Exactly. That is the paradox, that they will want something that will be invented but they themselves not being inventors won't know enough to envision it to want it. Enter the Stevster.
I really hope not myself. A seven inch device would be far more portable, actually usable hand held and pocketable for many. A ten incher is just ungainly. Further once into ten inch territory a laptop makes more sense.
Dave
Jesus Dave, people have been holding 10 inch books and reading them and carrying them along for aeons (and these books where far heavier), some common sense man...
Exactly. That is the paradox, that they will want something that will be invented but they themselves not being inventors won't know enough to envision it to want it. Enter the Stevster.
I don't know if it's a paradox as much as it's common sense. I have a saying for that, I made up a while back: common sense is useful genius. Think about it, there's a lot more to it than it's surface meaning.
This product could have a profound impact on education... assuming a decent price point, easy to administer, and rugged design.
The Kindle is good for reading ebooks, but you can't make notes on it. You can't take & wirelessly submit tests on it. I'm not sure you could look at sheet music on it. That's why we need a thin form factor book with great battery life. Heck - I'd even love to see Apple put an ePaper screen beneath a touch LCD screen so that you could conserve massive energy when simply showing the same text for a long time. If every student were given something that was networked, video-capable, skype-capable, touch sensitive, and easily locked down and monitored by school admins (needed for adherence to NCLB/CIPA laws) I think Apple would far outsell any netbook manufacturer.
The only reason Apple is still around today is because of the education market in the early-mid 80s. It dates back to well before Jobs left and came back with his iMac/ipod - Apple never would have made it that far if they hadn't sold millions of ][ computers to schools worldwide.
iPods are great for school, but they're too small. Laptops are good for schools, but they're too big. Netbooks, currently, are the best pieces of technology for schoolchildren to be assigned... but I think Apple is going to hit this new idea out of the park. They need to hurry, though - the market may be moved on to something else by the time they get their masterpiece released.
I agree to some extent, but when he was kicked out in the 90's Apple almost went bankrupt. The stock was down to chump change, people were saying it was over for Apple. Then Jobs returned, they very soon after started making money and turned profitable again. Now with a stock price well over $150, hard to believe in just 1999 or so it was in the teens ($18-20).
Steve left Apple in 1985. The stock price in 1999 was already starting to take off, after hitting a split adjusted ten-year low of about $3 in 1997. Apple was actually doing quite well until the mid-90s.
Steve left Apple in 1985. The stock price in 1999 was already starting to take off, after hitting a split adjusted ten-year low of about $3 in 1997. Apple was actually doing quite well until the mid-90s.
I was a lot younger then and you seem to know more than me on some levels, so I give in to your knowledge. But I feel my initial point is still valid, to me - no one else has to agree, without Jobs Apple slowly stalled and almost went bankrupt. They were stagnant and didn't really grow, just played to satisfy it's niche buyers but seldom pulled in converts. I remember a lot of people were saying they may be sold or go under. They didn't bring Jobs back because things were going well, they brought him back because it was sink or swim and he gave them the best chance and returned them back to his original vision and quality demands. That was and is my point, with Jobs they they do more than succeed, they surpass and innovate on new levels. With Jobs they have been slowly converting new users which is important for brand and profit growth. With Jobs they have changed the tech world on many levels.
Jobs IS Apple to me and I do fear when he steps down permanently without the right person in place they will slowly revert to mid-late 90s all over again. And that I stand by firmly!
I was a lot younger then and you seem to know more than me on some levels, so I give in to your knowledge. But I feel my initial point is still valid, to me - no one else has to agree, without Jobs Apple slowly stalled and almost went bankrupt. They were stagnant and didn't really grow, just played to satisfy it's niche buyers but seldom pulled in converts. I remember a lot of people were saying they may be sold or go under. They didn't bring Jobs back because things were going well, they brought him back because it was sink or swim and he gave them the best chance and returned them back to his original vision and quality demands. That was and is my point, with Jobs they they do more than succeed, they surpass and innovate on new levels. With Jobs they have been slowly converting new users which is important for brand and profit growth. With Jobs they have changed the tech world on many levels.
