8 ms·

The Apple Tablet

254 points by adamhowell 17y ago

10ren 17y ago
The input method is what stops the iPhone from being a "general computer". The iPhone is read-mostly. Great for web-browsing and games, but while you can write emails/documents on it, it's... sub-optimal. Without a better input method, a tablet is just a bigger iPhone, for which smaller == better. Therefore, this "tablet" either has a keyboard; or something comparable (or better!) - maybe that cool MS idea of seeing your fingers through the device, as you type on the back, and see ghosts on the front; or... it doesn't exist. Steve's problem: Moore's Law means that by next June, the iPhone could be 4 times as powerful. But doing so would alienate the customer base, so current iPhones are only about 10% more powerful. Fine. But this opens a competitive opportunity... which Steve can block with a "show pony" device, that is essentially a 4 x iPhone in power, but doesn't compete directly with the iPhone. The purpose is to claim the tech + cool leadership, not to make real money.
- kscaldef 17y ago
  Effective typing requires good tactile feedback, not being able to see your fingers.
  - GHFigs 17y ago
    Apple has filed a number of patent applications for tactile feedback on touch screens in the last year or two.
- pbhjpbhj 17y ago
  The input method is what stops the iPhone from being a "general computer". The iPhone is read-mostly. Great for web-browsing and games, but while you can write emails/documents on it, it's... sub-optimal. Without a better input method, a tablet is just a bigger iPhone, for which smaller == better. Doesn't it have bluetooth or any other input that a keyboard can use. I'd use an iSlate and couple it with a wireless keyboard and mouse when I wanted to type a lot.
wallflower 17y ago
My guess is Apple will handle the hard part (the interactive book/magazine interface) and allow publishers to just work on publishing their content in a series of well-defined feeds to iTunes. In my mind, the real killer app for the iTablet is rich, collaborative, social catalog shopping. Why can't they make J. Crew catalogs come to life? Where is the interactive Amazon.com catalog? Thinking further in this direction, I believe advertisements on the iTablet may go beyond traditional ads. The most intriguing part of the iTablet is the what-if's What if Apple were able to convince the top 25 textbook publishers that it would be a good thing to have iTablet textbooks, I think that would be a major selling point for college students. What if they finally cracked the problem of voice recognition or handwriting recognition by doing the hard computations in the cloud? What if the on-demand tactile keyboard patent has actually been implemented? Popular Science's mockup done by publisher Bonnier’s R&D group with design firm BERG (hot articles) http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/our-vision-future-magazines http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/our-vision-... Wonderfactory's mockup of an interactive Sports Illustrated magazine on a tablet (linked statistics): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyXvLnxyXk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyXvLnxyXk
- gcheong 17y ago
  "What if they finally cracked the problem of voice recognition or handwriting recognition by doing the hard computations in the cloud?" I wouldn't want my tablet to require an internet connection for the UI, but in my mind an effortless handwriting interface is what a tablet computer implies. When taking notes or writing letters,drawing, or even coding is as effortless as pen on paper, with all the advantages of a digital document, that is when tablet computing will have come of age.
epall 17y ago
The two best killer apps I've heard of for the iTablet are gaming and magazines. It seems likely to me that this will be the first Apple device with Apple silicon for the CPU, and from what I hear that means it's going to have some serious 3D muscle. The magazine bid is riskier, but has significant payoff. The Kindle isn't going to deliver gorgeous full-color content any time soon, but the iTablet surely will. I predict games and magazines will be the killer apps for the iTablet.
- prawn 17y ago
  Some game-changing plan involving magazines and news publishing seems likely to me. Fixed-format, locked down accounts, etc. Bold interactive ads with audience data potentially tied to specific user info. Whatever Apple does, it will be bold. I'm not convinced, however, that gaming will be a major part of it.
SamAtt 17y ago
Most important part of the article... "But there’s one question at the top of the list, the answer to which is the key to answering every other question. That question is this: If you already have an iPhone and a MacBook; why would you want this? The epigraph I used to start this piece — the bit about Steve Jobs demanding that a tablet be useful for more than just reading on the can — indicates that Apple will release nothing without such an answer. I agree that such an answer is essential." I'm no prophet so I won't even guess whether he (or everyone else for that matter) is right or wrong on what's coming. What I will say is the "Cone of Silence" he refers to is encouraging. As he points out in the article the last time Apple had all the engineers drop off the grid like this was before the iPhone launch. Given that I have to assume Apple thinks they have something big here (on the logic of the cone's impenetrability being proportional to how great Steve J. thinks the product is)
- wallflower 17y ago
  > all the engineers drop off the grid like this "The demo was not going well..." "By January 2007, when Jobs announced the iPhone at Macworld, only 30 or so of the most senior people on the project had seen it." http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/16-02/ff_iphone http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/16-02/ff_ipho...
DannoHung 17y ago
I think Gruber's got it right. Of course, as a Power User, this leaves me... I dunno, miffed? Annoyed? Agitated? I'm like 90% sure I'm going to want this thing if only for the fact that it's an eBook reader plus other stuff, but I don't see it being able to replace my laptop for programming when I'm away from home. That's not Apple's fault for introducing something that doesn't completely subsume the personal computing experience, but it leaves me somewhat anxious that now I'm going to be carrying around an iPhone and a MacBook AND an MacLet (iSlate, iTablet, TaBook, iWhatwever) when I go on a trip or something. That's just too much gear! I at least hope there's some sort of unified power solution between MacBooks or iPods and this thing.
- ghshephard 17y ago
  Exactly - I expect you are right in the same spot as the rest of us. What I'm wondering about, as I have my MacBook sitting on my chest while typing - is how/will we type into the MacTablet so I can make posts like this one? The MacTablet will likely _nail_ eBook reading (And I say this as a Kindle, K2, and Kindle-on-iPhone regular user), Video (over 200 iTunes videos, mostly TV Shows, purchased in the last three years) and, of course, web browser (though flash is a wildcard) There may be some _new_ sweet spots created though - the one that comes to my mind - Photo Management/selection/uploading - Something fast, light(er) and easier than a MacBook to pair up with my EOS 7D would be nice. I'm just _praying_ that it will take a USB-GSM/1xEVDO wireless connection so I can use my existing USA(Sprint 1xEVDO) and Canadian(Bell-GSM) connections.
  - gkefalas 17y ago
    Here's just one of many potential sweet spots: I've been looking for a solution for a portable music reader for some time; the Kindle and Sony Reader's screens are a bit too slow, too dim, too small and are straight PDF readers (meaning, no intelligence around multiple endings, codas, and etc.) and the dedicated solutions out there aren't exactly worth the money as they're one-use devices. There's always the option of getting a used TabletPC and installing some music reading software designed for touchscreen, but I've been avoiding that because we really have no use for the keyboard, and their interfaces were never as snappy as even the iPhone's. Count me in as pleasantly hopeful that this is a real product, and that I can get sheet music onto it in a way that allows for ease of using it live...
angelbob 17y ago
I don't know whether this is what Apple's doing. But I recommend people keep thinking this way -- if it's not what Apple's doing, then you should go do it ;-)
stcredzero 17y ago
