“The Apple tablet, if it arrives, is an extension of a design that already has mass appeal–and does not require a leap of faith to believe it will succeed,” Brooke Crothers writes for CNET.
“The Apple iPhone and iPod are arguably small tablets–and consumers have demonstrated unmistakably that they love these devices,” Crothers writes. “So, a larger, more versatile version of the iPod makes perfect sense.”
MacDailyNews Take: Ah, logic. Somebody tell these bozos/hit-whores:
• CNET writer explains why consumers won’t buy tablets – August 07, 2009
• PC World writer: Rumored Apple tablet is a train wreck – July 27, 2009
• TheStreet.com’s Moritz: Apple’s ‘iFlop’ tablet ‘shelved’ until 2010 (with video) – May 21, 2009
• TheStreet.com’s Scott Moritz foments: Apple’s unannounced tablet will flop – March 24, 2009
Crothers continues, “Think of it as a mobile Internet device (MID). Or whatever you choose to call it. The point is that it’s designed around wireless connectivity and real portability. It’s very thin, very light, has a larger screen than an iPod, and, most importantly, comes with an inspired user interface.”
“There will be losers in the market, of course. PC makers who continue to sell bulky warmed-over laptops with a clumsy interface will be greeted with limited consumer acceptance–as in decades past,” Crothers writes. “The Apples of the world will succeed.”
“In short, I don’t need a smaller version (i.e., a Netbook) of something I already have. As a secondary device, it should be different than my primary laptop and provide a different kind of utilityt,” Crothers writes. “My prediction: 2010 will be the year of the re-conceived tablet.”
Full article – recommended – here.
For the life of me, I can’t see how a tablet would be useful. I’ll still be pondering this in line at the Apple store, and then I’ll get it home and roll around on the bed with the packaging – Barry White playing soft and low on the background. Then I’ll understand.
I can see a point behind a tablet. I wish I had a tablet to read all the PDF files I need for school. It’s a pain in the ass sitting at my desk reading them and having the MBP is too cumbersome to do it on the go. I’d love to be able to flip through it like a book, on a screen that won’t make me go blind.
I’m interested in what this offering could be.
Give me a 50 inch iTablet I could hang on the wall. Then I would be interested! All with a touch interface and remotely controlled with an iPhone. Apple taking over the TV set market…that would be smart. But a slightly bigger iPhone…nah, not for me.
Prediction: Apple will make something of interest that will keep everyone guessing until it’s released.
Prediction: Discussing this will anger some.
Prediction: Discussing this will cause others to nod in agreement.
Geez, what year is this?
SYG
You are very right, perhaps.
A tablet needs to be able to replace your second/mobile computer for those who only need light productivity apps on the road. Such as connecting to an LCD projector to power Keynote presentations, or using iWork and similarly slim work apps (in addition to iPod/entertainment, of course). If this would enable the non-power road warriors to use a tablet in conjunction with an iMac, then it will be a hit. Those who need to do video/photo/music editing on the road will not be satisfied–but they can get MacBook Pros. If it can really make a laptop unnecessary for must of us, it will be wildly successful. If not, it will be another AppleTV–great for a few who fit that niche.
With the iPhone, it was clear to see what Apple could do to provide a must-have device for me. The same with iPods. The Apple TV could be a better product, but for now is just a hobby. The tablet however is something that I just can’t imagine how Apple is going to release one that could reach critical mass. I haven’t seen anyone else describe a product Apple could release like this either…at least not anywhere along the lines of what we could imagine the iPhone would be like.
I’m not saying Apple won’t surprise, but a tablet from Apple would either be a surprising failure (given their success rate with extremely long planned out and developed products), or a modestly successful product filling a niche market (which will come across as a failure) or a surprising hit because it’s something *nobody* was able to imagine…except those at Apple.
It’s funny, because even as I hope Apple releases a tablet, and will be watching for it, and following what happens with it with enthusiasm…I’m not actually finding myself *desiring* any sort of hypothetical tablet.
Let’s not kid ourselves. We don’t want a small netbook or a big iPod. We want the future. This touch based OS is where computers are heading, and I will wait for the TouchMac or what ever they’ll call it.
What would be really interesting is if they made some kind of a dock or stand, perhaps with a usb connector or perhaps built in bluetooth so you could use a keyboard and mouse when you are at a desk. When you are on the go, pop it out of the dock and use the touchscreen to playback your movies, music, or a virtual keyboard for casual use.
I’d snap one of those up in a heartbeat.
Ronin,
I’m with you on the keyboard thing buddy, mouse, not so much but if it suits some people then it should be an option. I would hope you could run Mac apps on it as well as cocoa touch apps modified for the larger touch screen. I think it needs touch mode and Mac mode personally.
Obviously I would want to use a capacitance based stylus for any kind of design and serious stuff but I’m sure there will be several people on here that will have a virtual coronary at the mere suggestion of using a stylus but you can’t sketch properly with your fingers. three year olds do that. it’s called finger painting.
Apple originally gained it’s popularity through the creative and media industries and to not allow for other input devices would be an insult to those people who made Apple popular. It would also be a little bit draconian.
I’m just hoping that if one of these babies emerges it will have options. If not then it’s a ModBook for me. I even have a MacBook ready for the fancy upgrade.
…To tablet or not to tablet, that’s (in this case) _not_ the question…
Yesterday night there was a show on Discovery Channel (back in NL) titled ‘the iPod revolution’: some background on how the iPod, iTunes changed Apple into what it now is – quite a dramatic change over the last 10-some years, basically since Steve came back.
