Apple's tablet will be more than a niche product - report

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  • Reply 21 of 238
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    Agreed. I'm hoping for Snow Leopard running on these devices too, but with a custom touch UI.



    A customised Snow Leopard UI which is adaptable for touch will make me add another item to my signature.. grumble..
  • Reply 22 of 238
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dfiler View Post


    I'd say the number one gadget with potential now is the Apple TV.



    People are hugely interested in being able to watch anything they want, whenever they want, instantaneously on their home TV, and to do so without any hassle. Given how much people spend on cable TV subscriptions, they would certainly plop down a ton of money of an Apple TV type device that actually delivered on those promises. The software and media licensing deals just aren't there yet though.



    Tablets are appealing because they are rare and have the mystique of being a rare high-tech gadget. As for the masses lusting after them... not so much.



    Absolutely right! I was a 1st gen purchaser of the Apple TV and love the little device. I'd love it more if it was able to grab more media assets from the web and play them through my HDTV. And I'm not talking about adding codecs to play the pirated material our in the wild rather allow Hulu, NetFlix, etc. to play back with Apple's UI ease.
  • Reply 23 of 238
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    You don't really believe that that iPhone was worth $600 do you? Not in value to you but in costs and reasonable profits. Even now Apples margins on iPhone are huge.



    The out the door price has a lot to do with marketing. Generally the cost to produce the product has little to do with it's selling price. If we are talking an ARM based device most of the cost in the electronics is in the flash memory with the display likely equalling the Flash memory cost. That depends of course upon how much flash goes into the device and here I'm hoping two different capacity models.



    In any event I'm really hoping this is the type of device that I imagine it to be. I might go for rev A especially if it is supplied with the CPU and GPU power needed in rev A. The only nasty with my iPhone is it's lack of suitable CPU. This tablet simply has to perform a lot better. The new iPhone GS indicates that this shouldn't be a problem. Still the thing better be dual core at the very least.



    I'm actually excited but at the same time I'm hoping it isn't tied to AT&T. I'm also hoping it has just a bit more user I/O ports. SD and USB if you know what I mean.



    Dave



    WELL dave from 2001 movie

    the sony bookreader sells for 299

    which makes the iphone cheap
  • Reply 24 of 238
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    I'm still not sure of the purpose of this device, in relation to when or how it is used. If it is specialized, like a typical tablet, meaning for doctors and such, I can see that working, but on a limited basis. But if this is to be something that everyone just carries around with them, 10" seems a bit big.



    Right now my iPhone is the perfect size to carry everywhere. It fits in the pocket of a pair of cargo shorts or even jeans. I don't have to remove it from my pockets to sit down or get in the car or anything. In other words an iPhone is very convenient to carry everywhere with you while still being big enough to be functional. What do you do with this 10" thing and where do you put it (...that's what SHE said...) if you take it everywhere with you? Or is something in between? Something that you take with you on certain occasions, like on an airplane or something.
  • Reply 25 of 238
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by monster free city View Post


    What? Screen size had little to nothing to do with the iPhone OS not allowing multitasking on 3rd party apps -- and, as has been covered here and elsewhere a million times, multitasking is already present in the Mail and SMS apps on the iPhone. It's all about battery life.



    While the comment was poorly written I believe his point is that the larger screen allows for the interface elements to make multitasking more user friendly and obvious. I can actually see Snow Leopards new Dock/Exposé feature being an important element in delivering user friendly multitasking on the platform.



    So yeah poorly written. I can see Apple still enforcing the idea that each user app owns the screen with the Dock as the avenue between running apps. For small screens this should really work well.

    Quote:



    A bigger device can hold a bigger battery, and would also likely be designed for a setting where frequent charging wouldn't be a deal-breaker as it is with a phone (i.e., home/office, where there are presumably lots of outlets, maybe room for a cradle).



    A bigger battery would be huge here, but lower power electronics even bigger. There is already a lower power version of iPhones processor out so this is realistic. Of course the tablet will make up for that by running the processor faster and likely with more cores. The point being we could have a dramatically faster tablet that doesn't use much more power than the current iPhone. Slap a bigger battery in there and we should get good run times.



