# New Apple Tablet: "Shockingly Inexpensive"



## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

Interesting post on AppleInsider today:

AppleInsider | Apple tablet rumored to be 'shockingly' inexpensive

I must admit I read it wrong at first - as "shockingly EXpensive" and I thought "of course". But I'll take INexpensive any day


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## Sashko (Nov 25, 2009)

Somehow i doubt it will be priced at $500... Realistic prediction would be 900-1.2k CAD. Unless of course it will be a netbook with a rotating screen and touchscreen. 

Competing with netbooks seems strange as well, considering that netbooks in general were a giant commercial failure (current stocks are being sold almost at the cost of manufacture).

I'd like to see reliability record as well - all tablets are dreadful in that respect (HP with their tx series has the the "crown" currently).


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## DempsyMac (May 24, 2007)

Sashko said:


> Competing with netbooks seems strange as well, considering that netbooks in general were a giant commercial failure (current stocks are being sold almost at the cost of manufacture).


Just wondering where you have heard this as I am in the industry and this is not what I am seeing. I am actually seeing the total opposite. Unless you are talking about some of the deals that are going on in the US with the cell providers where they are selling with a subsidy just like cell phones.


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## ldphoto (Jul 9, 2009)

I agree about the HP Tablets, they are horrific, but we have Lenovo X-series tablets at work, and they are very solid.

As for the price of the rumored new device, unless it's a full-on computer that competes with the Air, it'll have to be 500$ for consumers to buy it.

'm holding off on an eBook reader until I see this thing. Battery life will be the crucial spec I watch for.


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## Guest (Dec 2, 2009)

To me this stuff should all read:

New Apple Tablet: "There might actually be one at some point, but no one really has the real details."

As for the revision3 crowd they have been wrong before. Before the iPhone came out Kevin Rose had stated that it would have a flip out keyboard, etc. and that he had seen the pre-production models of it. 

If, and that's a big IF, there is a tablet to be released in 2010 I don't think anyone has ALL the real inside info on it outside of Jony Ive, Steve Jobs, and a very small handful of people within Apple who would NOT be leaking out the real details. New product details are on a need-to-know basis, and almost no one needs to know the whole deal. I'm sure that Apple 'seeds' some small tidbits of info out there to various groups, all of it slightly different, in order to plug the leaks. The info that makes it to the rumours sites will then tell them which group leaked the info. 

Apple takes NDA's very seriously, and with something like this _potential_ product -- and I say potential because Apple hasn't even stated that they are going to release a tablet -- would be highly guarded. Should anyone who is in "the know" leak out the real info on it it would be worth their job at the least, and quite possibly a lot more than that (legal action, etc).


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## fyrefly (Apr 16, 2005)

mguertin - regardless, it's fun to speculate. The problem is when people get unrealistic hopes of a core2duo 11" tablet with OLED screen for $500. And then they get all mad when Apple doesn't release the product they dreamed up in their head. 

Regardless, Kevin Rose has had a mixed track record, I agree. But with all of these leaks, and speculation, this tablet seems pretty much inevitable - at least sometime in 2010.


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## Sashko (Nov 25, 2009)

Trevor Robertson said:


> Just wondering where you have heard this as I am in the industry and this is not what I am seeing. I am actually seeing the total opposite. Unless you are talking about some of the deals that are going on in the US with the cell providers where they are selling with a subsidy just like cell phones.


I am in the industry as well, and we stay away from netbooks like a plague. We had tons of customers come in with 2-3 month old netbooks purchased through Futureshop trying to get rid of them (generally stating that they thought it would be a good idea to have a cheap net station around the house, however ending up not ever using them due to limited features). General turnover time to re-sell a netbook is over 3+ weeks from the time of listing (just to compare, dv series or shiny Toshibas sell in 1-4 days). Not to mention all the wholesale list deals on Acer One and other similar garbage with extremely low prices that we've been getting lately. So generally, I'd consider them a failure and expect them to go away very soon. They occupied a crappy niche - noone wants to carry a netbook when there are iPhones and similar 3G phones avaliable, and noone wants to use it around the house because most people have regular systems for that (the only place i though would be cool and useful to have a netbook station is by the toilet  ). 


