insanely great
Jan/1017
Full iWork office suite for just $29.97 USD is amazing
The Tablet has arrived.
It is everything i want in a casual computing device.
It’s perfect for web browsing, watching videos, playing games, and reading. It’s powerful enough to do your basic word processing & presentation stuff, too. Coupled with the keyboard dock, I believe it is in fact good enough to be most people’s ONLY computer. The Tablet is the first computer built for mere mortals.
It is definitely the next computer I want my mom, dad, and sister to own, because my “Tech Support” role will simply evapourate.
Surprises from the event:
- It is, unfortunately, called the “iPad”
- I was right about the $499 price, but wrong in that I said that would be a subsidized price.
- I was very surprised that Steve Jobs did not position this as the only computer most people need, but I still think that’s exactly what it is
- I am dumbfounded that even though there is a mic, there is no front-facing webcam
- They decided to use the open ePub book format instead of developing their own format. I’m happy I was wrong in this case. Openness is SO important for books.
- No ability to annotate books. I’m upset about that. I always write in the margins.
- No iPhone OS updates, which means no multi-tasking.
- There appears to be a 1 inch border all the way around the screen
- The onscreen keyboard looks like the physical aluminum keyboards, and Steve typed on it using both hands at once.
- Full iWork office suite for just $29.97 USD is an amazing deal
- They totally stole Will Shipley’s “Delicious Library” bookcase interface for iBooks
A few insights:
- A friend complained that because it doesn’t run OSX, he won’t be able to program on it. Don’t be so sure. You can easily use Mozilla Bespin, which is a cloud-based IDE that runs inside Safari.
- Another said “I don’t get why I would want a data plan for this. I don’t need one for my laptop. My home wi-fi works just fine.” — The answer is that the iPad can be your ONLY computer, and your ONLY internet connection. You don’t need a router/wi-fi if this is your only computer. The unlimited 3G will do just fine.
- There’s something else you won’t need soon, if you have an iPad, and that is a phoneline or cellular voice contract. The iPad is a Trojan Horse. It is the first device I know of that has a mic and a 3G connection built right in that does NOT also require you to have a voice plan. Apple is smart. They now have a contract with AT&T and other carriers that lets this sort of device onto their network. My guess is that the iPod Touch is also covered by this contract. I predict that very soon, Skype (or iChat) will be positioned as a replacement for a voice plan. I know some geeks are already doing this, but I think Apple will make it happen in a mainstream kind of way. AT&T won’t like it, but they’ve already signed the contract.
But enough of that…. I made 64 Apple Tablet predictions. How’d I do?
32 of them were correct!
That’s 50% !
If the list of predictions had been pre-determined, and I just had to say “yes or no” that 50% would be pure luck. But that’s not how it was. I had no direction; an infinite array of possibilities. As such, 50% is amazing.
For the record, here’s a record of all my predictions, and how they actually turned out.
Legend:
- R = right
- W = wrong
- H = half marks
- U = unknown/not mentioned
Purpose: 8/8
- R – New paradigm in computing. Redefines what a personal computer is.
- R – Aimed primarily at regular people, not computer people
- R – Designed to be a standalone primary computer
- R – Also useful as a secondary computer
- R – Great for reading books & magazines & websites
- R – Great for watching videos, listening to music, and playing games
- R – It will be the best & only device in its category
- R – It will be more important to Apple than the iPhone, because it will capture an as yet untapped demographic: people who don’t necessarily like or use computers
Naming: 0/1
- R – likely called “Canvas”, not iTablet/iSlate/iPad/Tablet/Tableau
Software: 8/26
- R – customized version of the iPhone OS
- R – on-screen keyboard, just like the iPhone
- R – Tablet runs full iTunes natively, because the Tablet can be your only computer.
- W – Multi-user support
- W – Free MobileMe Lite accounts to host your user profile & basic data (bookmarks)W – coverflow everywhere (finger friendly)W – new file format for eBooks, like iTunes LP & Extras
- W – use tablet as multi-touch or pen-based input for another Mac
- W – run apps on your existing mac as if running on tablet (Unity-like abstraction)
- W – run apps on your existing mac through remote desktop client
- W – stream content from 1 Mac to another (i.e. from Mac to Tablet)
- R – new app: iLibrary for organizing & creating books
- R – new app: iPaint for drawing/painting directly ON the ‘canvas’
- W – new system preference to always allow apps to know my location
- W – multi-tasking by tapping into Apple’s existing background processes OR by limiting # of apps allowed to run at once, and revealing them through something like Expose, iPhone Safari’s browser pages, or desktop Safari’s favourite page thumbnails
- W – iTunes goes back to being all about music. Sports new web-based frontend.
