6 ms·

What We Know About The Apple Tablet So Far

11 points by juliang 17y ago

yan 17y ago
These posts are ridiculous. "In other words, the project is very real." No, in other words, this is more of the same speculation that has been buzzing around Apple since the beginning of time. I really don't get why people eat up Apple rumors; they don't matter. The product will come when it comes. No one will actually make decisions based on these rumors, one of their only side-effects is noise in AAPL. As far as I'm concerned, these "highly-reputable sources" are just a clever random number generator.
- axod 17y ago
  "What We Know About The Apple Tablet So Far" - "Absolutely nothing". Obviously TechCrunch is just trying to cling to any possible hope of rationalizing its own foray into Tablet hardware. I really do doubt very much Apple would ever make a tablet. I also very much doubt that tablets will ever really take off - despite being around for years. I love this bit: "Some app developers have seen underlying code that suggests a larger screen device is on the way." Woah you mean the OS has support for different screen sizes? Some of which may never exist? That obviously means they're making other devices then.
  - anigbrowl 17y ago
    I really want a cheap tablet. I've been looking at laptops with the reversible screens (or whatever you call them), but have been put off a little by the size and weight. People said netbooks were a waste of time too, and that anyone who really wanted a laptop already had one.
    - axod 17y ago
      I never said netbooks were a waste of time. They were always going to be a runaway success. Tablets have been about for years. With no success. Can you really imagine comfortably being able to use a tablet? How does that work? do you hold it with one hand and try to use it with the other? Do you ask a friend to hold it while you use it? The only usecase I can see is putting it on the wall in the kitchen. But that's a little bit niche. edit: Rather than downmod, how about explaining exactly which problem a tablet solves (other than the recipe in the kitchen usecase).
      - ryanwaggoner 17y ago
        Relatively cheap, well-built, small, light tablets with a great OS and App Store haven't been around.
        axod 17y ago
        >> "Relatively cheap" When was the last time Apple competed on price?
        anigbrowl 17y ago
        They're not the only ones hovering around that space. The Crunchpad was aiming for $299 and I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it came out tomorrow. If a first product strikes a chord, there'll be multiple competitors under $500. $10 says these things will be all over the place in 18 months.
        axod 17y ago
        I'll bet you $1k they won't. You're an outlier. Joe public will look at a tablet and see it as half a laptop that you have to hold, instead of sit on your lap. How can I hold and type :/
        anigbrowl 17y ago
        I'm poor, so $10 is the most I can throw away on a vanity bet - but I am confident that if tablets with about the functionality of an eee/ipod touch (don't care much about 3g modems etc) come on the market for under $500, they'll see a high rate of adoption. I'm at gmail if some third party wants to be referee and take $10 via paypal.
jpeterson 17y ago
...you can imaging a dual core Apple Tablet. Mr. Arrington needs to divert some funds away from the CrunchPad project and hire an editor.
- rewind 17y ago
  You need to divert some time away from pointing out insignificant typos and add something meaningful to the conversation.
  - axod 17y ago
    What real meaningful conversation can you have around such a ridiculous, empty 'article'. This sort of 'journalism' is no better than reports in tabloids that some Z-list celeb is obviously pregnant, since they went in a toy shop, and look slightly podgy from certain angles.
  - jpeterson 17y ago
    Is this irony deliberate?
philwelch 17y ago
A 10 inch tablet is a lot closer to a Mac than an iPhone. I don't see the App Store factoring in. That kind of thinking is just buzzword thinking: the App Store was a big breakthrough for smartphones (true), it would be nice to have something similar for desktop software (true, though Linux package managers could probably take a design lesson) so obviously everything else in the future must work the same way (false).
jsz0 17y ago
I just don't see the appeal of a slab style tablet. It's awkward to handle and has to be docked to use on a desk. Even using one sitting in a chair can be difficult unless you put a leg up and use it as a stand. A dual touchscreen device (folding at the middle) makes a lot more sense. The bottom screen could be used for control -- either a keyboard, or whatever interface device made the most sense for the particular app you were using. Ideally you could fold the device open to a 180 degree angle with little or ho gap between the screens.

