Apple’s rumored “MacBook touch” could be “Apple’s Killer App for Higher Ed” writes John Paczkowski for AllThingsD’s Digital Daily.
Consider this rumor posted to MacDailyNews:
Think MacBook screen, possibly a bit smaller, in glass with iPhone-like, but fuller-featured Multi-Touch. Gesture library. Full Mac OS X. This is why they bought P.A. Semi. Possibly with Immersion’s haptic tech. Slot-loading SuperDrive. Accelerometer. GPS. Pretty expensive to produce initially, but sold at “low” price that will reduce margins. Apple wants to move these babies. And move they will. This is some sick shit. App Store-compatible, able to run Mac apps, too. By October at the latest.
Paczkowski writes, “Sounds plausible, doesn’t it? Certainly, given the success of the iPhone’s multi-touch platform and its speedy extension to the iPod Touch, it doesn’t take take a leap of imagination to see multi-touch making its way into a Mac tablet.”
“Running with this a bit further, a finger-as-stylus touchscreen Mac tablet would make a hell of a nice counterpart to Apple’s new MobileMe service, wouldn’t it? It would make a great e-book reader too–if Apple ever gets around to adding a bookstore to iTunes. And if Apple were to link it up to iTunes U, as it undoubtedly would, the Mac tablet might even become higher education’s killer app. Especially if it arrives at market right before school starts, as it seems scheduled to do. A notebook, a textbook AND a MacBook–all in one,” Paczkowski writes.
Paczkowski writes, “Sound like “a state-of-the-art new product that our competitors just aren’t going to be able to match” to you? Does to me.”
More in the full article here.
Hmm, as a college professor, I can’t see it making a big impact in education unless it has a full keyboard. In addition, only a few textbooks are in E-print so far, and most colleges are heavily invested in Blackboard or Moodle as online learning environments. If Apple really has a product like this and really wants to make a big impact in education, they’ll need to create a whole eco-system to support it and make it attractive enough for both students and institutions to switch.
You’re right professor, this product will go NO WHERE!
In the meanwhile – keep working on getting off of that island.
Be nice to Gilligan too.
A professor with no vision. Just what tomorrow’s leaders need.
Forget the iTablet. Tablet PCs have never been popular and it just wouldn’t fit the Apple line. Any new MacBooks and MB Pro’s are going to look more like the Air only with more ports and maybe with some models losing the optical drive. People will scream just like they did when the first iMac lost the floppy drive. They’ll get over it. Laptops will stay laptops but will be lighter and more transportable.
Think Nintendo DS. What’s hot on the new iPhone3G? Games with movement control. With the price drop the Touch stands out like a sore thumb…not an iPhone, not an iPod. Make it bigger and don’t be surprised if it has a slide out keyboard. Origami meets Newton.
‘Nuff said.
Posted by Hank Lavagnini at July 26th, 2008 at 1:45 pm from the original article.
I think he’s on to something here. But I see the ‘keyboard’ combining gesture, and simply being a full-sized i-phone keyboard. that way folks like me could actually type on it.
This might the first global laptop as it would be so simple to select the keyboard for any language…
Just curious: where are you a professor, Beowulf?
interesting, i also spend all my time on campus, and i watch more and more kids in my classes record everything to laptops or ipods, and only jot a few notes down.
if they made this, and i prefer the 8 inch screen size for this idea, and gave it a good built in mic, and gave pages (or a new app) the ability to take notes that referenced the time they where typed/written to the sound recording, and got mobile me playing all nice with it…….
as long as it has a video out, and truly tiny weight (small than the MBA) it would be very nearly perfect for my use both teaching and taking classes.
….can we have it in stock before the first fall class please?
Laptop is much more useful in the classroom.
If this does come out it will not be a big tool for higher ed this year as it would take some time for the system to develop the tools for it. This is not to say students wouldn’t jump on this ASAP, as they are quite often a few steps ahead of there Profs in the Tech department.
Why would a tablet Mac be any better a counterpart to MobileMe than a regular Mac?
“A professor with no vision. Just what tomorrow’s leaders need.”
This is the state of Higher Ed today, clueless, shortsighted fools for the most part.
So there’s a lecture hall full of these things this this fall. But you know Zune Tang is going to be sitting at the end of a row with his big a$$ table. It’ll be great seeing him move from class to class.
You killed me with your comment. I’m still laughing!
Thanks for making my day.
At my campus, there are schools that require a Tablet PC. Macs are not even an option. A Mac touch tablet would be a hit here!
This would be awesome!
@MacNScott
What schools are they?
I’m actually with Beowulf on this one. I’m a student, and I love my iPhone, but I just can’t see writing papers on the touch screen keyboard. I’m not saying a tablet would be a bad or unsuccessful product, but it’s definitely a niche product. It’s not going to replace the MacBook line.
I think the best design for a MacBook Touch would be to retain the current form factor of the MacBook, but replace the keyboard with a giant touch pad.
Each session with an iPhone is only a few minutes at most, so combining the touchpad and the screen is best. A session with a laptop can last several hours, so combining the screen and a touchpad would be very fatiguing, because users either have to be hunched over or they have to extend their arms in the air–for extended periods of time. I don’t think I could maintain either posture for a class period without a problem.
I think the reason that tablet computers have not caught on is because the optimal position for the display and for input are not the same.
In addition, the users’ hands would obscure the display, which is not a problem on a device like the iPhone, but would be on a laptop.
“but I just can’t see writing papers on the touch screen keyboard”
Optional bluetooth keyboard?
Remember the Apple screen that docks a smaller device??
Oh yeah, these babies are on the way…
@luftmensch
Yeah, that Gilligan comment had me LOL too.
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I’ve been researching online looking for any unique little known company coming out with some sort of new foldable screen that the industry has overlooked. Nothing specific yet though.
I think, or at least hope Apple will want to debut this product with one of the new prototype foldable screen technologies. Every blasted year the various companies and their researchers give some sort of lame azzz excuse saying that the tech will be ready soon or “just around the corner”. Lazy bastids!
Its going to take Apple to wake up the industry once again and force this tech to market. Gawd. Apple really does have to drag the entire tech world into the future kicking and screaming. Shame really.
Beowulf, as a MS fan you can have your ‘full keyboard’, either virtual or use any old wireless keyboard. Apple won’t be held back by stone age thinking.
“Sounds plausible, doesn’t it?
————————
NO.
If the journalist is such a fantastic creative thinker that can think of win win products…
He ought to start his own company
I am happy to wait for Apple to deliver what I need, and just don’t know yet!! they have never let me down!!
it also seems that a lot of ppl with MacBook’s (and Air’s) do not realize that you can, when you take them home to “write your paper,” plug them into a display (monitor) and full size USB keyboard.
i do not know if these would have such video out support, but surely they will have a USB port (so you can plug in your $30. full size Apple keyboard).