Comments on: Fantasy features of an Apple tablet

Between smartphones and laptops lies a no-man's land for gadgets. If Apple does venture there, here's what it should pack.

[fingerdance]

It will look like the XO2 and be about the size of the Kindle when closed.

[B-Ri]

I think it would be kind of cool if they had a way to get the power of OS X with the instant on feature of the iPhone os. Windows had something not that long ago that gave you access to certain things when the computer was shut down but I do believe it was hardware based. Might be cool to be able to check your email or do a quick Google search without having to wait 30 seconds for the machine to boot up.

That's the hot ticket right there! Full strength and instant access in the blink of an eye. In a device that size the game is over.

[pjhenry1216]

Since when is the iPhone instant on? It takes over 30 seconds for an iPhone to turn on. If you're talking about turning the screen off to save energy, thats different. When the iPhone is already on, the screen does turn on near instantaneously (most of the time). In any case, whoever is spreading this rumor that the iPhone turns on in an instant is wrong. I've seen it elsewhere as well. There's a fundamental difference between just shutting off the screen and turning it back on as opposed to turning off the device and turning it back on.

[prince.siraj]

Yeah there was one thing that dell made and I believe they still use it. It's called MediaDirect and doesn't boot up thebfull OS just a little thing to access your multimedia files

[hungryd]

A solid article. Another interesting breakdown on the rumored Mac Tablet can be found here: http://bit.ly/3dIzX

[hungryd]

didn't activate the hot link so here it is again: <a href="http://bit.ly/3dIzX"> Mac Tablet Article</a>

While I am waiting for Dell to ship my Mini9 I would definitely go for an iPad at roughly the same price.

[wigmo]

A pressure sensitive stylus would be helpful!

[WulfTheSaxon]

How about haptics and a built-in stylus to improve touchscreen accuracy (the former for touch-typing, the latter likely most useful for gaming)?

[davdlev]

How about making this thing a phone as well? Otherwise there'll are several devices that are phones that will do most of what a netbook will do. I'm thinking especially of the upcoming RIM Storm with WiFi that can also be used with a full-size wireless RIM keyboard.

[WShepherd]

Missing the obvious feature. 3G connection means it can also be a phone - just need to add a bluetooth headset (which could be docked and charged by the pad). As a side benefit, a built-in headset gives you the ability to have voice recognition as a primary or secondary input device (beyond typing on the screen), which would be very useful in a device with no physical keyboard.

Either have two phone numbers (one contract) or just the ability to move the main number from AT&T Wireless seamlessly back and forth between this device and your iPhone. Bigger device means bigger antenna means better call quality.

[pjhenry1216]

I forget the name of the service, but there's a service that will transfer your call from your iPhone to a landline. *That* is much more useful and already available.

[doyoum3]

I think the potential for this product in music and art is high if they put it out. I'd love if it was sensitive enough for drawing on, possibly even being able to register brush strokes from normal brushes and applied pressure. Big dream there though.. but one day!

Other than that 10 inches of screen space will be great for synth and midi control usage, it will be nice to see some apps similar to ones on the iPhone and iTouch with a bit more power and options.

[pjhenry1216]

Until it can ignore your wrist as a pressure point, it'll be useless to artists.

[thompsonator]

this could be a great success for apple but the problem is that people are expecting things likea new OS and a full touchscreen so the price would not be user-friendly however if they could manage to find a middle ground it could be their best seller in todays market

[koviea]

They might not get it right the first time around (Apple III, Lisa, Newton), but they will get it right eventually, and it'll be a huge success. This is an increasingly promising niche that's ready to explode, serving such needs and uses as:

--Portable TV/Movie viewing, via 3/4G, WiFi, memory or even add-on/plug-in devices. All sorts of ways to do this, similar to how people are already doing it on their MP3 players, cell phones and laptops, e.g. iTunes, podcasts, streaming, Slingbox/Orb, ripped DVDs, downloads, etc., or an add-on USB HDTV tuner. With enough units sold, it could lead to a rise in internet-specific TV broadcasting that further kills cable and satellite (yay!). It could also double up as an MP3 player, although obviously this wouldn't be the ideal device for it.

--Image viewing/retouching/processing, using tablet-aware software such as Photoshop. The ability to retouch images directly oncreen on a small tabliet as opposed to with a mouse or digital pen on a desktop or laptop is an obvious advantage. It could also be used as a digital photo frame when not being used, with a cheap optional stand and remote control (also useful for TV/Movie viewing).

--Games. Done right, this would be huge. Not just traditional video-intensive games, but kids' games, crosswords, Sudoko, etc. Use your imagination. HUGE.

