Does this mean my tablet prediction is around the corner?

onlooker · June 3, 2004 1:01PM

Alias releases SketchBook Pro for Mac OS X

I think there just might be a Tablet at WWDC.

If any of you recall I used to say that if Apple releases a convertible tablet that they should include this application if they wanted to do it right. Included or not this is a great app, and if you have a wacom intuos 2 or better I suggest you download it.

macsrgood4u · June 3, 2004 2:39PM

SJ has repeatedly said Apple is not interested in a tablet. World-wide sales of the M$ based tablet are poor, mostly because of complaints about the OS. SJ also has stated there is no PDA in the future.. Predict away!!!!!!

vinney57 · June 3, 2004 2:52PM

Graphics tablets are part of the Mac future, just not tablet computers. The new Motion video app. (which needs a full-blown G5 to operate) uses gestures and tablet-centric operations extensively.

ensign pulver · June 3, 2004 3:39PM

Any tablet from Apple would NEVER be based on third party software. Sketchbook Pro is a non-issue.

blark · June 3, 2004 3:53PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ensign Pulver

Any tablet from Apple would NEVER be based on third party software. Sketchbook Pro is a non-issue.

However, if Alias knew that apple were planning a tablet, it would make porting Sketchbook Pro a no-brainer. Sketchbook really is oriented toward use on a tablet, so this ups the probability of a Mac tablet for me... though its still less than a 50% chance, methinks...

Only about 500,000 tablet PCs have been sold thus far (per Infoworld), but they may find more acceptance in the Mac market (heavy with creative types and students...).

Blark

kickaha · June 3, 2004 3:58PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Ensign Pulver

Any tablet from Apple would NEVER be based on third party software. Sketchbook Pro is a non-issue.

Who ever said that it would be *BASED* on this?? Sheesh.

"MS would never port Office to the Mac - the idea that the Mac would be based on third party software is ridiculous."

Er, no.

But as pointed out it would make perfect sense for Alias to port it if they had information, or even good speculation, that a tablet Mac was coming.

Or heck, even if they thought that *some* technology was coming down the pipe that would make this more enticing.

jcg · June 3, 2004 4:07PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Blark

However, if Alias knew that apple were planning a tablet, it would make porting Sketchbook Pro a no-brainer. Sketchbook really is oriented toward use on a tablet, so this ups the probability of a Mac tablet for me... though its still less than a 50% chance, methinks...

Only about 500,000 tablet PCs have been sold thus far (per Infoworld), but they may find more acceptance in the Mac market (heavy with creative types and students...).

Blark

I would imagine that the average user of this program is using it on a desktop PC (Mac/Windows/Unix) with a Wacom tablet, not on a tablet PC so I wouldn't read too much into the software release.

onlooker · June 3, 2004 4:18PM

Quote:

Originally posted by MacsRGood4U

SJ has repeatedly said Apple is not interested in a tablet.

Where did you see these repeated reports of this? How many times has SJ repeated this? I have never heard him mention a tablet specifically once. I've seen that he had mentioned the PDA many times, but never a tablet, or a convertible laptop.

Could you please post some links? I need to read these statements.

satchmo · June 3, 2004 4:24PM

Just a query regarding digitizing tablets such as wacom...do they pretty much respond in real time?

Back in the early days when I tried a tablet, everything seemed to lag...my quick pen strokes on the tablet were never the same speed on the screen.\\

Then again, it could have been my lowly Macintosh IIci.

rhumgod · June 3, 2004 4:34PM

See the image at the top of this page:

In a word, no.

As for the quotes,

J [Steve Jobs]: There are no plans to make a tablet.

First link on google of "steve jobs tablet". He said it!

macsrgood4u · June 3, 2004 4:35PM

I am unable to locate any definitive statement concerning tablets by SJ but in Decemebr 2003 there were reports that Quanta was making such machines for Apple. Well, they wouldn've come out by now wouldn't they? I believe there were also comments made by SJ in a Time or Fortune article in the past year when he was asked about such a device. He said that Apple could do one but he saw no market for it. Sorry can't give you any more info then that. As we all know Apple doesn't talk about future products and until they announce a tablet nobody knows for sure . WWDC will be the most interesting Apple special event in years to be sure.