ldphoto,

Lenovo (and IBM prior to them) generally makes rock solid systems, so no surprise that you haven't had any problems. $500 is waaaay too low for a tablet however. True tablet will cost significantly more than a comparable non-tablet (vanilla macbook or air in this case). We still sell refurbished HP tx1000 for $300-400 CAD easily, so $500 for a brand new Apple with full spectrum of features is odd to say the least (unless, as i mentioned, it will be a glorified netbook with sleek design, rotating screen and a touchscreen) .


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Ideally it would have to be bigger than a PDA and smaller than a net book,
So that puts you in the realm of 6"-8" for screen size.

If it has card slots, I could live with that,
Make a nice portable digital darkroom if it had a decent sized drive in it.

Dave


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## SoyMac (Apr 16, 2005)

fyrefly said:


> ... But with all of these leaks, and speculation, this tablet seems pretty much inevitable ...


There have been leaks? As in, Apple has leaked some info?
I'd love to see that. Any links?

(I've certainly seen the _speculation_ )


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## i-rui (Sep 13, 2006)

I'm pretty sure apple has submitted several patents for tablets over the years....


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## Adrian. (Nov 28, 2007)

When is the next date that they would possibly release this?


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

Things some people CLEARLY need to be reminded of:

1. This is all vapourware until it is actually announced. The iPhone, rather famously (and just as a typical example) went through SEVERAL huge revamps/redesigns/serious tweaks before it was released. Assuming there really is a tablet AT ALL, talking about its size and price is just SHEER wild-assed guessing, as EVERYTHING about this alleged device could change before its unveiled.

2. Has Apple ever -- EVER -- created a product that was brand new that cost WAY LESS than you thought it should?? EVER??? This has got to be the dumbest part of all the dumb speculation about the vapourware. Next you'll be telling me the thing is going to be coloured BEIGE and have sharp edges and be environmentally unsound!

3. Neither Kevin Rose nor anyone else who can still show their face ACTUALLY knows anything. They are just repeating crap they "heard" from "some guy."

4. If an important detail that only a few people could possibly know about a forthcoming Apple product ever ACTUALLY leaks substantially before its unveiling, there is usually a high-profile "resignation" in the news shortly thereafter. In some cases, followed by "suicide."

As for "when is the next date they could possibly release this?", the answer is tomorrow. Possibly. Or possibly never. But almost definitely it will be happening sometime between later tonight and the day the sun explodes, and my guess would be closer to "later tonight" than "the day the sun explodes."

I hope that helps.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*The tablet is out! (but not from apple)*



*Time Inc. Unveils Touchscreen Tablet, Future of Magazine Publishing*



> Print magazines may soon be on their way out, which leaves tablet-based devices to fill their void, like this device by Time Inc. Basically, publishers will be able to offer digitized versions of their "magazines that would be accessible to PCs and phantom Apple tablets alike." Video demonstration after the break.
> 
> While it's clear that both Time and Conde Nast are taking parallel routes to online publishing, one thing is painfully clear: both companies have shockingly similar ideas about what the future of magazine publishing looks like.


(TechEblog)


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## RunTheWorldOnMac (Apr 23, 2006)

Sashko said:


> Somehow i doubt it will be priced at $500... Realistic prediction would be 900-1.2k CAD. Unless of course it will be a netbook with a rotating screen and touchscreen.


I'd have to say 900-1.2K is completely unrealistic. This is what a MacBook costs. nobody in their right mind would by a tablet for the same price as a MacBook.


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## gmark2000 (Jun 4, 2003)

Sometimes I think that Apple flashes red herrings to people like Kevin Rose to get them barking up the wrong tree. The free publicity isn't going to hurt Apple.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

chas_m said:


> 1. This is all vapourware until it is actually announced.