Here's my bit of wild-eyed far-out speculation: A lot of people are speculating that the killer app for the Apple Tablet will be X or that it will be Y. However, the bigger picture involves the following: - What major inconvenience does it solve? - What Possibilites inherent in the form factor? - How will it fit into the Apple ecosystem? - How will it fit into the general ecosystem? At least 3 out of 4 of these are key questions for any Apple product. Major inconvenience solved: I believe that the Apple Tablet will be a UMPC. It will have enough memory to store all of your personal data (perhaps not including video content). I would be the ultimate solution to all sync problems. In true UMPC fashion, you would be able to conveniently carry your data with you everywhere including on the plane. It will act as a "hub" for such data. Possibilites inherent in the form factor: Everything the iPhone is a little too small for. An agenda can work on the iPhone screen, but it would be much better on a 7" or 10" screen. A 7" or 10" screen is large enough to be a digital "Moleskine" or sketchbook. It is comfortably large enough to be a whole house remote control. It can serve as a richer augmented reality interface than an iPhone. Photo touchup in the field -- better on a larger screen than the iPhone. How will it fit into the Apple ecosystem? Everything will sync to the tablet. The tablet will be primary store of such information. Mobile Me will be the web accessible copy. The iMac will be there for an even richer input/display and have the computing/graphics horsepower for serious work. Laptops will get phased out, in favor of inexpensive, lightweight input/display clamshells. (Bonjour is the key to Apple's future!) How will it fit into the general ecosystem? The UMPC will come into its own. Laptops & netbooks will die off, become the purchase of those who can only afford one piece of kit, or morph into high-end specialist machines.
- ghshephard 17y ago
  Interesting aside - has anyone else noticed that the requirement to identify jargon that not everyone will be familiar with (UMPC was new to me) - is basically solved when google/wikipedia are about 500 msec away at any time?
- novum 17y ago
  UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) strikes me as something of a misnomer for the tablet. A 7"-10" flat screen, non-foldable tablet PC would have to travel in a folder, or in a bag, or somewhere that's not your pocket. Seems like iPhone/iTouch would be a better UMPC.
jsz0 17y ago
My guess is the tablet will run Touch OS 4 and the 4th generation iPone/Touch will inherit most of the new features as well. A multi-tasking UI, Expose, widgets. All would be welcome additions to the iPhone. You've already got the concept of a Dock so extending it to be a multi-tasking UI seems obvious. The iPhone would benefit from a user home directory that was accessible between all applications. If we have an E-Reader app for books, magazines, catalogs, etc it seems like they would extend this to the iPhone/Touch as well offering content formatted for the smaller screen seamlessly. The only area of difference I can think of would be the need for a windowing system on a 10" display. It probably wouldn't make sense to limit developers only to full-screen applications with a higher resolution display. This might be a clever way to offer iPhone/Touch application compatibility to the tablet. Instead of restricting access to these apps, or automatically scaling them full-screen, why not just run them in a window?
- xsmasher 17y ago
  Rumor has it that some iPhone app devs were asked to retool their apps to allow "full screen" use by removing any assumptions about screen size. That supports the idea that the tablet runs the iPhone OS, not OS X.
colinplamondon 17y ago
My bet is that it has a PixelQi screen- eink mode that does everything the Kindle does, but better, and then a normal mode for web browsing, email, media content, and applications.
- jonknee 17y ago
  That'd be slick, the screen was the best thing about the XO. I gather that the tech has been further improved--the XO in color mode isn't so good (but killer in eBook mode).
- Herring 17y ago
  Nope, it's normal screens. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/28/apple_orders_10_inch_tablet_displays_and_robust_glass_panels.html http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/28/apple_orders_1...
  - colinplamondon 17y ago
    Missed that- damn. So much for futuristic magic screens being coupled with a futuristic magic device.
  - mbreese 17y ago
    Let's be honest... no one really knows. The Taiwan papers aren't known for their accuracy when it comes to parts orders for Apple. Also, who's not to say that Pixel Qi is licensing their IP to Foxconn for the actual glass production?
    - wooster 17y ago
      Yeah, Pixel Qi is fabless, so any production is done by someone else.
carterschonwald 17y ago
Here's the key technical innovation which I think would open the door to really cool tablets, apple or otherwise. Fast refresh rate e-ink style displays (presumably with some manner of touch and/or stylus sensitive screen). That combination would (at least for me) make it the perfect reading and note taking tool.
- quan 17y ago
  Even with such innovation, it would never match the iPhone touchscreen and I don't think Apple is willing to compromise like that. If Apple do think in this direction, I think it's more practical for them to have 2 equal size screens, an iPhone-like touchscreen for videos, games, and dynamic web browsing and an e-ink screen for reading books, magazine, and static web contents. The touchscreen can be used to control and navigate the e-ink screen (think of your laptop monitor being the eink screen and the keyboard being the touchscreen). It can be folded in like a laptop to protect the 2 screens or fold out (with both screens on the outside) when in used. Now that is one way Apple will convince me to drop updwards of $600 despite owning a Macbook, iPhone, and a Kindle.
  - city41 17y ago
    Two equal size screens is not Apple though. They are all about simplicity and being directly obvious. They've even managed to work it so their laptops just have one big surface for a trackpad. They never even released a mouse that had two physical buttons.
    - extension 17y ago
      It might work if they can sandwhich the two screens together, so it just looks like one screen that changes modes.
mlapeter 17y ago
Maybe it's just me, but I could see many uses for a tablet beyond just reading in the bathroom or in bed. For any job where you're standing/ walking and taking notes (real estate agents, etc), it's awkward to try to open a macbook, and the iphone is too tedious. Pair a tablet with a solid voice to text app, and it'd be pretty useful for lawyers, reporters, etc.
- ugh 17y ago
  Still a small niche.
- Niten 17y ago
  Note taking is not just for real estate agents, either. One thing I'm surprised people aren't talking about more is that a well-designed tablet could be a hit in college and even primary school lecture halls and classrooms. Considering Apple's historical prominence in the higher education market, this seems like a natural target for them.
- wendroid 17y ago
  You mean something like an Apple Newton?
  - access_denied 17y ago
    Without the arkward pen?
ynniv 17y ago
You know, I could do much of my daily work from my iPhone, if only it let me run multiple, unsigned, applications and use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Add an external monitor port and USB for drives and printers, and I'm happy. The iPhone 3G is already as powerful as a mid 90's desktop.
- encoderer 17y ago
  ...But if all you'd be keeping is the CPU, why would this be desirable? You wouldn't even be taking your work with you in your pocket any more than you are now if it's largely stored on an external drive.
  - ynniv 17y ago
    Errr, the external drive is for backup, large media, etc. Everyday files would be on the device. And, please don't say CPU unless you are actually talking about silicon - you muddle the discussion. The iPhone is a complete computer, it's just unproductive without a full size keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
- grinich 17y ago
  You just described the MacBook Air.
  - barrkel 17y ago
    But the macbook air is very big and heavy. It's even bigger and heavier than my PC laptop.
    - alastair 17y ago
      dont know if 'very big and heavy' is how i would describe the air
      - barrkel 17y ago
        It certainly is compared to an ipod touch, which seems to be the appropriate comparison wrt a tablet for walk-and-compute scenarios. It is also rather unwieldy, IMHO, due to the large screen size. I prefer my Toshiba Portege; it's both lighter and smaller in the dimensions that I care about.
GBKS 17y ago
A table will not replace a computer that is used for a desk job like programming, I think it will be a great multi-purpose device for more casual, every-day activities. Pretty exciting to think about the possibilities. Letting my mind roam for a few seconds, here are some ideas. - Note taking: can it be good enough to work like a pen on paper? - Clip to a portable dock to use like a laptop/desktop - Perfect for presentations and meetings where a laptop may be too bulky - Hang it on the wall and show photos - Reading recipes in the kitchen - Maps and GPS (especially with voice input/output) - No more printing required, the tablet works as a companion to my desktop/laptop - Video chat - Browsing, reading, videos - Access to light-weight web apps, email, docs, etc Developers got incredibly creative with iPhone apps (like the Ocarina app), I'm sure there will be a ton of simple, surprising applications coming out of the ecosystem.
saturdayplace 17y ago
