Sources: Apple Newton-tablet not ripe for Macworld

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  • Reply 101 of 160
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brockway View Post


    The device they will always carry with them is the iPhone. This tablet isn't meant as a replacement for that. This tablet will be taken to college classes, to work or use around the house. It doesn't cut out the business market - it adds to it. Going into meetings where people would not necessarily have brought a laptop or be typing into an iPhone. a thin tablet would no more out of place than a yellow tablet of paper. They could wirelessly search for any document they would need for the meeting. They could be used where Macs have not been before - a tablet taken on rounds in a hospital, for example. Have you tried walking around with a laptop? People walk around with clipboards though. This tablet could replace that.



    I agree that the price needs to be below $1000 for sure. I think a thin MacBook and a slate / tablet device could both exist without too much canabalization. The attractiveness of the tablet is the multi-touch. Moving things around the screen with just your finger (or fingers). Easily flip from portrait to landscape, etc. Multi-touch on the screen of the current laptop designs, even a thin one, would be awkward. (Adding some of this function to a large trackpad on a laptop, as some have discussed, would be cool though)



    With the iPhone and iPod touch, much of the features of OSX were shrunk down to a small device. A Mac tablet would bring the cool multi-touch features of Phone and iPod touch back up to a fully functioning Mac in tablet form.



    I don't see Apple seeing any value in something around a 7" size.



    Maybe an Apple-style convertable solves the notebook/tablet problem. Maybe the MacBook Air is a new Apple engineered ultra slim, ultra light notebook/tablet convertable! (With WiMax too)! No kludgy swivel hinges ala PC tablets, just super simple, sleek and solid folding system.



    In Notebook mode, the device and OS functions as in a typical MacBook. With a slim keyboard like the new wireless model. If you then fold this keyboard completely back, the device converts to a multi-touch tablet mode with a new super iPhone-like multi-touch interface. Picture the screen being maybe 10" diag. and made of glass like the iPhone and the rest of the body being black aluminum. Pretty cool!
  • Reply 102 of 160
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by spacevator View Post


    Maybe an Apple-style convertable solves the notebook/tablet problem. Maybe the MacBook Air is a new Apple engineered ultra slim, ultra light notebook/tablet convertable! (With WiMax too)! No kludgy swivel hinges ala PC tablets, just super simple, sleek and solid folding system.



    In Notebook mode, the device and OS functions as in a typical MacBook. With a slim keyboard like the new wireless model. If you then fold this keyboard completely back, the device converts to a multi-touch tablet mode with a new super iPhone-like multi-touch interface. Picture the screen being maybe 10" diag. and made of glass like the iPhone and the rest of the body being black aluminum. Pretty cool!



    A convertable laptop is possible - but I totally agree that Apple would only do it if was very elegant and simple.
  • Reply 103 of 160
    Well, in those MacBook Air photos (the ones that have popped up on 9to5mac), the screen and keyboard aren't connected (I mean, I assume they are mock ups or fake but just go with me on this)...what if you open it up, pop a support out of the back, and have a disconnected screen and keyboard with a bluetooth connection. If you turn the keyboard off, you can take just the screen section and BAM! Tablet! ...yeah, OK, its stupid, Apple ain't that crazy.



    Maybe if they did this...but also sold the top part separate from the bottom. I mean, I would prefer what I described earlier, especially as I see it as something less than $1000 and, like I said, not a replacement computer but an extension of what I already have.
  • Reply 104 of 160
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    How do you propose to service these people?



    Or do you?



    iDock?
  • Reply 105 of 160
    vineavinea Posts: 5,585member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by spacevator View Post


    Maybe an Apple-style convertable solves the notebook/tablet problem. Maybe the MacBook Air is a new Apple engineered ultra slim, ultra light notebook/tablet convertable! (With WiMax too)! No kludgy swivel hinges ala PC tablets, just super simple, sleek and solid folding system.



    Done with magnets!
  • Reply 106 of 160
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by melgross View Post


    You mght have mentioned it, but all of youconversation I've seen is for the 11" one you drew.



    Come down below 8, and more people here will begin to smile.



    Yeah still want 11", just feel (one reason or another, but I hope I'm wrong) Apple might deliver 10. I don't want 9", let alone 8.
  • Reply 107 of 160
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Olternaut View Post


    mactouch ftw.



    FTW yes, but not tomorrow. I highly doubt it will materialize tomorrow, I hope I'm wrong though.
  • Reply 108 of 160
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by macsation View Post


    Size: 10"-11", too big to be mobile. This would cut out the potential business market for such a device.



    It think it's kind of obvious where Apple stands with business at this stage. They are aiming at the mass consumer. Besides, an 11" very thin slate would be perfect for business.
  • Reply 109 of 160
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brockway View Post


    The device they will always carry with them is the iPhone. This tablet isn't meant as a replacement for that. This tablet will be taken to college classes, to work or use around the house. It doesn't cut out the business market - it adds to it. Going into meetings where people would not necessarily have brought a laptop or be typing into an iPhone. a thin tablet would no more out of place than a yellow tablet of paper. They could wirelessly search for any document they would need for the meeting. They could be used where Macs have not been before - a tablet taken on rounds in a hospital, for example. Have you tried walking around with a laptop? People walk around with clipboards though. This tablet could replace that.



