Mac PDA !
- Thread starter DTPRonald
- Start date
markceltic
Apple Addicted
Someone has too much time on their hands 
Quicksilver
Find a golden apple.
While it would be nice to see/have a mac os X based PDA, that one looks hard to use, ergonomically difficult. If any case id expect a OSXPDA look more like the simple class of the iPod, but mabey with brushed metal and a bigger screen.
We can only wish.
We can only wish.
mi5moav
Registered
Not to bad, don't think it will be that curvy. Probably won't have color screen yet. And probably a reall dumbed down version of osx. May only have QT components, inkwell and some other basic apps since it doesn't really need processing power since it won't be playing games since it will be a digital legal/scrap pad.
No colour screen, you think? While I would actually _PREFER_ a greyscale screen on my PDA, I don't think there's even a MARKET now for anything non-colour screen in the PDA area. And quite certainly not if the interface should look anything like OS X. But, of course, I don't expect Apple to create a PDA with an OS X interface. Rather, I think it'd be more process-oriented. No need for a multi-application interface. Instead, the frontmost application on a PDA should use the whole screen (as screen real estate is limited in such limited devices...).
Nope. Even if it's not a rumour, it's still Apple General/Discussions.
And: We can turn it into something else, too. ... Let's just say Apple _would_ release a PDA in the next two years. What would it need to be a _killer_ PDA? What would be the prerequisites so it would do for the PDA market what the iPod did for the digital music player market?
My list is this:
- Mac and Windows compatibility
- iSync for Windows
- better screen than anything else
- good battery life
- UMTS/GSM world compatibility
- ...
And: We can turn it into something else, too.
... Let's just say Apple _would_ release a PDA in the next two years. What would it need to be a _killer_ PDA? What would be the prerequisites so it would do for the PDA market what the iPod did for the digital music player market?My list is this:
- Mac and Windows compatibility
- iSync for Windows
- better screen than anything else
- good battery life
- UMTS/GSM world compatibility
- ...
Salvo
Registered
The first Apple PDA, since the Newton will have the following Features;
- Symbian OS in the first Generation. Later Generations will have embeded Darwin. PalmOS will not be used for Political Reasons and to Avoid Supporting Legacy Apps.
- Embeded Cocoa in all versions. Early Versions will run Java Code. Later versions will also run Objective C.
- Single App Interface. All Apps will run in the Background (like PalmOS) mini-iTunes will play music in the Background. mini-Quicktime will Pause Movies when Backgrounded.
- No Integrated Camera, Microphone or other Latest Gadget, but will have a set of USB2 and Firewire400/800 ports.
- Standard-compliant DVCams and DigiCams will be compatable with it. You will be able to store DV on the device, as a scratch-disk. You will be able to store your Photo's on it. You will be able to store SoundClips on it. This will make it perfect for Digital Video Pros and Hobbyists, Digital Photographers and Journalists. It will replace Dedicated Scratch Disks and miniDisc Players/Recorders.
- 1st Generation will have VideoOut via Firewire800, with VGA, ADC, DVI and SVideo Atapters as 3rd Party Add-ons. USB Microphones will also be compatable.
- With DV Stored on it, the device will be able to be FWD/RWD etc from within iMovie or FCP on a Mac, just like a DV Recorder. Unlike iTunes, there won't be a Windows version of FCP or iMovie. It will have basic support with QTPro for Windows though.
- mini-iPhoto and mini-iTunes will be very cut down. mini-iTunes will have functionality somewhere between iTunes and an iPod. mini-iPhoto will be like iPhoto except without Editing or Scaling Features, due to limitations with the Display.
- Battery will not be User-Replacable, but 3rd Party External Batteries will be supported.
I personally guess that implementing Cocoa would be easier for Apple than to implement Java... Also: Why use Symbian OS for 'one' version and then go Darwin? If you think of how such a project would start, I'd guess that they'd decide for one way to go.
Also: DV needs MUCH too much disk space. I don't expect a PDA to go there anytime soon...
Also: DV needs MUCH too much disk space. I don't expect a PDA to go there anytime soon...
Salvo
Registered
Cocoa is an API which can be used with either Objective-C or Java. Since the Symbian OS already Runs Java programs
If they're rushing to Market, developing Embedded Darwin would take much too long. The iPods don't run any variety of Darwin, and Symbian would fit thier needs in the interim.
