A Palm unit is too damned small to be useful for anything other than *looking up* data, and maybe, one in a very great while, painstakingly entering some. Heck, my iPod covers most of that functionality.
A laptop is too damned big to haul around with you everywhere safely without a bulky bag. And a place to put it while you use it.
The proposed size of this beast is perhaps a *little* big, but just about perfect, in my mind.
A 5"x7" or 6"x9" device is about the perfect size for its purpose. It gives you a better screen than a PDA, without the bulkiness of a laptop.
It's not designed to fit in your pocket. It's made to be left on the coffee table, or tucked into a carry-bag. Use a PDA for notes and addresses, a tablet for information lookup and multimedia, and a laptop for the input & manipulation of complex information.
My wife and I were kicking this around at dinner. i'm thinking $699 or $799. It shouldn't be as much as an iBook but it obviously will be more than the high end iPod. I'm leaning towards $799 as there will be value in the smallness, the touch screen and the cache of a new product.
Specs would be:
G3 (less than 1GHz)
Reasonable graphics chip,
OS: OS X standard, not lite.
HD: 20GB or 40GB Toshiba
RAM: 256MB, 512MB option, not user upgradable.
Bluetooth standard
WiFi... optional
Connectors: Ethernet, USB, FW, Audio in and out, microphone
5-10GB HD (come on, Apple will want us to upgrade in 6 mos)
Airport Extreme
Infrared (tv remote ) The small square hole by the round stylus hole.
FireWire, Audio in/out, USB (power thru FireWire), maybe Enet
LCD Touchscreen 800X600 px
$499-599
Since we're shooting in the dark here, I'm saying $499-599. I think $799 is too close to the price of the low-end iBook ($999 is great, but they could sell that laptop for $849 - yes, I have one and have had it apart).
This is what Apple has (had?) up its sleeve... or it's an early April Fools joke!
5-10GB HD (come on, Apple will want us to upgrade in 6 mos)
Airport Extreme
Infrared (tv remote ) The small square hole by the round stylus hole.
FireWire, Audio in/out, USB (power thru FireWire), maybe Enet
LCD Touchscreen 800X600 px
$499-599
Since we're shooting in the dark here, I'm saying $499-599. I think $799 is too close to the price of the low-end iBook ($999 is great, but they could sell that laptop for $849 - yes, I have one and have had it apart).
This is what Apple has (had?) up its sleeve... or it's an early April Fools joke!
I think that this will not be very upgradable. For example, it would be cheaper and more compact to simply solder the memory to the motherboard. If memory is upgradable you have to put in a socket and some kind of access panel. My guess is that they would try avoid that expense and risk. Therefore, probably no access to the inside except to add the optional WiFi card.
I think this will complement iPod, not replace it (even at the high end). The size and price and functions are too different.
[edit] if you take the ratio of the dimensions minus the bezel size then 800 pixels lengthwise corresponds to about 540 pixels on the short axis. I think a more conservative size for Apple to choose would be 600 on the long axis which corresponds to about 400 pixels on the short axis.
Like they did with the iPods. First 5 gig, then 10, then 20....
I think it will ship with Airport or Airport Extreme standard and will be a part of a system, either one you make with your current Mac and iPod, or one that you buy from Apple (Base/docking station, Tivo access, etc).
Comments
A Palm unit is too damned small to be useful for anything other than *looking up* data, and maybe, one in a very great while, painstakingly entering some. Heck, my iPod covers most of that functionality.
A laptop is too damned big to haul around with you everywhere safely without a bulky bag. And a place to put it while you use it.
The proposed size of this beast is perhaps a *little* big, but just about perfect, in my mind.
It's not designed to fit in your pocket. It's made to be left on the coffee table, or tucked into a carry-bag. Use a PDA for notes and addresses, a tablet for information lookup and multimedia, and a laptop for the input & manipulation of complex information.
My wife and I were kicking this around at dinner. i'm thinking $699 or $799. It shouldn't be as much as an iBook but it obviously will be more than the high end iPod. I'm leaning towards $799 as there will be value in the smallness, the touch screen and the cache of a new product.
Specs would be:
G3 (less than 1GHz)
Reasonable graphics chip,
OS: OS X standard, not lite.
HD: 20GB or 40GB Toshiba
RAM: 256MB, 512MB option, not user upgradable.
Bluetooth standard
WiFi... optional
Connectors: Ethernet, USB, FW, Audio in and out, microphone
Touch sensitive screen operated by a stylus.
[edit:] Weight: less than 999 grams
VGA out for presentations? ......maybe not.
So, Escher, what do you think?
[sugoku subarashii janai?]
800MhZ G3
128MB RAM (256, maybe)
5-10GB HD (come on, Apple will want us to upgrade in 6 mos)
Airport Extreme
Infrared (tv remote
FireWire, Audio in/out, USB (power thru FireWire), maybe Enet
LCD Touchscreen 800X600 px
$499-599
Since we're shooting in the dark here, I'm saying $499-599. I think $799 is too close to the price of the low-end iBook ($999 is great, but they could sell that laptop for $849 - yes, I have one and have had it apart).
This is what Apple has (had?) up its sleeve... or it's an early April Fools joke!
Originally posted by jccbin
Specs (shots in dark)
800MhZ G3
128MB RAM (256, maybe)
5-10GB HD (come on, Apple will want us to upgrade in 6 mos)
Airport Extreme
Infrared (tv remote
FireWire, Audio in/out, USB (power thru FireWire), maybe Enet
LCD Touchscreen 800X600 px
$499-599
Since we're shooting in the dark here, I'm saying $499-599. I think $799 is too close to the price of the low-end iBook ($999 is great, but they could sell that laptop for $849 - yes, I have one and have had it apart).
This is what Apple has (had?) up its sleeve... or it's an early April Fools joke!
I think that this will not be very upgradable. For example, it would be cheaper and more compact to simply solder the memory to the motherboard. If memory is upgradable you have to put in a socket and some kind of access panel. My guess is that they would try avoid that expense and risk. Therefore, probably no access to the inside except to add the optional WiFi card.
I think this will complement iPod, not replace it (even at the high end). The size and price and functions are too different.
[edit] if you take the ratio of the dimensions minus the bezel size then 800 pixels lengthwise corresponds to about 540 pixels on the short axis. I think a more conservative size for Apple to choose would be 600 on the long axis which corresponds to about 400 pixels on the short axis.
Like they did with the iPods. First 5 gig, then 10, then 20....
I think it will ship with Airport or Airport Extreme standard and will be a part of a system, either one you make with your current Mac and iPod, or one that you buy from Apple (Base/docking station, Tivo access, etc).
Originally posted by jccbin
This is what Apple has (had?) up its sleeve... or it's an early April Fools joke!
april 1st is a tuesday
ITS A TUESDAY!!!!!