The big question for the tablet is "What niche does this fill?" To be successful, it's going to have a handful of pre-packaged use cases (the iPhone/Touch had web browsing, mail, mp3 player, calling) and share the iPhone's support for apps. The niche question gets answered by 3rd party developers who are sure to come up with more brilliant ideas for use cases than Apple's engineers will on their own. Already in the comments here people have stated the niche they'd like this to fill for them. The draw for a tablet arises from the combination of nice form factor + portability + the apps that nails my niche. Maybe I really should pick up some Cocoa...
axod 17y ago
A tablet isn't more portable than a netbook. It's less functional, doesn't have any protection for the screen, no way to stand up the screen to a good viewing angle, no keyboard. It's a dead duck. Don't know why this is news to anyone.
- glhaynes 17y ago
  I almost agree, but it seems clear now that Apple is working intensely on just such a product. They've earned trust that they just simply don't introduce things of such large scale that are fatally flawed.
  - bmalicoat 17y ago
    I think you're right. I also don't see the point declaring something a dead duck before it has been seen (or even announced!). Apple understand what a good consumer product is, the only not stellar product they've had in a while was the Apple TV and even that did not bomb. I definitely think it is wise to wait and see. Personally with a laptop and a smart phone, I'm interested to see how they can make it appeal to me, but I'm willing to let them try.
- jsz0 17y ago
  Functionality depends on what tasks people are using netbooks for. It's hard to generalize but it seems most people are just browsing the Internet, watching videos, and listening to music. A tablet might be more functional for them.
- evgen 17y ago
  CmdrTaco, is that you? Try to consider the tablet as a modern version of the Newton MP2100. No built-in keyboard, no protection, no way to stand it up for a good viewing angle, pretty much the same complaints you give here. My newt's leather carrying case had a little fold-out bit that propped the newt up at an adjustable angle and held the keyboard in place so that I could unzip it on a tabletop, adjust the prop, and have my "laptop" ready to go. When I wanted to be more portable I could disconnect the keyboard, slide the newt out of the case, and walk away. It is more portable than a netbook because it can do away with the keyboard. Any keyboard worth using cannot fit into a netbook. Period. By eliminating the keyboard you have more design freedom than the netbook form-factor allows.
socmoth 17y ago
whenever i read these thread i think about the famous cmdrtaco quote about the original ipod launch: "No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame." http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257 http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257 and that was after launch. pre-launch speculation about how it isn't worth buying because of some hypothesized reason are mostly for fun!
- DannoHung 17y ago
  That quote should go on his headstone when he dies.
- minsight 17y ago
  Apple has a long history of releasing products that look like losers when one compares a bullet list of features with the competition. I bought a Sansa with twice the storage of the current ipod and grew to hate the device, despite the fact that it won on paper. Apple's products have design and usability features that the competition has never even considered. (one example - the dozens of times that the magsafe connector on my MacBook has saved the day).
  - kalid 17y ago
    Agreed. In my head, I call this the "blender" comparison that many technophiles seem to use. Want to compare two meals? Put them in the blender and analyze the nutritional content of the resulting goop. What? You don't compare food by spec sheets? (Calories, vitamins, carbs, proteins). What are these subjective "texture, taste, style, temperature, presentation" variables you care about? They offer little or no nutritional difference!
    - tjogin 17y ago
      Very good point, and quite illustrative. Same thing with cars; normal people rarely buy cars based on pure performance metrics.
  - city41 17y ago
    Much like when my Dad bought a Dell jukebox despite me insisting he get an iPod. It didn't take him long to really regret the decision. More companies could stand to learn from Apple's ability to look at the whole story of the product.
richcollins 17y ago
No one seems to see the true potential for disruptive change in a tablet -- that you can ditch the mouse and use all 10 fingers (or some subset thereof) to control the UI. This is a much more natural way to interact with things and might increase productivity by an order of magnitude for a large number of tasks.
- dmix 17y ago
  Unless the tablet is big enough your hands will be covering up a big portion of the screen. Also, unless is can partially fold, your head will either be facing down to look at the screen or if it's vertical your hands will be raised to type. Both of these things are terrible for long term use ergonomics. I see the benefit for travelling or as a household device. But I don't think touch screen technology has shown potential for increase productivity with any full-time/professional use. Besides, I use 10 fingers to control the UI on my macbook.
  - richcollins 17y ago
    You're assuming a few things: 1. Covering up the screen is a problem. I can see how it could work to cover the screen while manipulating but move your hands to the side when you aren't. 2. A drafting setup is terrible from an ergonomic perspective. Is there a history of overuse injury in people that work at drafting tables?
- misterbwong 17y ago
  While I think touch UI has markedly changed our interactions with computers, I still maintain that change in data entry is the missing piece of the puzzle for a true revolution. When data entry is changed from its current manifestation (physical QWERTY keyboards or some similar variant) we will have a true revolution in the way computers work themselves into our lives.
- swolchok 17y ago
  My iPod touch is all smudgey from thumb and index finger use. Now you want me to pay 2x-4x for a multitouch device and rub my whole hand all over it?
xsmasher 17y ago
There's a large gulf in battery life between phones and laptops - there are plenty of times where I'd like to browse something on my laptop, but I don't feel like getting the charger from the other room and plugging in. So a device that gets 8-12hrs battery life under use would have a different use profile. There are also apps like instant messengers, skype, email etc. that you'd like to be always-on. The iPhone is a one-app-at-a-time, goes-to-sleep often device that's not well suited to those applications. Slapping in a user-facing camera for video calls would also differentiate it from the iPhone.
- chaosmachine 17y ago
  Putting a user-facing camera in a tablet device sounds hard. It works in laptops because they're fixed in place, and it could work in a phone because they're easy to hold with one hand. A tablet would probably be too big/heavy to hand-hold. Putting it on a flat surface wouldn't work either, unless the camera could swivel somehow, and Apple isn't really big on moving parts.
  - die_sekte 17y ago
    I think that there are some patents by Apple which describe cameras behind the screen. Say thay use multiple Nano 5th Gen cameras and some magic to scale/whatever.
  - xsmasher 17y ago
    There's always optical image stabilization. Adding electronic image stabilization plus face detection could help out; sort of a "software steadycam".
alain94040 17y ago
My view: a newspaper reader. Everyone reads the news. No one reads books anymore. Expect a content deal so that I can get major newspapers, in a pleasant format, and read them on my couch when I come home. Plus a web browser, video player. That should be good enough to make a very interesting product. Pointing out issues with the current iPhone software that wouldn't work as is on a larger screen is calling Apple engineers stupid. I don't think they are.
- dunstad 17y ago
  No one reads books anymore. Explain why libraries are still operational, please.
  - gcheong 17y ago
    Free wi-fi/internet access?
    - dunstad 17y ago
      Made me laugh, but McDonald's has that plus food.
      - GHFigs 17y ago
        McDonald's does not provide computers, though. People who patronize the library for internet access the most are those who don't own a computer at all. In other countries, this role is often filled by internet cafes, but they never really caught on in the U.S.
        dunstad 17y ago
        Excellent point. I suppose books could be kept in libraries for atmosphere, even if nobody used them. Funny how a sensible point, when approached from the wrong angle, can be rendered nonsensical.
  - zmimon 17y ago
sker 17y ago
Sorry for the meta-comment but why does this article has so many votes? I read the whole thing and it's nothing more than pure speculation and "analisys." What I took from it is that The Apple Tablet will be a full working device like the many tablets we've seen since the beginning of the decade. Is the author someone famous in the Valley or something?
- rms 17y ago
