“Tech’s chattering classes are obsessed with the unconfirmed product, which Apple may announce at an event in January, or February, or March, depending on which set of reports you adhere to. Apple, not surprisingly, is mum,” Hesseldahl reports. “The hunger for information—and misguided speculation—reminds me of the mistaken prognosticating about the iPhone before its introduction three years ago. It may be time to step back and realize that Apple may uncork a product so surprising that the company again leaves the tech industry scrambling to catch up to its products’ smooth operation and sleek design.”
“Looking back at Apple rumor site postings in the months leading up to its debut, I noticed how far off the mark many were about the iPhone’s looks, Apple’s partners, and who the carrier would be who could resell it. For example, enthusiasts’ home-made design drawings that emerged on rumor sites showed a phone that sported a navigation wheel similar to the iPod’s. Others imagined the iPhone would have a slide-out keyboard,” Hesseldahl reports. “Few saw the potential for a touch-sensitive display, which eventually became the signature design element of the iPhone and iPod touch.”
Full article here.
Ah, so the iSlate will have a gigantic controller wheel.
True innovation takes time, among other things.
Apple has certainly taken the time for this product, if they in fact have one.
If they do, I’m sure it will be a game changer.
You swallow the tablet to gain access.
Forget physical controls. All actions will be mentally performed through the Vulcan mind meld. It’s the future.
“The speculative madness surrounding Apple’s rumored tablet computer has finally reached its frothy peak”? Just wait. It will get frothier.
What I see coming down the pike in the next few months will be similar to the second coming of the iPhone – the ‘Tablet’ will be over-hyped rumor mill wise, disappointed in first generation product regarding Apple’s decision of what to include wise and praised and scorn message board wise.
I wonder how many months before the original sale price is dropped a couple of hundred bucks?…
“Few saw the potential for a touch-sensitive display.”
That’s because everyone HATED touchscreens before they had a chance to get their fingertips on an iPhone. In fact the touchscreen revelation led to several more premature prognostications about how the iPhone was doomed because it had one.
Today, people barely remember the dark and gloomy days of the pre-iPhone touchscreen.
what about those transparent screens we saw from Avatar?
Any chance?
I’m still scratching my head about Steve’s warning about the 200 patents and Apples plan to protect them. I’ve not seen any litigation regarding the many iPhone wanna-bes. Some get close to the look and feel of the iPhone. I want to know how they have come so close without stepping on Apple’s patents.
Ha! I’ve been calling for a Macbook with a touch-screen keypad since the iPhone came out – three years ago! Someone’s even made a nice mock-up of such a device. I envisioned that the user could switch from the keyboard display to the actual screen display for touch-intuitive operations. That way all the fingerprints stay on the keypad portion of the laptop, not the screen!
That’s the one issue I wonder about with the coming “Slate” (please don’t use “Magic” – ’cause it’s SCIENCE, not magic…Jesus!): What protects the screen while you carry this thing around!?! Some cheesy plastic fold-around cover? WIll I have to be a foam-sleeve protector…oh great, one more thing to mess with!?! How does it charge? Won’t I basically still need a bag to carry this device and charger!?!?
I think this is way tablets have failed so far. That’s why I hope Apple is using a laptop/webtop design and not just a tablet.
Four more weeks!
I would not be surprised if not all the controls are on the front of the device.
When the voices of the naysayers, drown out the proponents iCal is my tool of choice. Words mean something or they don’t and being wrong all the time is not an art form.
“Apple should pull the plug on the iPhone… What Apple risks here is its reputation as a hot company that can do no wrong. If it’s smart it will call the iPhone a ‘reference design’ and pass it to some suckers to build with someone else’s marketing budget. Then it can wash its hands of any marketplace failures… Otherwise I’d advise people to cover their eyes. You are not going to like what you’ll see.” — John C. Dvorak, 28 March 2007
“I’m more convinced than ever that, after an initial frenzy of publicity and sales to early adopters, iPhone sales will be unspectacular… iPhone may well become Apple’s next Newton.”
— David Haskin, Computerworld, 26 February 2007
@smitty
Who are you talking to? Reading your comment I experienced the whole spectrum of emotions.
At this rate, you won’t last four weeks!
@Rot’nApple
You truly are the visionary of MDN. I was thinking the same thing, but couldn’t bring myself to say anything, out of fear I’d be ridiculed to no end by the other commenters.
Who can deny that there always seems to be a tremendous amount of speculation just before Apple releases a new product? Remember the iPod? And then that business with the iPhone? And now this tablet business?
You’re a genius for recognizing the trend between these events and more importantly, having the courage to say it out loud, is just amazing!
Hat tip to you my friend.
I also have to agree with ‘Rot’nApple’ on this. It seems to be the usual outcome for anything Apple devises. I just hope that they can quickly revise and improve the thing like they usually do. No matter what, bad press is to be expected.
