Filed under: Portables, Rumors
AppleInsider: Apple tablet finally coming next year
So, apparently the Apple netbook/tablet is coming.
No, don't stop reading.
According to AppleInsider, after four years, the long-awaited successor to the Newton is on its way. No, really, they're not kidding. The supposed netbook, which appears to be an iPod touch on steroids, is part of Apple's 2010 lineup, AppleInsider claims. Most of the article details the ebb and flow of stories regarding an Apple tablet for the past four years.
Will there finally be an iTablet? We're not quite sure. Like the rest of you, we'll have to wait and see what 2010 brings. As discussed around the TUAW water cooler today, there are so many similar devices now on the market that Apple is perfectly poised to make a grand entrance and revolutionize the industry -- just like with cell phones. As pointed out, "2010" could easily translate into October 2009 or December 21, 2012.
Part of me wants to check with Chicken Little to see if the sky is falling. But, another part really, really, wants to believe.
![TUAW [Cafepress]](http://www.blogsmithmedia.com/www.tuaw.com/media/tuaw-cafepress-promo.png)
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
F said 3:53PM on 7-24-2009
Doesn't matter when it comes out, I'll be in line... Better start saving up now!
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tcc3 said 5:03PM on 7-24-2009
The fact that you plan to save up for a netbook shows how overpriced this is likely to be.
Martin said 5:17PM on 7-24-2009
Or how not everyone always has 300 to 400 bucks to drop on a netbook whenever the mood strikes. Jackass.
tcc3 said 6:20PM on 7-24-2009
Fair enough. But do you really think it'll be $300? That would make the touch seem way over priced.
I will be shocked if this thing comes in at a netbook price.
doug said 8:44PM on 7-24-2009
My bet it is going to be sooner rather than later (if ever). Apple is not part of Macworld anymore, so there is no need to wait unless they plan a big splash at CES or the product just is not ready. I can't imagine they would let this Christmas season pass them by when the netbook class is such a hot category if the product is ready to go. if the rumors of an oversized ipod touch is true, and while that would be cool, it does not sound like it would be as functional as my MSI Wind hackintosh. I will have to take a wait and see on it.
Jordan said 10:52AM on 7-28-2009
The fact that you're saving up to be first in line for a product that you and no one else knows absolutely nothing about shows your'e a douchebag. No one is more of an Apple fanboi than when they do something like that.
Max said 4:17PM on 7-24-2009
Yeah especially seeing this unbelievable concept I found it is becoming all the more likely!
Check it out!
http://bluemintstudios.com/concepts/mactouch.htm
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Ryan said 4:22PM on 7-24-2009
I still don't see it happening.
It seems like the coolest thing in the world and everyone talks about buying one, but if everyone where really serious and the market was there - wouldn't the Axiotron people with their Modbook be swimming in pools of cash?
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dagamer43 said 4:25PM on 7-24-2009
That's because they're taking a MacBook and bolting a touchscreen onto it by hand at retail prices. And you wonder why it costs $2000+?
Jordan said 10:58AM on 7-28-2009
I don't think the market is there. The people who are buying macs are either pros (or people who think they're pros) buying macpros for the pro apps, college students buying a laptop, or home users buying an iMac.
The pros will not use a tablet. The college students - some will think they're cool and hip buying one, but most will realize they need a real computer with a real mouse or touchpad and a real keyboard, and the home users could really care less. Where is this market?
There will be a few who buy it, but I don't see it as a huge market or anything that will take off. I see it being the new newton failure. Netbooks make more sense to more people - small, cheap, portable, but with all the functionality of a full computer. I'm sure this tablet will look cool, but what about its functionality?
Booker T said 4:37PM on 7-24-2009
Didn't His-Steveness laugh and shoot down the idea of a tablet not that long ago?
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smak said 7:16PM on 7-24-2009
Just like he laughed and shot down the idea of "Native Apps" on the iPhone. Steve changes his mind at will... and *using jedi powers* will make you think it was part of the plan all along.
Jordan said 10:54AM on 7-28-2009
Steve does that because he likes to lie. He doesn't want anybody to know what he's working on in case he can't get it to work, which I'm sure happens quite often we just don't know about it. Everytime Steve lies a kitten gets killed.
kc! said 4:39PM on 7-24-2009
Here's hoping that it ties into (and builds on) Apple TV functionality as a remote or extended watching device, and is not just another bland tablet.
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Matt Kern said 5:05PM on 7-24-2009
Here is the dialogue that I see:
Consumer: "I want this."
Apple: "No you don't, you want this."
For example:
Hoards of folks: "Apple, we no wants glossy display."
Apple: "Yes you's does!"
So, if a ton of people want it Apple with probably find some way to weasle out of it.
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George said 4:49PM on 7-24-2009
Touch-screen typing on the iPhone is one thing, but on a tablet? I'll believe it when I see it.
Although I would love to have a Wacom screen on a portable Mac that I could use with my stylus…
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Big Mac said 4:54PM on 7-24-2009
An iPod Touch on steroids? Hopefully not. I want the full Mac OS X experience, thank you.
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KomputarGuy said 4:56PM on 7-24-2009
yeah I agree....as much as I try not to be a fanboy about anything, I would love to have a Apple tablet, I probably would have no real use for it...but damn I think it would be cool. I am a gadget junky.
tcc3 said 5:05PM on 7-24-2009
Exactly
mabhatter said 11:52AM on 7-26-2009
You won't get that because Mac Snow Leopard is moving to pure 64 bit, dual core, with composited effects and CUDA acceleration for applications. They're writing to USE their hardware. There's little in the mobile world that can compete and Apple doesn't "write down" software to run on old hardware.
Resolution independence is already part of the new iPhone SDK so adding an increased screen size is trivial. In regard to price, I see the touch as overpriced compared to the iPhone now. At the $300 mark they'd have a hard time selling iPod Touch if they don't do something, and adding an 8"-10" screen with the updated iPhone processor generation would be really cheap and still hit the "netbook" price point. This thing could be nearly as thin as a current gen Touch imagine the battery life and storage with all that extra space..(think the size of just the "screen" portion of current netbooks!) maybe we'd get an SD slot on there too for editing on the go that we can't do on iPhone! Then they're not haveing to put expensive cameras and microphones (again, not stepping on "phone" features). They need something slightly bigger with mobile versions of iLIfe and iWork that are impractical on the iPhone/Touch current tiny screens.
I can't see it as "connected" via 3G or whatever as that would cut down iPhone sales and people would try to run VIOP on it rather than pay for iPhone service, or the telco (all the verizon rumours) would ratchet down on app features so hard it would be useless.