Jobs IS Apple to me and I do fear when he steps down permanently without the right person in place they will slowly revert to mid-late 90s all over again. And that I stand by firmly!
we're straying off topic, but I think there is a difference. In 1985, Steve was forced out by people who thought he had the wrong vision for Apple. When he left, he took some people who shared his vision, the people left at Apple went in a different direction. All Steve did while away was build the technology needed to save Apple and that is at the heart of everything they do today.
This time around, when he steps down (which hopefully is a ways off), it won't be because the company wants to go in a different direction than he does. That should make a difference.
I would be more than happy if SJ find my work to make comment. I find that him very interesting.He knows what he is doing and most of the time he prove himself right and that is why apple got this credit in market. I am not trying to hide the contribution of other employees but It is great to have somebody like SJ in an organization.
This is what you can expect from apple now. They did a great job in every aspect of the technology and I am sure there new product tablet will be best in its category. I am looking forward for tablet to be release.
Jesus Dave, people have been holding 10 inch books and reading them and carrying them along for aeons (and these books where far heavier), some common sense man...
We used to use out houses and now we have indoor plumbing.
Even looking at books, there is a reason why the paperback was invented. More importantly, consider what opting for a significantly larger screen would add to the mix and then ask the most important question, namely is the penalty imposed by doing so worth it for the gains that would result.
I would argue that once you get up past about 6 inches in screen size, the penalties are dramatically increased and the gains questionable. I do think there is a place for a device with a larger screen than the Touch but you have to know at what point increasing dimensions is overkill. Something larger as a low-volume niche product I could see but right now, with the economy being the way it is, the timing isn't right for such a product. It's also the case that Apple has taken a slow, careful, evolutionary approach to evolving their portable devices which is why a modest jump up in size at this juncture makes more sense.
We used to use out houses and now we have indoor plumbing.
This is not a sensible countexample/counterargument. We haven't used out houses, in the west, for centuries. People were always looking for a better technogical way to ameliorate this since time imemorial, and some managed indoor planning even before bc. On the contrary the book form has always been practical hence its continued use. It's not that people didn't have the resources and means to make smaller books or magazines.
It's a tried and true formula.
To say 10 inches isn't portable enough while 75% of the population carry this form factor around and find comfortable to use and convenient to carry is a falacy.
Even more so when most will agree that 10 inches is the minimum size that one requires to read a book with any ease, forget journal papers that require even more size that the market will eventually cater for, see the irex ereader for example as at least the best stab at that.
This is not a sensible countexample/counterargument. We haven't used out houses, in the west, for centuries.
Given that folks used outhouses into the 70s-80s locally (and I live in DC/Baltimore...one section of Ellicott City used outhouses) and flush toilets did not become common until the late 19th century I'd say this is wrong.
Quote:
On the contrary the book form has always been practical hence its continued use. It's not that people didn't have the resources and means to make smaller books or magazines.
Except no one put a 10" book into pockets. People pocket PSPs all the time. At least in jacket pockets. I can fit a paperback into the rear pocket of loose fitting jeans.
Quote:
To say 10 inches isn't portable enough while 75% of the population carry this form factor around and find comfortable to use and convenient to carry is a falacy.
Bullshit. Nobody commonly carries 10" books except textbooks in frigging backpacks. In a mobile form they carry paperbacks.
Quote:
Even more so when most will agree that 10 inches is the minimum size that one requires to read a book with any ease, forget journal papers that require even more size that the market will eventually cater for, see the irex ereader for example as at least the best stab at that.
Yes, no one reads 4x7 paperbacks because they are below the 10" minimum size.
The iRex is 8.1" by the way. The Kindle DX is 9.7". Both below your 10" minimum. The smaller format eBooks are 6" so a 7"display on an iPod Touch is in the same range.