I think there are some things to consider. First, the big one is that the reason people don’t like touch computers right now is that they really don’t operate like they should. They are basically taking the mouse/pointer interface and making it touch. Which is not how you’d really want to do a touch based computer. Remember when Jobs demo’ed the Core Interface stuff and all the possible things you could do with that. That is what he was hinting at. Breaking the menu bar, point and click thing that has been going on for almost 30 years.
Second, glass? I like my glass screened iPhone, sure. But bigger pieces of glass weigh more. And are easier to break. I think that most of the issues have been with this, the display/touch screen. Ideally they’d like a plastic screen, like they have a patent in for.
Third, iPhone or Mac OS X. That is a darn good question. I think what we will see is that Apple will initially have sort of a hybrid thing happening. It can run most iPhone/iTouch apps, and it can run specifically compiled OS X apps as well. And Apple will announce that in it’s developer tools, there will be a way to generate Mac OS X/iSlate programs, much like how you can do Universal Binary programs. However, Apple is going to be pushing for these Apps to break the mold in how they work. Core animation for the iSlate. There will be Tools in the Developers tools to allow for these new Universal Apps to translate from the standard menu bar/click to a pop-up/touch interface (ie: like the iPhone developer thing, Dev’s will have something like that to run and see how the Apps interface will behave, and they can do tweaks to it there).
That is what I would do if I was Steve Jobs. Have some simple, easy way to allow BOTH OS X programs and iPhone/iTouch apps to run on the iSlate.
The first thing you have to do is decide whether you want a blue tablet, or a red tablet.
If you choose the blue tablet, it’s preloaded with Windows, Solitaire, and Mine Sweeper, and you go on with your scripted, ordinary, dull life. Not surprisingly, it is also equipped with a BSOD to match the color of your tablet.
If you choose the red tablet, you discover that nothing is as you thought it was, and you awaken to an awesome, new way of doing things, that is quite beyond anything you have ever imagined. You will also know Kung Fu, and be able to stop bullets with your mind.
@Rot’nApple
I think that writing wise, you are unwise. I thought Americans stopped using this -wise style of expression in the 1950s.
That aside, I don’t think there will be a new tablet-form device from Apple. Just kidding.
Since Wacom make a screen-based graphics tablet, sold mostly to creatives I guess, the ergonomics of the form factor are proven. We can disregard the nonsense written about the inconvenience of holding or supporting a tablet. If it is ultraportable and has even, say, two-thirds the power of a MacBook, it will fly. No one needs to do detailed work on such a device, they will have a full laptop or desktop to add any necessary finishing touches. I see the coming tablet as a ‘good enough’ computer for casual use on the fly and for all the other things it could do without compromise … web surfer, e-reader, note-taker, contacts and calendar manager. It could even be a full or VOIP phone. There are times when I need a spreadsheet or a word processor but I am not prepared to carry a laptop with me any more. I am prepared to compromise by carrying a less powerful device with a simpler DB, SS or WP app that allows me to get the basics done on the road and to finish them off when I get to a full computer, printer etc. For example, even a simple SS would allow me even to design the basics of a complex database and I could use the tables created in this way to create the related DB files when I get back to base. I’ve done this many times before and it doesn’t require a full blown power laptop to get basic design-thinking work done when good ideas come along unexpectedly. To me, this is the point. I have carried MB Pro 17s around with me for years. It isn’t fun. I don’t need another Mac but I would buy a device that gave me reasonable functionality in work-related apps (ie good enough WP/SS etc) and full functionality in other things as already mentioned. As long as it is super light and super portable.
And then again, I read an article somewhere about a new type of dual mode display technology which can function like e-ink (high contrast, low power etc) and also works as a high brightness, full colour display. I believe that an ex-Apple VP is involved. I believe that it went into volume production this December.
We live in interesting times.
What say you?
@ TheConfuzed1,
You forgot the green model, which never needs charging since it runs on carbon dioxide removed from the atmosphere.
And, being made from organically grown, vegan approved materials never tested on animals, it can be eaten at the end of it’s life cycle; preferably with servings of tofu and bean sprouts. Nummy!
@ Sir Gill Bates–
Did you not see Matrix? There is no green tablet, just like there is no spoon.
@ TheConfuzed1,
Yes, I saw the movie. The whole thing was tinted green. Let’s just call my take poetic license.
As a follow up note.
The display tech company with the dual mode display can be found at: http://www.pixelqi.com.
There are some intriguing but possibly unconnected comments on this site, as well as in the CEO’s blog at: http://www.pixelqi.com/blog1/.
These comments include the following:
“I’ve read some news about how tablet projects are late because they are waiting on Pixel Qi. I don’t usually respond to the articles that take a different view of us than we ourselves do – but in this case I just want to clarify a fact:
We aren’t late!