    By the way frequent charging is a bit of a deal breaker, it is not acceptable in fact. Ideally the unit would handle 4 hours of continous file transfer over the Cell network and at least twelve over the WiFi network. Even 4 hours is a bit thin for cellular networking but I'm talking continous file transfers here. This should be easy though as there is plenty of space for a battery in a tablet of this size.

    Quote:



    That's why multitasking would be present, not screen size.



    Actually this I disagree with. Multitasking should be present because Apple realizes that users need it. Frankly it should be incorporated into iPhone at this point. The arguements about battery run times are meaningless as the user should have a clean interface to what is and isn't running.



    It is like driving a car, you have a choice to go fast or slow and thus burn gas a the rate of your choosing. The big problem on the original iPhones is the lack of RAM to really support user multitasking but that isn't an issue anymore.

    Quote:

    Never mind that the iPhone OS *is* a "touch friendly" version of OS X, so the last part of the quote doesn't make much sense. They could just enable more pieces of OS X on a new device, apropos of whatever it's supposed to do, whether it uses the iPhone UI or not.



    Yep! It is rather sad that an analyst would not grasp this. More importantly building on iPhone OS keeps the APIs trim and fresh. Mac OS/X has a lot of cruft in it that would add nothing to the device.





    Dave
  • Reply 26 of 238
    jetsetjetset Posts: 18member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Chintan100 View Post


    I want one right now!!!



    I want on too!

    Not now..but RIGHT NOW!
  • Reply 27 of 238
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by .:R2theT View Post


    Why would it not be a netbook? Because Apple isn't calling it that.



    If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...



    ... If it looks like a dud and works like a dud, it's a netbook
  • Reply 28 of 238
    trevctrevc Posts: 77member
    These financial analytists not only know what new products are coming out with what features, they also know the cost of them?



    Appleinsider quick, sign them up to write for you!



    Really. EVERYTHING is speculation. And very questionable.







    They're selling unlocked iPhone's for similar pricing, so anythign new and innovative, Apple's gonna charge more than $600, easy... and that's IF they can even guess what the device is? I know there must be some way to kinda guess that there's a new product based on screen orders, etc., but with Apple's tight lipped environment everything seems almost not worth talking about until it's announced.
  • Reply 29 of 238
    al_bundyal_bundy Posts: 1,525member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    I'm still not sure of the purpose of this device, in relation to when or how it is used. If it is specialized, like a typical tablet, meaning for doctors and such, I can see that working, but on a limited basis. But if this is to be something that everyone just carries around with them, 10" seems a bit big.



    Right now my iPhone is the perfect size to carry everywhere. It fits in the pocket of a pair of cargo shorts or even jeans. I don't have to remove it from my pockets to sit down or get in the car or anything. In other words an iPhone is very convenient to carry everywhere with you while still being big enough to be functional. What do you do with this 10" thing and where do you put it (...that's what SHE said...) if you take it everywhere with you? Or is something in between? Something that you take with you on certain occasions, like on an airplane or something.



    $2000 for car DVD system

    $2000 for navigation



    $600 for itablet and you don't have to take a stack of DVD's along with you to keep the kids entertained
  • Reply 30 of 238
    emulatoremulator Posts: 251member
    "and sell about 2 million units"

    like they know what will sell and what not.



    wonder how many sale they predicted for such products like that boombox (whatever it was called) or the apple tv.

    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ronbo View Post


    I call BS on that price. My 1st gen iPhone cost $600. I really wish these reports would stop trying so hard to set people up for disappointment.



    and now, how much people pay for the 3GS? 1000? 1100?
  • Reply 31 of 238
    Please add a stylus so I can use this as a sketch book! And a screen with brightess and contrast enoguh to use out doors.
  • Reply 32 of 238
    virgil-tb2virgil-tb2 Posts: 1,416member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dfiler View Post


    Price is the key. Tablets won't be people's primary computer. Instead they will be an auxiliary computer used for specific tasks. With this in mind, price is the key. Tablets will only become popular when they are so cheap that people can buy them on whim. A "why not?" kind of purchase. Otherwise, it will only be the rich that equip themselves with an auxiliary/limited-use computer.