As to the video files we are talking about a 2.5 X growth in size. That isn't that bad and really the growth in flash density will have covered that by the time the tablet ships.
Plus the tablet may have more flash memory than iPod touches and iPhones.
It is the culture, ethos and management at Apple that allows great things to happen. that is the fundamental reason. not one man - Steve Jobs.
If steve Jobs were not at the helm Apple would continue to be brilliant until that culture, ethos and management evaporated.
Who do you think creates the ethos, culture and leads the management?
The ethos would chnage with different leadership. If you've every read about SJ's leadership and management style you'd understand how much he drives the culture and ethos.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MissionGrey
They just shrunk the new OS coming out Friday by 50%.
The "Air" is almost what this is. Think about it, put the screen where the keyboard is done.
The Air screen is 13.3-inch. I think the Air for apple may have been a huge step forward for this project along with the solid AL milling process.
Quite. SL didn't shrink this much because it was denting the available capacity on 3.5" 1TB drives. SL is destined for portable devices with [relatively] small storage drives.
A tablet by itself isn't very much good, is it? I mean, you can browse the web, play music, maybe a TV show. But it becomes a pain in the neck if you try to watch a whole movie on it - I mean, you're not gonna hold the thing in your hand for two hours, are you? And actually writing anything significant using an on-screen keyboard is not gonna be easy either... And only the uber-fanboys are gonna spend $800 on something like this.
So let's put the pieces together here:
Netbooks are good because they are small enough to take with you. But they're not ideal, because they have limited storage and cramped displays. I have a Dell Mini 9 hackintosh with 64GB flash drive and a 16GB SDHC card, and it works pretty darn well.
The Macbook Air is designed to be light enough to take with you everywhere. But even it is a little bulky. And the hard drive isn't as rugged as it ought to be. I don't take it with me when I commute to work by bike. That's what the netbook is for...
WSJ reports that Mr. Jobs has nixed the tablet twice before because:
(1) poor battery life - but now Apple's new laptops run for 7 hours...
(2) not enough storage space - what do you know? Snow Leopard has been re-coded to cut it's hard drive footprint in half...
Apple has been issued patents for tablet computing devices...
Apple has been issued patents for an iMac-style computer dock...
Apple is rumored to be redesigning the iMac enclosure...
So it seems to me that Apple's new tablet is going to be similar to the Star Trek PADD (Personal Access Display Device) device. A medium-sized tablet with a touch-screen display, with enough (128 GB minimum) on-board flash memory to run OS X 10.6 and all your programs, with room left over for most of your personal files (all your documents and just your five star iTunes and iPhoto files). It will have 2GB RAM, and probably have a custom, pick-of-the-litter low-power Intel CPU. I suspect it will have a kickstand, so you can set it upright on the desk in front of you. Maybe that can be flipped over as a screen protector? I have to admit that this goes against the minimalist design aesthetic...
There will be a basic display stand/charger that you can set it up on, and use your wireless keyboard and mouse to be productive. (Finally, a use for that wireless keyboard!)
Or you can use it like a color Kindle. Take it to bed with you, read the latest book, and when you set it aside to go to sleep, it goes to sleep, too.
You can carry the MacPad around with you everywhere. It will almost always be connected (wifi or cellular) to your MobileMe iDisk, which thanks to the new data center, will eventually be able to virtually hold ALL your files.
It will play your favorite music for you, act as a mega-iPod Touch, browse the web, run all your Mac apps... for over 8 hours of use. It is small enough to easily slip it into a bag and tote it around with you when you travel, so you can jot down your thoughts whenever you might happen to come up with an insanely great idea of your own. And when you get home, you can dock it with your iMac-like base station, which will hold a hard drive for your extra, non-critical info - like your complete iPhoto library.