  This is the time of year when people really like speculations and predictions, especially when they sound plausible and/or reasonable.
  - sker 17y ago
    I agree with that, but number one article for most of the day? It seems a bit exaggerated to me. This is macrumors material, in my opinion.
- dreyfiz 17y ago
  The author's analysis is top-notch because he actually understands what the newest incarnation of Apple is about, unlike most of the people who write about Apple.
  - dreyfiz 17y ago
    He's only been writing the piece since September: http://twitter.com/gruber/status/7250169522 http://twitter.com/gruber/status/7250169522. Does most speculation about Apple's next move strike you as something that much care was put into?
    - borism 17y ago
      http://thingsjohngruberiswrongabout.tumblr.com http://thingsjohngruberiswrongabout.tumblr.com
      - dreyfiz 17y ago
JulianMorrison 17y ago
There's a better reason why Apple won't build an e-reader. Kindle already owns the high end - it's the ipod of ebooks - and Apple has no interest in playing in a market where all the pressure is to simplify and undercut.
- zmimon 17y ago
  So how do you explain the iPhone? The smart phone market was well and truly catered for when Apple entered there. Apple's primary method of business is to price themselves in a tier above everyone else but to provide a (perceived or real) value proposition that makes people buy it anyway.
  - JulianMorrison 17y ago
    They could still cut in on top. Which they can't on e-readers. Kindle is already pushing the technology to its present day limits.
    - zmimon 17y ago
      Sure ... but I think Apple has a way of redefining the "high end". Smart phones were already considered expensive when Apple launched the iPhone.
      - JulianMorrison 17y ago
        The problem is e-ink. Right now it's grody grey, monochrome, and has a 1/2 second refresh time. Apple can't work with that.
zmimon 17y ago
I think the tablet has plenty of uses, but it's the flaws that hold it back. We actually have a tablet at home and it was very useful on the couch and in various other roles. However there are a couple of features that are a must for such a device that I can't see being able to be provided easily: 1. I must be able to drop it from 6ft onto a hard surface and do zero damage 2. I must be able to pour a whole cup of coffee on it with zero ill effect 3. It must be able to be stolen with a cost to me of less than $50 These are the killer problems for me that make it an unsuitable thing for 'casual' use. If I have to treat it with kid gloves, watch it like a hawk whenever I put it down in public, assume a posture of paranoia about food and drink while I'm around it .... then it's just a failure at its main purpose.
- GHFigs 17y ago
  How do you reconcile those being "musts" with the wild success of products that don't have them? Not even paper satisfies all of those supposed necessities.
  - zmimon 17y ago
    Point taken. I would say that satisfying point 3 relieves the need to satisfy point 2 (if I can replace it for less than $50 then I can handle the possibility of coffee getting poured on it). So paper works.
    - philfreo 17y ago
      ... and how about the success of the iPhone? It barely passes #1...
      - zmimon 17y ago
        Well, it's not trying to be a "tablet", so it's not lying around the living room. 95% of the time it's sitting in your pocket when not in use, very safe and comfortable.
maxklein 17y ago
The tablet is going to be an iPhone and iPod Touch accessory. That's what will sell this thing, and that's what they will have in there. A tight integration with the tens of millions of mobile devices out there.
- jacquesm 17y ago
  I figure it will be the other way around, with the phone and ipod accessories to the tablet. After all a tablet can pack just a bit more punch than either a phone or an mp3 player. Use it as a speakerphone or with a headset and you could lose the phone entirely if you're taking the tablet with you. Same interface, bigger screen. Think iphone on steroids.
  - maxklein 17y ago
    It will be a way to get your pics off your iphone. Play your music loud. Transfer files to iPhone. You drop it on your desk, 'dock' your phone by dropping it on it and there you go.
frankus 17y ago
I wrote a couple of blog posts on this, but here's the summary: My secret hope is that it has an eInk screen that slides down to reveal an LCD, at which point the eInk acts as a reconfigurable keyboard for netbook-style interaction. I'm also wondering if it might instead have a couple of 7" screens arranged Nintendo DS-style (that would add up to 10"). You could, in a pinch, run unmodified iPhone apps on one screen with a keyboard and/or dock on the lower screen. And it would make a great two-page-at-a-time eBook reader. I also think mobile videoconferencing might be a feature that's given a major push, since MacBooks don't have built-in mobile data connections and iPhones don't have user-facing cameras.
- ugh 17y ago
  Apple tends to shy away from kludgy solutions. Which is why I don’t think you will ever see something like you described from Apple. (Not to say that your imagined product wouldn’t be nice to have for at least some people. It’s just not in Apple’s DNA to do something like that. Just one example: The Nintendo DS is great product but also something you would never ever – ever! – see from Apple.) All-things-Apple-Disclaimer: I could be horribly wrong.
tungstenfurnace 17y ago
Tablets will be great for small children, who will interact with educational software using their right forefingers on the touchscreen. Tablets will eventually be cheap, rugged and capable of being turned on quickly. (Perhaps a convergence with electronic paper will occur.) They can be left lying around in the play area. No chair/desk/keyboard arrangement will be required. One upshot of this is that educational software will get much, much better than it is now.
jamie 17y ago
Surprisingly, it sounds like some of the guesses aren't too far off from the Microsoft Courier concept. I have to say, some of the ideas in that concept of a persistent, everyday computing device sound compelling. Something half way between an interactive moleskin and a kindle. http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsof... I wouldn't be surprised to see apple co-opt some of the interactions of a physical notebook. It would fold up in fit in a small messenger bag pretty easily.
- jamie 17y ago
  Also, it would be a throwback to how people worked before laptops. If you've ever been in a meeting where 20 people sit around a conference table and talk over their laptops, you'll recognize that as much value the laptop brings to the meeting; it's distracting having a physical object that's 11" tall blocking your body and attention. I liked it better when people showed up to meetings with paper notebooks.
vorg 17y ago
It'll be fold-up like a netbook, same size, no keyboard or mouse, but with 2 screens, both touch-sensitive, but one with a texture you can feel, so you can type on it easily. When you unfold it 180 degrees and tilt it around, it'll act like one big screen you can watch movies on.
cpr 17y ago
I don't think there's any question, based on rumors and on Apple's (perceived) DNA, that it'll have a high-res (OLED?) 10" screen and some kind of on-screen tactile feedback (see recent rumors & patents). I.e., for Jobs to be extremely pleased with it, it must have at least 2-3 major hardware breakthroughs, outside of any software/content breakthroughs. So plan for the above plus CPU/GPU real power from an Apple-designed ARM+graphics chip, plus some whizzy new (unreplaceable, of course) battery technology. I have to imagine it'll also come with a couple of breakthrough apps like an interactive catalog (see the leaked Ikea mockup) and some kind of virtual-paper-like (or better) interactive magazine/newspaper reader. Jobs wouldn't be happy unless it completely leapfrogged people's expectations.
sdh 17y ago
I just want a DRAWING tablet from Apple!!! The smallest Cintiq is a thousand bucks and I have to have a computer attached to it! Give me a drawing tablet that I can also read PDFs on (and wireless on a pricier model) and I'll be all set. Also, I want color. If it isn't color, I'll just buy a kindle. I don't care about keyboard. iPhone style is painful, but I'll endure. Bonus points if it can recognize handwriting.
c00p3r 17y ago
Just a traffic-sucking piece of keyword-stuffed blah-blah-blah. Good SEO.
aufreak3 17y ago
Compared to some of the other frenzied write ups about the coming of the great white tablet, I liked this one. It felt like an honest and intelligent rumination with an undercurrent of anticipation about the device. Good job.
gfodor 17y ago
The keyboard problem is a non-issue. On the go, you use the screen. When you place it in its nice shiny iPhone-esque dock at home, the screen is upright and a wireless keyboard and mouse can be used and it looks and feels like a PC.
- jsz0 17y ago
  In a mobile scenario you could have something like an empty laptop shell as a case. No display, no guts. The tablet docks into the top half and the bottom half is a keyboard. Probably wouldn't be any larger than today's MacBook.

