can be seen around town if one looks. These are often special purpose tablets but that is because of the lack of a good quality mass produced device.
IMHO, the reason that people continually mention tablets in the context of an ultraportable is because they think Apple can make a tablet for PMP/UMPC/laptop replacement and subsequently use the "OMG drool drool" factor to overcome the current "niche" stigma. I would definitely agree on the latter point (that's not the issue), and I tentatively agree on the first point. Here's why.
Well not exactly! I see a tablet as not a replacement for a laptop but as a better device. lets face it many people are in a position of lugging around a laptop because they don't have a better alternative. It is not like they need all the capability a laptop offers. It is one of the reasons PDA's came into existence and where eventually replaced by smart phones.
This isn't intended to be a desktop replacement. It is a laptop replacement. Many if not most business users who carry a laptop use an external keyboard and HDD when they are at their workstations, so that isn't an issue. The issue is this: can a slate form factor effectively replace a notebook form factor when the notebook is being used away from the desk?
As state above I don't see them as laptop replacements but rather as a better device. Laptops simply are a repackaging of the desktop concept into a portable device. Some people need that capability but the vast majority do not.
What do we use notebooks for (in order of frequency)?
- Typing emails, typing letters, chatting, and typing posts on boards like this one.
- Surfing
- Watching movies or music videos or YouTube or iPhoto-ing
- Video chatting
- Video/Audio/Photo editing
So can a slate do all this?Probably, for sure with the exception of the last line. The important thing to point out is that the first four elements listed are very much a consumption of content as opposed to the generation of content. As to the Tablet many of those tasks above would be better handled on a small tablets if you are a person on the go. The key element being active movement about your environment.
The iPhone has proven that 2. and 3. are easy. The larger screen (compared to iPhone) and ease of orientation (compared to a notebook) will naturally make this even better. Likewise, 4. would be easy as long as there was some way to prop it up (come on, be creative! A diminutive pop-out stand, perhaps?).
Pop out stand. Certainly possible and might be useful stationary. The thing is I can see people doing 4 while completely mobile just waling around. Not that I'd like such as enough idiots run into me at the mall as is, not to mention what one has to put up with on the road.
Video/Audio/Photo editing is, of course, where a slate shines because you can interact seemingly "directly" with the data. Physically pull loops across, drop them in, stretch them out to zoom in - touch would make video/audio editing a cinch. Modifier keys aren't a problem if you can simply drag and drop your own custom modifiers onto the side of the screen for one hand to work with. And photo editing is what all the artists are crazy about....
Funny but I see photo editing and such as big iron tasks. Especially video where it often pays to have more than one disk drive and other hardware. Could tablets do such in the future - sure. I just don't think the technology is there yet.
Which leaves us with the #1 thing that a notebook is used to do more than anything else: typing. And that's where a slate comes up short. Theoretically.
It is true that a slate will come up short with respect to typing. It is pretty hard to replace a keyboard. The key here is that a tablet wouldn't be used for mass text entry any more than an iPhone is. As long as the devices primary usage is in consumption mode, small amounts of text entry are not a problem.
If you look at your list this is what most usage would be, that is the consumption of content. It is a mode of usage that is more and more a part of the mobile life. One consumes music and video on the go, one uses GPS to find ones self, surfs the net to Ars and a bunch of other places, reads the E-Mail and does whatever else. Often from a coffee shop or the commute to work.
I mean, that's where all the slates I've seen come up short (unless they are clunky convertibles). Text entry is a bore because you can't touch type (you know, type without looking at the keyboard) so you might as well be using a Palm Pilot for all that the virtual keyboard is worth. And as much as people rejoice over handwriting recognition, there is no way anyone wants to type the next two pages of their report using handwriting recognition while they are sitting on the subway going to work, regardless of how good the handwriting recognition is. Unless you can make touch typing happen on the slate, then it's back to the laptop for me.