I don't see the docking base station as looking quite like the images in the patent. That idea is nice in Mr. Jobs' minimalist design aesthetic, but not so practical. Why would you spend a bundle on a touchscreen device, and then hide it out of sight? I expect that the MacPad will sit in a dock, which itself is connected to the Apple Display & keyboard/mouse. That way, you can use the tablet as a giant touchpad.
Market niche? This isn't just a tablet computer, or a big iPod. It's a replacement for the iMac. Except, you can take it with you when you leave home! So it also will serve as a replacement for the laptop, too. AND it will serve to replace your car GPS. It's a computer companion, always there when you need it. That's how they will justify the cost ($900 before subsidy?). With subsidy, it will be in the same price range as a netbook. Such a great value!
Comparing to a netbook, a tablet does away with the keyboard and hinge, which add cost, volume and complexity to the design. So what's left are the flash memory (where Apple has the best pricing), the CPU, display, touchscreen, and battery. I'd guess that the part cost for the tablet would start around $450, so their margins would dictate a sale price of at least $800. A smaller, 64 GB flash disk would help cut some cost from the total, and might be acceptable for some users.
I'm sure I'm off on a few details here, but in general, this is the way I see the tablet computer being presented.
I suspect it will have a kickstand, so you can set it upright on the desk in front of you. Maybe that can be flipped over as a screen protector? I have to admit that this goes against the minimalist design aesthetic.
There will be a basic display stand/charger that you can set it up on, and use your wireless keyboard and mouse to be productive.
I have been driving this point home continuously. The design of this "kickstand" (as you call is) is crucial. I have my own ideas what it will be like. I think the built in one will be very minimal, and be able to pop into a closed position and become almost invisible. Having it come with a small separate "Movie-Stand" might also be very handy indeed. This stand would be just for watching movies really, though it could be doubled as a charging stand.
As for using your wireless keyboard with this device? I suspect the vast majority of people who buy this Mac touch tablet will already/also have a desktop computer, which they will instead use with that wireless keyboard. The tablet will be a Mac, but it won't be intended to be used for writing your thesis. Though I suspect the software keyboard to be quite decent nonetheless. And no, it will not have a hard keyboard.
Except no one put a 10" book into pockets. People pocket PSPs all the time. At least in jacket pockets. I can fit a paperback into the rear pocket of loose fitting jeans.
Bullshit. Nobody commonly carries 10" books except textbooks in frigging backpacks. In a mobile form they carry paperbacks.
Yes, no one reads 4x7 paperbacks because they are below the 10" minimum size.
The iRex is 8.1" by the way. The Kindle DX is 9.7". Both below your 10" minimum. The smaller format eBooks are 6" so a 7"display on an iPod Touch is in the same range.
you must be confused. a 10" screen is not 10 inches wide. A 10" screen is roughly 5x8.5. A 10 inch machine in an iTouch form factor would be nowhere near as wide as a kindle dx as apple doesn't use so much space on the side of the screen. It'd be about as wide as a kindle, or about as wide as an iPhone turned on it's side. and an iPhone turned on it's side fits in most pockets.
Exactly. That is the paradox, that they will want something that will be invented but they themselves not being inventors won't know enough to envision it to want it. Enter the Stevster.
That's dead dead wrong! You don't have to be an inventor to envision something.....and to want it. Not everybody on the planet is retarded despite what Steve Jobs likes to think. He's almost correct. But no, not everyone on the planet is unimaginative and unable to be visionary.
In most businesses. The QA guy is the lowest of the low. The bottom of the dung pile.
The QA department is crammed underground, filled with under-educated, underpaid and under-washed grunts.
Tentatively they will point out the odd minor defect to their engineer masters, who will roll their eyes and may get around to fixing the annoying defect. Or they might not. Depending on what's on TV.
That is why most tech companies produce crappy products. Because everyone wants to be a designer and no one really cares if the product sucks or not. Not anyone who matters.
Jobs isn't like that.
Jobs is QA-zilla.
He's the QA guy that finds a defect, and rips the whole department. Then rips their managers for screwing-up. Then he makes them work the weekend to fix the problem. And the next weekend if it still sucks.