    I agree that the price needs to be below $1000 for sure. I think a thin MacBook and a slate / tablet device could both exist without too much canabalization. The attractiveness of the tablet is the multi-touch. Moving things around the screen with just your finger (or fingers). Easily flip from portrait to landscape, etc. Multi-touch on the screen of the current laptop designs, even a thin one, would be awkward. (Adding some of this function to a large trackpad on a laptop, as some have discussed, would be cool though)



    With the iPhone and iPod touch, much of the features of OSX were shrunk down to a small device. A Mac tablet would bring the cool multi-touch features of Phone and iPod touch back up to a fully functioning Mac in tablet form.



    I don't see Apple seeing any value in something around a 7" size.



    Totally agree.
  • Reply 110 of 160
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post


    Done with magnets!



    As someone on this forum suggested before (can't remember who), if a hardware keyboard was attachable to the tablet screen via magnets there's no denying that would be cool. One could snap it off and on as desired. Although the magnet-power needed to keep the thing together could cause certain interferences.



    I still see the slim MacBook coming tomorrow, and a tablet (not convertible) coming during the year.
  • Reply 111 of 160
    tx65tx65 Posts: 31member
    I think everyone needs to separate out the two ideas here



    1. A truly mobile device with a form factor 1.5 times the size of the I-Phone (as rumored).



    2. A thin tablet device with a 10-13 inch screen.



    The markets for these devices are very different, but I think we can all agree on what they should have in common rather the squabble over why one over the other.



    1. Touch Screen



    2. Full OS to run full off the shelf applications - no specialty mini apps required



    3. Wifi and even cellular broadband communication



    I believe on device #1 (the 7 inch screen), the price has to be held to $499-$699 tops. If it comes up at $1500, it will be no different than the Sony UMPC - overpriced gadget.



    The larger device priced at anything below the $1500 will do nothing but scavenge keyboard equipped lap top sales since this larger device will just be a touch screen full blown computer with a standard screen size.



    Personally, I have no use for the larger device, but I can see some applications for it. The question I have is what has been the interest and order levels of the Modbook?



    The smaller 7 inch device I see personal application for replacing blackberry's and other PDA's in the business market. In looking at the features of the New MS Office 2008, it now has support for MS Exchange. A 7 inch screen with MS office being able to access an MS Exchange Server... Apple may have found a means to make a large thrust into the corporate market, not replacing the Windows boxes on people's desk, but serving corporate people on the move.
  • Reply 112 of 160
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brockway View Post


    The device they will always carry with them is the iPhone. This tablet isn't meant as a replacement for that. This tablet will be taken to college classes, to work or use around the house. It doesn't cut out the business market - it adds to it. Going into meetings where people would not necessarily have brought a laptop or be typing into an iPhone. a thin tablet would no more out of place than a yellow tablet of paper. They could wirelessly search for any document they would need for the meeting. They could be used where Macs have not been before - a tablet taken on rounds in a hospital, for example. Have you tried walking around with a laptop? People walk around with clipboards though. This tablet could replace that.



    I agree that the price needs to be below $1000 for sure. I think a thin MacBook and a slate / tablet device could both exist without too much canabalization. The attractiveness of the tablet is the multi-touch. Moving things around the screen with just your finger (or fingers). Easily flip from portrait to landscape, etc. Multi-touch on the screen of the current laptop designs, even a thin one, would be awkward. (Adding some of this function to a large trackpad on a laptop, as some have discussed, would be cool though)



    With the iPhone and iPod touch, much of the features of OSX were shrunk down to a small device. A Mac tablet would bring the cool multi-touch features of Phone and iPod touch back up to a fully functioning Mac in tablet form.



    I don't see Apple seeing any value in something around a 7" size.



    What you're asking for in the larger size won't happen. First of all, your pricing is way off base for something that size. double the price, and you're closer. You can't come up with prices that are nice for the consumer without taking into account how much is actually costs to build it, market it, guarantee it, and all the rest. Small UMPC's that have been reviewed as being much too slow cost $600 to $750. The ones that are deemed to have enough speed cost $1,000.



    These are much smaller devices than this one.



    There's no purpose for it either. There is nothing useful for a student that an ultralight wouldn't do much better, at possibly, less cost.
  • Reply 113 of 160
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by vinea View Post


    iDock?



    A poor substitute.
  • Reply 114 of 160
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Yeah still want 11", just feel (one reason or another, but I hope I'm wrong) Apple might deliver 10. I don't want 9", let alone 8.



    I agree with the reports that it's un;ike;y they will deliver either right now. But, the reports are also betting on the smaller one for sometime this year.



    You might have noticed that most people on this forum, with the exception of a small number of vocal people supporting it, don't want the big model. Those who favor a new touch model mostly want the smaller device.