- W – a new Store & syncing program is debuted, possibly called iGuide or Apple Media Store or simply “AppStore”
- W – possible social networking features regarding books
- W – Genius for Books
- W – move away from Google Maps to Apple’s own solution
- W – move away from Google Search to Bing Search
- W – built-in Friend tracking (like Google Latitude & Loopt)
- W – built-in navigation app with voice directions & controls
- R – no Adobe Flash support
- R – runs existing iPhone apps
- R – SDK available immediately
Publishing: 0.5/2
- H – Deals with all 6 major American publishers
- W – Allow anyone to author & sell their own books
Hardware: 10/18
- R – It will be flat. It won’t fold like other Tablet PCs
- R – 2 models, consumer (wifi) & pro (wifi+3g)
- R – 802.11n plus b/g
- R – faster CPU than iPhone (1.2Ghz?)
- R – faster graphics than iPhone (to drive larger display)
- U – more RAM than iPhone (512MB)
- R – 64GB of solid-state storage
- W – OR 32 plus some cloud-based storage (on MobileMe)
- W – either hybrid LCD/eInk OR 24 hours of eBook reading
- W – gorgeous 10.1 inch full colour screen with higher-than-standard DPI
- W – front facing webcam for video chat & multi-user facial recognition
- W – plastic body with multi-touch on the back
- W – available in the same colours as the current iPod Nano
- W – Zero dock connectors, 1 USB port. Again, the Tablet can be your primary computer. You can sync your iPod with your Tablet. You will not sync the Tablet with your Mac.
- R – no tactile/haptic keyboard
- R – no integrated kickstand. too breakable.
- R – no integrated home automation (too fringe)
- R – comes with a very nice travel case, or one is available at launch
- W – possibly launch a new Airport Express A/V
Sales: 2.5/5
- R – much cheaper than the expected $1000
- W – $699-$799 unsubsidized
- H – $499 subsidized (by publishers or Apple itself)
- W – AT&T exclusivity ends. Hello Verizon.
- R – ships in March
Flip-Flops: 3/4
- R – Initially said possible rebranding of MacBook. Later decided no.
- R – Initially said both models include a stylus for optional pen-based input.
- Later decided no (but it will be available as an option).
- H – Initially said docking station available. Later said no. Really unsure.
- H – Initially said keyboard supported. Later said no. Really unsure.
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Apple Tablet Event Invitation Insights
Jan/104
Apple Tablet Invite
Apple has now sent out its official invitations to the January 27th event.
Facts:
- The invites are spray-paint themed.
- The caption reads “come see our latest creation”.
- The event is scheduled to be 2 hours long.
Insights:
- “Our latest creation” seems to focus on a single product.
- Steve Jobs can cover a LOT of ground in 2 hours, so expect something huge – a whole new Operating System or interaction paradigm.
- The colour goes “outside the lines” of the border, like “thinking outside the box”. Makes me think new paradigm.
- The colours of paint are the same as the iPod Nano. Will the tablet be available in these same colours? This would appeal to artsy people, and those who wish the Kindle were a bit more stylish.
- Spray paint at all suggests art / creativity, as does the word “creation” on the invite.
- Spray paint could indicate the presence of a stylus (i.e. not finger painting)
- Drips of paint could indicate that the tablet can be used in a vertical or tilted orientation, like a canvas
- Drips of paint could indicate a kind of gravity/physics/liquid model, like paint dripping on a canvas sitting on a tilted easel
- Use of paint could indicate a new drawing/painting app.
Apple has long catered to “creative people”, but has so far ignored that particular demographic. I think they avoided it because to get it right, you need to be able to work directly ON the canvas, not on something that represents the canvas (i.e. mousepad/trackpad). This would be “pen-on-screen” technology, similar to what’s used in the Wacom Cintiq. The Apple Tablet will be Cintiq for Everyone, plus a web tablet, plus document editor, plus eBook. As I mentioned in my other tablet predictions post, I think use of a stylus will be optional, but particularly useful for art and annotation. - The paint app could debut as part of a new version of iLife, or as a free (killer) app that comes with every Tablet
- This device/app will be to artists as Final Cut Pro is to video editors
- The new device could be called, the “Apple Canvas”, or “Apple Tableau” (french for Dramatic Scene – bonus for being hoity toity, plus people will call’em Ta-blows if they suck). It’s now obvious that my “MacBook” re-branding idea was totally wrong, since Apple is clearly focusing on Art, with eBook reading as a bonus, not eBooks with Art as a bonus.