Jobs is not the creative genius, he's the guy you have to please to get the product out of the door. And that culture is what makes Apple different. Which if you think about it, is genius.
Comments
You can't want what hasn't been invented yet.
Exactly. That is the paradox, that they will want something that will be invented but they themselves not being inventors won't know enough to envision it to want it. Enter the Stevster.
I really hope not myself. A seven inch device would be far more portable, actually usable hand held and pocketable for many. A ten incher is just ungainly. Further once into ten inch territory a laptop makes more sense.
Dave
Jesus Dave, people have been holding 10 inch books and reading them and carrying them along for aeons (and these books where far heavier), some common sense man...
Exactly. That is the paradox, that they will want something that will be invented but they themselves not being inventors won't know enough to envision it to want it. Enter the Stevster.
I don't know if it's a paradox as much as it's common sense. I have a saying for that, I made up a while back: common sense is useful genius. Think about it, there's a lot more to it than it's surface meaning.
The Kindle is good for reading ebooks, but you can't make notes on it. You can't take & wirelessly submit tests on it. I'm not sure you could look at sheet music on it. That's why we need a thin form factor book with great battery life. Heck - I'd even love to see Apple put an ePaper screen beneath a touch LCD screen so that you could conserve massive energy when simply showing the same text for a long time. If every student were given something that was networked, video-capable, skype-capable, touch sensitive, and easily locked down and monitored by school admins (needed for adherence to NCLB/CIPA laws) I think Apple would far outsell any netbook manufacturer.
The only reason Apple is still around today is because of the education market in the early-mid 80s. It dates back to well before Jobs left and came back with his iMac/ipod - Apple never would have made it that far if they hadn't sold millions of ][ computers to schools worldwide.
iPods are great for school, but they're too small. Laptops are good for schools, but they're too big. Netbooks, currently, are the best pieces of technology for schoolchildren to be assigned... but I think Apple is going to hit this new idea out of the park. They need to hurry, though - the market may be moved on to something else by the time they get their masterpiece released.
I agree to some extent, but when he was kicked out in the 90's Apple almost went bankrupt. The stock was down to chump change, people were saying it was over for Apple. Then Jobs returned, they very soon after started making money and turned profitable again. Now with a stock price well over $150, hard to believe in just 1999 or so it was in the teens ($18-20).
Steve left Apple in 1985. The stock price in 1999 was already starting to take off, after hitting a split adjusted ten-year low of about $3 in 1997. Apple was actually doing quite well until the mid-90s.
Steve left Apple in 1985. The stock price in 1999 was already starting to take off, after hitting a split adjusted ten-year low of about $3 in 1997. Apple was actually doing quite well until the mid-90s.
I was a lot younger then and you seem to know more than me on some levels, so I give in to your knowledge. But I feel my initial point is still valid, to me - no one else has to agree, without Jobs Apple slowly stalled and almost went bankrupt. They were stagnant and didn't really grow, just played to satisfy it's niche buyers but seldom pulled in converts. I remember a lot of people were saying they may be sold or go under. They didn't bring Jobs back because things were going well, they brought him back because it was sink or swim and he gave them the best chance and returned them back to his original vision and quality demands. That was and is my point, with Jobs they they do more than succeed, they surpass and innovate on new levels. With Jobs they have been slowly converting new users which is important for brand and profit growth. With Jobs they have changed the tech world on many levels.
Jobs IS Apple to me and I do fear when he steps down permanently without the right person in place they will slowly revert to mid-late 90s all over again. And that I stand by firmly!
I was a lot younger then and you seem to know more than me on some levels, so I give in to your knowledge. But I feel my initial point is still valid, to me - no one else has to agree, without Jobs Apple slowly stalled and almost went bankrupt. They were stagnant and didn't really grow, just played to satisfy it's niche buyers but seldom pulled in converts. I remember a lot of people were saying they may be sold or go under. They didn't bring Jobs back because things were going well, they brought him back because it was sink or swim and he gave them the best chance and returned them back to his original vision and quality demands. That was and is my point, with Jobs they they do more than succeed, they surpass and innovate on new levels. With Jobs they have been slowly converting new users which is important for brand and profit growth. With Jobs they have changed the tech world on many levels.