My Firewire Scratch Disk for DV is only 20GB and can hold two or three miniDV tapes worth of Data. I can edit that much data on my 30GB iBook, without a Scratch Disk, but it's not pretty. (fragmentation, limited Swap space, slow Video, having to delete Excess Clips in order to Encode a Finished Product). A 50GB or 60GB Portable Storage Device, which doubles as a PDA would be perfect, and by the time this product comes to Market, (a few weeks before the release of Longhorn, for instance) miniHDDs will have that capacity.
With the increase in Data storage of the miniHDDs, that is likely to happen over the next two years, following Moores Law, Hitachi are going to have to find other ways of selling miniHDDs. Apple will have to develop a new use for iPod-type devices. How many people do you know with a 50GB Music Collection? DV and Photography will be the obvious Market, and would be able to make use of the existing iApps (iMovie, FCP and iPhoto), and further Promote the Macintosh Platform. Limited Support for the Windows Platform will follow on from iTunes for Windows, and make further use of Quicktime for Windows.
Apple could capitalize on the fact that PC users would be having to update thier Computers to Run Longhorn. They'll also be having to update Photoshop or whatever Video Editing Program to support 64Bit Processing, and also thier Creative Process so they can adapt to the changes bought on by Longhorn.
If they had to fork out $5000 for a new Computer, would they buy a Dual Itanium-4.0GHz with Longhorn or a Dual G5-4.0GHz PowerMac with MacOS X.5. In this situation, the Apple Computer would be Cheaper than the WIntel Computer.
The device would be targetted at the Professional (or Wanabe Pro) Digital Artists, not just as a PDA but also as a Personal Storage Device. It'll be not much larger than an iPod, and will have a colour touchscreen. The Touchscreen will double as an iPod wheel in Apps like mini-iTunes, mini-iPhoto and mini-QuickTime. It'll behave like a traditional Touchscreen in AddressBook, mini-iCal and any other Traditional PDA Apps.
If they're rushing to Market, developing Embedded Darwin would take much too long. The iPods don't run any variety of Darwin, and Symbian would fit thier needs in the interim.
My Firewire Scratch Disk for DV is only 20GB and can hold two or three miniDV tapes worth of Data. I can edit that much data on my 30GB iBook, without a Scratch Disk, but it's not pretty. (fragmentation, limited Swap space, slow Video, having to delete Excess Clips in order to Encode a Finished Product). A 50GB or 60GB Portable Storage Device, which doubles as a PDA would be perfect, and by the time this product comes to Market, (a few weeks before the release of Longhorn, for instance) miniHDDs will have that capacity.
With the increase in Data storage of the miniHDDs, that is likely to happen over the next two years, following Moores Law, Hitachi are going to have to find other ways of selling miniHDDs. Apple will have to develop a new use for iPod-type devices. How many people do you know with a 50GB Music Collection? DV and Photography will be the obvious Market, and would be able to make use of the existing iApps (iMovie, FCP and iPhoto), and further Promote the Macintosh Platform. Limited Support for the Windows Platform will follow on from iTunes for Windows, and make further use of Quicktime for Windows.
Apple could capitalize on the fact that PC users would be having to update thier Computers to Run Longhorn. They'll also be having to update Photoshop or whatever Video Editing Program to support 64Bit Processing, and also thier Creative Process so they can adapt to the changes bought on by Longhorn.
If they had to fork out $5000 for a new Computer, would they buy a Dual Itanium-4.0GHz with Longhorn or a Dual G5-4.0GHz PowerMac with MacOS X.5. In this situation, the Apple Computer would be Cheaper than the WIntel Computer.
The device would be targetted at the Professional (or Wanabe Pro) Digital Artists, not just as a PDA but also as a Personal Storage Device. It'll be not much larger than an iPod, and will have a colour touchscreen. The Touchscreen will double as an iPod wheel in Apps like mini-iTunes, mini-iPhoto and mini-QuickTime. It'll behave like a traditional Touchscreen in AddressBook, mini-iCal and any other Traditional PDA Apps.
Quicksilver
Find a golden apple.
Salvo said:
Who's to say that embedded Darwin has'nt already taken place? Even though we havent seen it, it probably already exists purley for future use. It may just not be appropriate timeing yet.
Im sure theres many prototypes somewhere, there would have to be.
I just want one thing... quicktime on a chip. add that to it, and make that chip flashable, and that will mean hardware viewing of online files, and perhaps proliferation of the quicktime to 3G cell phones and other embedded technologies.
that is if it hasn't already happened.
that is if it hasn't already happened.