254 points by adamhowell 17y ago

10ren 17y ago

The input method is what stops the iPhone from being a "general computer". The iPhone is read-mostly. Great for web-browsing and games, but while you can write emails/documents on it, it's... sub-optimal. Without a better input method, a tablet is just a bigger iPhone, for which smaller == better. Therefore, this "tablet" either has a keyboard; or something comparable (or better!) - maybe that cool MS idea of seeing your fingers through the device, as you type on the back, and see ghosts on the front; or... it doesn't exist. Steve's problem: Moore's Law means that by next June, the iPhone could be 4 times as powerful. But doing so would alienate the customer base, so current iPhones are only about 10% more powerful. Fine. But this opens a competitive opportunity... which Steve can block with a "show pony" device, that is essentially a 4 x iPhone in power, but doesn't compete directly with the iPhone. The purpose is to claim the tech + cool leadership, not to make real money.

kscaldef 17y ago
Effective typing requires good tactile feedback, not being able to see your fingers.
- GHFigs 17y ago
  Apple has filed a number of patent applications for tactile feedback on touch screens in the last year or two.
pbhjpbhj 17y ago
The input method is what stops the iPhone from being a "general computer". The iPhone is read-mostly. Great for web-browsing and games, but while you can write emails/documents on it, it's... sub-optimal. Without a better input method, a tablet is just a bigger iPhone, for which smaller == better. Doesn't it have bluetooth or any other input that a keyboard can use. I'd use an iSlate and couple it with a wireless keyboard and mouse when I wanted to type a lot.

wallflower 17y ago

My guess is Apple will handle the hard part (the interactive book/magazine interface) and allow publishers to just work on publishing their content in a series of well-defined feeds to iTunes. In my mind, the real killer app for the iTablet is rich, collaborative, social catalog shopping. Why can't they make J. Crew catalogs come to life? Where is the interactive Amazon.com catalog? Thinking further in this direction, I believe advertisements on the iTablet may go beyond traditional ads. The most intriguing part of the iTablet is the what-if's What if Apple were able to convince the top 25 textbook publishers that it would be a good thing to have iTablet textbooks, I think that would be a major selling point for college students. What if they finally cracked the problem of voice recognition or handwriting recognition by doing the hard computations in the cloud? What if the on-demand tactile keyboard patent has actually been implemented? Popular Science's mockup done by publisher Bonnier’s R&D group with design firm BERG (hot articles) http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/our-vision-future-magazines http://www.popsci.com/technology/article/2009-12/our-vision-... Wonderfactory's mockup of an interactive Sports Illustrated magazine on a tablet (linked statistics): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyXvLnxyXk http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntyXvLnxyXk

gcheong 17y ago
"What if they finally cracked the problem of voice recognition or handwriting recognition by doing the hard computations in the cloud?" I wouldn't want my tablet to require an internet connection for the UI, but in my mind an effortless handwriting interface is what a tablet computer implies. When taking notes or writing letters,drawing, or even coding is as effortless as pen on paper, with all the advantages of a digital document, that is when tablet computing will have come of age.

epall 17y ago

The two best killer apps I've heard of for the iTablet are gaming and magazines. It seems likely to me that this will be the first Apple device with Apple silicon for the CPU, and from what I hear that means it's going to have some serious 3D muscle. The magazine bid is riskier, but has significant payoff. The Kindle isn't going to deliver gorgeous full-color content any time soon, but the iTablet surely will. I predict games and magazines will be the killer apps for the iTablet.

prawn 17y ago
Some game-changing plan involving magazines and news publishing seems likely to me. Fixed-format, locked down accounts, etc. Bold interactive ads with audience data potentially tied to specific user info. Whatever Apple does, it will be bold. I'm not convinced, however, that gaming will be a major part of it.

SamAtt 17y ago

Most important part of the article... "But there’s one question at the top of the list, the answer to which is the key to answering every other question. That question is this: If you already have an iPhone and a MacBook; why would you want this? The epigraph I used to start this piece — the bit about Steve Jobs demanding that a tablet be useful for more than just reading on the can — indicates that Apple will release nothing without such an answer. I agree that such an answer is essential." I'm no prophet so I won't even guess whether he (or everyone else for that matter) is right or wrong on what's coming. What I will say is the "Cone of Silence" he refers to is encouraging. As he points out in the article the last time Apple had all the engineers drop off the grid like this was before the iPhone launch. Given that I have to assume Apple thinks they have something big here (on the logic of the cone's impenetrability being proportional to how great Steve J. thinks the product is)

wallflower 17y ago
> all the engineers drop off the grid like this "The demo was not going well..." "By January 2007, when Jobs announced the iPhone at Macworld, only 30 or so of the most senior people on the project had seen it." http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/16-02/ff_iphone http://www.wired.com/gadgets/wireless/magazine/16-02/ff_ipho...

DannoHung 17y ago

I think Gruber's got it right. Of course, as a Power User, this leaves me... I dunno, miffed? Annoyed? Agitated? I'm like 90% sure I'm going to want this thing if only for the fact that it's an eBook reader plus other stuff, but I don't see it being able to replace my laptop for programming when I'm away from home. That's not Apple's fault for introducing something that doesn't completely subsume the personal computing experience, but it leaves me somewhat anxious that now I'm going to be carrying around an iPhone and a MacBook AND an MacLet (iSlate, iTablet, TaBook, iWhatwever) when I go on a trip or something. That's just too much gear! I at least hope there's some sort of unified power solution between MacBooks or iPods and this thing.

ghshephard 17y ago
Exactly - I expect you are right in the same spot as the rest of us. What I'm wondering about, as I have my MacBook sitting on my chest while typing - is how/will we type into the MacTablet so I can make posts like this one? The MacTablet will likely _nail_ eBook reading (And I say this as a Kindle, K2, and Kindle-on-iPhone regular user), Video (over 200 iTunes videos, mostly TV Shows, purchased in the last three years) and, of course, web browser (though flash is a wildcard) There may be some _new_ sweet spots created though - the one that comes to my mind - Photo Management/selection/uploading - Something fast, light(er) and easier than a MacBook to pair up with my EOS 7D would be nice. I'm just _praying_ that it will take a USB-GSM/1xEVDO wireless connection so I can use my existing USA(Sprint 1xEVDO) and Canadian(Bell-GSM) connections.
- gkefalas 17y ago
  Here's just one of many potential sweet spots: I've been looking for a solution for a portable music reader for some time; the Kindle and Sony Reader's screens are a bit too slow, too dim, too small and are straight PDF readers (meaning, no intelligence around multiple endings, codas, and etc.) and the dedicated solutions out there aren't exactly worth the money as they're one-use devices. There's always the option of getting a used TabletPC and installing some music reading software designed for touchscreen, but I've been avoiding that because we really have no use for the keyboard, and their interfaces were never as snappy as even the iPhone's. Count me in as pleasantly hopeful that this is a real product, and that I can get sheet music onto it in a way that allows for ease of using it live...