I agree with everything else you wrote, except I take issue with use of the term vapourware.

IMHO that should be reserved for products that companies announce but never get around to delivering.

In this case Apple has said nothing (or less than nothing, if you count denials of interest in the netbook and/or tablet segments), so can hardly tarred with the vapourware slur.


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## RunTheWorldOnMac (Apr 23, 2006)

I think I would still consider it vaporware. the only difference is, instead of Apple announcing it, every so-called IT analyst has announced it no doubt to be able to say "I told you so".


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

RunTheWorldOnMac said:


> I think I would still consider it vaporware. the only difference is, instead of Apple announcing it, every so-called IT analyst has announced it no doubt to be able to say "I told you so".


Sorry to hijack the thread with my nitpicking over terminology. I'll try to leave it at this:

First, nobody has "announced" anything.

As for vapourware, it has a generally accepted meaning as a handy term of scorn for companies that make promises they can't keep.

I'm opposed to extending it to companies that don't keep promises _they never even made._

1 - It puts a company such as Apple on the same footing as a promise-breaking company. 

2 - It deprives us of a perfectly good way of heaping scorn on a company that announces something and fails to deliver. 

In other words, if we let it mean "failed to deliver a rumored product", we let the companies that "failed to deliver a promised product" off the hook, because we've either elevated a rumour to the level of an announcement (as you do in your post), or cheapened an announcement to the level of a rumour.


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## hhk (May 31, 2006)

Sheeeeeeeet... I already have one - it's called an Apple Newton.


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## Trevor... (Feb 21, 2003)

Sashko said:


> Somehow i doubt it will be priced at $500... Realistic prediction would be 900-1.2k CAD. Unless of course it will be a netbook with a rotating screen and touchscreen.
> 
> Competing with netbooks seems strange as well, considering that netbooks in general were a giant commercial failure (current stocks are being sold almost at the cost of manufacture).
> 
> I'd like to see reliability record as well - all tablets are dreadful in that respect (HP with their tx series has the the "crown" currently).


How are netbooks a giant commercial failure?

And by the standards of PC's their margins are quite high relative to inexpensive conventional laptops and sell extremely well.

The bill of materials on the standard 10.1" Intel 945/Atom netbook is barely $130


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## hayesk (Mar 5, 2000)

RunTheWorldOnMac said:


> I'd have to say 900-1.2K is completely unrealistic. This is what a MacBook costs. nobody in their right mind would by a tablet for the same price as a MacBook.


Why? PC tablets cost that much. Given nobody knows if this device exists, let alone the feature set, you can't say it's unrealistic.

If it's much less than that, this it's going to be a large screen iPod Touch.


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## jeepguy (Apr 4, 2008)

When you consider the the iPhone 3gs 32gb costs $799 (299 with a 3 contract), I doubt it will be $500. 

But because it's an apple product... thousands will line up to get one first, and it will be dubbed the Jesus tablet.


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

Then, three months after it's released, another faster thinner version will be announced, and it will cost 2/3 what 1.0 cost and have a couple more features.

Three weeks after everybody has 2.0, 3.0 will be available. In different colours.





jeepguy said:


> When you consider the the iPhone 3gs 32gb costs $799 (299 with a 3 contract), I doubt it will be $500.
> 
> But because it's an apple product... thousands will line up to get one first, and it will be dubbed the Jesus tablet.


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## Guest (Dec 3, 2009)

Yes speculation is fun, that's why all the rumour sites exist  The Apple Tablet has been speculated about for so long now though it's lost the fun for me. If/when one gets released I'll be excited about it, but in reality I really don't think it's something I need.