It must have been a rather old documentary, because it didn’t yet feature the iPhone nor iPod touch – but the final quote was very correct: ‘Some analysts say that Apple cannot grow much further with this iPod and Mac business, but they are wrong: we’re just at the beginning’.
And this, I do believe, is true: we will be seeing a continuous stream of ever-more fantastic products that people will simply want.
Another nice quote: ‘the iPod became such a success because not only it looks nice (it’s a jewel), but it also works, and flawlessly – and people want that’ (now isn’t that true…)
Guess I’ll hold on to my AAPL shares for some more time
Dude99 hit the nail on the head. To the rest of the world, it’s an iBook, stupid!
Needs to have much more storage than a Kindle with an OS somewhere between the iPhone & the Mac while keeping it light & thin.
The stumbling block may well be the publishing industry. It’s bewildered & scared to death by the nascent e publishing idea, so Apple needs to work it.
And newspapers & mags need to reevaluate their models. Sorry to break the news, but massive amounts of free online content may soon be gone — it is simple, if we purchase less & less paper reading material (that subsidizes the free online stuff), the publishers will no longer be able to give away for free what it costs to make it available in the first place. And advertising revenue is simply not enough.
Why so much persistence in talking about a so called rumored tablet? It would be so incredibly funny with all of this hype to find out Apple never releases a tablet, and it is just a new macbook or something. Sure, the changes in snow leopard hint at the possibility of a touch based mac of some kind, but until the device exists, all this rumor mongering is annoying.
The argument against those who say an Apple iTablet (or whatever you want to call it) will fail is that they can’t know because they haven’t seen or used one, if it exists.
The same argument applies to those who say the iTablet will succeed. Much as I like Apple and believe in its ability to innovate and re-invent a market, I can’t believe one argument over the other until I see what comes out.
In a very peculiar way, it’s almost like religion. Many believe in God (myself included), but nobody (and I mean NOBODY) has seen him/her/it. Similarly, no one outside Apple (& its manufacturers, I guess) has seen the iTablet.
So everyone weighing in on the issue is going on faith. I guess that makes me an iTablet agnostic. We won’t know the truth about anything until we can perceive, Thomas the disciple notwithstanding.
MDN word: door, as in “What’s behind door #3?”
Here’s the thing:
My father-in-law is fascinated by my iPhone, especially being able to access the Internet on the go, but with his eyesight (the dude’s in his late 70s), he really can’t use it. A slightly larger version, say the dimensions of a standard hardback book but a heck of a lot thinner, would still be portable; it would fit in a purse or briefcase, and be easy to handle because of the thinness factor. And a larger screen would make it easier to view things such as maps, charts/graphs, and PDFs.
And storage? Well, what if it had an SD card slot? SD is pretty much becoming the standard for storage in digital cameras, despite Compact Flash; I wish I could go back and change my mind on my little Sony which has CF so I could have the same type storage as my Nikon dSLR which is SD. Work out a deal with the movie industry to allow storage of movies on SD (maybe something similar to Digital Copy), or if the thing becomes popular you might even find studios putting out some of their big hits on SD cards and selling them right in the airports, like now you can rent DVDs — someone might even come up with a way to make them single view only, so for $1 or $2 you could pick up a copy of “UP” to keep the kids quiet on the plane, watch it once, then recycle the card at the other end.
And some enterprising 3rd party developer would probably develop a Bluetooth-enabled folding keyboard, similar to the ones that attached to the old Palm devices; that would take care of the folks who want something more than just a virtual on-screen keyboard for heavier typing duty. Add in a built in copy of iWork, and people could take their Keynote presentations on the go or work on reports in Numbers or Pages; you wouldn’t even need a projector if you’re, say, at a small dinner meeting and wanted to show your presentation to potential clients.
Sure, for heavy duty photo/video/audio editing you’ll bring along your MacBook Pro, or wait till you get back home to your desktop computer. But for simple on the go checking the Internet, viewing your pictures after you’ve taken them on a bigger screen than what’s on your camera, or watching a movie, a larger sized iPod touch could be the way to go.
Two things are certain: Apple’s not going to release it till they’re pretty sure they’ve got it right, and none of the “tech gurus” are going to understand it till way down the road.
it will kill off all da electronic books from Amazon, sony alike
The ‘iTablet’ Boring Baloney Fest continues. Shut up already please!
What everyone would like to know is when the ‘iTablet’ will actually exist outside of people’s imaginations.
This has to be the most elaborate discussion of something imaginary, not even vaporware, I have EVER seen on the net. And if it existed I wouldn’t want one anyway!
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@derekcurrie
“The ‘iTablet’ Boring Baloney Fest continues. Shut up already please!”
Let me get this straight. Instead of just skipping the article you clicked on the MDN link to an article entitled: “Why Apple’s ‘iTablet’ will succeed!”
You then took the time to read the article and comments about something you don’t want to read about? Then you spent time posting your “feedback” because you don’t want to read about it.
At a minimum you are either on the wrong site and/or you are highly confused.
Macrelated sez: “Let me get this straight. Instead of just skipping the article you clicked on the MDN link to an article entitled: “Why Apple’s ‘iTablet’ will succeed!” “
No actually. I did NOT read the article. Instead I followed a very old tradition on the net of pointing out when someone is wasting bandwidth, as you just did as well.
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So