In other words, I think this Tablet is going to be just as important to Apple as the iPhone has been. It is going to take them into new markets, and it will be the best (or only) device in the category.
I’ll be watching Leo Laporte’s live coverage over at http://live.twit.tv, and I bet he maxes out his bandwidth pretty quickly.
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7:51 pm on January 18th, 2010I think I’m with you on most of that analysis. It takes a lot of demo to fill two hours. I think the UI for the OS will be largely new. There is just a lot of complexity on a large screen that doesn’t really exist on a small screen that they need to discuss. For example, can you run two apps side by side? Can you layer them? Do we have control of window sizes? How can we quit apps versus switch apps (the difference is barely noticeable on the iPhone)? How do apps communicate between each other? Can you drag between? I think a new paradigm is necessary to deal with this.
-on going outside the lines: I hadn’t thought about that. It’s a simple metaphor, but that might have been what they had in mind. I would agree that there could very well be some kind of paint app like the old MacPaint which ships free.
I’m still not convinced it will be pen based though. Surely it will be possible to buy an extra stylus from somebody. But I just don’t know if they’ll encourage it. They always think prescriptively instead of what people “want”, which I love. Turns out people will start using things stupidly if you give them a choice.
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10:07 am on January 19th, 2010In a way I am getting tired of all the predictions. The hype is so high that my gut is telling me it’s going to disappoint a lot of people. We’ll see. Only 1 week till we know what it is.
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12:15 pm on January 19th, 2010You dont happen to know what time Leos live.twit broadcast is going to be in you time do you. If Im awake Id like to hear that…..
I hope the Tablet is really really light. Enjoying your posts on this:)) -
12:59 pm on January 19th, 2010I think the event is at 10am PST (1pm EST, 6pm GMT?), and Leo will begin broadcasting from 9am PST (12pm EST, 5pm GMT?)
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7:51 pm on January 18th, 2010I think I’m with you on most of that analysis. It takes a lot of demo to fill two hours. I think the UI for the OS will be largely new. There is just a lot of complexity on a large screen that doesn’t really exist on a small screen that they need to discuss. For example, can you run two apps side by side? Can you layer them? Do we have control of window sizes? How can we quit apps versus switch apps (the difference is barely noticeable on the iPhone)? How do apps communicate between each other? Can you drag between? I think a new paradigm is necessary to deal with this.
-on going outside the lines: I hadn’t thought about that. It’s a simple metaphor, but that might have been what they had in mind. I would agree that there could very well be some kind of paint app like the old MacPaint which ships free.
I’m still not convinced it will be pen based though. Surely it will be possible to buy an extra stylus from somebody. But I just don’t know if they’ll encourage it. They always think prescriptively instead of what people “want”, which I love. Turns out people will start using things stupidly if you give them a choice.
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10:07 am on January 19th, 2010In a way I am getting tired of all the predictions. The hype is so high that my gut is telling me it’s going to disappoint a lot of people. We’ll see. Only 1 week till we know what it is.
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12:15 pm on January 19th, 2010You dont happen to know what time Leos live.twit broadcast is going to be in you time do you. If Im awake Id like to hear that…..
I hope the Tablet is really really light. Enjoying your posts on this:)) -
12:59 pm on January 19th, 2010I think the event is at 10am PST (1pm EST, 6pm GMT?), and Leo will begin broadcasting from 9am PST (12pm EST, 5pm GMT?)
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My Apple Tablet Predictions
Jan/106
Apple Tablet Mockup from Gawker.com
- The Tablet could assume the name MacBook. Re-brand existing laptops. This avoids consumer confusion from having a product called “MacBook” that is not book-related, and having another product that is book related, but does not have “book” in the product name.