Apple, if they are going in this direction, must have something up their sleeve with it. Most of their new products (note that I say most) will have a very specific niche to target. Tablets, while there is a cool factor involved, are not the most practical usage for computing. Sure for some usage they will be great, say, as a "Kindle Killer" -- provided that Apple can do for eBooks what they did for online music and video sales (and I believe that they could). That said how many people would shell out the $$ for something with a very limited usage ... tablets are not that great for web surfing (especially if they don't have flash as the iPhone/iPods are stuck without), for any amount of real typing based stuff (say for writers) they are not the ticket either. They won't replace portable computers, unless apple has something really really innovative up their sleeve -- which might be the case. Maybe they will be made to extend your current desktop/portable as previous patents have shown (plug it in to the side of a monitor to make it a desktop) ... maybe they will be a big version of an iPhone type device with real video conferencing capabilities, good web browsing, ebook reading, etc ... but maybe all these rumours are out to lunch and the whole time it's just a bigger iPhone type device/ personal communications center type setup -- maybe with "back to my mac" functionality built in -- that would be cool 

Like I said, if/when they actually get released I might get excited about it, but from all the speculation I've seen to date it's not really a product that I _need_. Want? Maybe .. but that's probably just the Apple fanboi in me  Mmmm new ... shiny .... Apple ... have to have it. 3 weeks later the lust level drops and the world continues more often than not ...


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## Bjornbro (Feb 19, 2000)

CubaMark said:


> *Time Inc. Unveils Touchscreen Tablet, Future of Magazine Publishing*


I've said "print is dead" for over two years now.  I've been using Zinio to view "printed" content on my iBook since 2004.  If Zinio can make an app for my iPhone then the one-trick pony, that is the design from Time Inc, will already be obsolete. :yikes:


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

iMatt said:


> I'm opposed to extending it to companies that don't keep promises _they never even made._


You're absolutely right.


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## chas_m (Dec 2, 2007)

jeepguy said:


> But because it's an apple product... thousands will line up to get one first, and it will be dubbed the Jesus tablet.


No, I'm pretty sure this has beaten Apple to that punch:










Or possibly these:


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## RunTheWorldOnMac (Apr 23, 2006)

I think those are the Moses' tablets...


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## jeepguy (Apr 4, 2008)

RunTheWorldOnMac said:


> I think those are the Moses' tablets...


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## furious_p (Nov 30, 2009)

Screen size is still a bit of a downer for me, and it can become tedious to read a long article on something that small. Personally, if someone came out with a eBook reader that could handle any format, had large (and expandable) storage, colour eInk screen, and large enough to display text book pages clearly, i'd be the first in line. 

Right now, Asus seems to have things moving in the right direction. It'll be interesting to see what (if anything) Apple comes out with to counter.



Bjornbro said:


> I've said "print is dead" for over two years now.  I've been using Zinio to view "printed" content on my iBook since 2004.  If Zinio can make an app for my iPhone then the one-trick pony, that is the design from Time Inc, will already be obsolete. :yikes:


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

Jobs "extremely happy" with tablet - Apple 2.0 - Fortune Brainstorm Tech

Apple rumored to announce tablet on January 26th, Steve Jobs reportedly "extremely happy" with final product | NetworkWorld.com Community



> a number of sources have indicated that Apple is planning to announce and demo a tablet device in late January with a planned shipment date to come sometime in late March. One report from the Financial Times even stated that Apple has already secured the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts in San Francisco for January 26th.





> “I can’t really say anything, but, let’s just say Steve is extremely happy with the new tablet.” Yet another recently departed Apple employee tipped me: “You will be very surprised how you interact with the new tablet.”


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## Benito (Nov 17, 2007)

That is very exciting stuff, I can't wait to see what the finished product is like.

Is it going to be called iSlate?

Apple Purchased iSlate.com in 2007. Apple's New Tablet Called iSlate? - Mac Rumors


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

With CES at hand, the tablets are popping up like daisies... from other manufacturers getting the jump on Apple...

Here's one of the competition's offerings - which could hit the market at around $200!


