Posts tagged Apple Tablet
Posts tagged Apple Tablet
Leading up to Apple’s iPad announcement, there was a rumor floating around the internet that the iPad would be a machine that would be shared among the family.
Another bit we didn’t know is that the tablet is supposedly shared among various people in the house, complete with sticky notes that you leave to other people.
With the announcement behind us, no mention of the iPad being a family tablet. However, should the iPad be a family machine? It’s between a smartphone and a laptop. Smartphones, such as the iPhone, are made for a single user. Most of the information on my iPhone (contacts, calendar, email, etc) is mine, and is not shared with other people.
Laptops however, such as my MacBook Pro, are family oriented. My information is controlled by user accounts, which ensure my private information stays with me, but applications and public information can be shared across all accounts on the computer.
So is the iPad a single-user machine or a family machine? Based on the announcement and what we know, it’s definitely a single-user machine. With no user controls, it would be difficult to use the built-in mail client for business if other people could read & reply to those messages. The same could be said for contacts, calendar, and thousands of applications on the iTunes App Store.
Should it be a single-user computer? My thought is “absolutely not.” Steve Jobs made a statement during the announcement (I’m paraphrasing) that if you need to access something, just “pick up your iPad off the kitchen counter.” This definitely seems like the intent would be a family machine.
Will it be a single-user computer? My guess is “No.” I’m a firm believer that iPhone OS4 is going to show the true interface for the iPad, and multi-user support will be part of the new features. Do I have any knowledge of this thought? I do not, but it sure makes a lot of sense.
…the iPad is a nice computer, it’s much more of an iPhone extension than a full laptop or even desktop replacement.
I have a feeling this statement will be proven incorrect, much like the original statements about the iPhone have been way off the mark. I truly believe we’ll see more in a month or two (with iPhone OS 4), but the iPad will again prove that Apple is able to look passed where we are today and see where we should be a year from now.
It’s [iPad] also been referred to as a thing that sits between that iPhone and your laptop. I see it as more of a fork in the road. It’s the thing many people will get INSTEAD of a laptop.
We’re heading to the mobile age and it started with the iPhone. Looking back over the past decade, it’s hard to believe that cell phones have really only been popular for 10 years (I got my first cell phone in 1999). The introduction of the iPhone (and to a lesser extent, Android), has shown that you can get a rich experience without a laptop or desktop. The last time I went out of town, I didn’t even take my laptop. I only took my iPhone.
The iPad is the continuation of the mobile computing trend. It’s the computer that could increase mobile computing similar to the way Nintendo’s Wii increased the market for videogames. The iPad has taken the Macintosh experience, cut the parts that casual users do not need, and put it within the price range necessary to explode the market.
The iPad only has one problem that prevents this scenario, and it’s not what you think. It’s not lack of multi-tasking (that is an issue for me, not the casual user), and it’s not the technical items people are complaining about (Flash, closed system, DRM). It’s definitely not the camera.
It’s the lack of USB. WIth the lack of USB comes the lack of a fully featured iTunes application. The lack of a the iTunes application means I can not manage my content to my iPhone and Apple TV. The lack of ability to manage my content on other Apple products means that casual users who have an iPhone or iPod touch can not use the iPad as their laptop computer. They must keep their PC or Mac up and running.
For people like my parents, this is acceptable. The iPad offers the browsing and email capabilities to make it their only computer. For my wife, however (who wants to get an iPhone this year), the MacBook is still the only way to get what she needs from a computer. At $999, it’s a high-priced browsing and email experience.
Add USB, or some other method to manage iTunes content, and the iPad will truly be a game changer in the mobile computing space.
I posted my initial thoughts on the iPad a short time after the announcement. I’ve now had time to go deeper in my thoughts, listen to the internet, and watch the keynote several times. My lasting impression? We haven’t purposefully seen everything about the iPad yet.