But here you are looking at an entirely different set of requirements, that is writing reports. None of which are easy to do while moving along on public transportation. If this is a requirement then I have to say you are looking at he wrong device. I'd also have to wonder why you would piss away personal time writing reports on the subway. Of course around here there are no subways or other monuments to human greed.
But the sheer quantity of patents Apple has taken out recently make me wonder if they could make a virtual keyboard that you could touch type on. Here are a few.
- Ultrathin pressure-sensitivity integration (so that it knows how hard you are pressing and matches it to where you are pressing)
- "Articulating" touchscreens that simulate keys with upward pressure from tiny dots
- "Smart" touch sensing that can tell the difference between casual palm contact, pointing, multi-finger manipulation, typing, and handwriting
With these kind of patents, I can easily imagine a screen that will display any variety of fully customizable keyboards that you can feel underneath your fingers, that you can type on without looking since it knows the difference between contact and intentional pressure, that you can move around the screen at will, and that can even pop up when you start to type regardless of whether you "opened" it or anything.Wouldn't make much of a difference if used in total mobile mode. Such a keyboard might be fine for use on the desktop but if you have a desk top why not plug in a real keyboard?
Would this work on a slate? Try it. Prop up a three-ring binder to 20 degrees (or just open your MacBook all the way and flip it over) and imagine typing on a keyboard that you can both see and feel while 3-4 inches of visible screen area sit above it. The visible screen, of course, extends below underneath the partly transparent keyboard so you can see where everything is even if you don't need to enter text in that part of it. Works just fine for me as long as I put my fingers relatively low (imagine the spacebar just about an inch above the base; standard 13" screen). I don't know of any reason it wouldn't work for anybody else.
Well I'm not sure about how this would work in practice. Either way I don't see a tablet as being a mass text entry device.
This is probably an issue of perception as I don't see a tablet as a device that replaces a laptop at all. It is a machine for an entirely different set of needs.
Somebody asked, "besides movies and some surfing, what can you do on a tablet?" I would ask what can't you do on a tablet like this that you somehow can do on a notebook?
Likewise there are things done on tablets that just can't be done easily on a laptop. I've seen surveyors, telephone service crews and others out in the field using tablet devices. Tablets are used most likely for a number of reasons but I would imagine that some of those reason include portability, ruggedness and the ability to be used with one hand holding and the other imputing.
And again, this is notebook replacement, not desktop replacement. If you are replacing the desktop, then we assume you have access to a bluetooth mouse and keyboard. End of problem.
Well again no tablets shouldn't be seen as desktop replacements nor laptop replacements. They are a better device for the majority of the people in the world that need a portable computing device. The only reason for the limited success so far is the issue of having the right technology to put into them. Well that and avoiding the temptation to make the device to big. The bigness factor is the result of people think of a laptop replacement when in reality that isn't what most people need.
Battery life won't be that bad if you have no optical drive or HDD. And 80 GB of SDD won't be that expensive by January.
Very important points. I suspect that we will easily have 32 GB in a Touch sized device in a month or two. Go to a device that out grows the pocket and sky's the limit.
The one good thing about hoping that Apple is involved in a tablet is that they understand the need for memory in these devices. Many of the potential products out there are to memory constrained to consider. Even Nokia took a step backwards with their N810.
DAVE
Why is it that soon as some rumor mentions Apple releasing an "ultra portable" everyone writes about a "tablet pc"???
First of all, I don't think it's everyone, perhaps just the same handful of techno geeks(no offense) writing those posts. I AGREE!
And second of all...WHO needs a friggin tablet??? When was the last time you EVER saw a person walking around with a tablet? I bet NEVER. Tablets and pen devices have never sold well in the mass market
Seriously. Tablets don't have full keyboards. They are gimmicks at best. I AGREEE! the reality is technology needs to make our lives easier and what we find easy is touch type pen input so stick with what works!
