The Register: Apple Tablet?

the thing that looks like a dock-connector gives me the feeling of a portable videoscreen that can be loaded with movies or text-documents the same way the iPod can get loaded with music. It would that way work with both Mac and Windows. The only thing that speaks against such a device is that people (normal non techies without file sharing-applications) dont have a lot of movies on their computers, and would thereby not need it.
Sure it would be great for watching digital photos and reading documents, but that wouldnt give it the "cool-factor" among the kids that a portable moviescreen would.

no, my personal hopes are that it is, as someone else sugested, a way to change screens on the new iMac. the computer could be small and schools could have this little cart with all the displays on. That way they would just have to remove or plug in the displays depending on what they were going to do in that classroom that day.

a screen like that could also be used with a dock that was connected with a xServe
(a xServe that could have around 10 of these connected at once).

hmmm. bad idea now that i think about it. apple would not sell very much computers that way if each xserve could support 10 users at the same time :) But maybe they could make up for that by selling a lot of these screens with dock-connector for around 500€.
 
its not a tablet. its smaller. probably a 7" screen. probably about the size of the first gen iPod.

functions would include QuickTime, iTunes, iCal and several other iApps.

i predicted this device over a year ago to fryke and on this forum i believe. itll be $499 and make use of the 60GB HDs we've been waiting for.

yes, im a genius.
 
The 60GB drives could explain it, but my money is on some type of wireless interface connecting an iPod to AirPort Express as well as displaying and storing photos copied directly over to a 4G iPod and then the wireless controller for playback on a TV or monitor.
It could also be used for Keynote presentations and fill the gap for "Home on the iPod". Not a pda, not a tablet, not a souped-up iPod, but something with elements of all three. An iRemote, so to speak.
 
As long as I can jot down notes on it and throw it around the house or boat it would be great. I would probably buy 2 or 3 for the house a few for the gals at work and a few extras for the car or boat. The only thing I would need on there would be calculator app and calendar besides the notes features, and of course a simple news reader, email reader and browser as well as an itunes remote. I could see this using an embedded RISC chip and I just don't really need it to have 60Gig HD 20 will do just fine.
 
Decado said:
Why do you think it is small, Kendall?
Click to expand...

because notebook sized tablets are useless. if you're going to haul something that big around, it might as well have a keyboard.

7" on the otherhand and able to handle specialized iApps and QuickTime could provide quite useful.

it would be like a multimedia PDA.
 
Just because you think "notebook sized is useless" doesn't make your guess any more true, though. You're almost in mi5moav land there. ;-) ...

However: I still don't find any direct link to the filing TheReg wants to have found. Anywhere on the web. Lacks credibility. And mi5moav: Please stay away from bringing _any_ random thought you might have to _any_ rumour we talk about. AppleWorks with Kermit in a thread about an Apple tablet PC rumour? Puleeehze!

And Kendall: I guess I predicted a similar device myself over a year ago - and also was wrong. (I don't think we can say 'YES!' if a rumour comes true over a year late... Or we'd have to even credit SpyMac for their 'iWalk' if anything similar ever comes out?) ;-)
 
Again, guys, you're letting the speculation get a little out of control again.

Like all IT companies, Apple is driven by market forces. These include the push to patent and protect product ideas that they may or may not want to use in the future. Apple are almost certainly working on dozens of ideas along the lines that you suggest: handheld computers, tablet displays, wireless multimedia, and so on. However, they also have to meet market forces. At this time, a lot of this technology is still too expensive, power-hungry and un-refined to actually release a qualilty product.

My opinion on what we can see in the near future:
- New iMac G5 ships with Airport Extreme as standard. This will be to help push iTunes, Airport devices, and so on.
- iMac G5 ships at around 1.6 and 1.8 GHz, making it slower than the current PowerMacs, but faster than the previous iMacs. Makes sense, right?
- iSight updated with new magnetic mounting, neater design all round, and roughly same specs. Poss slightly lower price.
 
Yeehaaa! Yeah buddy! Shoo doggie!

Finally... someone who can speculate within reason. Those are some good predictions, symphonix. Some have speculated that the iMac will also have a 2nd drive bay... opinions on that?
 
kendall said:
...itll be $499...
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This is, by far, the most unlikely of the things you've predicted here. There's no chance Apple would produce anything that price-competitive.
 
symphonix said:
- iSight updated with new magnetic mounting, neater design all round, and roughly same specs. Poss slightly lower price.
Click to expand...

definitely not possible. magnets will straight jack your electronic components.

also, aluminum/anodized aluminum is non magnetic.
 
Ripcord said:
This is, by far, the most unlikely of the things you've predicted here. There's no chance Apple would produce anything that price-competitive.
Click to expand...


wishful thinking but honestly, who the hell needs a 60GB iPod.

the increased HD size is going to start getting stupid. and those who buy them as external HDs for $499 are stupid as well.

60, 80, 100GB iPods. please.

Apple needs to ride the wave of the iPod into another portable device.
 
ElDiabloConCaca said:
Some have speculated that the iMac will also have a 2nd drive bay... opinions on that?
Click to expand...

doesnt the G5 powermac only have one drive bay? why on earth would Apple give an iMac two? perhaps you mean internal drive bay?

i dont see Apple building an ultra compact computer only to add a 2nd drive bay.

a hot swapable drivebay like the Xserve has would be awesome though.
 
Why are people who buy 60 GB iPods as harddrives dumb? I'd LOVE to have that long-rumoured home.on.iPod feature. And as my homefolder (which of course also contains a lot of music that I synch with the iPod, anyway) contains about 40 GB of data, a bit of extra would be nice, too... So: Bigger iPods make sense to me, because you not only get a 'free' backup device, you can also hook it up to any Mac and work as if you were right at home (if they finally release that home.on.iPod feature...).

But we're getting more and more off-topic... Thanks for the link, Cat!
 
kendall said:
definitely not possible. magnets will straight jack your electronic components.

also, aluminum/anodized aluminum is non magnetic.
Click to expand...

ahem:

Apple Store said:
iSight Accessory Kit

The iSight Accessory Kit is for the mobile lifestyle of the iSight user. You can keep iSight mounts and cable adapters permanently connected to your multiple work stations, put them in your travel bags, or have spares around just in case.

The kit includes four multipurpose mounts: a magnetic mount for new Anodized Aluminum flat-panel displays, a flat-panel iMac mount, eMac and desktop mount, PowerBook and iBook mount, along with three FireWire cable adapters and one FireWire 6-6 pin, 1.8m cable.
Click to expand...

Link (though I don't think it will work because Apple seem to have strange website where uou can't usefully link to products):

http://store.apple.com/1-800-MY-APPLE/WebObjects/AppleStore?productLearnMore=M9314G/B
 
kendall said:
its not magnetic. they've put iron or something along the top of the new displays or underneath the aluminum.

also, put that magnet on top of a speaker, your notebook, etc, and it will mess things up.
Click to expand...

An odd way to admit you were wrong (in saying "definitely not possible") but never mind.


I also doubt it would have a powerful enough magnet to damage anything (unless you take your computer apart and rub it against the components), most computers already have a few magnetic components anyway (just from passing a paperclip over my iBook I can locate two magnets, one for the catch, and one seemingly for the optical drive).

Oh, and do magnets damage speakers? I thought it was the other way round (and the rather powerful magnets in speakers can screw stuff up - though mainly just CRT displays).
 
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