“Steve Jobs famously dissed 7-inch tablets. They’re ‘tweeners’ he said — “too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with the iPad.” Yet inside sources have reported that Apple has been working on small-tablet reference designs since 2009,” Christina Bonnington writes for Wired.
“Initial reports came from dubious overseas supply-chain leaks, but now even the New York Times reports that a small iPad — a 7.85-incher, to be precise — is being readied for production,” Bonnington writes. ‘ Apparently Chinese laborers are even lining up at Foxconn for a chance to build the new device. So what the heck has happened since Steve Jobs said, ‘7-inch tablets are going to be DOA?'”
Bonnington writes, “With an upcoming iTunes and App Store redesign in the works, Apple is primed to step in and take the smaller tablet space by storm. ‘This is the perfect time for Apple to compete with a smaller, cheaper tablet,’ Forrester analyst Sarah Rotman Epps told Wired. ”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: Steve Jobs publicly dismissed many things until he was ready to release them.
MacDailyNews Take: [Steve Jobs] would flip on something so fast that you would forget that he was the one taking the 180 degree polar position the day before. He was fantastic at that. It was an art. You would never know that he thought the opposite. I saw it daily, I saw it daily. And this is a gift, because things do change, and it takes courage to change. – Tim Cook, Apple CEO, May 29, 2012
To be fair, Steve did say, “This crop of 7-inch tablets,” not necessarily all small tablets.
What convinces me is all the UI research that shows the 7.85-inch size is the sweet spot for keeping touch targets the same size as on the iPhone. Apple could make a tablet at any size they wanted, but the rumors have been very specific about this size which I always found unusual.
It’s that size because the current 3GS screens’ sheets will be used. LCDs are cut from larger sheets. If you want to cut a 3GS sheet to 1084×768 (the iPad 1 and 2 resolution) it happens to be 7.85 inches.
That’s the reason for the specificity.
That sounds like pretty clever reasoning, man of three species. I need to find some time to look into that math.
Note: 1024×768 or 4:3 ratio
That’s because he may have been bi-polar.
Yeah I have seen the “stories” as well. However in the world of pop psychology it is pretty popular these days to “diagnose” every hyper successful individual as bipolar (the list includes Henry Ford, John Deering, Edison, Einstein…. and on and on)
Given the same parameters, you could diagnose 99% of the population as acrophobic (or arachnophobic) Just stupid really, vapid “journalists” desperately searching for something to write.
I honestly believe every single human being, after so many years of life, become mentally broken or ill, whether it’s a phobia of some kind, narcosis, schizophrenia, bipolar, OCD. These are all spectrum disorders and it’s built in. IE: If your mom or dad spanked you too much, loved you too much or too little. The classroom teacher gave you an “F” etc. There’s a root cause for everything.
Some of these broken states manifest in some amazing abilities. It’s like a slot machine, you don’t ever know when you or someone else will pull up a triple jackpot.
Steve certainly had a loaded machine, and got top bill. The rest of us just get cherries.
So I guess what you’re saying is “we’re all crazy”
I can live with that.
/i/s/h
http://herestothecrazyones.com
As a 3rd year psychiatry resident, it seems to me that a case could definitely be made for Steve qualifying for Bipolar II Disorder and Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder (mood lability, decreased need to sleep, perfectionism, strong and rigid sense of morality…). Of course, nearly all psych diagnosis come with the caveat of requiring some degree of limiting social and occupational functioning, and he seems to have had more benefit than hindrance. But, although its interesting to talk about, it should merely be a footnote to his amazing accomplishments. There is a long history of people with bipolar spectrum illness whom have greatly contributed to society (e.g. Van Gogh). Although a mood stabilizer may have made him more even-keeled and less temperamental, but whether or not he would have benefited from treatment is something only him and his family would be able to decide, making it really a non issue.
As an 79 year old with degree from the school of hard knocks, I say BS!
As ‘a’ 79 year old who needs the ability to edit.
How did my comment make you feel?
😉
Or MUCH MUCH MUCH MUCH more likely, market conditions simply changed.
Certainly the mental processes at Microsoft haven’t shifted since 1975. (Bummer just saw they first incorporated on my birthday ferchristssake on April 4th!)
(BTW wouldn’t it be neat if they could whip out a posthumous video of Steve Jobs talking about how he now approves of a mini iPad? Too morbid you say?)
yeah, and i share a birthday with bill gates. but i had it first.
These are among the reasons we think the “current” crop of seven-inch tablets are going to be DOA, Dead on Arrival. – Steve Jobs Oct 18, 2010
That was then, this is now.
In terms of profitability, EVERY ~7″ tablet ever made has been DOA.
So why would Apple give a rat’s about this nonexistent market? What competition? What customers? What profit?
Kids: Why rumor, cheer and rush Apple into a market that has been proven to be a fiasco, just as Steve Jobs predicted? Just so they can cannibalize full-sized iPad sales? Sorry, but this dopey rumor was DOA.
On the other hand, Apple leaking out baloney rumor information about a potential ~7″ iPad Mini may very well be in Apple’s interest! It’s like the old pirate trick of hanging fake lighthouse lanterns on the rock shoals!
‘Come ye here yon ships seeking port! That ye may batter yerselves upon the rocks so ye may be plundered! Arr!’
It’s the tech world equivalent of Jamaica Inn.
Nothing really changed to make this the “perfect time” for a smaller iPad. Apple could’ve started with the iPad mini in 2010 while being on the verge of releasing the bigger 9.7 inch model today, and there’d be talk about how now is the “perfect time” for a larger iPad.