People WANT to be able to TYPE on a keyboard and look at a screen. If Apple gets rid of the optical drive and thins the laptop to a ridiculous degree that should satisfy those that want ultra portability. For those that want even smaller...get an iphone or ipod touch. Really. I think Apple should modify that prototype and make it a clamshell with built in touch type keyboard
Of course NO ONE knows what Apple will release or if they will release ANYTHING close to the rumor. Heck...maybe they will release a tablet some time down the road. The iphone and ipod touch are kinda tablet like. But at least those fit in your pocket. I just don't see the need or desire for a tablet.
Ultra portable laptop yes...tablet no. But thats just me.
Me too, I just want a basic pocket laptop
I'm in the market for a new apple laptop. I can wait to see what happens in January at Macworld. I like the portability of the macbook alot...but would prefer a dedicated graphics card. If Apple does release an ultra portable, I am sure it will be thinner and lighter...but it may be even LESS powerful than even the macbook. For me, I want portability since I travel alot, but I also want alittle power too. Right now the macbook is it. So I'd probably choose that over the ultra portable since the difference in weight and size shouldn't be too great. I do hope that the macbook does get a dedicated graphics card tho.
An ultra portable will obviously have a much smaller HD if they use a flash drive. I think the technology is super cool. But to have a laptop with a 64 gig HD would kinda suck...even with instant boot times. It'll be the first step toward the future and you KNOW Apple will make it drool worthy...but it just wouldn't be practical for me. Heck...If I'm gonna just use an ultra portable to check email...I'll just carry my iphone or ipod touch in my pocket. You see what I mean?
For those wanting a full mac os on an ultra portable...keep in mind for the smaller size, you'll have no optical drive, no ability to play dvds or cds on the road, plus a way smaller flash drive(maybe only 64 gigs!!) and not alot of power to work on anything much more than emails and light light work.
Maybe it'd be cool and worth it for some. But I think the majority of people won't mind carrying a macbook in their backpacks.
Just my opinion. Can't wait till January. :-)
I'm a highly mobile business person and there are millions of similar poeple whom would rather choose the size over the power. I want a jacket pocket computer that has the largest touch type keyboard and screen yet will fold up and fit into a jacket pocket that can run desktop applications. It does not need to be the fastest computer and I am ok storing files on USB drives, etc. if the built in HD is limited but having a jacket pocket computer is much better than lugging a briefcase, etc. all the time. For me on the road that type of computer would provide more functionality as I would have the computer all the time and be able to use it more and be more efficient.
It seems that too many have lost touch, and have decided to create a, not even that good of a, gadget in their heads. Not a Phone, not a usable computer, but a gadget. And it's continually argued that "this is the only thing they want", and that "this is Apples vision", in so many words, Gadgets get used for about a month, maybe two. The lost concept of an actual usable computer is absolutely forgotten in this thread.
Let's see how shocked you are when Apple releases their 11" touch tablet in 2008.
It seems that too many have lost touch, and have decided to create a, not even that good of a, gadget in their heads. Not a Phone, not a usable computer, but a gadget.
I for one haven't lost the devices importance as a communications device. But lets face the concept of a phone is how many years old now. As long as it has long and short distance networking capabilities, and the required I/O it can be used for communications.
And it's continually argued that "this is the only thing they want", and that "this is Apples vision", in so many words,
Hell there are lots of things I want, hopefully I will get a few of those before passing on. A beefed up Tablet / iPhone type device though is one that I hope to see on the market soon.
Gadgets get used for about a month, maybe two. The lost concept of an actual usable computer is absolutely forgotten in this thread.
See this is the problem I have with the naysayers, is that they project their need on to the rest of us. Such a device for me would replace my personal need for a laptop. What is usable and desirable to you may be entirely different than what is good for me.
I look at the pocketable device this way I already carry around a cell phone, a much smarter device will not be that much more of a burden if it replaces the cell phone. Even a larger device could potentially replace the cell. All it really ha to do is to be able to establish communications with other people. That can be something skip like, video conferencing like or even Cell phone like. Even WiFi and WiMax enabled would do it for me
Dave
While a combo device could be cool, I still think there is room for a pocket laptop that does not try to replace a phone. There are hundreds of millions of mobile sales people and other mobile managers/executives whom would love to have a basic laptop with a touch type keyboard that would be carried in your jacket pocket.
