Poor bets placed on Apple taking dual tablet route in September

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Comments

  • Reply 41 of 117
    The 6" form-factor has never made sense to me.



    It's still far too big to fit into a pocket, but it's also not big enough to be a real improvement on the iPhone/iPod for longer/more complex computing sessions.



    And the idea that Apple (of all companies) will release a touch-based device that will run software designed for mouse/keyboard is still insane.
  • Reply 42 of 117
    As predicted there will be no tablet announcement at the September iPod event. Just like as predicted there would be no MacBook announcements at the June WWDC ... Wait a second
  • Reply 43 of 117
    Why is anyone thinking about a stylus? I can type about as fast as I can write and I <ferris bueller>never had one lesson</ferris>.



    Was the stylus developed for handwriting recognition or for hitting the impossibly small interface elements of 1st gen palm devices?



    Nevermind the stylus.
  • Reply 44 of 117
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I get your sarcasm, you missed mine.



    your Over blown hissy fit about being off topic while you was even more off topic bitching about being off topic when if fact every thread here is off topic by the 4th post makes no sence . if ya gonna name your self after a planet or a country at least .....rinng rrring teckstud calling
  • Reply 45 of 117
    brucepbrucep Posts: 2,823member
    I like the idea of a dual use format for the tablet like a mass produced one for industry and then a powerful graphic one for the gamers .

    no stylus or matte options please



    9
  • Reply 46 of 117
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleBiter View Post


    Why is anyone thinking about a stylus? I can type about as fast as I can write and I <ferris bueller>never had one lesson</ferris>.



    Was the stylus developed for handwriting recognition or for hitting the impossibly small interface elements of 1st gen palm devices?



    Nevermind the stylus.



    Can you type a picture?
  • Reply 47 of 117
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2 View Post


    You couldn't be more wrong here.



    The whole point of the device is that it's going to redefine what a "regular computer" is. You are making the same argument here that all the old command line geezers did when computers with GUI's started making headlines. It's also the same argument people made when laptops came out and didn't have "proper" keyboards or mice.



    There already are and have been for some time tablet computers that use regular "desktop" OS's in both Windows and OS-X varieties. They are not that popular and have a lot of problems associated with their use. A tablet running regular "desktop" OS-X would likely be a failure as well.



    Why would Apple spend all this time developing a completely separate version of OS-X that is specifically designed to be used with finger actuated, capacitive based, touch-screens and then release a new tablet product that uses that same hardware, but the old "desktop" version of the OS? Why would they confuse things by putting out some kind of hybrid "middle" variant between the two?



    There is nothing missing from the iPhone version of OS-X that would stand in the way of it being an excellent choice for a tablet. The only mystery to me is how they are going to handle the obvious desire for pen input, or if they will just leave it out.



    +++



    Pen input is easy: You can build a serviceable, home-made, capacitive pen/stylus with:



    -- aluminum foil

    -- a thumbtack or brass paper fastener

    -- a dowel, chopstick, wood pencil or pen barrel



    Just wrap the dowel with the foil and stick the thumbtack through the foil onto the dowel. Make sure there is good contact between your hand, the foil, and the thumbtack.



    The reason you need a thumbtack or paper fastener is that the surface area that touches the screen must be over 10 pixels in diameter to be recognized as a touch (anything less is rejected by the driver). You can get by with a tip about 1/4 inch diameter.



    Apple could easily supply a touch-sensitive pen/stylus that transmits a BlueTooth signal. Then, the tablet device could recognize the proximity of the pen/stylus and configure itself to accept a smaller, more precise, touch area.



    A couple of dollars worth of hardware and a few changes to the touchscreen driver and voila!
  • Reply 48 of 117
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Roc Ingersol View Post


    The 6" form-factor has never made sense to me.



    It's still far too big to fit into a pocket, but it's also not big enough to be a real improvement on the iPhone/iPod for longer/more complex computing sessions.