    $600 is close but not quite cheap enough in my book. At that price, most people will continue to use their laptop or desktop. With that said, I would love an Apple tablet. I probably can't justify the purchase of one though, even at the $600 price. My 24" iMac already does everything I need so a tablet would fall into the luxury category for me.



    Indeed, any purported tablet would have to do a lot more than just use full screen for email, to make it a desirable product.



    It's been clear for a while now that any tablet will have to run either "iPhone OS-X", (or some variant of it), instead of "Mac OS-X." Its also pretty clear that unless this thing can handle document creation it will basically be just a bigger iPod and not worthy of the tablet moniker at all. The key to that is applications.



    For that reason the thing that would confirm the tablet for me, would be some kind of a leak or rumour about mobile versions of Pages, Numbers and Keynote. IMO it would be absolutely necessary for these to already exist in some lab somewhere, in order for a tablet to be a viable proposition.



    Another thing that makes no sense however, is that if a tablet exists and it *isn't* just a bigger iPod, then that whole deal where they "split" OS-X (remember the two bridges?), and called one "Mac OS-X" and the other "iPhone OS-X" looks pretty stupid now. At the time I thought "iPhone OS-X" was just a cumbersome choice of words, but it makes even less sense with a tablet in the picture.



    What are they going to do, have an invite with *three* bridges on it this time? Or rename it yet again so soon after re-naming it the first time?
  • Reply 33 of 238
    jupiteronejupiterone Posts: 1,564member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by al_bundy View Post


    $2000 for car DVD system

    $2000 for navigation



    $600 for itablet and you don't have to take a stack of DVD's along with you to keep the kids entertained



    So are you saying that you keep it in the car and remove it maybe only to sync up with a Mac? Possible, but when in the car, where do you put it? Could it take the heat/cold of being in the car all the time? If you don't keep it in the car all the time, how many times will you forget it after you're already in the car?



    Incidentally, I would LOVE if Apple made software for cars.
  • Reply 34 of 238
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wolfneuralnet View Post


    Running the iPhone OS on this tablet would be a deal killer for me.



    Sorry to hear that but you seem to be very confused as to what iPhone OS is.

    Quote:

    I really am not interested in a larger version of the iPhone - the iPhone works just fine for what I need.



    This is really ignorant, you can't equate the device with the OS. It is like saying you would never buy a Mac Book because your Mac Pro is a better machine. They are different devices running the same OS.



    Like wise it is doubtful that the tablet will have phone functionality. It's an entirely different device and may have features foriegn to iPhone. Look at iPhone and just imagine that all of the features and apps where not limited by screen size or CPU power.

    Quote:



    However, a 10 inch machine that I could do some email and light word-processing on that would sync easily with my other desktop and laptop - that would be great.



    Now do me a favor, Please re read the above until you realize that you just described a device running iPhone OS! This is what amazes me about people dissing iPhone OS, they swear it is unacceptable and then go on to describe a device that might as well be iPhone OS.

    Quote:



    Hopefully I won't have to create a hackintosh in order to get this.



    You will not be creating any hackintishes for this device because it is going to be difficult to duplicate the device. In any event you gave clearly indicated that you have in mind a device of a different genre than this tablet. I don't know why either as you clearly want an iPhone OS tablet but just don't realize it.





    Dave
  • Reply 35 of 238
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by .:R2theT View Post


    Why would it not be a netbook? Because Apple isn't calling it that.



    If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck...



    That's the point though. It's not going to walk like a duck and quack like a duck. It may have feathers, wings and a bill like mouth. But it's going to be a whole different animal.



    Let all the awkward ducks line up in a row. The beautiful creature all by itself in the other corner of the pond is a swan!
  • Reply 36 of 238
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by wizard69 View Post


    Sorry to hear that but you seem to be very confused as to what iPhone OS is.



    This is really ignorant, you can't equate the device with the OS. It is like saying you would never buy a Mac Book because your Mac Pro is a better machine. They are different devices running the same OS.



    Like wise it is doubtful that the tablet will have phone functionality. It's an entirely different device and may have features foriegn to iPhone. Look at iPhone and just imagine that all of the features and apps where not limited by screen size or CPU power.