(Engadget)


> Freescale Semiconductor is helping to kick this year's CES off with a bang, as its latest reference smartbook design actually has somewhat of a sexy flair to it. Currently, the model is little more than a great idea, but the company is hoping to have it available for partner evaluation starting next month.
> 
> In theory, at least, this "smartbook tablet" would boast an ultrathin form factor, weigh around 0.8 pounds and get powered by a 1GHz i.MX515 processor. Other specs would include 512MB of DDR2 RAM, a 1,024 x 600 touch panel, 4GB to 64GB of internal storage, a microSD expansion slot, optional 3G WWAN module, 802.11b/g/n WiFi, Bluetooth 2.1, GPS, a USB 2.0 socket, audio in / out, 3 megapixel camera, inbuilt 3-axis accelerometer, an ambient light sensor and a 1,900mAh battery.
> 
> We aren't quite sure what kind of bulk discounts Freescale is counting on, but it's hoping that this design will "enable a second generation of smartbook products with prices less than $200." We dig the ambition and all, but we're guessing OEMs will actually want to turn a profit should they sign on to sell something like this.


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## DempsyMac (May 24, 2007)

I am very excited I am heading down to CES in just two days, I have never been but with the demise of MacWorld I thought this would be a great time to switch shows.

Sorry nothing really to say other then I am excited to see all the goodies at the show!


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

A compilation of predicted reactions when (if) whatever-it-is is finally unveiled:

_No optical drive. Less space than a netbook. Lame. Apple is not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in and eat Amazon's lunch. There's no chance that this thing is going to get any significant market share...no chance. It's the Cube all over again. Where's the Newton?_


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## keebler27 (Jan 5, 2007)

iMatt said:


> A compilation of predicted reactions when (if) whatever-it-is is finally unveiled:
> 
> _No optical drive. Less space than a netbook. Lame. Apple is not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in and eat Amazon's lunch. There's no chance that this thing is going to get any significant market share...no chance. It's the Cube all over again. Where's the Newton?_


i don't think apple's intention is to make another computer. i think the lack of space and optical drive won't be an issue. For the optical drive, how much content is downloadable these days? alot and I believe it will be even more prevalent as time goes on. I think there will be enough space to satisfy most needs.

I don't think i'll be buying one, but who knows. It will be interesting to see what it's all about


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## HowEver (Jan 11, 2005)

It's been a long time since the Cube and Newton, and Jobs knows a bit more now (having overseen the demise of both), so perhaps not.





iMatt said:


> A compilation of predicted reactions when (if) whatever-it-is is finally unveiled:
> 
> _No optical drive. Less space than a netbook. Lame. Apple is not going to just figure this out. They're not going to just walk in and eat Amazon's lunch. There's no chance that this thing is going to get any significant market share...no chance. It's the Cube all over again. Where's the Newton?_


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

keebler27 said:


> i don't think apple's intention is to make another computer. i think the lack of space and optical drive won't be an issue. For the optical drive, how much content is downloadable these days? alot and I believe it will be even more prevalent as time goes on. I think there will be enough space to satisfy most needs.


I agree with your assessment. The new tablet is not intended to be a replacement for a MacBook/MacBook Pro. This will be another device 'tethered' to iTunes (or whatever it's replacement will be called) similar to the way the iPhone and iPod Touch is now.

Given the amount of time I've used my iPod Touch as a palmtop computer vs. an iPod, I almost certainly will be buying the new tablet, especially so if it's also a full-featured e-book reader. A large screen iPod Touch would be a godsend to me. I'm just hoping for some good media content and an affordable price.


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## DempsyMac (May 24, 2007)

mikef said:


> I agree with your assessment. The new tablet is not intended to be a replacement for a MacBook/MacBook Pro. This will be another device 'tethered' to iTunes (or whatever it's replacement will be called) similar to the way the iPhone and iPod Touch is now.
> 
> Given the amount of time I've used my iPod Touch as a palmtop computer vs. an iPod, I almost certainly will be buying the new tablet, especially so if it's also a full-featured e-book reader. A large screen iPod Touch would be a godsend to me. I'm just hoping for some good media content and an affordable price.