    And the idea that Apple (of all companies) will release a touch-based device that will run software designed for mouse/keyboard is still insane.



    The surface of a 3"x5" index card has a diagonal length of 5 3/4" and would be about 2 1/2 times the display area of the iPhone-- something like 800x480 pixels (at iPhone resolution).



    This is a very useful display resolution and size. And a 25-pack of index cards slips easily into a shirt or pants pocket.
  • Reply 49 of 117
    msanttimsantti Posts: 1,377member
    I think Apple launching a tablet in the 1st quarter is absolutely brilliant.



    Its the worst quarter for sales. Makes total sense not to do it during the highest sales quarter.



    Jobs and company should be commended for such a brilliant move IMO.



  • Reply 50 of 117
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Roc Ingersol View Post


    The 6" form-factor has never made sense to me.



    It's still far too big to fit into a pocket, but it's also not big enough to be a real improvement on the iPhone/iPod for longer/more complex computing sessions.



    That's because you have natural common sense.
  • Reply 51 of 117
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AppleBiter View Post


    Why is anyone thinking about a stylus? I can type about as fast as I can write and I <ferris bueller>never had one lesson</ferris>.



    Was the stylus developed for handwriting recognition or for hitting the impossibly small interface elements of 1st gen palm devices?



    Nevermind the stylus.



    Have you ever tried drawing a circle by typing characters?



    How do you paint a picture? Draw an architectural diagram? Use bezier curves to outline an image mask? Measure the length of a line?



    Type me a 3D picture of a soccer ball!



    I need your signature to authorize this charge!





    Sure, you could do all this with a QWERTY kb, but a stylus is a much better tool for these tasks
  • Reply 52 of 117
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by brucep View Post


    your Over blown hissy fit about being off topic while you was even more off topic bitching about being off topic when if fact every thread here is off topic..



    The kiwi statement was pure sarcasm. Keep it on topic guys. The guys says "OFF TOPIC" then links to a website with a long article about Snow Leopard, when he knows full well where the Mac OS forum is. Hardly a hissy fit. Just like we can't have one simply discussion about Apple or its products for 5 minutes without someone mentioning the Zune, Microsoft or Steve Ballmer throwing a chair.
  • Reply 53 of 117
    freenyfreeny Posts: 128member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Virgil-TB2 View Post


    There is an absolutely wild patent that Apple has where they use infrared sensors together with the capacitance sensors to detect "hand shapes" as your hands hover over the screen. In this scenario to switch to pen input, you put your hand like you are holding an "air pen" and the computer detects that and switches modes.



    This would be brilliant of course, but to me it's so "science-fictiony" that I have trouble believing that it will actually work or that the patent isn't just some speculative thing like the one where they use a regular LCD as a camera.



    Steve Jobs hates styluses, (but then he hates a lot of things), so maybe this will happen, but I'm not really certain at all and will be interested to see what they do. It seems to me that all other solutions are going to require some kind of stylus which will inevitably get lost.



    If it works, this could be revolutionary. Moving around documents with your fingers, and then "writing" on them with either an air pen or any chopstick, french-fry, or pocky that's handy (if you have trouble making the gesture) would be the "Jesus interface" IMO. I've just had my Apple-dreams shattered so many times before that I refuse to get too involved with the idea until it seems more likely.



    They could implicate a "virtual stylus". A graphic on the screen that has a spot for your finger and a graphical projection that extends out to a single pixel or cross hair...
  • Reply 54 of 117
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by freeny View Post


    They could implicate a "virtual stylus". A graphic on the screen that has a spot for your finger and a graphical projection that extends out to a single pixel or cross hair...



    Quite possible. But if they are going to do such a thing wouldn't it make more sense to make their own stylus as an add-on for artists. That sort of thing could go nay which way, only Apple labs no for sure.
  • Reply 55 of 117
    Virgil, you bring up a good question. I had all but forgotten about this issue until someone brought it up to me a couple weeks ago... really, how can you have a tablet form factor and not allow for handwritten notes via a stylus of some sort?... it just seems odd... and yet, at the same time, I can't see them providing for it, as gung-ho as they are about "touch." It will be interesting to see if this is addressed, as well as people's desire for a real keyboard.



