OWC now turns your MacBook into a tablet

(Credit: OWC)

If you're a hard-core Apple fanboy but want the functionality of a tablet computer, there's a solution: get your MacBook transformed into a ModBook.

The solution got more easily accessible on Friday as Other World Computer announced its Modservice in partnership with Axiotron.

Originally available only in Canada, the service converts an existing Intel Core 2 Duo-based MacBook into an Axiotron ModBook. So far, this is believed to be the world's first and only Mac-based tablet computer that lets users draw and write directly on the screen.

Preordering is available immediately from OWC, with prices starting at $1,299.99. That includes a protective shipping box and FedEx air shipping to and from OWC.

You can also buy a new ModBook starting at $2,199 directly from OWC. As an Axiotron authorized system manufacturer, OWC is certified to convert existing MacBooks into full-featured ModBooks.

Together with the Modservice, OWC is also offering a full three-year warranty option that extends the Modservice conversion one-year warranty term. Priced at a hefty $349, the extended warranty covers the original MacBook components, any customer selected upgrades installed by OWC at the time of modification, and the tablet components.

[streamline35]

I wonder exactly how functional this is. OSX isn't exactly designed to support touch input is it? (considering that there are no official touch screen macs in existence that I have heard of)

[random truth]

I wondered that when I first looked at. I was surprised to find out that osx has alot of the functionality built in such as handwriting recognition. However it would not surprise me if it had a preference pane plugin installed as well.

[myles taylor]

Well, that won't be such a huge issue. I use a VNC App on my iPod touch quite frequently and it works alright. With a bigger screen it would work just fine.

[robertorosco]

The only downside to this product is that the screen will always be displaying in landscape mode, no portrait option.

[hamwyn]

the mod book been around for years what the big deal.
anyway it not a convertible.

[pase121]

Good point, a convertible tablet is the only form factor I would consider.

[molotov]

We definitely need this. Looks like Apple is ignoring the Fanboys. I should say; why not mod two MacBooks together to make a completely touch screen laptop? Type on one side on an on screen keyboard and stare at the other! Of course multi-touch is not yet available to anyone but Apple - why not hack the Touch of iPhone and get the technology! Complete piracy! Long live the Brick!!!!

[tech_junkie14]

While this has been around for a while, it still never seems to interest me.
Although, I do like that fact that it's modified, it's never going to feel the same.
I'm pretty sure Apple has placed a touch interface on OS X somewhere. You just have to do a little digging to uncover it. Also, without multi-touch, I wouldn't seriously consider it. One-point touch is boring.
There is only so much you can do with a single touch on a screen. Apple should release it's own version of a tablet soon.

[NorthWakeDad]

Problem is, tablets and convertibles are a really small niche in the PC world. Not a big market at all. Since Apple, for all its recent market share growth, is still a niche brand itself, an Apple tablet/convertible would be desired by a niche of a niche, in a manner of speaking. I get that there are lots of graphic designers who use Mac exclusively, probably proportionately more than in the PC world. But the market would still be so small that a Tablet division could likely never be profitable. Plus, OSX's handwriting recognition sucks, I've tried it. That would need LOTS of work.

[photog_7]

Well, yes and no. There are places where tablets are heavily used or where they are expected to increase dramatically. Several universities and law schools have specified that all of their students must use tablets. In medicine, tablets are fast becoming the input tool of choice for the exam room. Only 3% of American doctor's offices are currently using Electronic Medical Records (EMR) but that number is about to explode. Doctors are converting from paper records to electronic records to save money, and the EMR software makers design their software for input using tablet PCs. Fujitsu probably has the biggest share of the medical tablet PC market, but Apple has recently taken an interest in getting Macs into medicine, promoting the superior imaging properties of Macs vs. PCs. I attended a recent training conference at Apple in Cupertino where radiologists from around the world learned how to use Macs with medical imaging software (BTW, I'm not a radiologist). In addition to showing medical imaging software that only runs on high-end Macs, they showed a new beta application that allows medical images to be viewed on an iPhone. Can a tablet be far behind?

[hamwyn]

why can't they do mac book pros? especially when you consider these are for graphic people who use photo shop and these don't have graphic cards

[myles taylor]

I think these are cool. I don't know if the market for tablets is there though. Isn't the tablet PC technically considered a failed product?

[tonymus]

Not by a long shot, although tablet PCs are more of a niche product. They're used by professional everywhere who need mobile access to fillable forms with signature capabilities (financial and insurance planners, for example). I'm sure there's many other uses, also, in the publishing and design worlds.