“There are two schools of thought on this: either the Apple tablet (or iSlate, or whatever it ends up being called) will be a 10-or-so-inch tablet PC with a full Mac OS X operating system; or it will merely be a larger-screen version of the current iPod Touch, which has a closed, limited phone-like OS,” Ackerman writes.
“The former would mean it could very likely run any software you’d run on a MacBook, from Firefox to Photoshop, and maybe even install Windows 7 via Boot Camp or Parallels,” Ackerman writes. “The later points to a hermetically sealed ecosystem, where apps would have to be approved and sold through an official app store (as in iTunes).”
“While the recent rumors all seem to point towards a device without a full PC-style operating system, the purported 10-inch screen of the Apple tablet may create a different set of psychological expectations from consumers,” Ackerman writes. “Would a 10-inch device without that added flexibility feel unduly crippled or underpowered? Is an OSX-powered tablet the right way for Apple to go?”
Read more in the full article here.
[Thanks to MacDailyNews Reader “Carl H.” for the heads up.]
The lack of Mac & Win apps on a tablet will hurt like the lack of a floppy drive or ADB, but Apple is creating the ‘next big thing’.
“Will Apple’s tablet run both Mac OS X and iPhone OS apps?”
It will if I’m going to buy one. I’m primed and ready to spring.
LightPORT!!!!!
Actually, that’s what I’ve been thinking as well. The iTab will run both Mac OS X and iPhone OS X.
Personally, I want a larger touch, so I’d be happy with just the iPhone OS X, but I realize alot of people want a full-size tablet, and that would mean running desktop apps, so Mac OS X. I still think the iTab will be either 5″ or 7″, and not 10″.
With the rumored tactile feel of recent articles, does that require just a stronger processor of the tablet or does that new input of information require a stronger OS to make it happen or can it be done on the iPhone OS, the tactile feel / gesture info of past articles?
I’m torn to decide whether it is a closed app system or full blown OS X system. I think it will be the former because Apple has been rumored to ask developers to develop apps for this and Apple already has the MacBook and MacBook Pro for people who want Apple mobile computing.
However, this I think will be geared more to a laptop that was never designed to be a laptop. I don’t know. If I did, I’d be CEO leading the way of this product introduction but I’m not. And that’s probably a good thing… for Apple!
They’re saying they don’t want a crippled OS like the iPhone OS X and yet, they say they want to install Windows via Boot Camp.
Now either they don’t want a crippled OS or they do want a crippled OS. They are very ambiguous about it.
I have to believe the iTablet will tie into the App store. But I also have to think that Apple will at least get iWork/iLife or some variation thereof running on this thing.
I don’t know if it will run OS X, but I am pretty certain that this device will NOT be simply a larger version of the iPod touch. The evidence is that the iSlate has been in development for years. I AM expecting the unexpected.
Nobody asks if “it runs Windows apps” anymore.
Once Windows apps are irrelevant, the rest falls by its own weight
Isn’t this a simple problem? Dedicated HD for the iPhone/Slate apps, another for OSX? Shouldn’t the motherboard be loving for all its children….
nice one, Big Al!!
In terms of hardware design, and in the spirit of modern Apple design, I think it will:
1) be thinner than any of us would reasonably expect
2) be limited to very few buttons
3) have a higher resolution display than any of us would reasonably expect
4) no USB/Firewire ports
5) no optical disk drive or card slots
6) will have wireless 801.11n for its networking
7) perhaps will have SIM card slot for cellular data access
In terms of software, I think it will have a customized version of OS X (just like the iPhone OS and the Apple TV). It’ll be somewhere between full SL and iPhone OS and will be able to run App Store stuff
And it’ll be tied to iTunes, almost certainly.
$499 U.S. with 32 gig hard drive
$599 U.S. with 64 gig hard drive
Gee, I could be an analyst. It’s easy to pull shit out of your ass.
imagine if you could run iApps in (touchscreen) Dashboard..
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Steve Jobs already said at the iPhone introduction Macworld keynote, “We’re gong to start with a strong foundation. iPhone runs OS X. Why would we want to run such a sophisticated operating system on a mobile device? Well, because its got everything we need.” The iPhone has “desktop class applications”. We also know that Mac OS X Snow Leopard has been rebuilt and is more efficient and takes less drive space. Why? I believe it’s getting ready for mobile devices, not just iPhone, but other mobile devices down the road.
I also think new mobile devices will be able to run iPhone apps (remember these are desktop class apps). What remains to be seen is will new mobile devices run full desktop apps as well, since in order to ensure the user has a great experience, the mobile device would need to have sufficient CPU under the hood (and a cooling system) and good battery life. It’s likely the new mobile device will be a hybrid between a macbook air and the iPhone/iPod touch… one great big iPhone. Two-way video conferencing on the new mobile device seems impractical, since (1) it would consume more CPU and hence, more battery life (2), depending on the position of the device, you’re looking up people’s noses during a video conference when holding the device in our hands and you’re looking downwards (or you would have to hold the device, or place in some sort of stand or dock in front of your face all the time), and (3) you would more likely be pointing the other camera facing away from you at objects of interest to show your buddy and would not be able to see your buddy’s face.