    Also, AI, as much as I love the site, and I do... WE GET IT. You don't agree with the leaks, the tablet will be 10 inches, and it won't come out until the first quarter of '10. Seriously, it's kind of enough already. I have to tell y'all, considering the number of times you've hammered this point home by now, you're going to have some serious egg on your face should you be incorrect.



    I still vote for a compromise. Announcement in Sept, available in January.



    Cheers!
  • Reply 56 of 117
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by AjitMD View Post


    It is good that secrecy is generating all this distortion field... even though Apple may not be doing this directly. Keeps competitors like Palm, MSFT off their balance... keeps them day late and dollar short!



    \\\\



    there is no sin to compare with missing Christmas and fall sales with a new consumer electronics product with the potential of the tablet.. they must present it in September or they have missed an entire year of free press.. admittedly, there is no competition for what is coming - but still, the fall season is not to be missed. Apple is a CE company. A delay is for a very very important reason .. that is what should be speculated on and not the delivery itself.. what could delay the intro specifically.. it has to be the processor ... screens, hardware package.. etc etc are all in possible at any time..
  • Reply 57 of 117
    olternautolternaut Posts: 1,376member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    There will be one tablet, the base model will cost $999 (around 64GB SSD), it will have a 10.1" LCD screen, it will run Mac OS X touch, it will replace the MacBook (later in the year Apple will revoke the use of "Pro" in the MacBook lineup altogether). It will be demoed at CES 2010 or at a March 2010 Apple event. It will be targeted squarely at the consumer electronics market, but it will have full-blown computer capabilities. It will run a touch based version of Snow Leopard. It will not have a physical keyboard. It will contain a built-in rest on the back of the device. It will change the computer industry forever.



    I still think that Apple has some feature or features (other than outstanding software) that will send this device over the top. It will have that little extra something that will help redefine the industry. I mean, if it it's gonna supplant the traditional notebook then it's going to have to be something really special....right?

    In my view, that "something" will have to be a flexible display. I've just about given up on that idea.....for now.

    But who knows. Perhaps Apple has something design idea in mind that none of us have thought of yet.
  • Reply 58 of 117
    cmf2cmf2 Posts: 1,427member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by maxmann View Post


    \\\\



    there is no sin to compare with missing Christmas and fall sales with a new consumer electronics product with the potential of the tablet.. they must present it in September or they have missed an entire year of free press.. admittedly, there is no competition for what is coming - but still, the fall season is not to be missed. Apple is a CE company. A delay is for a very very important reason .. that is what should be speculated on and not the delivery itself.. what could delay the intro specifically.. it has to be the processor ... screens, hardware package.. etc etc are all in possible at any time..



    Apple wants people to buy all their products. If they released everything before Christmas, budgets would dictate what consumers bought, so it does make sense to spread releases out. I think Apple's strategy of always releasing iPods before Christmas, and other products at other times makes a lot of sense as an iPod makes the most likely gift.



    A tablet will generate a lot of hype whenever you release it and the vast majority will not be gifts. It makes sense to release it when sales are expected to be down. January is perfect because it is also the time when people buy themselves what they REALLY wanted for Christmas.



    Edit: Of course you could be right and there is something specific holding up the process and they do desire an earlier launch. I still however, feel that there are plenty of valid reasons to plan for a January launch for this product.
  • Reply 59 of 117
    justflybobjustflybob Posts: 1,337member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Can't blame me for someone deliberately posting an OFF TOPIC post on an article, and having the brawn to call it OFF TOPIC. If it's off topic then we don't need to here about it in this post.



    That time of the month, eh?
  • Reply 60 of 117
    http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...ns_report.html



    Wonder why Bizweek got the hammer and earlier report is very similar gets AI approval?
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