Jobs IS Apple to me and I do fear when he steps down permanently without the right person in place they will slowly revert to mid-late 90s all over again. And that I stand by firmly!
we're straying off topic, but I think there is a difference. In 1985, Steve was forced out by people who thought he had the wrong vision for Apple. When he left, he took some people who shared his vision, the people left at Apple went in a different direction. All Steve did while away was build the technology needed to save Apple and that is at the heart of everything they do today.
This time around, when he steps down (which hopefully is a ways off), it won't be because the company wants to go in a different direction than he does. That should make a difference.
I would be more than happy if SJ find my work to make comment. I find that him very interesting.He knows what he is doing and most of the time he prove himself right and that is why apple got this credit in market. I am not trying to hide the contribution of other employees but It is great to have somebody like SJ in an organization.
This is what you can expect from apple now. They did a great job in every aspect of the technology and I am sure there new product tablet will be best in its category. I am looking forward for tablet to be release.
Jesus Dave, people have been holding 10 inch books and reading them and carrying them along for aeons (and these books where far heavier), some common sense man...
We used to use out houses and now we have indoor plumbing.
Even looking at books, there is a reason why the paperback was invented. More importantly, consider what opting for a significantly larger screen would add to the mix and then ask the most important question, namely is the penalty imposed by doing so worth it for the gains that would result.
I would argue that once you get up past about 6 inches in screen size, the penalties are dramatically increased and the gains questionable. I do think there is a place for a device with a larger screen than the Touch but you have to know at what point increasing dimensions is overkill. Something larger as a low-volume niche product I could see but right now, with the economy being the way it is, the timing isn't right for such a product. It's also the case that Apple has taken a slow, careful, evolutionary approach to evolving their portable devices which is why a modest jump up in size at this juncture makes more sense.
We used to use out houses and now we have indoor plumbing.
This is not a sensible countexample/counterargument. We haven't used out houses, in the west, for centuries. People were always looking for a better technogical way to ameliorate this since time imemorial, and some managed indoor planning even before bc. On the contrary the book form has always been practical hence its continued use. It's not that people didn't have the resources and means to make smaller books or magazines.
It's a tried and true formula.
To say 10 inches isn't portable enough while 75% of the population carry this form factor around and find comfortable to use and convenient to carry is a falacy.
Even more so when most will agree that 10 inches is the minimum size that one requires to read a book with any ease, forget journal papers that require even more size that the market will eventually cater for, see the irex ereader for example as at least the best stab at that.
This is not a sensible countexample/counterargument. We haven't used out houses, in the west, for centuries.
Given that folks used outhouses into the 70s-80s locally (and I live in DC/Baltimore...one section of Ellicott City used outhouses) and flush toilets did not become common until the late 19th century I'd say this is wrong.
On the contrary the book form has always been practical hence its continued use. It's not that people didn't have the resources and means to make smaller books or magazines.
Except no one put a 10" book into pockets. People pocket PSPs all the time. At least in jacket pockets. I can fit a paperback into the rear pocket of loose fitting jeans.
To say 10 inches isn't portable enough while 75% of the population carry this form factor around and find comfortable to use and convenient to carry is a falacy.
Bullshit. Nobody commonly carries 10" books except textbooks in frigging backpacks. In a mobile form they carry paperbacks.
Even more so when most will agree that 10 inches is the minimum size that one requires to read a book with any ease, forget journal papers that require even more size that the market will eventually cater for, see the irex ereader for example as at least the best stab at that.
Yes, no one reads 4x7 paperbacks because they are below the 10" minimum size.