- Coverflow will be everywhere. It’s very finger-friendly
- Either a hybrid LCD/eInk display OR 24 hrs of eBook reading ability. eInk is cool because of its battery life & great contrast/sharpness. If Apple can achieve this without using an eInk screen, they will (e.g. Pixel Qi’s dual mode screen)
- Higher-than-standard screen DPI to help reduce eye strain from reading
- Front facing camera & decent speakers, because for teens all media is social
- New iTunes format for eBooks (like LPs), uses iTunes DRM (5 machines)
- As with most other Apple products, it will come in 2 models: Consumer & Pro
– Consumer: Wi-Fi (b/g/n)
– Pro: Wi-Fi & 3G/GSM world (so they don’t need localized models/carriers)
– Both include a sleek stylus for pen-based input
– Extra: $100 for a docking station
- Pen-based input:
– used by consumers when annotating eBooks
– used by knowledge workers for marking up documents
– used by artists in Photoshop etc
- Ability to use the Tablet as a multi-touch & pen input device for any existing mac
– uses a much updated version of The Newton’s handwriting input mechanism, which Apple already owns patents for
- Ability to run apps on your existing mac as if they were running on the tablet
Example: If you have Photoshop & iTunes on your main Mac, in iTunes you’ll be able to drag their icons onto your tablet. Those icons will be added to your tablet, and automatically connected back to your mac, over the network.
When you launch Photoshop on the tablet, it will look & feel like it’s running locally, but it’ll really just be displaying the interface locally. All processing will be done back on your (powerful) Mac. Running iTunes would work the same way. The advantage is that you could access your entire music library from anywhere, and it wouldn’t require the Tablet to have a fast CPU, lots of RAM, or lots of storage space.
– If this feature doesn’t happen, expect to be able to host your music collection in the cloud (thanks to their acquisition of Lala.com), or to be able to connect to it somehow, from anywhere.
- Custom OS based on iPhone OS (optimized for tablet form factor)
- Much faster CPU than the iPhone. Closer to MacMini.
- Newer graphics chip than the iPhone
- 512MB RAM (versus iPhone’s 256)
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1:50 pm on January 13th, 2010I hope your predictions are right Madam Zara.Cant wait for 26th.
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2:26 pm on January 13th, 2010Definitely some of those I haven’t heard before.. Here are my thoughts:
-name Macbook -> Very unlikely. Macs are for mouse and keyboard. The name will die with that. iPod’s and iPhones are a far bigger deal than mac’s. Mac’s are last century. The iPhone was a total rethink of the experience, abstracting away most of a regular computer. The tablet will continue with that with a new name.
-coverflow. It works well for some stuff. I’m guessing it’ll be there.
-display – I think the battery life won’t be that high at all. They will be satisfied with charging once a day, with a 7-9 hour battery life, and no e-ink. Maybe if the engineering is there for e-ink, but I haven’t heard anything that allows a computer to be a computer and even partially use e-ink. The touchscreen on that Plastic Logic device is completely unusable for anything. And there is no way they’ll use two displays. Too costly to make and complex to use.
DPI – at least 720p, not sure how much more. Definitely higher than a laptop. I’ll go with at least as high as the dpi as the iPhone. Not sure how many pixels that’ll be. A lot more.
camera – I’ll go with a yes. It could be in the higher end model?
iTunes for books – Hope so. Sounds good. I think it would help.
2 models, definitely agreed. And most people will want the more expensive one as is always the case:)
wifi and 3G – probably
stylus – The input mechanism is the giant unknown right now. I won’t make predictions on this one:)
docking station – I’d be very surprised. It should be truly portable.
annotating ebooks – this is killer functionality. I’d love it.
ability to control mac apps. My first instinct was “no way”, and that it is too complicated because the mac has too much baggage. But now that I think about the remote app on the iPhone, that’s pretty much how it works. I sure hope that you won’t have to sync with a cord to a computer to listen to music. This device should be stand-alone. No PC necessary. I hope.
custom OS – definitely
faster CPU – for sure.
graphics chip – sounds good
RAM – yes.I like these predictions altogether.
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8:16 pm on January 13th, 2010Interesting.
Just my 2 cents:
It will a strong Media computer. Basic an iPod Touch PLUS. A plus because of the bigger screen but I also believe it will serve as an eReader for not only books but also magazines which can be bought through iTunes.
It will be able run iPod Touch apps. Question will be if it will be able to run Mac apps.
Interface will be very interesting. Have a hard time believe there will be stylus. It just doesn’t seem something that Apple would do. But the interface will be interesting. All I hope that it is not going to be a huge iPhone.
Obviously Wifi but I am not convinced that 3G is also a part. The question is how a consumer is going to pay for that. Maybe tethering through the iPhone will be possible.
All in all I am very curious about the device but I can’t imagine buying it.
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9:11 pm on January 13th, 2010I should have specified that IF it has a stylus, I think it will be 100% optional. It could be used to annotate books, documents, and do art… but if you don’t want to do those things, you don’t need the stylus. Fingers will do fine. You could even annotate using the virtual keyboard / finger painting if you wanted.