Well I can agree with the issue of the pocket, it has to go there. But the idea that it needs to emulate a laptop and have touch typing will kill it dead.
The problem is simple such devices are sever compromises form the engineering point of view. From the human factors point of view also. Try using a classically designed laptop hand held. It doesn't work well at all. This is why just about every field application of a computing device is in the form of a tablet.
Thus far MS has missed the mark as they pushed everyone to build 7" pen input devices nobody wants; Apple being more innovative has the opportunity to capture the market for the first pocket laptop.
What you want Apple to do is to go backwards technology wise. i don't see that happening! In any event it isn't the pen that has failed the machines that MS has put out it is the price and OS. It doesn't matter who it is, if the OS and the associated applications are not optimized for the environment they will work in the hardware will be useless.
2008 will be very interesting as the technology is there to build such a device but so far all of the devices have been either too small or too large.
Yep another thing we can agree upon! The question I have is how soon will the technology hit the market place. If Apple goes the Intel route we might have to wait until after mid year. Arm based devices could be available in a couple of months.
Dave
Well I can agree with the issue of the pocket, it has to go there. But the idea that it needs to emulate a laptop and have touch typing will kill it dead.
The problem is simple such devices are sever compromises form the engineering point of view. From the human factors point of view also. Try using a classically designed laptop hand held. It doesn't work well at all. This is why just about every field application of a computing device is in the form of a tablet.
This type of jacke size handheld is not for the low level blue collar field worker but rather white collar professionals. Typically sales, marketing, projet managers, and executives. I have asked about 50 friends whom all are in that category and they currently use either a subnotebook/notebook; all of them would rather have a pocket laptop something like the HP Jornada 728 I still use. It is a bit of a compromise with a smaller screen and a smaller keyboard but for people on the go in those sectors most would rather that type of device over any pen input device or larger device.
What you want Apple to do is to go backwards technology wise. i don't see that happening! In any event it isn't the pen that has failed the machines that MS has put out it is the price and OS. It doesn't matter who it is, if the OS and the associated applications are not optimized for the environment they will work in the hardware will be useless.
The reality is mainstream users regardless of their OS preference already use and find a touch type keyboard easy. Pen input is not that popular and right now it would be reinventing the wheel. Technology needs to make it easier not learn a new way to input or write. There has yet to be a pen input device that was very popular. Maybe in 10-20 years pen input might improve and the same goes for voice input. I've used many pen inputs and voice input softwares and they are just not very easy to use compared to a simple touch type keyboard.
UMPC's thus far have been pen input primarily and as the recent Forbes article pointed out only 350K sold in 07' . The problem was several issues pen input is not what most people other than techies find desirable, the devices were not jacket size so they got compared to everything not jacket size and with the weak computer specs and price they did not sell well at all.
Yep another thing we can agree upon! The question I have is how soon will the technology hit the market place. If Apple goes the Intel route we might have to wait until after mid year. Arm based devices could be available in a couple of months.
Dave
To me it seems simple. The majority of the worlds mobile computers that run full desktop OS (mac or ms) primarily use a touch type keyboard. Not everyone needs the fastest cpu/memory, etc.; many just need a basic laptop but would prefer one they could fit into their jacket pocket. There are over 113 new laptops sold per year and if a pocket laptop were available I bet at least 10% would opt for that. Devices of the past like the Psion already proved that a handheld if the form factor and keyboard is well designed can provide easy touch typing in a device as small as 6.9" x 3.6" x .9". If someone is able to do that and have full desktop applications that would be a huge hit. The technology is now availble but thus far there has yet to be the first pocket laptop.
That seems like the most simple natural progression from laptops to jacket pocket laptops. That does not require a paradigm shift in human behavior that pen input would as everyone already uses that method of input already.