Filed under: Hardware, Rumors, Odds and ends, Apple
Secret source gives iLounge some Apple tablet rumor love
Those of us in the Mac rumor and news business (is there a difference?) love it when we get a good tip, especially when that tip is from someone who has given us good, solid info in the past. iLounge featured a post last night called "Ten New Details on the Apple Tablet" that passed along some rumors that they've received from one of those solid sources.While I won't parrot back the bullet list of ten details that are in the iLounge post, here's the gist of the article: Apple has created at least three prototypes of what editor-in-chief Jeremy Horwitz calls the iPad. The prototype that is still in the running has a 10.7" diagonal display, runs iPhone OS, and looks like a large iPhone 3G.
The device will have two variations, one with 3G networking built-in (think of it as an über-iPhone 3GS) and another without it (a mongo iPod touch). The larger display is expected to have about 7 times the surface area of the iPhone, and about 6 times the resolution, allowing easy reading of books, magazines, and cropped newspapers.
With the extra screen space, the new devices are designed to bring ebook functionality to the iPhone platform as well as make a more compelling platform for games, media, app, and the web. Apple doesn't expect this device to compete with netbooks, hence their continued denial that the company will come out with a netbook killer. Instead, this will be an extension of the iPhone platform.
Horwitz finishes his list by noting that the device is still awaiting a green light from Steve Jobs, and that it has about an 80% chance of making it to market. If it's given the go-ahead, the source is stating that the device would be announced on or before January 19, 2010 and would go on sale in May or June.
While this is still a rumor, the information is from the same source that gave iLounge the scoop on the iPod nano 5G, the iPhone 3GS, and the Chinese iPhone 3G. It appears we'll still have to wait until 2010 before the fabled tablet appears in our local Apple Stores.
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
THJ said 11:41AM on 9-29-2009
Sounds pretty compelling, but I can't figure out what the target market is. Guess we'll know more once pricing and app details are released (if ever).
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bcarney said 11:51AM on 9-29-2009
If it's not running OSX, it's dead in the water. What's the point of a tablet computer that can't be used as a computer?
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mabhatter said 12:16PM on 9-29-2009
if you want a tablet computer, buy the HP AMD based flip-twist-books.. They're down to $800 now and include all the Windows tablet goodness that has been around for 8 years.
Except YOU haven't bought one (even at a great price) because using Windows tablets is painful for things like Office or web browsing because the GUI for a desktop doesn't work efficiently with a pen or finger. The key is APPS. APPS have to be tailored to work with reduced input sets.. something that works with keyboard and 7 button mouse is painful to use on a tablet. Something designed for a 17" display with tiny little GUI elements doesn't work on a tablet you hold in your hand or lap. We've had the "Microsoft Way" for 8 years and nobody outside those that use highly specialized apps is buying.
For tablet to work, you need streamlined, efficient apps. The iPhone app store has those... even Apple's tighter GUI guidelines aren't really enough to make OSX "on a tablet" useful enough to mass produce.
Elphaba said 12:22PM on 9-29-2009
Agreed.
Plus is HAS to have inking - and so far - nobody does inking better than MS.
Whilst I would love to have an Apple Tablet - if it's not OS X with Multi-Touch AND Inking - there is no reason to buy it. The iphone already works as a platform - that proof is in the pudding.
So far, I'm more inclined to get that Archos 9 Tablet to provide the e-reading and inking I need... but I'd love to have something from Apple running OS X instead.
Rob Huebner said 3:05PM on 9-29-2009
I'm guessing that their use of the iPhone OS is only for the prototype. Apple commonly has completely different development teams for hardware and software development. For the development of the iPhone, these teams were not even allowed to communicate so Jobs could keep the leaks to an absolute minimum.
Obviously, I don't know if this is the case for the iTablet, but it's possible that they don't have the software complete yet.
Even if they do use the iPhone OS, I'm sure there will be many enhancements. It would not scale well at all otherwise.
puhsitch said 11:04PM on 9-29-2009
I'd be surprised if Apple approaches the tablet in a typical way. Chances are that they'll piss off the "pro" segment, but pull in the "home" segment...just like they did with the smartphone. With that, I'm putting money on something that doesn't run full-fledged OS X so that they can keep processor and memory requirements down.
chuck brodeur said 12:13PM on 9-29-2009
Hmm. What would be interesting is a tablet that has a slot for inserting an iPhone. Then the phone would provide the network coverage essentially by tethering. Either that or the wireless providers need to allow one to add another devise type for a nominal fee.