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12:35 pm on January 15th, 2010Forgot to mention, because I think the Tablet will be shared by members of the family (unlike the iPhone/iTouch), the Tablet will support multiple user accounts, like OSX (unlike iPhone OS).
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1:50 pm on January 13th, 2010I hope your predictions are right Madam Zara.Cant wait for 26th.
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2:26 pm on January 13th, 2010Definitely some of those I haven’t heard before.. Here are my thoughts:
-name Macbook -> Very unlikely. Macs are for mouse and keyboard. The name will die with that. iPod’s and iPhones are a far bigger deal than mac’s. Mac’s are last century. The iPhone was a total rethink of the experience, abstracting away most of a regular computer. The tablet will continue with that with a new name.
-coverflow. It works well for some stuff. I’m guessing it’ll be there.
-display – I think the battery life won’t be that high at all. They will be satisfied with charging once a day, with a 7-9 hour battery life, and no e-ink. Maybe if the engineering is there for e-ink, but I haven’t heard anything that allows a computer to be a computer and even partially use e-ink. The touchscreen on that Plastic Logic device is completely unusable for anything. And there is no way they’ll use two displays. Too costly to make and complex to use.
DPI – at least 720p, not sure how much more. Definitely higher than a laptop. I’ll go with at least as high as the dpi as the iPhone. Not sure how many pixels that’ll be. A lot more.
camera – I’ll go with a yes. It could be in the higher end model?
iTunes for books – Hope so. Sounds good. I think it would help.
2 models, definitely agreed. And most people will want the more expensive one as is always the case:)
wifi and 3G – probably
stylus – The input mechanism is the giant unknown right now. I won’t make predictions on this one:)
docking station – I’d be very surprised. It should be truly portable.
annotating ebooks – this is killer functionality. I’d love it.
ability to control mac apps. My first instinct was “no way”, and that it is too complicated because the mac has too much baggage. But now that I think about the remote app on the iPhone, that’s pretty much how it works. I sure hope that you won’t have to sync with a cord to a computer to listen to music. This device should be stand-alone. No PC necessary. I hope.
custom OS – definitely
faster CPU – for sure.
graphics chip – sounds good
RAM – yes.I like these predictions altogether.
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8:16 pm on January 13th, 2010Interesting.
Just my 2 cents:
It will a strong Media computer. Basic an iPod Touch PLUS. A plus because of the bigger screen but I also believe it will serve as an eReader for not only books but also magazines which can be bought through iTunes.
It will be able run iPod Touch apps. Question will be if it will be able to run Mac apps.
Interface will be very interesting. Have a hard time believe there will be stylus. It just doesn’t seem something that Apple would do. But the interface will be interesting. All I hope that it is not going to be a huge iPhone.
Obviously Wifi but I am not convinced that 3G is also a part. The question is how a consumer is going to pay for that. Maybe tethering through the iPhone will be possible.
All in all I am very curious about the device but I can’t imagine buying it.
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9:11 pm on January 13th, 2010I should have specified that IF it has a stylus, I think it will be 100% optional. It could be used to annotate books, documents, and do art… but if you don’t want to do those things, you don’t need the stylus. Fingers will do fine. You could even annotate using the virtual keyboard / finger painting if you wanted.
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12:35 pm on January 15th, 2010Forgot to mention, because I think the Tablet will be shared by members of the family (unlike the iPhone/iTouch), the Tablet will support multiple user accounts, like OSX (unlike iPhone OS).
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Amazon Kindle vs Apple Tablet
Dec/099
Apple Tablet?
People are worried that Apple’s Tablet will be lacking digital content because Amazon has the rights to so much of it, but I think that’s misguided.
The Kindle device isn’t a profit centre for Amazon — it exists solely to push digital content, which is where Amazon hopes to turn a profit. Before the Kindle, eReaders were horrible. It pushed the boundaries, and showed that eReaders were viable.
Amazon doesn’t care about being the #1 eReader device. They care about selling lots of digital content.
That is why Amazon will gladly allow Apple’s Tablet to access & sell its digital content. Because these sales & downloads won’t use Apple’s infrastructure, they’ll be happy to make a typical Associate’s commission on each sale.
Apple’s device will have access to ALL Kindle content on launch day (through the iTunes AppStore, which will be re-branded MediaStore or iMedia).