I find this very interesting. I too have had the same experience with my iPhone as a computer, to the point that when I travel I often barely use my MBP but the main reason for this is that it is in my pocket and if I had a 10.1" tablet / eBook or what ever it will be it will not be in my pocket and there for I worry will suffer the same ill fate of my MBP and I will stick with my iPhone. Now I am not saying that there is not a market for this, as I just saw a Sony Reader that my friend got for Christmas and man was the form factor of that very nice.

I have to think for  to make something to enter into this market (iSlate?) that it will have to be more then just a big iPhone / iPod, they need the killer app!


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

I think a NetBook would be the best idea for Apple,
Perhaps a $399. us price tag would make it viable.

No DVD, A 64 gb SSD and an 8.9 inch screen would do it,
Add in 2 gb of memory and a Video cam with Microphone and you got pay dirt.


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

I think the killer "app" will be the content- e-books and magazine/newspaper subscriptions. If Apple has the "big guns" on board so people can get the content they want for the price they're willing to pay, it will be a huge success. Think of it as the next level of the iTunes Store. We have music and movies/videos. We're getting books, newspapers, and magazines.

I envision the tablet being a "super" e-book reader with a large, high resolution screen, the ease of iTunes for syncing media, and the functionality of the iPhone/iPod Touch as far as apps, browsing, etc. go.


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## DempsyMac (May 24, 2007)

mikef said:


> I think the killer "app" will be the content- e-books and magazine/newspaper subscriptions. If Apple has the "big guns" on board so people can get the content they want for the price they're willing to pay, it will be a huge success. Think of it as the next level of the iTunes Store. We have music and movies/videos. We're getting books, newspapers, and magazines.
> 
> I envision the tablet being a "super" e-book reader with a large, high resolution screen, the ease of iTunes for syncing media, and the functionality of the iPhone/iPod Touch as far as apps, browsing, etc. go.


Ya I guess you may be right.

I personally just don't see that being the reason that everyone will buy this new thing, after all you can get most of this content online already right? This will just be ANOTHER format!


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

mikef said:


> I think the killer "app" will be the content- e-books and magazine/newspaper subscriptions. If Apple has the "big guns" on board so people can get the content they want for the price they're willing to pay, it will be a huge success. Think of it as the next level of the iTunes Store. We have music and movies/videos. We're getting books, newspapers, and magazines.
> 
> I envision the tablet being a "super" e-book reader with a large, high resolution screen, the ease of iTunes for syncing media, and the functionality of the iPhone/iPod Touch as far as apps, browsing, etc. go.


You have a good point there, Apple has always competed to be in the schools,
A tablet for use within the schools would be a monumental gesture by Apple.

An eBook would make perfect sense and to add a few extra's would make even more sense.

It is a niche held by very few players at the moment and Apple could really revolutionize it.


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

I think that's the whole point! You can get all of this online... from HUNDREDS of different sites. Make all this new material available from a single source. Some people will argue this is a bad thing because it creates "lock-in" but people said and say the same thing about the iTunes Music and App stores and they've been a roaring success.


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

dolawren said:


> It is a niche held by very few players at the moment and Apple could really revolutionize it.


I think that's what we'll see. Combine the usability of the Kindle with the functionality of the OS and user interface of the iPhone/iPod Touch and you've got a killer device.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

keebler27 said:


> i don't think apple's intention is to make another computer. i think the lack of space and optical drive won't be an issue. For the optical drive, how much content is downloadable these days? alot and I believe it will be even more prevalent as time goes on. I think there will be enough space to satisfy most needs.
> 
> I don't think i'll be buying one, but who knows. It will be interesting to see what it's all about





HowEver said:


> It's been a long time since the Cube and Newton, and Jobs knows a bit more now (having overseen the demise of both), so perhaps not.


I was just making light of some of the more memorable initial reactions to the iPod, iPhone, MacBook Air and Mac mini, all of which had plenty of people, some of them very high-profile, pooping all over them when they were announced. (I should have dug up something on the iPod shuffle while I was at it.) 