I truly believe Apple held back features of the iPad that will be introduced with iPhone OS 4 in March. To tell users about these features now would give away more information about the next iPhone OS, which they were probably unwilling to do.
I think the very first screenshot of the iPad, the home screen, is an indication that bigger things are coming. Apple has been very vocal that their apps have been rewritten to account for the increase in screen real estate. They are also encouraging developers to rewrite (or create new) applications to account for the increase. However, the home screen is the same (sans the background) as the iPhone (4 apps on each row). Now, I know the iPad can fit up to 6 applications on the bottom row, but that doesn’t mean Apple did anything to accomplish that change. I wonder why Apple didn’t update the home screen to account for the extra screen space.
Also, the iPad distinguisher thus far has been iBooks. Why isn’t iBooks on the main screen in Apple’s promotional material? I understand its absence during the keynote, as they wanted to hide its existence until it was announced. The iPad page on Apple’s website should be emphasizing iBooks, as it is one of the main reasons people (including myself) may buy one.
None of this is conclusive evidence, as it is more of a gut feeling. The more I think about it, the more I believe Apple told people what they wanted them to hear, and held back key aspects that will get people excited closer to the launch. People are speculating it may be a camera, but I think it may be more in line with software (new home screen and multitasking). Just guessing, though.
Many people — myself most likely included — will continue to prefer the Kindle’s e-ink screen for long text reading.
This statement echos Kindle owners around the world. I know several Kindle owners, and they all know my love for all things Apple. Therefore, I have been pulled into several conversations on why the Kindle is superior to the iPad.
However, I think the wrong argument is being made. The iPad is not a Kindle-killer. It’s not an eBook reader. It is a digital device that provides multiple functions, one of which includes eBook reading. If you own a Kindle, why would you buy an iPad for eBook reading? You wouldn’t. For the majority of us who don’t own a Kindle however, the iPad looks like a great alternative (much like my love for Apple TV as an alternative to Netflix).
But it’s not a Mac. It’s a new consumer device. It’s targeted at people who do e-mail, surf the web a little, play a few games, watch some movies, and listen to music. It’s not a replacement for a computer if you do more than that on your computer. But most people don’t. We geeks are the minority on that point, and for many people, a regular computer is both overkill and frustrating. The iPad is not a tablet computer in the sense that Windows tablets are. But what it is, is all that the vast majority of people will ever want out of a computer, and it fits in a briefcase, purse, or backpack and weighs less than two pounds.
I would have preferred the name “MacBook Slate” instead of iPad (or something similar), but I guess Apple would rather have a higher-end product in the “i” lineup instead of a lower-end “Mac” product, but I digress.
Predictions are fun, especially when people have no idea what they’re talking about (but pretend to have inside sources). I have no inside sources, but I know as much as the next guy about the Apple Tablet, which is absolutely nothing.
In the next two days, all the websites that cover Apple will start to repost the same information, linking to each other’s articles. This will form a centralized vision on what these websites think the Apple Tablet will look like. It may be “on the spot,” or it may be completely wrong. The tablet will probably be something in between.
Before the websites get started, I thought I’d give my predictions. Note that I have no inside knowledge, and some of these may be more “wishful thinking” than predictions. The prediction of a tablet being announced may even turn out to be incorrect. Ahh, who cares? Let’s get started.
The tablet won’t look like a big iPhone. AppleInsider created a post a week or so back stating the tablet would have all the buttons as the iPhone.
… the tablet reportedly sports all of the same buttons found on the handset, right down to its iconic home button
I have a hard time believing that Apple, who produces the most beautiful hardware, could only come up with “a big iPhone” when creating a 10-inch tablet computer. I also don’t see any need for the “home” button on the tablet. WIth larger screen real estate, most apps will not need to take up the whole screen, and the home button only makes sense if apps are modal, which would strike me as odd for a tablet.
Now, could the “home” button actually be the on/off button? That makes a lot more sense to me.