Of course, Apple will still make a larger (30%?) chunk of change on any exclusive content they sell (digital magazines, newspapers, etc).
That’s what I think, anyway.
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9:45 am on December 29th, 2009Makes sense. Apple is about making money on the device and Amazon is about selling content. Would you buy a Apple tablet? Right now I don’t see the need for me to have one.
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12:05 pm on December 29th, 2009I’d get one in a second. Would be nice for web browsing from the couch, or watching videos in bed. Also, handy for Ula to surf from the living room while I’m working. You see, she has many week days off and works many weekends, so there are LOTS of times when I’m trying to work, and she has the day off, so she’s on her computer watching Big Brother or Survivor or something. Can be pretty distracting, depending on how treacherous the episode is
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2:17 am on December 30th, 2009Wow, how did I miss that info on Apple Tablet.Could suit my needs more than an iPhone as I dont make many mobile phone calls anyhow.Much bigger screen and looks very light. Have put iPhone on hold (they will hang onto my money but thats OK for now) and wait to see whats cooking with this Tablet as even my mate at the Apple Store is very short of info but agrees I would be a fool not to wait. I dont want an iMac, an iPhone and a Tablet. Noone seems very sure about surfing capabilities yet.
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10:44 am on December 30th, 2009Your mate @ the Apple Store is a fool to advise you to wait. iPhone and whatever the rumored device will be serve two different purposes. You want a portable MP3 player, cell phone, semi-powerful computing device in a small form factor? You go with an iPhone. You want a larger screen, bigger footprint device to browse from your couch? Get that “tablet”. They are not mutually exclusive.
Personally, I can’t picture myself w/o an iPhone and will gladly get the “tablet” to replace my laptop (more like a desktop) when I’m on the go, depending on its technical specs.
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11:21 am on December 30th, 2009True, VK, but Apple’s just announced that it’s having an event on January 26th. Surely it makes sense to wait a few more weeks before buying anything, just to see what comes out at that event.
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11:44 am on December 30th, 2009Hi VK, my Mate is no fool he just knows me so well .Im dithering you see, well thats what happens when you get older:) I dont do on the move Music,hardly play any in the Car and my mobile (brick) lives in the Car in case I breakdown and need to call someone.
I was looking for a small device to use the Web when away from home on holidays etc and first looked at a MacBook Air, very light and then got to thinking of the fab iPhone and ordered one only a few days ago using my Mates 20% discount. Now having heard of the Tablet I have put matters on hold as if this is lightweight, cheaper than the Air ,it could well suit my needs and the bonus is my better half can use it to surf the web at home rather than using my iMac 24 when I want it.I have 100mb internet speed so sharing some of that wont slow me down much. At my age we make arrangements to see people on a Monday and turn up exactly on time the following Friday.We have a landline with an ansaphone which is really all we need. You younger folks are a lot busier than us.Me and the long suffering wife are enjoying our retirement but make use of tech to make our life easier not harder.My first computer was an IBM in about 1975 good only for a Lotus spreadsheet.
HAPPY NEW YEAR in advance:) -
11:58 am on December 30th, 2009Translation: “ansaphone” = “answering machine” = “voice mail” = “call answer”
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8:56 am on December 31st, 2009fair enough. even with an iPhone I would wait since most likely a new gen. will be annouched in June. don’t wait too long though, there’s always something better on the horizon when it comes to technology
HNY
p.s. although I never heard the word “ansaphone”, I understood it right way. sounds simple, cool and funny at the same time. something I would expect to hear from Bronx resident: “yo, let da ansaphone answer dat, bitch!”. can’t picture a Brit saying it.
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12:15 pm on December 31st, 2009Ansaphone=====goes back a long long way. When they first became available in the UK it was a reel to reel tape machine manufactured by a USA company ANSAPHONE. The name stuck with this type of product.
Actually Old Boy I cant imagine a Brit saying it either.Got to toodle along its time for High Tea dont you know and the Memsahib gets a tad frosty if Im late for it at the Club.Ho Ho and HNY
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9:45 am on December 29th, 2009Makes sense. Apple is about making money on the device and Amazon is about selling content. Would you buy a Apple tablet? Right now I don’t see the need for me to have one.