--eReader. Yes, I know, eye strain blah blah blah. But with good display technology and software, I can see people being willing to read text from such a device for an hour or so at a time. We all do it already on our desktops, laptops and cell phones. This makes it unnecessary for most people to have to buy a separate eReader and has the added benefit of having a high-resolution color screen with fast graphics. Plus, this may well prove to be newspapers' salvation, if they can figure out a way to make money off of it. Tablet + wireless = perfect news device (especially given that it could also stream TV and radio news).

--Video conferencing. With a built-iin or add-on webcam, it's an obvious app.

--Secondary display for a desktop or lapop, for watching video, email, IM, etc.

--Tablet-enabled apps, be they general purpose or industry-specific.

And so on. It's going to happen. And Apple isn't going to be the only player. But they'll probably dominate it. And I'll probably end up getting a non-Apple device to save money and because I'm a PC user. ;-)

[pjhenry1216]

On the topic of saving newspapers, Tablet+wireless = Kindle. Its yet to be determined if it'll save newspapers however.

[ajbright]

This is exactly where Apple excel, redefining an existing market with a simple, yet elegant device and then sell it for 2-3 times it's value.

And bizarrely the pure 'must have that' attraction to Apple products guarantee success every time.

I may appear to be mocking or attacking Apple, but not so. I love their products and can only sit here in wonder at their ability to sell things for double or triple what everyone else sells them for. Some would say the design advantages merit the price, and it's hard to argue with that.

After all if you produce what everyone wants, you get to set whatever price you like.

The obvious uses for such a device? Netbook, book reader, travel media player, games device, the list isn't endless but it is definitely enough to make me very interested in what might be produced.

I'd definitely be interested in something like this, especially if it's as cool as the ipod touch.

[Crosby4Life]

I think they'd have a hard time getting something like this below $500, or even $600. The iPhones might be at $199, but that's a subsidized price with a new phone contract. I think a large portion of the already small tablet market wouldn't want to be handcuffed to a contract to own one of these.

On top of that, the $199 price is for the 8GB model. They're going to have give a tablet a much larger storage capacity to allow it to function at the level a tablet user would require. Add in things like the cost of a 7" - 10" touch display and I see the price being closer to $700-$1000.

[lbabus]

Any news / thoughts on a larger ipod Touch or a third generation?

[creative36]

I want the ability to use the apple tablet to connect wirelessly to my mac or pc and use the tablet as a key board/remote.

[donkeyboy203]

I'd like to see a multi touch LCD screen that also offers the option to use a sylus. This would more than likely increase its appeal to business users as well as add a new capability for app developers to take advantage of (like drawing, writing, highlighting etc.)

[quinters]

If this thing (actually exists and) has a 7-10 inch capacitive multi-touch screen with a built-in digitizer (a la WACOM), I would be allll over it. If it were snappy enough (maybe Ion-based? or a custom intel job?) to run full OS X at least as well as a macbook air, I would use it as my main computer. That would make it worth way more than a netbook to me.

Just think, I could take it with me everywhere, do daily tasks with touchscreen ease, do graphic design work anywhere, markup PDFs and take notes while in seminars, video conference anywhere there is 3G reception (or LTE? haha), and stick it on a little stand to use with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse for longer computing sessions. I wouldn't even need a desk anymore!

I've been dreaming of this! I'm probably not going to get an integrated digitizer, am i? :( I guess I'll wait for mac support for those screentop digital pen sensors... But is a fully capable OS too much to ask? I'm not looking to play multi-touch Crysis on the subway or anything, but please!

[quinters]

reading this post, i just want a modbook for one tenth of the price! and the touch capablity of the modbook pro.

[John Martinez]

Re: Fantasy features of an Apple tablet

I'd love to see a high capacity SD card slot in this Tablet too ;-)

Thanks, J.M.

[TheAppleFan]

One word: PORTS!!!!!
One thing I love about my Powerbook G4 12 inch that was seriously lost when they mis-invented the "Air" was PORTS.
The PB G4 12" was Apple's SMALLEST and LIGHTEST laptop before the Air, and whereas the Air was shackled to a docking station, the PB G4 12" was free to roam and connect whenever and wherever via 2 simple and well placed USB Ports, 1 Ethernet Port, 1 Firewire Port, 1 Phone Port, 1 Video-Out Port, a Microphone Port (sadly not amplified), and a Headphones Port. These ports simply ran along the left side of the laptop and did not interfere with anything. They added a MUCH NEEDED level of interactivity with peripheral devices that made the PB G4 12" an actual workhorse of portability.

ADD TO THIS that Apple managed to have a Super-Drive (DVD-RW) in the same PB G4 12", and you had a laptop of Epic Design. Now to just squeeze a Super-Drive into the forthcoming Knee-Top (my name for the micro laptops such as the ASUS EEE PC) on top of insuring the PORTS being present, and you would truly have a work-of-art, magnificent machine. I would be first in line to buy one. :)