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ECJ said 12:27PM on 9-29-2009
I think that this device would sell better than people think. It fits right in between your phone and laptop. For example, my wife and I travel a lot and have two laptops, one iMac and two iPhone 3GS phones. This device would be great for movies, magazines, ebooks, researching restaurants, tours and hotels while we are away from home. Yeah, I can do all those things on the iPhone, but I get tired of reverse pinching, squinting and scrolling. I don't want to buy a netbook to get that same connivence, since I don't type a lot when I'm doing those tasks. If I had this device, I might not bring my laptop (17" Uni MBP) while I'm traveling. Which would save me some bulk.
I would buy one, especially if the rumored 3G version has small monthly fee with AT&T.
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db cooper said 12:30PM on 9-29-2009
A key point for me is whether this will be yet another device that needs to sync with iTunes. If I have to sit around interminably updating firmware, transferring huge applications back and forth...a process that already annoys the hell out of me on my iPhone - then no sale, brother. No sale.
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Adnium said 12:38PM on 9-29-2009
This device really, really needs to run OS X proper, rather than an upscaled version of the iPhone OS. Otherwise, what's the point? I already have an iPhone, whose small form factor lends it to the more wideget-esque applications you can get for it now.
If people are going to seriously consider spending ~£500 on something which is semi-portable, it had better encapsualte the desktop Mac experience in a way which makes it more productive and useful than the iPhone.
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Drifter71 said 12:56PM on 9-29-2009
Does anybody wonder what this would do to AT&T's Data network? From everything I have read, they can't keep up with the iPhones' data. If that's true, how can they add another device like this on 3G and expect to keep up?
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Tony Bowman said 1:14PM on 9-29-2009
If it ships as described above, I'm on board with Microsoft's "Courier" project. I love my iPhone, but I don't need or want all the same apps I have now, only on a bigger screen.
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BigB said 2:10PM on 9-29-2009
I really don't see how a tablet fits into todays market, even with the App store.
its not that easy to use one, even if it was just a larger iphone. bigger means harder to hold with ne hand and type on.
I dunno, Apples created markets where crap existed before, but I just dont see the point, nor why everyone thinks they'd buy a tablet.
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timejumperone said 2:48PM on 9-29-2009
Doesn't Apple's fiscal year end in September? If so, wouldn't having all those Amazon.com pre-orders filled be better for Apple's bottom line?
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timejumperone said 2:51PM on 9-29-2009
Sorry about that previous post, my 1Password + Firefox does an automatic return with an old post reply.
What I meant to say was: what if the iTablet had the performance specs of a Mac-mini with touch screen and a few I/O pots, would that interest users?
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Estevan said 8:03PM on 9-29-2009
I believe all these comments are true. I remembered when iLounge was talking about both the Nano 5G and the 3GS and was on point. I jus hope the "iPad" (what an ugly name, iTablet WAY better) will be more like a 13 inch rather than a 10.5in. But then again, ppl will prob not buy the MacBook 13" if that was the case.
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David Frantz said 11:15AM on 9-30-2009
I'm not sure why there is such negativity with respect to iPhone OS. Consider the following:
1.
Mac OS/X apps are not written for Touch. That should be the end of the discussion.
2.
Using iPhone OS does not imply the same old apps that are on iPhone. Ideally iPhone apps would be compatible in some manner, but by definition this is a larger device and thus will have capabilities beyound iPhone.
3.
App store is a fantastic way to distribute apps and keep your self up to date. In some ways app installer leaves you with the functionality of a Linux package manager withou all the negatives. There is nothing better than being able to update your machine no matter where you are. The one shopping stop makes for great convience.
4.
To be truly useful the tablet will need apps written for it. Being iPhone compatible just means there are useful apps for the device right at the time it is released. Quality Touch apps will take awhile to fully exploit the new features so starting off with iPhone apps is a good idea.
5.
IPhone apps imply ARM processor. This is a good thing. It means long runtimes and lots performance. Given stacked chips this makes for a thin high performancen device with
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ianlive said 9:32AM on 9-30-2009
If it does surface, I will rip out every trace of audio components in my car and mount one front and centre. Can you imagine how much better it would be to have a ten inch flat panel computer running OSX (any flavour) in your car for GPS, Internet, iTunes etc than many of the nav systems out there today?
I'm giddy at the thought.
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