The iRex is 8.1" by the way. The Kindle DX is 9.7". Both below your 10" minimum. The smaller format eBooks are 6" so a 7"display on an iPod Touch is in the same range.
As to the video files we are talking about a 2.5 X growth in size. That isn't that bad and really the growth in flash density will have covered that by the time the tablet ships.
Plus the tablet may have more flash memory than iPod touches and iPhones.
It is the culture, ethos and management at Apple that allows great things to happen. that is the fundamental reason. not one man - Steve Jobs.
If steve Jobs were not at the helm Apple would continue to be brilliant until that culture, ethos and management evaporated.
Who do you think creates the ethos, culture and leads the management?
The ethos would chnage with different leadership. If you've every read about SJ's leadership and management style you'd understand how much he drives the culture and ethos.
They just shrunk the new OS coming out Friday by 50%.
The "Air" is almost what this is. Think about it, put the screen where the keyboard is done.
The Air screen is 13.3-inch. I think the Air for apple may have been a huge step forward for this project along with the solid AL milling process.
Quite. SL didn't shrink this much because it was denting the available capacity on 3.5" 1TB drives. SL is destined for portable devices with [relatively] small storage drives.
So let's put the pieces together here:
Netbooks are good because they are small enough to take with you. But they're not ideal, because they have limited storage and cramped displays. I have a Dell Mini 9 hackintosh with 64GB flash drive and a 16GB SDHC card, and it works pretty darn well.
The Macbook Air is designed to be light enough to take with you everywhere. But even it is a little bulky. And the hard drive isn't as rugged as it ought to be. I don't take it with me when I commute to work by bike. That's what the netbook is for...
WSJ reports that Mr. Jobs has nixed the tablet twice before because:
(1) poor battery life - but now Apple's new laptops run for 7 hours...
(2) not enough storage space - what do you know? Snow Leopard has been re-coded to cut it's hard drive footprint in half...
Apple has been issued patents for tablet computing devices...
Apple has been issued patents for an iMac-style computer dock...
Apple is rumored to be redesigning the iMac enclosure...
So it seems to me that Apple's new tablet is going to be similar to the Star Trek PADD (Personal Access Display Device) device. A medium-sized tablet with a touch-screen display, with enough (128 GB minimum) on-board flash memory to run OS X 10.6 and all your programs, with room left over for most of your personal files (all your documents and just your five star iTunes and iPhoto files). It will have 2GB RAM, and probably have a custom, pick-of-the-litter low-power Intel CPU. I suspect it will have a kickstand, so you can set it upright on the desk in front of you. Maybe that can be flipped over as a screen protector? I have to admit that this goes against the minimalist design aesthetic...
There will be a basic display stand/charger that you can set it up on, and use your wireless keyboard and mouse to be productive. (Finally, a use for that wireless keyboard!)
Or you can use it like a color Kindle. Take it to bed with you, read the latest book, and when you set it aside to go to sleep, it goes to sleep, too.
You can carry the MacPad around with you everywhere. It will almost always be connected (wifi or cellular) to your MobileMe iDisk, which thanks to the new data center, will eventually be able to virtually hold ALL your files.
It will play your favorite music for you, act as a mega-iPod Touch, browse the web, run all your Mac apps... for over 8 hours of use. It is small enough to easily slip it into a bag and tote it around with you when you travel, so you can jot down your thoughts whenever you might happen to come up with an insanely great idea of your own. And when you get home, you can dock it with your iMac-like base station, which will hold a hard drive for your extra, non-critical info - like your complete iPhoto library.
I don't see the docking base station as looking quite like the images in the patent. That idea is nice in Mr. Jobs' minimalist design aesthetic, but not so practical. Why would you spend a bundle on a touchscreen device, and then hide it out of sight? I expect that the MacPad will sit in a dock, which itself is connected to the Apple Display & keyboard/mouse. That way, you can use the tablet as a giant touchpad.