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12:05 pm on December 29th, 2009I’d get one in a second. Would be nice for web browsing from the couch, or watching videos in bed. Also, handy for Ula to surf from the living room while I’m working. You see, she has many week days off and works many weekends, so there are LOTS of times when I’m trying to work, and she has the day off, so she’s on her computer watching Big Brother or Survivor or something. Can be pretty distracting, depending on how treacherous the episode is
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2:17 am on December 30th, 2009Wow, how did I miss that info on Apple Tablet.Could suit my needs more than an iPhone as I dont make many mobile phone calls anyhow.Much bigger screen and looks very light. Have put iPhone on hold (they will hang onto my money but thats OK for now) and wait to see whats cooking with this Tablet as even my mate at the Apple Store is very short of info but agrees I would be a fool not to wait. I dont want an iMac, an iPhone and a Tablet. Noone seems very sure about surfing capabilities yet.
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10:44 am on December 30th, 2009Your mate @ the Apple Store is a fool to advise you to wait. iPhone and whatever the rumored device will be serve two different purposes. You want a portable MP3 player, cell phone, semi-powerful computing device in a small form factor? You go with an iPhone. You want a larger screen, bigger footprint device to browse from your couch? Get that “tablet”. They are not mutually exclusive.
Personally, I can’t picture myself w/o an iPhone and will gladly get the “tablet” to replace my laptop (more like a desktop) when I’m on the go, depending on its technical specs.
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11:21 am on December 30th, 2009True, VK, but Apple’s just announced that it’s having an event on January 26th. Surely it makes sense to wait a few more weeks before buying anything, just to see what comes out at that event.
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11:44 am on December 30th, 2009Hi VK, my Mate is no fool he just knows me so well .Im dithering you see, well thats what happens when you get older:) I dont do on the move Music,hardly play any in the Car and my mobile (brick) lives in the Car in case I breakdown and need to call someone.
I was looking for a small device to use the Web when away from home on holidays etc and first looked at a MacBook Air, very light and then got to thinking of the fab iPhone and ordered one only a few days ago using my Mates 20% discount. Now having heard of the Tablet I have put matters on hold as if this is lightweight, cheaper than the Air ,it could well suit my needs and the bonus is my better half can use it to surf the web at home rather than using my iMac 24 when I want it.I have 100mb internet speed so sharing some of that wont slow me down much. At my age we make arrangements to see people on a Monday and turn up exactly on time the following Friday.We have a landline with an ansaphone which is really all we need. You younger folks are a lot busier than us.Me and the long suffering wife are enjoying our retirement but make use of tech to make our life easier not harder.My first computer was an IBM in about 1975 good only for a Lotus spreadsheet.
HAPPY NEW YEAR in advance:) -
11:58 am on December 30th, 2009Translation: “ansaphone” = “answering machine” = “voice mail” = “call answer”
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8:56 am on December 31st, 2009fair enough. even with an iPhone I would wait since most likely a new gen. will be annouched in June. don’t wait too long though, there’s always something better on the horizon when it comes to technology
HNY
p.s. although I never heard the word “ansaphone”, I understood it right way. sounds simple, cool and funny at the same time. something I would expect to hear from Bronx resident: “yo, let da ansaphone answer dat, bitch!”. can’t picture a Brit saying it.
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12:15 pm on December 31st, 2009Ansaphone=====goes back a long long way. When they first became available in the UK it was a reel to reel tape machine manufactured by a USA company ANSAPHONE. The name stuck with this type of product.
Actually Old Boy I cant imagine a Brit saying it either.Got to toodle along its time for High Tea dont you know and the Memsahib gets a tad frosty if Im late for it at the Club.Ho Ho and HNY
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TGDaily Wrong About Apple
Mar/090
Christian Zibreg over at TGDaily.com said:
“Apple simply leaked a Mac mini spyshot and the blogosphere did the rest. . . stark departure in how the company markets its products . . . without Steve Jobs.”
Man, is he wrong.
The spy shots only generate such enthusiasm BECAUSE of Apple’s previous iron grip on leaks. If they’d never been hard on leaks, there wouldn’t have been nearly as much enthusiasm. Rare items are more valuable, so the harder the spyshot is to find, the more energy it generates.
What this means is that a ’spyshot strategy’ could only work for a very limited time… then it gets old and unremarkable.
Apple typically does 2 major “Stevenotes” in a year:
- WWDC – June – Typically updates its developer tools, operating system, and devices such as the iPod, iPhone, AirPort & Time Capsul.
- MacWorld – January – which brings updates to their laptops & desktops.
Neither of these events is in February/March.
What this means is that Apple didn’t consider this product refresh to be their “BIG WOW”. Processor bumps, and graphics bumps of lower end systems up to the specs of current MacBooks is no big whoop. It doesn’t warrant calling the press, and getting Steve out of bed. He’s trying to relax, not spend his days getting blue jeans and turtlenecks ready for action!