angelbob 17y ago

I don't know whether this is what Apple's doing. But I recommend people keep thinking this way -- if it's not what Apple's doing, then you should go do it ;-)

stcredzero 17y ago

Here's my bit of wild-eyed far-out speculation: A lot of people are speculating that the killer app for the Apple Tablet will be X or that it will be Y. However, the bigger picture involves the following: - What major inconvenience does it solve? - What Possibilites inherent in the form factor? - How will it fit into the Apple ecosystem? - How will it fit into the general ecosystem? At least 3 out of 4 of these are key questions for any Apple product. Major inconvenience solved: I believe that the Apple Tablet will be a UMPC. It will have enough memory to store all of your personal data (perhaps not including video content). I would be the ultimate solution to all sync problems. In true UMPC fashion, you would be able to conveniently carry your data with you everywhere including on the plane. It will act as a "hub" for such data. Possibilites inherent in the form factor: Everything the iPhone is a little too small for. An agenda can work on the iPhone screen, but it would be much better on a 7" or 10" screen. A 7" or 10" screen is large enough to be a digital "Moleskine" or sketchbook. It is comfortably large enough to be a whole house remote control. It can serve as a richer augmented reality interface than an iPhone. Photo touchup in the field -- better on a larger screen than the iPhone. How will it fit into the Apple ecosystem? Everything will sync to the tablet. The tablet will be primary store of such information. Mobile Me will be the web accessible copy. The iMac will be there for an even richer input/display and have the computing/graphics horsepower for serious work. Laptops will get phased out, in favor of inexpensive, lightweight input/display clamshells. (Bonjour is the key to Apple's future!) How will it fit into the general ecosystem? The UMPC will come into its own. Laptops & netbooks will die off, become the purchase of those who can only afford one piece of kit, or morph into high-end specialist machines.

ghshephard 17y ago
Interesting aside - has anyone else noticed that the requirement to identify jargon that not everyone will be familiar with (UMPC was new to me) - is basically solved when google/wikipedia are about 500 msec away at any time?
novum 17y ago
UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) strikes me as something of a misnomer for the tablet. A 7"-10" flat screen, non-foldable tablet PC would have to travel in a folder, or in a bag, or somewhere that's not your pocket. Seems like iPhone/iTouch would be a better UMPC.

jsz0 17y ago

My guess is the tablet will run Touch OS 4 and the 4th generation iPone/Touch will inherit most of the new features as well. A multi-tasking UI, Expose, widgets. All would be welcome additions to the iPhone. You've already got the concept of a Dock so extending it to be a multi-tasking UI seems obvious. The iPhone would benefit from a user home directory that was accessible between all applications. If we have an E-Reader app for books, magazines, catalogs, etc it seems like they would extend this to the iPhone/Touch as well offering content formatted for the smaller screen seamlessly. The only area of difference I can think of would be the need for a windowing system on a 10" display. It probably wouldn't make sense to limit developers only to full-screen applications with a higher resolution display. This might be a clever way to offer iPhone/Touch application compatibility to the tablet. Instead of restricting access to these apps, or automatically scaling them full-screen, why not just run them in a window?

xsmasher 17y ago
Rumor has it that some iPhone app devs were asked to retool their apps to allow "full screen" use by removing any assumptions about screen size. That supports the idea that the tablet runs the iPhone OS, not OS X.

colinplamondon 17y ago

My bet is that it has a PixelQi screen- eink mode that does everything the Kindle does, but better, and then a normal mode for web browsing, email, media content, and applications.

jonknee 17y ago
That'd be slick, the screen was the best thing about the XO. I gather that the tech has been further improved--the XO in color mode isn't so good (but killer in eBook mode).
Herring 17y ago
Nope, it's normal screens. http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/28/apple_orders_10_inch_tablet_displays_and_robust_glass_panels.html http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/28/apple_orders_1...
- colinplamondon 17y ago
  Missed that- damn. So much for futuristic magic screens being coupled with a futuristic magic device.
- mbreese 17y ago
  Let's be honest... no one really knows. The Taiwan papers aren't known for their accuracy when it comes to parts orders for Apple. Also, who's not to say that Pixel Qi is licensing their IP to Foxconn for the actual glass production?
  - wooster 17y ago
    Yeah, Pixel Qi is fabless, so any production is done by someone else.

carterschonwald 17y ago

Here's the key technical innovation which I think would open the door to really cool tablets, apple or otherwise. Fast refresh rate e-ink style displays (presumably with some manner of touch and/or stylus sensitive screen). That combination would (at least for me) make it the perfect reading and note taking tool.

quan 17y ago
Even with such innovation, it would never match the iPhone touchscreen and I don't think Apple is willing to compromise like that. If Apple do think in this direction, I think it's more practical for them to have 2 equal size screens, an iPhone-like touchscreen for videos, games, and dynamic web browsing and an e-ink screen for reading books, magazine, and static web contents. The touchscreen can be used to control and navigate the e-ink screen (think of your laptop monitor being the eink screen and the keyboard being the touchscreen). It can be folded in like a laptop to protect the 2 screens or fold out (with both screens on the outside) when in used. Now that is one way Apple will convince me to drop updwards of $600 despite owning a Macbook, iPhone, and a Kindle.
- city41 17y ago
  Two equal size screens is not Apple though. They are all about simplicity and being directly obvious. They've even managed to work it so their laptops just have one big surface for a trackpad. They never even released a mouse that had two physical buttons.
  - extension 17y ago
    It might work if they can sandwhich the two screens together, so it just looks like one screen that changes modes.

mlapeter 17y ago

Maybe it's just me, but I could see many uses for a tablet beyond just reading in the bathroom or in bed. For any job where you're standing/ walking and taking notes (real estate agents, etc), it's awkward to try to open a macbook, and the iphone is too tedious. Pair a tablet with a solid voice to text app, and it'd be pretty useful for lawyers, reporters, etc.

ugh 17y ago
Still a small niche.
Niten 17y ago
Note taking is not just for real estate agents, either. One thing I'm surprised people aren't talking about more is that a well-designed tablet could be a hit in college and even primary school lecture halls and classrooms. Considering Apple's historical prominence in the higher education market, this seems like a natural target for them.
wendroid 17y ago
You mean something like an Apple Newton?
- access_denied 17y ago
  Without the arkward pen?

ynniv 17y ago

You know, I could do much of my daily work from my iPhone, if only it let me run multiple, unsigned, applications and use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse. Add an external monitor port and USB for drives and printers, and I'm happy. The iPhone 3G is already as powerful as a mid 90's desktop.

encoderer 17y ago
...But if all you'd be keeping is the CPU, why would this be desirable? You wouldn't even be taking your work with you in your pocket any more than you are now if it's largely stored on an external drive.
- ynniv 17y ago
  Errr, the external drive is for backup, large media, etc. Everyday files would be on the device. And, please don't say CPU unless you are actually talking about silicon - you muddle the discussion. The iPhone is a complete computer, it's just unproductive without a full size keyboard, mouse, and monitor.
grinich 17y ago
You just described the MacBook Air.
- barrkel 17y ago
  But the macbook air is very big and heavy. It's even bigger and heavier than my PC laptop.
  - alastair 17y ago
    dont know if 'very big and heavy' is how i would describe the air
    - barrkel 17y ago
      It certainly is compared to an ipod touch, which seems to be the appropriate comparison wrt a tablet for walk-and-compute scenarios. It is also rather unwieldy, IMHO, due to the large screen size. I prefer my Toshiba Portege; it's both lighter and smaller in the dimensions that I care about.