Market niche? This isn't just a tablet computer, or a big iPod. It's a replacement for the iMac. Except, you can take it with you when you leave home! So it also will serve as a replacement for the laptop, too. AND it will serve to replace your car GPS. It's a computer companion, always there when you need it. That's how they will justify the cost ($900 before subsidy?). With subsidy, it will be in the same price range as a netbook. Such a great value!
Comparing to a netbook, a tablet does away with the keyboard and hinge, which add cost, volume and complexity to the design. So what's left are the flash memory (where Apple has the best pricing), the CPU, display, touchscreen, and battery. I'd guess that the part cost for the tablet would start around $450, so their margins would dictate a sale price of at least $800. A smaller, 64 GB flash disk would help cut some cost from the total, and might be acceptable for some users.
I'm sure I'm off on a few details here, but in general, this is the way I see the tablet computer being presented.
I suspect it will have a kickstand, so you can set it upright on the desk in front of you. Maybe that can be flipped over as a screen protector? I have to admit that this goes against the minimalist design aesthetic.
There will be a basic display stand/charger that you can set it up on, and use your wireless keyboard and mouse to be productive.
I have been driving this point home continuously. The design of this "kickstand" (as you call is) is crucial. I have my own ideas what it will be like. I think the built in one will be very minimal, and be able to pop into a closed position and become almost invisible. Having it come with a small separate "Movie-Stand" might also be very handy indeed. This stand would be just for watching movies really, though it could be doubled as a charging stand.
As for using your wireless keyboard with this device? I suspect the vast majority of people who buy this Mac touch tablet will already/also have a desktop computer, which they will instead use with that wireless keyboard. The tablet will be a Mac, but it won't be intended to be used for writing your thesis. Though I suspect the software keyboard to be quite decent nonetheless. And no, it will not have a hard keyboard.
Except no one put a 10" book into pockets. People pocket PSPs all the time. At least in jacket pockets. I can fit a paperback into the rear pocket of loose fitting jeans.
Bullshit. Nobody commonly carries 10" books except textbooks in frigging backpacks. In a mobile form they carry paperbacks.
Yes, no one reads 4x7 paperbacks because they are below the 10" minimum size.
The iRex is 8.1" by the way. The Kindle DX is 9.7". Both below your 10" minimum. The smaller format eBooks are 6" so a 7"display on an iPod Touch is in the same range.
you must be confused. a 10" screen is not 10 inches wide. A 10" screen is roughly 5x8.5. A 10 inch machine in an iTouch form factor would be nowhere near as wide as a kindle dx as apple doesn't use so much space on the side of the screen. It'd be about as wide as a kindle, or about as wide as an iPhone turned on it's side. and an iPhone turned on it's side fits in most pockets.
Exactly. That is the paradox, that they will want something that will be invented but they themselves not being inventors won't know enough to envision it to want it. Enter the Stevster.
That's dead dead wrong! You don't have to be an inventor to envision something.....and to want it. Not everybody on the planet is retarded despite what Steve Jobs likes to think. He's almost correct. But no, not everyone on the planet is unimaginative and unable to be visionary.
...He does not engineer, or write code.
What Jobs is, is the Quality Assurance guy.
In most businesses. The QA guy is the lowest of the low. The bottom of the dung pile.
The QA department is crammed underground, filled with under-educated, underpaid and under-washed grunts.
Tentatively they will point out the odd minor defect to their engineer masters, who will roll their eyes and may get around to fixing the annoying defect. Or they might not. Depending on what's on TV.
That is why most tech companies produce crappy products. Because everyone wants to be a designer and no one really cares if the product sucks or not. Not anyone who matters.
Jobs isn't like that.
Jobs is QA-zilla.
He's the QA guy that finds a defect, and rips the whole department. Then rips their managers for screwing-up. Then he makes them work the weekend to fix the problem. And the next weekend if it still sucks.
Jobs is not the creative genius, he's the guy you have to please to get the product out of the door. And that culture is what makes Apple different. Which if you think about it, is genius.
C.