I have no idea what's coming and whether it will succeed. But I can guarantee that no matter what it is, some people will deride it as a useless/underpowered/overpriced toy for fanboys, lacking X, Y or Z piece of absolutely essential hardware, incapable of competing with whatever it's considered to be competing against, with not an iota of innovation to it. OK, I know that's not really a very difficult prediction to make, because you don't have to look far to find people doing exactly that already.

*Pure speculation based on digesting other pure speculation I've read*: it will be a media reader with rich interactive capabilities and a light-use general-purpose computer (with most iLife and iWork functionality either built-on or available at a modest extra cost), with software keyboard by default but easy to pair with a hardware keyboard, minimal wired connectivity, no more than 128 GB flash memory/SSD, its own variant of OS X (neither iPhone OS nor full-blown 10.6).... and no more than 3 hardware buttons. 

Most importantly, it will be announced alongside new content-distribution deals with publishers, who will be present in the iTunes store as soon as the iThing ships. Not just books (sadly, a very small market these days); periodicals will be the star of the show. 

It'll hit a middle ground: way more portable than even the MBA, way more powerful than anything pocketable.

IMHO a lot of people will decide it doesn't do anything they can't already do with their iPods, iPhones, MacBooks, iMacs, etc. And that's fine... no product needs to appeal to everyone to be successful. But I personally wouldn't dismiss an Apple attempt to occupy that middle ground just because nobody else has had any real success there.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

Trevor Robertson said:


> Ya I guess you may be right.
> 
> I personally just don't see that being the reason that everyone will buy this new thing, after all you can get most of this content online already right? This will just be ANOTHER format!


I still like a good magazine or newspaper and the way they're put together, edited, sequenced -- except for the clutter, mess and waste they generate. 

Yes, I can read most of the content online, often all of it if I'm a subscriber. But I also like the way a good periodical is put together. I'd consider it a significant added value to be able to read a virtual magazine or newspaper (complete with audio and video content) without having to sit at a desk or hold a laptop in my lap, or having to scroll every 2 seconds because I'm using a 3-inch screen.

Add the ability to "clip" out articles without having to keep track of scraps of paper or save web bookmarks that will usually break eventually, or the ability to automagically scale a recipe in a magazine or cookbook, the ability for students to haul around a semester's worth of interactive textbooks in a single device...

I'd be pretty likely to buy something like that. Can't say for sure before it's even announced, but if this kind of speculation is on the right track, it should be an interesting device.


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

You've pretty much nailed it, iMatt!

I wait to see what "shockingly inexpensive" really means.


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## Lawrence (Mar 11, 2003)

Well...We all said it in the past, We want the Newton back,
Along came the iPod Touch and iPhone instead.

We want a bigger screen to watch movies and read books,
Well...Maybe we'll get our wish, Apple is listening.

Dave


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

> The unveiling of Apple's iSlate tablet appears to be imminent since several new reports are aligning with news that certain developers may have been hand-picked by Apple to work with a new iPhone 4.0 beta SDK which makes it easy for devs to scale applications in order to adapt to different screen resolutions. Tablet-sized screen resolutions to be exact.


via iPhoneSavior


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

*Lenovo U1 Hybrid: Part Laptop, Part Tablet, All Awesome*





> ...when you pop the screen out of its housing, it transforms into a multi-touch tablet running Linux on a Snapdragon processor (the same type found in the new Nexus One from Google) and a 16GB SSD for storing your most essential data.


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

CubaMark said:


> *Lenovo U1 Hybrid: Part Laptop, Part Tablet, All Awesome*


Lenovo's new products all look surprisingly interesting, especially the Skylight "smartbook" (which has the great virtue of not running Windows). Lenovo Skylight: its first ARM / Snapdragon-based smartbook, coming in April for $499 -- Engadget

But I have to admit that even the PCs have some zing to them. The 21.5-inch iMac lookalike/competitor isn't quite as well specced in all areas, but does have a TV tuner, is very competitively priced and has obviously been designed with some care rather than just cramming the most horsepower into the dullest box.