We are starting production on schedule at the end of year and ramping up volumes in early next year… We are very proud of our ability to create a great new product-line over the last year amid the collapse of many banks and dry up of venture capital (this while we were seeking and gaining our first funding round) and in the subsequent quarters, while we were developing our new product-line, we weathered the great uncertainties of the LCD manufacturers: who faced bankruptcy and underwent massive restructuring to survive. Believe me, we were far from a priority with our manufacturing partners given these conditions.
Now the publishing industry seems poised on a major transition , and we appear to be the only screen entering mass production designed for reading that offers color, video, longer battery life and works as-is with existing software stacks (from OS to viewers) and in any lighting condition including the pitch black and outside in direct sunlight and integrates easily with touchscreens.”
and also
“Our first production batch of screens will be ready shortly. We will be ramping production scale over Q1 2010.
******* We can now announce that the first units are going into specialized tablet devices with multi-touch.*******
Increasingly these screens will be super-slim, but some customers prefer the standard thickness.”
They discuss a screen size of 10.1 inches with multitouch:
“Our first product – a 10.1″ screen is now available for mini-laptops, multitouch tablets and ebook readers. We recently started production”.
“The readability and legibility of our new screens rival the best epaper available today. What’s new about our screens: fast video rate update (refresh), and fully saturated color at low pricing because we use standard manufacturing materials, processes and factories. Our screens use 1/2 to 1/4 the power of a regular LCD screen, and when integrated carefully with the device can increase battery life between charges by 5-fold. You can use our screens in laptops outside in bright sunlight. Look for this dramatic power savings in 2010.”
and so on.
There is some secrecy about who their initial sales are going to but I wonder how many companies are out there, looking to intro a highly innovative multi-touch device with a 10.1″ screen? I can think of one company that announced a delay in introducing its new tablet, which is rumoured to intro this device in late January 2010 with full production output some months later and which is rumoured to be preparing to ‘wow’ the world once again with a game changing device that will need to overcome battery life expectations for e-reader usage etc.
I find this vairrrry innnterresstinnk and not schtoopid.
As a follow up note.
The display tech company with the dual mode display can be found at: http://www.pixelqi.com.
There are some intriguing but possibly unconnected comments on this site, as well as in the CEO’s blog at: http://www.pixelqi.com/blog1/.
These comments include the following:
“I’ve read some news about how tablet projects are late because they are waiting on Pixel Qi. I don’t usually respond to the articles that take a different view of us than we ourselves do – but in this case I just want to clarify a fact:
We aren’t late!
We are starting production on schedule at the end of year and ramping up volumes in early next year… We are very proud of our ability to create a great new product-line over the last year amid the collapse of many banks and dry up of venture capital (this while we were seeking and gaining our first funding round) and in the subsequent quarters, while we were developing our new product-line, we weathered the great uncertainties of the LCD manufacturers: who faced bankruptcy and underwent massive restructuring to survive. Believe me, we were far from a priority with our manufacturing partners given these conditions.
Now the publishing industry seems poised on a major transition , and we appear to be the only screen entering mass production designed for reading that offers color, video, longer battery life and works as-is with existing software stacks (from OS to viewers) and in any lighting condition including the pitch black and outside in direct sunlight and integrates easily with touchscreens.”
and also
“Our first production batch of screens will be ready shortly. We will be ramping production scale over Q1 2010.
******* We can now announce that the first units are going into specialized tablet devices with multi-touch.*******
Increasingly these screens will be super-slim, but some customers prefer the standard thickness.”
They discuss a screen size of 10.1 inches with multitouch:
“Our first product – a 10.1″ screen is now available for mini-laptops, multitouch tablets and ebook readers. We recently started production”.
“The readability and legibility of our new screens rival the best epaper available today. What’s new about our screens: fast video rate update (refresh), and fully saturated color at low pricing because we use standard manufacturing materials, processes and factories. Our screens use 1/2 to 1/4 the power of a regular LCD screen, and when integrated carefully with the device can increase battery life between charges by 5-fold. You can use our screens in laptops outside in bright sunlight. Look for this dramatic power savings in 2010.”
and so on.
There is some secrecy about who their initial sales are going to but I wonder how many companies are out there, looking to intro a highly innovative multi-touch device with a 10.1″ screen? I can think of one company that announced a delay in introducing its new tablet, which is rumoured to intro this device in late January 2010 with full production output some months later and which is rumoured to be preparing to ‘wow’ the world once again with a game changing device that will need to overcome battery life expectations for e-reader usage etc.
I find this vairrrry innnterresstinnk and not schtoopid.
chano
It will be all the computer most people need. It will recharge in a dock that you leave on your desk. It will have a bluetooth keyboard and mouse for use in the dock. The dock will contain optical and hard drive bays. The dock will have an array of ports, including one for a larger display. The portable part will weigh under three pounds. It will be with you always and life will be good.
Unless there’s a contract.
Expect the unexpected, but not the arbitrary.
– Robert Fripp