11 points by juliang 17y ago

yan 17y ago

These posts are ridiculous. "In other words, the project is very real." No, in other words, this is more of the same speculation that has been buzzing around Apple since the beginning of time. I really don't get why people eat up Apple rumors; they don't matter. The product will come when it comes. No one will actually make decisions based on these rumors, one of their only side-effects is noise in AAPL. As far as I'm concerned, these "highly-reputable sources" are just a clever random number generator.

axod 17y ago
"What We Know About The Apple Tablet So Far" - "Absolutely nothing". Obviously TechCrunch is just trying to cling to any possible hope of rationalizing its own foray into Tablet hardware. I really do doubt very much Apple would ever make a tablet. I also very much doubt that tablets will ever really take off - despite being around for years. I love this bit: "Some app developers have seen underlying code that suggests a larger screen device is on the way." Woah you mean the OS has support for different screen sizes? Some of which may never exist? That obviously means they're making other devices then.
- anigbrowl 17y ago
  I really want a cheap tablet. I've been looking at laptops with the reversible screens (or whatever you call them), but have been put off a little by the size and weight. People said netbooks were a waste of time too, and that anyone who really wanted a laptop already had one.
  - axod 17y ago
    I never said netbooks were a waste of time. They were always going to be a runaway success. Tablets have been about for years. With no success. Can you really imagine comfortably being able to use a tablet? How does that work? do you hold it with one hand and try to use it with the other? Do you ask a friend to hold it while you use it? The only usecase I can see is putting it on the wall in the kitchen. But that's a little bit niche. edit: Rather than downmod, how about explaining exactly which problem a tablet solves (other than the recipe in the kitchen usecase).
    - ryanwaggoner 17y ago
      Relatively cheap, well-built, small, light tablets with a great OS and App Store haven't been around.
      - axod 17y ago
        >> "Relatively cheap" When was the last time Apple competed on price?
        anigbrowl 17y ago
        They're not the only ones hovering around that space. The Crunchpad was aiming for $299 and I'd buy one in a heartbeat if it came out tomorrow. If a first product strikes a chord, there'll be multiple competitors under $500. $10 says these things will be all over the place in 18 months.
        axod 17y ago
        I'll bet you $1k they won't. You're an outlier. Joe public will look at a tablet and see it as half a laptop that you have to hold, instead of sit on your lap. How can I hold and type :/
        anigbrowl 17y ago
        I'm poor, so $10 is the most I can throw away on a vanity bet - but I am confident that if tablets with about the functionality of an eee/ipod touch (don't care much about 3g modems etc) come on the market for under $500, they'll see a high rate of adoption. I'm at gmail if some third party wants to be referee and take $10 via paypal.

jpeterson 17y ago

...you can imaging a dual core Apple Tablet. Mr. Arrington needs to divert some funds away from the CrunchPad project and hire an editor.

rewind 17y ago
You need to divert some time away from pointing out insignificant typos and add something meaningful to the conversation.
- axod 17y ago
  What real meaningful conversation can you have around such a ridiculous, empty 'article'. This sort of 'journalism' is no better than reports in tabloids that some Z-list celeb is obviously pregnant, since they went in a toy shop, and look slightly podgy from certain angles.
- jpeterson 17y ago
  Is this irony deliberate?

philwelch 17y ago

A 10 inch tablet is a lot closer to a Mac than an iPhone. I don't see the App Store factoring in. That kind of thinking is just buzzword thinking: the App Store was a big breakthrough for smartphones (true), it would be nice to have something similar for desktop software (true, though Linux package managers could probably take a design lesson) so obviously everything else in the future must work the same way (false).

jsz0 17y ago

I just don't see the appeal of a slab style tablet. It's awkward to handle and has to be docked to use on a desk. Even using one sitting in a chair can be difficult unless you put a leg up and use it as a stand. A dual touchscreen device (folding at the middle) makes a lot more sense. The bottom screen could be used for control -- either a keyboard, or whatever interface device made the most sense for the particular app you were using. Ideally you could fold the device open to a 180 degree angle with little or ho gap between the screens.