GBKS 17y ago

A table will not replace a computer that is used for a desk job like programming, I think it will be a great multi-purpose device for more casual, every-day activities. Pretty exciting to think about the possibilities. Letting my mind roam for a few seconds, here are some ideas. - Note taking: can it be good enough to work like a pen on paper? - Clip to a portable dock to use like a laptop/desktop - Perfect for presentations and meetings where a laptop may be too bulky - Hang it on the wall and show photos - Reading recipes in the kitchen - Maps and GPS (especially with voice input/output) - No more printing required, the tablet works as a companion to my desktop/laptop - Video chat - Browsing, reading, videos - Access to light-weight web apps, email, docs, etc Developers got incredibly creative with iPhone apps (like the Ocarina app), I'm sure there will be a ton of simple, surprising applications coming out of the ecosystem.

saturdayplace 17y ago

The big question for the tablet is "What niche does this fill?" To be successful, it's going to have a handful of pre-packaged use cases (the iPhone/Touch had web browsing, mail, mp3 player, calling) and share the iPhone's support for apps. The niche question gets answered by 3rd party developers who are sure to come up with more brilliant ideas for use cases than Apple's engineers will on their own. Already in the comments here people have stated the niche they'd like this to fill for them. The draw for a tablet arises from the combination of nice form factor + portability + the apps that nails my niche. Maybe I really should pick up some Cocoa...

axod 17y ago

A tablet isn't more portable than a netbook. It's less functional, doesn't have any protection for the screen, no way to stand up the screen to a good viewing angle, no keyboard. It's a dead duck. Don't know why this is news to anyone.

glhaynes 17y ago
I almost agree, but it seems clear now that Apple is working intensely on just such a product. They've earned trust that they just simply don't introduce things of such large scale that are fatally flawed.
- bmalicoat 17y ago
  I think you're right. I also don't see the point declaring something a dead duck before it has been seen (or even announced!). Apple understand what a good consumer product is, the only not stellar product they've had in a while was the Apple TV and even that did not bomb. I definitely think it is wise to wait and see. Personally with a laptop and a smart phone, I'm interested to see how they can make it appeal to me, but I'm willing to let them try.
jsz0 17y ago
Functionality depends on what tasks people are using netbooks for. It's hard to generalize but it seems most people are just browsing the Internet, watching videos, and listening to music. A tablet might be more functional for them.
evgen 17y ago
CmdrTaco, is that you? Try to consider the tablet as a modern version of the Newton MP2100. No built-in keyboard, no protection, no way to stand it up for a good viewing angle, pretty much the same complaints you give here. My newt's leather carrying case had a little fold-out bit that propped the newt up at an adjustable angle and held the keyboard in place so that I could unzip it on a tabletop, adjust the prop, and have my "laptop" ready to go. When I wanted to be more portable I could disconnect the keyboard, slide the newt out of the case, and walk away. It is more portable than a netbook because it can do away with the keyboard. Any keyboard worth using cannot fit into a netbook. Period. By eliminating the keyboard you have more design freedom than the netbook form-factor allows.

socmoth 17y ago

whenever i read these thread i think about the famous cmdrtaco quote about the original ipod launch: "No wireless. Less space than a nomad. Lame." http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257 http://apple.slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=01/10/23/1816257 and that was after launch. pre-launch speculation about how it isn't worth buying because of some hypothesized reason are mostly for fun!

DannoHung 17y ago
That quote should go on his headstone when he dies.
minsight 17y ago
Apple has a long history of releasing products that look like losers when one compares a bullet list of features with the competition. I bought a Sansa with twice the storage of the current ipod and grew to hate the device, despite the fact that it won on paper. Apple's products have design and usability features that the competition has never even considered. (one example - the dozens of times that the magsafe connector on my MacBook has saved the day).
- kalid 17y ago
  Agreed. In my head, I call this the "blender" comparison that many technophiles seem to use. Want to compare two meals? Put them in the blender and analyze the nutritional content of the resulting goop. What? You don't compare food by spec sheets? (Calories, vitamins, carbs, proteins). What are these subjective "texture, taste, style, temperature, presentation" variables you care about? They offer little or no nutritional difference!
  - tjogin 17y ago
    Very good point, and quite illustrative. Same thing with cars; normal people rarely buy cars based on pure performance metrics.
- city41 17y ago
  Much like when my Dad bought a Dell jukebox despite me insisting he get an iPod. It didn't take him long to really regret the decision. More companies could stand to learn from Apple's ability to look at the whole story of the product.

richcollins 17y ago

No one seems to see the true potential for disruptive change in a tablet -- that you can ditch the mouse and use all 10 fingers (or some subset thereof) to control the UI. This is a much more natural way to interact with things and might increase productivity by an order of magnitude for a large number of tasks.

dmix 17y ago
Unless the tablet is big enough your hands will be covering up a big portion of the screen. Also, unless is can partially fold, your head will either be facing down to look at the screen or if it's vertical your hands will be raised to type. Both of these things are terrible for long term use ergonomics. I see the benefit for travelling or as a household device. But I don't think touch screen technology has shown potential for increase productivity with any full-time/professional use. Besides, I use 10 fingers to control the UI on my macbook.
- richcollins 17y ago
  You're assuming a few things: 1. Covering up the screen is a problem. I can see how it could work to cover the screen while manipulating but move your hands to the side when you aren't. 2. A drafting setup is terrible from an ergonomic perspective. Is there a history of overuse injury in people that work at drafting tables?
misterbwong 17y ago
While I think touch UI has markedly changed our interactions with computers, I still maintain that change in data entry is the missing piece of the puzzle for a true revolution. When data entry is changed from its current manifestation (physical QWERTY keyboards or some similar variant) we will have a true revolution in the way computers work themselves into our lives.
swolchok 17y ago
My iPod touch is all smudgey from thumb and index finger use. Now you want me to pay 2x-4x for a multitouch device and rub my whole hand all over it?

xsmasher 17y ago

There's a large gulf in battery life between phones and laptops - there are plenty of times where I'd like to browse something on my laptop, but I don't feel like getting the charger from the other room and plugging in. So a device that gets 8-12hrs battery life under use would have a different use profile. There are also apps like instant messengers, skype, email etc. that you'd like to be always-on. The iPhone is a one-app-at-a-time, goes-to-sleep often device that's not well suited to those applications. Slapping in a user-facing camera for video calls would also differentiate it from the iPhone.

chaosmachine 17y ago
Putting a user-facing camera in a tablet device sounds hard. It works in laptops because they're fixed in place, and it could work in a phone because they're easy to hold with one hand. A tablet would probably be too big/heavy to hand-hold. Putting it on a flat surface wouldn't work either, unless the camera could swivel somehow, and Apple isn't really big on moving parts.
- die_sekte 17y ago
  I think that there are some patents by Apple which describe cameras behind the screen. Say thay use multiple Nano 5th Gen cameras and some magic to scale/whatever.
- xsmasher 17y ago
  There's always optical image stabilization. Adding electronic image stabilization plus face detection could help out; sort of a "software steadycam".

alain94040 17y ago

My view: a newspaper reader. Everyone reads the news. No one reads books anymore. Expect a content deal so that I can get major newspapers, in a pleasant format, and read them on my couch when I come home. Plus a web browser, video player. That should be good enough to make a very interesting product. Pointing out issues with the current iPhone software that wouldn't work as is on a larger screen is calling Apple engineers stupid. I don't think they are.

dunstad 17y ago
No one reads books anymore. Explain why libraries are still operational, please.
- gcheong 17y ago
  Free wi-fi/internet access?
  - dunstad 17y ago
    Made me laugh, but McDonald's has that plus food.
    - GHFigs 17y ago
      McDonald's does not provide computers, though. People who patronize the library for internet access the most are those who don't own a computer at all. In other countries, this role is often filled by internet cafes, but they never really caught on in the U.S.
      - dunstad 17y ago
        Excellent point. I suppose books could be kept in libraries for atmosphere, even if nobody used them. Funny how a sensible point, when approached from the wrong angle, can be rendered nonsensical.
- zmimon 17y ago

sker 17y ago

Sorry for the meta-comment but why does this article has so many votes? I read the whole thing and it's nothing more than pure speculation and "analisys." What I took from it is that The Apple Tablet will be a full working device like the many tablets we've seen since the beginning of the decade. Is the author someone famous in the Valley or something?