Why didn’t MDN shred this guy for implying that the Kindle Fire and Nexus 7 pressured Apple into making an iPad mini? That their roaring success proved Steve wrong? It has nothing to do with outside influence. This has been in the making for years and Apple just took their sweet time getting it right.
If there had never been one single 7 inch tablet ever made, Apple would still release an iPad mini later this year.
The reason why now is a good time? Nexus 7 @ $199… I have giddy execs looking at this one.
Apple can pull a $249 7″ out of the hat and sell well. But if they want a blood bath, then they need to drop the iPod Touch 8GB to $99 and bring in a 7″ 8GB at $199.
Also they need to shore up iCloud and iWork, produce document sharing, capabilities.
I am not going to say they will hurt, but I do see the writing on the wall, that this is trending.
Highly doubtful its going to be less than 299, and completely unnessesary for it to be lower. Even at 399 it would likely dominate the market for 7-8 inch tablets.
So, you are saying, tha people (at least fanboys) will pay $100 more for the same spects than those in Nexus 7 just cuz its Apple?
Fail on the equivalence, you are asserting the flawed premise that the two are equivalent they aren’t
Google tab-plastic cheaply made Apple (likely) aluminum case
Google tab-severe (tablet) app lack Apple 100K tablet apps
Google malware prone Apple secure
So, yeah kind of like you pay more for a bmw than a hundai the apple tablet will sell for more AND be worth more. No fanboyisim required just common sense.
Steve was a master at not revealing to the competition what he was going to do until both he and the market was ready.
I agree and I think he could be honestly against certan things until someone proved to him that it was useful or good. Then he was full steam ahead 180° from his stance a day ago (this is well documented by all of the apple “inner circle” (Ive, cook, etc.) Steve could be 100% against what you wanted to do but prove to him is was the thing needed and he could flip 180 in a heartbeat and would be as strong a proponent as he was your opponent. He didn’t stubbornly hold on to wrong ideas simply because he once believed them. Most who knew him well say it was one of his best traits.)
Well said
People said the same Some years ago about apple will make Apple NetBook , now what ?!
We got our Apple “netbook” two years ago dude, it’s called the 11″ MacBook Air.
And they did, sorta…
The netbook was a failed premise. Generally uncomfortable to use, most time downright painful. On the other hand the ultra light ultra compact Macbook Air is a delight, so much so it sparked and entire “segment”
To be honest I think Ive and Jobs saw the netbook (as it was in the market) as a hopeless compromise, the Apple products that have replaced it (caused it’s demise (or at least strongly contributed to ;-)) are the Air and the iPad.
netbooks were woefully under-spec’ed $300 POS, mostly from Acer/Asus, and asking you to use a trackpad and keyboard against an 8″ screen that has less than 90-degree viewing angle
MBA and the whole “ultrabook” thing is $1000 top line spec with netbook weights and thinness
Ahh not really, the netbook entered the market as an 8″ screen spec. but didn’t really get popular till they morphed 10″ (and beyond) The bulk of (90% or better) netbooks sold were 10″ or larger. They also didn’t become popular ’till they were over $300
So, yes, they were a failed compromise and also woefully under specced (and horribly underperforming). The fact that suck horrible badly functioning compromises actually sold in large numbers likely led Apple to believe that there was a need, a desire for something small, easy & portable, but that the netbook wasn’t it. Thus they created the Air and the iPad which have pretty much gutted the “netbook” category.
Steve was completely correct in what he said. “The current crop” and so on. It took time for the technology to catch up and make it feasible. It may be directly tied to the supposed rumour and potential for the new glass technology that is more accurate to touch input. Therefore making the hit points more accurate. The problem when he said that, was that the hits points were too small. Which is exactly why most of the Droid tablets from that time only ran phone apps vs. optimized tablet apps. Even the existing crop of Android tablets at that size either have a different skin to support it or it took the introduction of ICS to make it feasible for Google. I believe this new smaller iPad will destroy the current crop of assembler pieces. And, if the price point is $200-$250 it will be a bloodbath.
I’ll believe it when I see it.
Just like the iPhone nano before it, this iPad mini does not seem to fit what Apple believes (Jobs comment may have included the word “current”, but his argument was about screen size and pocketability, which is not going to change with advances in technology) or with how they run their product lines. It also seems to be chasing competitors, which is something else Apple does not really do in the mobile device category.
I agree entirely. There are only two reasons for an 8 inch tablet: 1. to sell something people don’t want but can afford and fits in their pocket (not an Apple strategy) or 2. A new kind of device entirely (e.g. a companion to a TV or desktop computer, a dedicated games device, a new kind of educational solution, or something else that only Apple could imagine).
So, basically, the reason that ” Now is the perfect time for the iPad mini” is that everyone else is doing it (and Apple should compete)? That’s it?
MDN = gutless flip-flopper. One more reference to “tiny screen Kindle” gets you deleted of my feed list. Steve was RIGHT!!!
Don’t let the door hit your ass on the way out.
My wife said her iPad (w/case) was heavy in her purse when she traveled Japan. How many more women are saying the same, an option for a smaller iPad is the ticket, yes Apple!
Agree ….. Lower price …. Smaller ……
Would be a nice fit for my Grandkids …. I have five of them!
I’ve always said that this would be the perfect size for a medical professional. The current iPad is too big and the iPhone is only good for looking things up. An iPad this size would be perfect for many uses in the medical field.
Um, this isn’t even a flip-flop. Steve Jobs dismissed 7″ tablets… this is a 7.85″ tablet.
That stupid ~7″ iPad rumor again?
zzzzzz
Steve Jobs seemed to me to more of a Watch my deeds more than a read my words type of business leader.