    Now do me a favor, Please re read the above until you realize that you just described a device running iPhone OS! This is what amazes me about people dissing iPhone OS, they swear it is unacceptable and then go on to describe a device that might as well be iPhone OS.



    You will not be creating any hackintishes for this device because it is going to be difficult to duplicate the device. In any event you gave clearly indicated that you have in mind a device of a different genre than this tablet. I don't know why either as you clearly want an iPhone OS tablet but just don't realize it.





    Dave



    Well Dave - thanks for calling me ignorant, which is why I don't normally post here - too many kids.



    As for your suggestions about how I change how I think about things, you clearly didn't understand what I said.



    I have no interest at all in iPhone versions of Word, Mail, or whatever other mobile versions of these apps people would come up with. If I am on a ten-inch screen I want to use the full versions of these apps. And I want Dropbox syncing those documents immediately.



    I know damn well what the iPhone OS is and what it is capable of, and I don't WANT it on a 10" tablet. I want everything that is in OSX (Time Machine, etc.).



    What I described is NOT an iPhone OS running on a Tablet.



    iPhone OS on a tablet is a deal killer for me - you can try and reframe it all you want, but it won't do everything I want it to do with the iPhone OS (and it is a different OS, with different APIs than OSX, no matter what you say.)
  • Reply 37 of 238
    morkymorky Posts: 200member
    I've been thinking about what this could be used for, and I really think they will be aiming it at the home entertainment/media center market. Here is an idea: what if this is the replacement for the AppleTV? The could provide a smaller, AppleTV-like device with no hard drive to connect to the TV and stereo, put a decent size HD in the tablet, and stream everything from the tablet to the TV. The could also potentially have DVR and SlingBox-type capabilities to stream TV to the tablet.
  • Reply 38 of 238
    wigginwiggin Posts: 2,265member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by dfiler View Post


    I'd say the number one gadget with potential now is the Apple TV.



    People are hugely interested in being able to watch anything they want, whenever they want, instantaneously on their home TV, and to do so without any hassle. Given how much people spend on cable TV subscriptions, they would certainly plop down a ton of money of an Apple TV type device that actually delivered on those promises. The software and media licensing deals just aren't there yet though.



    Tablets are appealing because they are rare and have the mystique of being a rare high-tech gadget. As for the masses lusting after them... not so much.



    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Stan_Timek View Post


    Absolutely right! I was a 1st gen purchaser of the Apple TV and love the little device. I'd love it more if it was able to grab more media assets from the web and play them through my HDTV. And I'm not talking about adding codecs to play the pirated material our in the wild rather allow Hulu, NetFlix, etc. to play back with Apple's UI ease.



    Yes, Apple will need to loosen it's grip on the content for AppleTV in order for it to be successful. It needs to be able to play the content I already [legally] own without hacks and time consuming transcoding, and it needs to be able to directly access more online content.



    We now return you to your regularly schedule thread topic...
  • Reply 39 of 238
    nite41nite41 Posts: 41member
    Keeping in mind my limited savings, I guess I am going to drop the idea of getting the new iPods due in September and rather wait for the tablet. Looks like I will also need to adapt my savings cycle according to the June/September Apple launches!



    That's the problem called Apple addiction. You buy one product, and you get addicted to the whole product range!
  • Reply 40 of 238
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by JupiterOne View Post


    I'm still not sure of the purpose of this device, in relation to when or how it is used. If it is specialized, like a typical tablet, meaning for doctors and such, I can see that working, but on a limited basis. But if this is to be something that everyone just carries around with them, 10" seems a bit big.



    Right now my iPhone is the perfect size to carry everywhere. It fits in the pocket of a pair of cargo shorts or even jeans. I don't have to remove it from my pockets to sit down or get in the car or anything. In other words an iPhone is very convenient to carry everywhere with you while still being big enough to be functional. What do you do with this 10" thing and where do you put it (...that's what SHE said...) if you take it everywhere with you? Or is something in between? Something that you take with you on certain occasions, like on an airplane or something.



    It would go where you would typically take a netbook, as it would be of a similar size and function. No a 10" device isn't something you would take everywhere with you, unless you always had a bag, that doesn't mean there isn't a market for it. Ultimately we would need to see the feature set to figure out where it would go and who would buy one.
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