rms 17y ago
This is the time of year when people really like speculations and predictions, especially when they sound plausible and/or reasonable.
- sker 17y ago
  I agree with that, but number one article for most of the day? It seems a bit exaggerated to me. This is macrumors material, in my opinion.
dreyfiz 17y ago
The author's analysis is top-notch because he actually understands what the newest incarnation of Apple is about, unlike most of the people who write about Apple.
- dreyfiz 17y ago
  He's only been writing the piece since September: http://twitter.com/gruber/status/7250169522 http://twitter.com/gruber/status/7250169522. Does most speculation about Apple's next move strike you as something that much care was put into?
  - borism 17y ago
    http://thingsjohngruberiswrongabout.tumblr.com http://thingsjohngruberiswrongabout.tumblr.com
    - dreyfiz 17y ago

JulianMorrison 17y ago

There's a better reason why Apple won't build an e-reader. Kindle already owns the high end - it's the ipod of ebooks - and Apple has no interest in playing in a market where all the pressure is to simplify and undercut.

zmimon 17y ago
So how do you explain the iPhone? The smart phone market was well and truly catered for when Apple entered there. Apple's primary method of business is to price themselves in a tier above everyone else but to provide a (perceived or real) value proposition that makes people buy it anyway.
- JulianMorrison 17y ago
  They could still cut in on top. Which they can't on e-readers. Kindle is already pushing the technology to its present day limits.
  - zmimon 17y ago
    Sure ... but I think Apple has a way of redefining the "high end". Smart phones were already considered expensive when Apple launched the iPhone.
    - JulianMorrison 17y ago
      The problem is e-ink. Right now it's grody grey, monochrome, and has a 1/2 second refresh time. Apple can't work with that.

zmimon 17y ago

I think the tablet has plenty of uses, but it's the flaws that hold it back. We actually have a tablet at home and it was very useful on the couch and in various other roles. However there are a couple of features that are a must for such a device that I can't see being able to be provided easily: 1. I must be able to drop it from 6ft onto a hard surface and do zero damage 2. I must be able to pour a whole cup of coffee on it with zero ill effect 3. It must be able to be stolen with a cost to me of less than $50 These are the killer problems for me that make it an unsuitable thing for 'casual' use. If I have to treat it with kid gloves, watch it like a hawk whenever I put it down in public, assume a posture of paranoia about food and drink while I'm around it .... then it's just a failure at its main purpose.

GHFigs 17y ago
How do you reconcile those being "musts" with the wild success of products that don't have them? Not even paper satisfies all of those supposed necessities.
- zmimon 17y ago
  Point taken. I would say that satisfying point 3 relieves the need to satisfy point 2 (if I can replace it for less than $50 then I can handle the possibility of coffee getting poured on it). So paper works.
  - philfreo 17y ago
    ... and how about the success of the iPhone? It barely passes #1...
    - zmimon 17y ago
      Well, it's not trying to be a "tablet", so it's not lying around the living room. 95% of the time it's sitting in your pocket when not in use, very safe and comfortable.

maxklein 17y ago

The tablet is going to be an iPhone and iPod Touch accessory. That's what will sell this thing, and that's what they will have in there. A tight integration with the tens of millions of mobile devices out there.

jacquesm 17y ago
I figure it will be the other way around, with the phone and ipod accessories to the tablet. After all a tablet can pack just a bit more punch than either a phone or an mp3 player. Use it as a speakerphone or with a headset and you could lose the phone entirely if you're taking the tablet with you. Same interface, bigger screen. Think iphone on steroids.
- maxklein 17y ago
  It will be a way to get your pics off your iphone. Play your music loud. Transfer files to iPhone. You drop it on your desk, 'dock' your phone by dropping it on it and there you go.

frankus 17y ago

I wrote a couple of blog posts on this, but here's the summary: My secret hope is that it has an eInk screen that slides down to reveal an LCD, at which point the eInk acts as a reconfigurable keyboard for netbook-style interaction. I'm also wondering if it might instead have a couple of 7" screens arranged Nintendo DS-style (that would add up to 10"). You could, in a pinch, run unmodified iPhone apps on one screen with a keyboard and/or dock on the lower screen. And it would make a great two-page-at-a-time eBook reader. I also think mobile videoconferencing might be a feature that's given a major push, since MacBooks don't have built-in mobile data connections and iPhones don't have user-facing cameras.

ugh 17y ago
Apple tends to shy away from kludgy solutions. Which is why I don’t think you will ever see something like you described from Apple. (Not to say that your imagined product wouldn’t be nice to have for at least some people. It’s just not in Apple’s DNA to do something like that. Just one example: The Nintendo DS is great product but also something you would never ever – ever! – see from Apple.) All-things-Apple-Disclaimer: I could be horribly wrong.

tungstenfurnace 17y ago

Tablets will be great for small children, who will interact with educational software using their right forefingers on the touchscreen. Tablets will eventually be cheap, rugged and capable of being turned on quickly. (Perhaps a convergence with electronic paper will occur.) They can be left lying around in the play area. No chair/desk/keyboard arrangement will be required. One upshot of this is that educational software will get much, much better than it is now.

jamie 17y ago

Surprisingly, it sounds like some of the guesses aren't too far off from the Microsoft Courier concept. I have to say, some of the ideas in that concept of a persistent, everyday computing device sound compelling. Something half way between an interactive moleskin and a kindle. http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsofts-secret-tablet http://gizmodo.com/5365299/courier-first-details-of-microsof... I wouldn't be surprised to see apple co-opt some of the interactions of a physical notebook. It would fold up in fit in a small messenger bag pretty easily.

jamie 17y ago
Also, it would be a throwback to how people worked before laptops. If you've ever been in a meeting where 20 people sit around a conference table and talk over their laptops, you'll recognize that as much value the laptop brings to the meeting; it's distracting having a physical object that's 11" tall blocking your body and attention. I liked it better when people showed up to meetings with paper notebooks.

vorg 17y ago

It'll be fold-up like a netbook, same size, no keyboard or mouse, but with 2 screens, both touch-sensitive, but one with a texture you can feel, so you can type on it easily. When you unfold it 180 degrees and tilt it around, it'll act like one big screen you can watch movies on.

cpr 17y ago

I don't think there's any question, based on rumors and on Apple's (perceived) DNA, that it'll have a high-res (OLED?) 10" screen and some kind of on-screen tactile feedback (see recent rumors & patents). I.e., for Jobs to be extremely pleased with it, it must have at least 2-3 major hardware breakthroughs, outside of any software/content breakthroughs. So plan for the above plus CPU/GPU real power from an Apple-designed ARM+graphics chip, plus some whizzy new (unreplaceable, of course) battery technology. I have to imagine it'll also come with a couple of breakthrough apps like an interactive catalog (see the leaked Ikea mockup) and some kind of virtual-paper-like (or better) interactive magazine/newspaper reader. Jobs wouldn't be happy unless it completely leapfrogged people's expectations.

sdh 17y ago

I just want a DRAWING tablet from Apple!!! The smallest Cintiq is a thousand bucks and I have to have a computer attached to it! Give me a drawing tablet that I can also read PDFs on (and wireless on a pricier model) and I'll be all set. Also, I want color. If it isn't color, I'll just buy a kindle. I don't care about keyboard. iPhone style is painful, but I'll endure. Bonus points if it can recognize handwriting.

c00p3r 17y ago

Just a traffic-sucking piece of keyword-stuffed blah-blah-blah. Good SEO.

aufreak3 17y ago

Compared to some of the other frenzied write ups about the coming of the great white tablet, I liked this one. It felt like an honest and intelligent rumination with an undercurrent of anticipation about the device. Good job.

gfodor 17y ago

The keyboard problem is a non-issue. On the go, you use the screen. When you place it in its nice shiny iPhone-esque dock at home, the screen is upright and a wireless keyboard and mouse can be used and it looks and feels like a PC.

jsz0 17y ago
In a mobile scenario you could have something like an empty laptop shell as a case. No display, no guts. The tablet docks into the top half and the bottom half is a keyboard. Probably wouldn't be any larger than today's MacBook.