It will be interesting to see the products that comes out in the months ahead. I do hope that Steve will be able to maintain good health.
I have a thought! Why don’t we all stop trying to guess, and just see what Apple puts out. Let’s face it not everyone will be happy, but most of us will. What ever it ends up with will most likely blow your mind anyways. So sit back and shut the hell up!
I’d guess (and like everyone else, I know no more than what I’ve read) that it will be a coffee table type device. Similar to the iPhone (and Touch), able to run iPhone apps, hopefully somewhat better than an iPhone for reading, capable of web browsing, and capable of controlling your AppleTV and/or your media computer. With logmein, MobileMe and other similar apps it could access your desktop computer’s desktop for extended home ‘cloud’ computing, and also use your home computer as a media server (thus not having to carry around your whole library).
There hasn’t been much focus on using your home computer as the ‘cloud’ for your mobile computing, but that’s a direction we’ll logically head as the cellphone networks continue to improve (as well as the more traditional cloud computing concept).
I would expect basic computer functions (word processing, say), but not heavy-duty stuff like iMovie. With the time interval since the previous iLife and iWork updates (and the relative paucity of new features demanded for those apps) there’s a good chance that the new versions will have tablet compatibility or down-scaling capability.
Probably will leverage the new funcionalities of MobileMe, as well.
mini USB ports, miniDisplayPort, touch screen, NO DVD drive, and no Firewire, of course. This is not a replacement for anything you already own (or need to own). It is just an enhancement and niche product. It would not be very helpful as the only computing device you’d own. I think it may use a cellphone data plan as well as wifi, but not necessarily have cell phone talk capability.
@ Nick Mac
And that would be fun, how?
Then don’t come on a site like this. There’s nothing wrong with some friendly speculating among friends.
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How about accessing OSX through the cloud?
Sorry Grrrilla – didn’t read your post.
This speculation is absurd. Why would this thing run normal desktop apps? Regular Mac OS X is *not* designed for a touch interface. Look at how tiny the mouse click points are in apps like Photoshop. There’s is no way a big fat finger is going to click on those!
Get real, folks. There are only two choices here:
1) It’s not a touch-based device, it’s more like a tablet-based MacBook.
1) It’s a touch-based device like a larger iPod touch.
That’s it, one or the other. A hybrid device would be a non-starter for Apple. Too confusing, too difficult to use, and the tablet hardware too limited for desktop app use.
Besides, what would this tablet be used for? It would be used as a netbook: we’re talking email, web browsing, movie watching, etc. The most “desktop”-like app used would be some light word processing.
I predict this thing will *only* run OS X mobile apps (i.e. App Store apps) but those apps will become more powerful than currently available for iPod or iPhone. They’ll take advantage of the new hardware and larger screen real estate to give us new capabilities (like a Photoshop Mobile app).
There is no way in hell Apple will allow this thing to run regular Mac desktop apps. (Though perhaps it could be hacked, just like AppleTVs are hacked to run other apps.)
Maybe there are really two devices being prepped.
One is the 7″ iSlate with just the touch GUI over OS X with apps delivered via the App Store. It would have a preinstalled iSlate version of iWork. It would use PA Semi designed ARM chips and cost would be in the $599-799 range.
The other is a 10″ MacBook Touch, which would be a MacBook Air sibling without a keyboard and with the additional touch GUI. Since it has the touch GUI, it can run all the App Store apps as well as Mac apps. It would use Intel Core Duos and cost over $1000.
several of them. why would they cut into that market with a full Mac OS tablet.
what they are missing is a better ipod touch. many apps would do well with a bigger screen, reading emails and web browsing would be better on a larger than 3 by 2 screen, reading ebooks would be easier etc.
a 7 inch screen (remember they measure on the diagonal) is roughly an old school mass market paperback and a 10 inch is a trade paperback. that larger size is basically a Kindle/Nook and they are selling well. add in Apple’s refined battery tech and all the features of an ipod touch and folks will buy it.
I’m not sure why people think it’s one or the other? Apple is not in the habit of gluing interfaces designed for one type of device onto a completely different device. The iPod, AppleTV, Mac, and iPhone all have interfaces specifically designed for each need and each type of device.
The tablet will be ARM-based, probably multiple core, which means it will definitely not run current Mac applications. I believe it will have an iPhone layer for running iPhone apps, but will have its own unique interface outside of that and its own app store, separate from the iPhone AppStore.
It will generally be gesture, finger-based input, but will also support a real stylus as well as have hand-writing recognition.
It better be more than just a larger iPod touch/iPhone. I already have an iPhone. The larger screen wouldn’t be much of a draw in that case, especially if the price is in the 600 to 1,000 range. And if it’s mostly geared toward a media viewing device, that, too, wouldn’t be much of a draw since I already have an iMac for that. The mobility aspect of it isn’t enough to want it since, as noted, I already have an iPhone and I have no desire to carry around two devices that do the same thing. It has to provide value and function I don’t already have.
I’m waiting for the iDong.