Thanks Rhumgod. The article will do nothing to quell rumors that Apple will be making a tablet. It's the way of some of the Macfaithful.... think different or don't think in this case.

webmail · June 3, 2004 6:00PM

First of all there WILL be a "tablet" mac or one that allows you to draw directly on the screen.

You think some idiots at Apple got 10 million of funding for the OS X inkwell project so you could play on your fancy wacom tablet?

Get real.

kickaha · June 3, 2004 6:09PM

Actually, Inkwell was a simple port of the C++ based handwriting recognition engine for the Newton.

So much for that theory.

(Tens of millions my hairy tush. Jeez. Where *do* you kids come up with this stuff?)

ape_man · June 3, 2004 7:16PM

Maybe the G5 powerbook will also be a tablet. Apple has always had standard feature other call extras. Not a full blown tablet per se, but a touch sensitive screen for all the creative professionals it wants to keep or win over. Then it doesn't need to implement a specific OS, just pretend the screen is a Wacom tablet.

But I could only hope.

macronin · June 3, 2004 7:40PM

Motion makes use of Inkwell...

esteban · June 3, 2004 7:41PM

Wasn't there a rumour going around a while back about an imac with a removeable head (screen) that you could write on with a stylus? I seem to remember someone even mocked it up.

onlooker · June 3, 2004 8:36PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Rhumgod

See the image at the top of this page:

In a word, no.

As for the quotes,

J [Steve Jobs]: There are no plans to make a tablet.

First link on google of "steve jobs tablet". He said it!

Now that I've seen it. I'm upset. I don't have tons of other Mac's. I would just like more than a Laptop to go with my PowerMac. The way I see it a Laptop offers nothing that the PowerMac does not. Other than portability which is nice, but it's not going to get me to buy another Mac.

If a Mac laptop could convert to a tablet I would have use for it, but as it is now I don't.

Nevertheless. I'll stop my Tablet posts. Although few they were I was interested.

rhumgod · June 3, 2004 10:49PM

I agree, there is a niche market for a tablet, but it quite a small niche. All of the tablets we have tried at work just simply do not work out that well. We had them on a 30 day trial, and all of the doctors hated them. Cool technology but still not useful enough for the daily grind. Yet.

confirmed · June 4, 2004 2:26AM

i've personally always been a fan of the tablet idea.. maybe not to get work done, but for play.. simple web browsing, checking email, listening to music, watching movies, etc.. all what we can do now, but on a lighter, smaller, easier to carry around, unit. and hopefully slightly cheaper than the lowest end iBook. i'd then also have a desktop system for "work," rather than buy a not as powerful and more expensive Powerbook to get my heavy work done and still be portable. better for me, since i have a more powerful system for work, and a very portable system for play. better for apple since i'm buying 2 computers.

Quote:

Originally posted by Rhumgod

I agree, there is a niche market for a tablet, but it quite a small niche. All of the tablets we have tried at work just simply do not work out that well. We had them on a 30 day trial, and all of the doctors hated them. Cool technology but still not useful enough for the daily grind. Yet.

Rhumgod.. you've been using them in a workplace situation, which is definitely different than my vision of a possible tablet market, but... i'm curious.. what, specifically, was wrong with the tablets you tried? i've never tried one myself, so i don't know what my expectations would be or how it'd fail, but i'd like to know exactly what makes current tablets imperfect, and what, if anything could be changed to make it work.. or is it just the tablet form? i feel like i've heard a lot of people say there's no market in tablets, mentioning how bad they are... but with so many people talking about them, there has to be some interest in a "perfect" tablet.

chevaliermalfet · June 4, 2004 3:37AM

To pull the lynchpin in this theory: Tablet PC style screens are functionally much worse for this type of application than wacom tablets. The pressure/tilt sensitivity, which is a huge boon for the creative professionals' needs, just isn't there.

Sorry guys, but a seperate tablet is still very much a necessity. What I would go for, but doubt, is a 17" powerbook with a tablet surface instead of the keyboard/trackppad, and a remote (bluetooth?) chorded keyboard. As a bonus how about we finally get a laptop screen that telescopes from it's hinge.

talksense101 · June 4, 2004 3:57AM

a laptop screen that doubles up as a tablet would be nice.

Does this mean my tablet prediction is around the corner?

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