    I have a feeling that the general population will be even more inclined to think this way.
  • Reply 115 of 160
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    It think it's kind of obvious where Apple stands with business at this stage. They are aiming at the mass consumer. Besides, an 11" very thin slate would be perfect for business.



    You say it would be perfect for business. Just how would it be perfect? Other than some minor things that it could do, which a keyboarded device could do as well if the screen was touch sensitive (as has been available as add-ons for decades for stationary machines).



    You have to have some "killer app" forpeope to want to move to something like ths. Nothing that business people use is written for a tablet, it all depends on keyboarded use.



    While I think that these touch keyboards might play a big role in the future, I don't think that time is now.



    I also don't agree that a 0.6" thick model can have enough cpu or gpu power to serve, and still have enough batter life, and remain cool enough. An inch thick, or maybe .75 inch at the least, which means more weight.
  • Reply 116 of 160
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fishyesque View Post


    You should pick up an Eee PC while you're waiting.



    It's freaking amazing.







    I'm seriously considering it. It really appeals to me.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I think a sub-notebook is coming as well. It's coming tomorrow. I don't think the tablet is though.



    I agree, I expect both, I just think the notebook is likely to come first. Simply because if Apple offers both a sub-notebook and a revolutionary tablet, they've cornered pretty much all the super portable market needs.
  • Reply 117 of 160
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jensonb View Post


    I'm seriously considering it. It really appeals to me.



    I agree, I expect both, I just think the notebook is likely to come first. Simply because if Apple offers both a sub-notebook and a revolutionary tablet, they've cornered pretty much all the super portable market needs.



    EXACTLY!!!!!!
  • Reply 118 of 160
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Jensonb View Post


    I agree, I expect both, I just think the notebook is likely to come first. Simply because if Apple offers both a sub-notebook and a revolutionary tablet, they've cornered pretty much all the super portable market needs.



    I don't think we'll see a tablet.



    Seth Weintraub of Computerworld, has an interesting Macworld prediction article in his new column. He starts out with the most likely, and moves to the least likely, then to some wilder guesses (though some make a lot of sense).



    Number 8 is this:



    Quote:

    Mac tablet of some form. A huge iPod Touch with more applications? This has been widely speculated but Apple has always been anti-tablet.



    The second sentence says it all. A new Newton sized device later this year, maybe. Otherwise? I doubt it very much.



    His article is fun reading. It's here:



    http://blogs.computerworld.com/macwo...LT_MAC&nlid=62
  • Reply 119 of 160
    You know, a lot of people say there isn't a market for tablets...but was there REALLY a market for MP3 players? Apple took a big risk with the iPod but it has been one of the best things for the company! I can see them taking that same risk, which is part of business. If companies only did what was safe...well, we wouldn't have a lot of technology that we do have now. We wouldn't have either of Nintendo's current systems. We wouldn't have Personal Computers. We wouldn't have freaking CARS! Imagine when Henry Ford first said "Hey, I got an idea for this internal combustion engine, we are going to put it on wheels and it will help people get around!" "But Henry, people can walk, and for long trips, they have horses! There is no demand for such a product!"
  • Reply 120 of 160
    melgrossmelgross Posts: 33,510member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Rogzilla View Post


    You know, a lot of people say there isn't a market for tablets...but was there REALLY a market for MP3 players? Apple took a big risk with the iPod but it has been one of the best things for the company! I can see them taking that same risk, which is part of business. If companies only did what was safe...well, we wouldn't have a lot of technology that we do have now. We wouldn't have either of Nintendo's current systems. We wouldn't have Personal Computers. We wouldn't have freaking CARS! Imagine when Henry Ford first said "Hey, I got an idea for this internal combustion engine, we are going to put it on wheels and it will help people get around!" "But Henry, people can walk, and for long trips, they have horses! There is no demand for such a product!"



    MP3 players were a new market. Memory was VERY expensive. I bought a Creative that took Smartmedia cards. One 64MB (YES! MB) card, that only allowed one album on it at 128K/s, cost about $100.



    Not too many people were buying them. Also, ripping your own Cd's was a pain back then. The software wasn't nearly as easy to use for most people on the Mac, and the situation on the far larger PC market was even worse.



    There was room for another player, and Apple was able to come out with a product that, at first, was just marketed to the Apple faithful. It was much better than the competition. Also, playing music is a simple thing.



    With regards to tablets, the situation is different. The reason why PC tablets are such clunky things, with keyboards, is because people simply aren't ready to abandon keyboards. There is also no killer app that would REQUIRE a tablet, and that's important.



    You can look at many industries that needed one thing to make it successful. What is that thing here? Multitouch? I don't think so. That is an enabler, but it needs something significant to enable.



    On an iPhone/iTouch, with their tiny screens, a two finger motion to shrink or enlarge something is almost a necessity, but not so much on a large screen. Convenient? Maybe? Necessary? No.



    Until one can type on the screen at rates approaching regular keyboards, which is still off in the future, the tablet will be limited.
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