The one you posted is very cool, and about $1,000 so not just another POS for the masses. I doubt Apple is working along these lines, but it suggests that perhaps the time finally has come for general-purpose tablet computing... unlike the last decade, when it never got any traction outside very specialized niches. (On the other hand, it could also suggest that to sell a tablet, you need to bundle a notebook... not sure.)


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

I wonder if I'm the only one speculating that the Apple Tablet will be a dockable system... on the road, it's a big, fat iPod Touch. At home, it's a mini-iMac. Hmmmm.....

Something like...


(CyberNetNews.com)

or even...


(SlashGear)

Of course, we've all seen the patent filing from Apple...


(Technabob)


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## Darien Red Sox (Oct 24, 2006)

CubaMark said:


> I wonder if I'm the only one speculating that the Apple Tablet will be a dockable system... on the road, it's a big, fat iPod Touch. At home, it's a mini-iMac. Hmmmm.....
> 
> Something like...
> 
> ...


I like the idea of a docking station, it would open up the market to a lot of users who don't want to buy both a tablet and a computer. Sometime in the future college computer labs would be filled up with these so students cold bring in there tablets to work on full sized screens.


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## jeepguy (Apr 4, 2008)

CubaMark said:


> *Lenovo U1 Hybrid: Part Laptop, Part Tablet, All Awesome*


I watched the videos for this, it seemed very laggy, and sometime unresponsive to input from the user.


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## GratuitousApplesauce (Jan 29, 2004)

I like the idea of a dockable system.

A year ago I got an iPod Touch. I've never had a mobile computer before or lived in the wireless world, but this was a good introduction. However fantastic it is, it's not even close to being a functional netbook for basic uses. It surpasses netbooks on a lot of levels, but browsing is a pain.

Last fall I got a 13" MBP, partly because I had become used to having a wireless device. But even the little 13 incher isn't something I'm just going to open up or use on the bus, and if I pull it out in a cafe, I'll want to be properly seated with a bit of room.

I think a small device like this rumoured tablet could fit that niche between the two quite nicely, especially if it is better than current netbooks (which shouldn't be too difficult, because the ones I've seen are crap), leverages the iPod Touch/iPhone OS multitouch and apps and can function as a real low-end computer when you're home.

It'll be interesting to see what they come out with — if they come out with anything at all.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

The more we move ahead, the closer we get to Apple's past...


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

Some words from Andy Ihnatko:

Thoughts on what an Apple tablet should be – or not :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Andy Ihnatko


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## maclover82 (Jan 16, 2010)

Yeah $500 is cheap....please!


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## mikef (Jun 24, 2003)

$500 is reasonable, but my guess is that it'll be much closer to $1000.

Keeping things in perspective, the 64GB iPod Touch is $399. Don't expect the tablet to come in at $100 more.


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

A very in-depth look at possible user interface modes for the mythical tablet...

*Apple: The Tablet Prophecies*





> What is it about tablets that gets the masses all worked up? I don't know. Yet what I do know is that with Apple's forthcoming tablet sporting high-end accelerometers, GPS and Google Maps, I don't think that any of us will be going around in circles in the desert for 40 years trying to find the Promised Land. "Apple - Reinvents the Tablet," the headlines will read the day after Steve Jobs holds up the tablet to the shouting masses who will be pleased with the sacrifice Apple has made. Others will begin to smelt golden copies of the anointed tablet – but none shall prevail. Yet until that day arrives, the masses are starving for some real news about the coming tablet.


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## J-Lüp (Jan 18, 2010)

If it is a iSlideIntoAniMacWithSuspectUseOfCamelCase, I'd be a bit worried about the processor - I'm fine with a lower-end processor on something as small and portable as the tablet, but at home, I want something faster, and it seem likely that these two parts would be bundled together...


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## CubaMark (Feb 16, 2001)

TechEBlog Before iPhone Commercials, There was This Apple Newton Ad





+
YouTube Video









ERROR: If you can see this, then YouTube is down or you don't have Flash installed.


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