New "Non-computer device" Coming at MWNY Speculates Forbes.com

macsrgood4u · May 21, 2002 11:28AM

Here's the article:

<a href="http://www.forbes.com/2002/05/21/0521tentech.html"; target="_blank">http://www.forbes.com/2002/05/21/0521tentech.html</a>;

blackcat · May 21, 2002 11:53AM

Forbes is privvy to inside info through shareholder meetings etc. They predicted the iMac2 perfectly.

Bring on the iTab!

macsrgood4u · May 21, 2002 1:12PM

iTab - regular or diet? Actually stockholders meetings are available to anyone and Apple doesn't disclose anything of importance at them. Forbes writers do get "personal" tours of the campus from time to time and see things. They do sign NDA agreements but can hint.

steves · May 21, 2002 1:25PM

Anything's possible, but it just seems like wild speculation to me. The author mentions recent products like iChat, inkwell, iPod, Airport and Apple Digital hub, then assumes they will all tie together into one product.

The author also describes iChat as being "integrated" into the OS. This seems very MS like. From everything I've read so far, iChat is completely optional and can easily be removed.

As for inkwell, isn't it possible that what Steve Jobs' said is actually true? He said something like it's about time they were able to recap the millions of dollars invested into the technology and put it to use. This makes perfect sense for the Mac market, because many Mac professionals use tablets for drawing.

I don't doubt something will be added on enhance the digital hub concept, I just don't know if there is enough evidence to draw the same conclusion the author did. i.e. that a new tablet like computer is coming. They aren't popular in the PC World, why would they be popular on the Mac side?

Steve

matsu · May 21, 2002 1:35PM

They wouldn't be on the mac side either. If you think that a subnote's market potential is too small, then move the decimal space over to the left a few notches and you have the approximate popularity of tablets.

The only tablet like device that might have any chance would be a large (eBook size) PDA, with a flip around keyboard -- in effect a convertible subnote or HPC format device.

Wireless magic screens aren't happening, period.

ghost_user_name · May 21, 2002 2:08PM

As a desktop user Inkwell doesn't excite me in the least. I use a tablet for drawing on my machine, but I wouldn't want to use it to enter text. It's much easier to just use the keyboard. So perhaps Forbes is hinting at a device that would directly utilize Inkwell, because I think only a small percentage of current mac users ever will.

I spoke to an Apple employee at MWSF that worked on the iPod. He gave a vague hint at another digital device coming around fall. *shrugs* Who knows.

plague bearer · May 21, 2002 5:29PM

A better Video Chat client is more likely to occure. Jobs has made direct references to such a thing in the past. And perhaps some sort of hardware to help accelerate adoption.

If a G4 can compress 720 x 480 quality Mpeg2 streams at 2:1 ratios. How fast can it compress and decompress MPEG4 at 320 x 240? 1/4th the data of a idvd stream at 5x the compression level. Anyone with DSL could enjoy full motion video with stereo audio without much problem. iChat could facilitate the inital connection.

Now we just need a decent webcam with a good fill light to get rid of the scary blue monitor tan everyone on vidChat seems to have.

dennis the phantom menace · May 21, 2002 9:08PM

It would be pretty darn cool if Apple bought out Danger, Inc.

<a href="http://www.danger.com/products.php"; target="_blank">Danger!</a>

bigc · May 21, 2002 9:30PM

[quote]Originally posted by Dennis the Phantom Menace:

It would be pretty darn cool if Apple bought out Danger, Inc.

<a href="http://www.danger.com/products.php"; target="_blank">Danger!</a><hr></blockquote>

Another waste of oil resources (plastic). Or at least I don't see the value.

digix · May 21, 2002 9:59PM

Personally, I think that the next growth phase of the iBook is for it to turn into a notebook that can be use both as a normal notebook and a tablet style notebook.

The iBook is said to be as a successor to the Newton eMate (that can also use both stylus and keyboard for input), and the Newton eMate is a derivation of the Newton MessagePad (that can be use like a tablet with a stylus).

An iBook that can used a stylus for its input and a swiveling screen seems will be able to accomplished what the Newton eMate and the Newton MessagePad can do.

In short, I think that we will probably see this new form of the iBook, rather than a PDA with a stylus.

As for Danger, Inc.

Hmmm... ?Danger was founded by former Apple, WebTV and Philips veterans Andy Rubin, Joe Britt, and Matt Hershenson.?

Apple and WebTV.... Pippin?

Pippin... BanDai?

BanDai and Digital Device.... Digivice? WonderSwan?

Anyway. Yes. The Danger product looks quite good, it would be nice if Apple bought the company (or even just ?co-operate? with it). Cute though if Apple bought the company, it seems that Apple is reabsorbing on what used to be once theirs (like NeXT's Steve Jobs, and even almost Be's Jean Louis-Gasse).

?We see the hiptop device appealing to many audiences but we are focusing our initial efforts on the 18-34 years olds, or young adult market.?

Young adult market (teens or even pre-teens)... Sound like the perfect partner for the iBook.

keyboardf12 · May 21, 2002 11:09PM

I want my danger phone!

macsrgood4u · May 22, 2002 10:55AM

Personally, I prefer Maxwell Smart's shoe phone.

giant · May 22, 2002 11:07AM

[quote]Originally posted by digix:



Young adult market (teens or even pre-teens)... Sound like the perfect partner for the iBook. <hr></blockquote>

Only if apple can figure out a way to get the price of a touch screen down. Seems somewhat unlikely considering we are in a phase of rising prices

harald · May 22, 2002 11:26AM

Danger!?

Seriously old school technology ...

<a href="http://www2.carphonewarehouse.com/pogo/"; target="_blank">http://www2.carphonewarehouse.com/pogo/</a>;

Now you're talking. I still don't want one though.

dennis the phantom menace · May 22, 2002 2:26PM

That thing is a bit too large for my tastes. I don't think I have a pocket big enough to carry it in.

anders · May 22, 2002 2:35PM

Hmm. Something is missing in this thread...

justen deal · May 22, 2002 3:28PM

Steve Wozniak is on the board of Danger. Nice irony, but I sincerely and seriously doubt Apple would acquire Danger.

jrbd

keyboardf12 · May 22, 2002 4:00PM

I want my danger phone!

paul · May 22, 2002 6:39PM

[quote]Originally posted by Anders:

Hmm. Something is missing in this thread...<hr></blockquote>

I wonder where he went.... <img src="graemlins/bugeye.gif" border="0" alt="[Skeptical]" />

bradbower · May 22, 2002 9:37PM

What I think every member of this board should do before they start proclaiming what they KNOW is going to happen, is step away from the forums as a whole for a week, or two, or four, and come back to ask themselves just what they do know, and just what is essentially everyone around here agreeing with each other and being pessimists and making up **** then starting to believe it's the truth.

Personally, I see Apple doing what the Forbes article says. And not because I've heard x amount of people on thus forum say what they think or talk about supposed "insider" sources (which we know are all BS).

drewprops · May 23, 2002 1:15AM

I'd say that the article in question can claim to be speculative, being based upon public knowledge. That way, if the writer(s) have signed NDA's they can claim to be innocent of breaking that agreement.

Basically, who knows what anybody else knows? I sure don't.

I'll tell you this: I'm going to try to reign in my excitement about possible announcements at MWNY this year. Why work myself up just to be disappointed because of speculation?

D

New "Non-computer device" Coming at MWNY Speculates Forbes.com

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