Who said there can only be one big portable computer announcement at Macworld Expo? The long-awaited Axiotron Modbook -- a FrankenMac adaptation of the MacBook into a surprisingly sleek and functional tablet machine -- was originally shown at last year's Macworld Expo and has finally reached shipping status (available starting at $2290). Does the lure of a touchscreen outweigh the siren call of a MacBook Air? Can you get real work done with Ink gesture recognition?We got a quick demo at the Axiotron booth (video after the jump). For mobile artists, storyboard work or architectural annotations, the Modbook might be just the thing.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
1-20-2008 @ 8:59PM
crazypenguin said...
much rather have one of these than a ug, mac book air. personally, i think its a disgusting computer, and love my macbook ten times more, but the modbook is pretty kewl.
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1-20-2008 @ 9:03PM
Jerrett said...
Meh. I will wait until Apple hopefully does a tablet right with multi-touch and a keyboard similar to the iphones.
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1-20-2008 @ 9:36PM
emtp6811 said...
I agree!! That's exactly what I was hoping the MacBook Air rumors would turn out to be.
1-20-2008 @ 9:19PM
Duncan said...
Eeeew...
Doesn't look very intuitive or attractive... Wait until Apple does it properly!
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1-20-2008 @ 10:00PM
Ed said...
Yeah, I especially don't like that the hardware is half metal and half MacBook white.
1-21-2008 @ 9:32AM
Pete said...
Yes and the lag between dragging the stylus across the screen and a line appearing is fairly poor. Also note the tiny onscreen keyboard (very fiddly) and the trouble he has opening menus...
1-20-2008 @ 9:50PM
timothyjaycolburn said...
While I think that it is a neat computer, I think that the price is a little steep for the processor. I really think that the base price should have contained the 2.2 GHz ICD2. My 2 biggest complaints are: 1) I think that the power cord being at the top would get annoying (being that it is a tablet). I think that it should have been rotated to be at the bottom right (it could have been done very easily by placing the screen the other direction). 2) I don't like the fact that the top is silver and the bottom is white. Why? It looks retarded that way. The bottom should have been painted a matching silver (the bottom had to come off anyways to remove the internal display and internal keyboard) or the top bezel should have been white. It's neat, but I wouldn't get one.
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1-20-2008 @ 9:59PM
ben c said...
Uh, is it just me, or did he just use his fancy expensive computer to draw a crude penis?
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1-21-2008 @ 6:07PM
south said...
sometimes, ben c, a scribble is just a scribble. you have to ask yourself why you thought of a penis first ;-)
1-30-2008 @ 4:35PM
Jacques Lema said...
It's a butterfly! If you say otherwise they'll put you in a house with people like you.
1-20-2008 @ 10:15PM
Russell said...
Its an excellent concept, infinitely more useful than a thinner more expensive Macbook, but I would want to spend some time with one in person before I would buy it.
I wish Apple would do one themselves though, Apple stuff doesn't seem especially conducive to modding.
The GPS is definitely a cool touch though. Wish there was an option to get those integrated in Apple laptops, and maybe an option to keep it out of the Modbook for a slight price decrease.
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1-20-2008 @ 11:04PM
Scott Spencer said...
I actually bought one of these, just got it a few days ago. I dove into it when it was first announced. It kept getting pushed back, I'd get emails updating me, and then a final one giving me the chance to upgrade the unit to latest technology.
It's literally a Macbook with a screen in place of a keyboard. It's quick, comfortable and mostly something that would driven toward graphics and drawing.
I do think it's a great tool, but could slow you down if you need to do a lot of typing and have traditional computer needs.
Still, if you think about it - it's a tablet Mac. That in itself is cool.
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1-20-2008 @ 11:06PM
Truegod said...
that is some corny intro music.
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1-20-2008 @ 11:20PM
Sam Kennedy said...
Looks really great, but I have to ask... what about the software?
On Windows TabletPC there's at least some software (OneNote, Journal, etc...). What about software is out there for Mac tablets?
If Apple never makes their own tablet, will there ever be software for this machine? If Apple does make their own tablet, why should I get this one instead of waiting for the real deal?
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1-20-2008 @ 11:35PM
Will said...
I think Mage Software's inkBook is probably the main tablet oriented program for mac. But Ink does give you a few built in options. For example, you can draw in the ink palette and click a button to put your sketch in an ichat or mail message, or anywhere else that supports pictures for that matter. It's nice for signing emails or explaining things that are hard to grasp from just writing.
I wish someone had a collaborative sketching program that gave you a digital paper and let multiple people draw on it over the internet. That would be kickass.
1-21-2008 @ 12:33AM
numberz said...
If I'm not mistaken, Apple already has Ink software integrated into the OS. You just need a touch screen to see that preference pane in System Preferences. Though other software never hurts...
1-21-2008 @ 1:51AM
Andy said...
Yeah, the ink software is a complete port of Newton Technology and works great though it is rather limited.
And Will, the collaborative drawing program already exists. I use it all the time with my friends. Check it out. http://www.imagination3.com/FrameSet
I just wish I could get ahold of that Axiotron keyboard software for my Cintiq.
1-20-2008 @ 11:54PM
starkruzr said...
If it was a convertible rather than a slate, then maybe we'd be having a conversation.
I really don't understand what utility slates have for anyone at all.
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1-20-2008 @ 11:55PM
Jervis said...
Circus Ponies Notebook is a great app for Modbook. Also the built in GPS works with Route Buddy, National Geographic TOPO! and GPSNavX. The stylus is effectively a two button mouse so all existing OS X apps work fine.
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1-21-2008 @ 12:57AM
David Owens said...
that would be neat if it was half that size and lost the stylus.
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