“A few months ago, a major publication published a hint that Apple is planning to release a handheld in 2004. Now, what are supposed to be some additional details of this device have surfaced. In December of last year, a writer for eWeek said that he had ‘heard of an Apple prototype making the rounds in Silicon Valley.’ He gave no other details, though,” Ed Hardy reports for BrightHand.
“This week, John Manzione from Mac NET v2 published what he says is a description of Apple’s upcoming handheld… Apparently it will use a clamshell design, with the screen on one side and keyboard on the other… the screen can be rotated around and closed over the keyboard, allowing the device to be used as a tablet… it will use Apple’s Inkwell for handwriting recognition,” Hardy reports. “It will support both QuickTime and MPEG4. With an internal hard drive giving it far more storage capacity that typical handhelds, Apple could be planning to position the device as a portable video player that also functions as a PDA.”
Hardy reports, “Supposedly, Apple’s handheld will have FireWire, USB, and Bluetooth. Of course it will be able to synchronize with iCal, Mail, Address Book etx. on an OS X Mac, but Mr. Manzione reports that iSync with Windows will be available, too.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The Apple PDA is the rumor that will not die, it seems. Maybe they’ve gotten the year right this year?
More on the iSlate
The technology is available to provide consumers with a product like “iSlate”. Of course only Apple could really do it right, although several other companies are attempting to create some variation of this device. Unfortunately many are too focused on video playback only, & not creating a true multi-function device that could be used at home, at the office, or on the road. This product would integrate well into the “Digital Lifestyle” philosophy & compliment existing Apple products.
It would provide a screen large enough to actually watch video & view photos, while still being small enough to be portable. It needs to be smaller than a notebook computer, but larger than a PDA. Granted, you can not put a device the size of a DVD case in your pocket, but something doesn’t have to fit in a pocket to be portable. This device could be used in so many different situations that it would have broad appeal in the market. I only pray that Apple is working on such a device & will release it in 2004. They have an opportunity to impact the industry with the iSlate & iVideo media Store as much as the iPod & iTMS will.
Create a device that is bigger that the largest PDA or Archos type device, yet smaller than the average notebook or tablet computer. Imagine if you will, holding a device (about the size of a DVD case) away from you anywhere from 12″ to 18″. Obviously a 4″ screen would be inadequate, but a 7″ to 9″ diagonal widescreen would be more than acceptable. It could still be small enough to fit in a stack of books, a briefcase, a large purse, of any number of other carrying cases. It would be something that could be viewed in an office, at home, in a coffee shop, on an airplane or train, or even in the backseat of a car.
The idea is not to see how much visual information one can cram into a small space (3″ to 4″ screens) or replace existing devices like the TV or Video Projector. The idea is to create a device that is a reasonable compromise between portability & “acceptable or pleasurable” viewing for multiple applications & that also complements existing devices.
Final thought on iSlate
Although a 4 lb, 12″ notebook computer displays video beautifully (I use one everyday), it is too big for the situations I have described. Beyond the innumerable business applications it could fulfill, it could display video & photos on a screen that is much bigger than an Archos type device or PDA, & yet smaller than a notebook computer. It doesn�t need to carry everything all the time, so it doesn�t require a massive hard drive. The internal HD needs only to be large enough for the OS, applications & enough storage to carry material while you away from any connectivity to other devices or the internet.
From a strictly �video perspective�, a large part of its success would hinge upon Apple’s ability to distribute video clips through an online store much like iTMS. This store could provide educational content, business content, news content, & entertainment content beyond just movies. To be truly successful, it must integrate into Apple’s “Digital Lifestyle” strategy, & be truly portable (ubiquitous wireless connectivity & good battery life).
iDraw…
I want to eliminate all of my notepads so I can find all of my brainstorming scribble notes, doodles drawings and notations – like the Newton could but in full color. Certain notes could be converted to text when necessary using inkwell.
An artistic color drawing pad would be awesome with Photoshop and Painter. How about reTOUCHing photos directly. Come on Apple – how many artisits are Mac users – 90%? Apple’s user base is with the creative field not the bean counters – give us the 21st century drawing pad PLEASE!
How about the iPad?
I think the only way Apple will go in the PDA direction was if it had something to do with iChat. Something that seemed not at all like a PDA, but had those functions too. Something that would be like a mac (and maybe could even be sold as a computer). Steve Jobs once said ‘Imagine if the iPod was considered a computer. The mac market share would be way different.’ It is an interesting Idea. What if something had one main function, but was also a mini mac computer. Kind of like this thing, but for macs and geared more in the iChat direction…. http://www.oqo.com/hardware/video/
I’d buy this: 6″ PowerBook:
http://www.spymac.com/gallery/show_photo.php?picid=56906
I wouldn’t buy it. Tell you why. It looks like another class action suit. The hinge on the bottom left image that you created is offset from the rest of the frame of the hardware and I think that is going to create problems with the video screen not to mention closing it.
If the unit appears as described, it would cost as much as a laptop. What I would like Apple to make is a LIGHTER laptop, something in line with the Sonys or the Fujitsus. There are many who need to carry their laptops along with books, and even the 15 inch Powerbook is a backbreaker, even though it is relatively light for a full-featured laptop.
When Apple will sell such a product it wold be high-priced (1,000 � minimum). The risk to flop is high at such a price !
I am waiting for a small, smart device for pre-storing photos, record DVB-T videos, taking my keynote-presentations with me, storing hand-made sketches on the go, serving as sketch pad for my stationary Mac, with 10 hours minimum continuus battery power, sporting Mac-OS X including connections for video and HiFi In/Out, bluetooth, USB, Firewire. With such features I would buy it nevertheless the high price.
Zucht. En ik heb al zo’n last van frequent lozen van flatus en RSI. http://download-games.b0x.com/