So what will it look like? My guess would be something like the screen portion of my MacBook Pro. Aluminum backside with all glass front. It will have volume controls similar to an iPhone (since there is no keyboard) and a power button. It will also sport a headphone jack.
It will also have some connection for charging. iLounge states this will be 2 30-pin connectors. I’m not sure about this part. On the one hand, the 30-pin connectors are thinner then a USB port, but these connectors are made to plug into accessories via USB. The MacBook Air came with a USB and MagSafe port. I’m hoping the tablet does as well.
It will run Mac OS X. That much we know. Is it the iPhone OS or the Mac OS? I honestly think it will be neither. The iPhone OS has restrictions placed on it due to the iPhone screen size and memory restrictions. For example, the iPhone OS doesn’t allow the use of NSXMLDocument because utilizing it could potentially download large XML files.
The tablet should have a reasonable hard drive for music, movies, books, among others. I believe the tablet OS will take Mac OS X as a starting point and make modifications where necessary.
I believe developing for the tablet will be similar to developing for iPhone and Mac. When you open XCode, you can choose to develop a Mac or iPhone application. After Wednesday, I think a new XCode version will arrive that adds “tablet” application to the mix. Many of the same Cocoa classes will be available, but with slight modifications that take advantage of the tablet and removes classes that should not be used on the tablet.
It will “redefine your digital lifestyle”. Seth Weintraub stated
The best eBook reader. The best Netbook. And the best portable media player and gaming device.
I stated something similar a couple weeks back.
[The tablet] does everything the Kindle does, and you can email your mom, as well as find out who got voted off American Idol, all from the couch.
I’m not really sure I agree that it will be categorized as a netbook. Netbooks are mainly defined as ”small, light, minimalist and cheap laptops.” While the tablet should be small (below 13”) and light, it won’t be minimalist or cheap (more on that later).
Much like the iPhone revolutionized the mobile phone industry, the tablet could be marketed to revolutionize your digital lifestyle. It will be an eBook reader, internet browser, offer music, videos, and games, and a host of other features. Most computer users only need these features.
By revolutionize your digital lifestyle, I also believe it will always be connected to the world. Whether through 3G or WiFi, this machine could change the way you consume digital media.
Could it revolutionize your lifestyle by having all your information in the cloud instead of a hard drive? Maybe (Hmmm).
It will turn out to be more than meets the eye. When the iPhone was announced, it was billed as an iPod that makes phone calls. Today, we know it is so much more. I truly believe it is a miniature iMac in your pocket. The tablet will have the same affect 1 or 2 years out from now.
While I think Apple will market the digital lifestyle aspects, I think it will really be a shift in UI (User Interface) design in the laptop market. 2 years from now, the tablet may not just be a digital lifestyle laptop. It may be the standard laptop. Rumors of new versions of iWork support this theory.
It will be expensive. Analysts are predicting the tablet will cost $600 - $800. They justify this cost because Apple doesn’t make any product that fits this price range. The iPhone is $300, and the MacBook is $999 (I’m discounting the Mac Mini at this time, as I’m only talking portables).
The issue I take with this argument is that Apple does make a $600 portable. It’s called the iPhone. Cellular companies (AT&T) subsidize the cost of the iPhone to get it to its $299 price. The iPhone, while awesome, is an expensive phone with high margins.
With this knowledge, I have a hard time believing Apple can make the tablet for $800. The Wall Street Journal (through a rumored “controlled leak”) stated the Apple tablet may be $1000. Blogs stated the high price in the article was to manage expectations (in other words, create low expectations and exceed them). I think that price may be correct (or something close). If the iPhone is $599 and $699, it is very possible the tablet is $999 or $1099.
However, because of the “connection everywhere” aspect, I think the tablet will be presented for $600 - $800 with a 2 year contract (at Verizon and/or AT&T).
It will be owned by me ;). I keep saying I won’t need it, but I’m getting really excited. Who knows.