Furthermore, Christian said “Although Jobs isn’t around. . . Apple has successfully negotiated the Mark Papermaster appointment, started shipping a new version of iLife, unleashed the major Safari 4 Beta with cool new features, . . . updated the Mac mini, iMac, as well as its range of wireless base stations. . . and unveiled a new Mac Pro which runs Intel’s “secret” Nehalem processor, something you’d expect only Steve Jobs could pull off.”
That’s all true, but jeebus, Chris, do you seriously think that Apple did all that in the last 2 months? No way. Software and hardware take time to develop. They would have been designed and developed under Uncle Steve’s watchful eye, months ago. It takes about 2 months just to put the finishing touches on things, and by finishing touches I mean small details; look & feel stuff, not functionality. Apple probably had to provide their hardware manufacturers with the new blueprints & “gold master discs” before Steve even left the building. Things need time to happen.
So, what I’m saying is this:
- Spyshots are cheap tricks, whereas Apple is all about style, production value, and true quality. Anything less than Hollywood-style launches would go against their branding.
- The blockbuster events will keep rolling, even if Steve isn’t the one in the driver’s seat.
- This past hardware ‘update’ was not worthy of a big event. That means Apple has sweeter treats to come in 2009, namely Snow Leopard, and new iPhones in various form factors, at various price points. Maybe a tablet or netbook (iBook Pro?). Perhaps even a “buy an iPod for twice the price of our current iPods, and get all-you-can-eat access to the iTunes store for free, for the life of the device.”
At the end of his article, Christian says: “I’d put my money only on an Apple event in the case of a major form factor change . . . and the annual iPod refreshes.”
That’s exactly how it is now, and has been for the past several years.
Didn’t you notice?
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6:30 pm on January 27th, 2010
I also think it’s great. I’m super surprised at how cheap it is. And I agree with your consensus about it being the only computer for someone, and their only internet connection. I think it’s feasible.
In terms of it being one’s only computer.. I think it’s doable, and I think the situation will improve as they move iTunes more into the cloud..
9:21 pm on January 27th, 2010
Insanely great? No, I would not say that. In fact, I was expecting better. It’s a nice device though, don’t get me wrong. It’s a simple computer that is not a computer.
But my mom is not a computer expert at all but I don’t see her replacing her computer with an iPad (yet?). I know she likes some multitasking and she needs a camera (although I am sure that will come in the future).
Of course I wouldn’t mind having one but I don’t really need one. I doesn’t add enough to my daily routine also because I am not an e-book reader.
But it has potential and since it is a apple log on it, it has the potential to be a success.
1:43 am on January 28th, 2010
That will do nicely. Nothing on Apple UK website yet so have no idea of availability in UK yet.
3:10 am on January 28th, 2010
double yet above,my English teacher would shoot me.
Very interesting Apple made its own chip for the iPad,could this be significant for the future.
8:12 am on January 28th, 2010
Yes, Apple purchased a chip design company a little while ago, called PA-Semi. They also purchased a mapping company called PlaceBase, which I think will eventually replace Google Maps on the iPhone & iPad.
10:08 am on January 28th, 2010
Great review; I agree that it could easily be your only computer, or at least your only “laptop.” Apple’s biggest error in this was making it too good. With the tablet in the netbook price range and with it a lot sexier than a MacBook, that $1100-$2000+ MacBook price is looking a lot like an Eagles concert — an overpriced dinosaur.
Furthermore, all this crap about the tablet being four iPhones duct-taped together misses the point. The game changed and an iPod Touch is now a quarter-tablet; an iPhone is a $2500 quarter tablet, given the contract.
The tablet is definitely Apple’s fourth “it” device, after the Mac in ‘84, the iMac in 1999 or so and the iPod shortly after. But instead of standing alone or adding value to the rest of the lineup, I think it’s going to cannibalize — or net-bookize — both Apple’s laptop line and its mobile-device line. I mean, unless the tablet’s external keyboard is $1100, there absolutely no reason to buy an Air.
What will be left is the $2000+ pro and the tablet.
(I’d love to see an iPad Nano next Christmas; just a Touch but $400).
9:55 pm on January 28th, 2010
I find strange that you actually think bespin is a workable alternative to a real development environment. If you were told today that you had to use it instead of Zend would you be happy?
I’m also surprised that you don’t seem to have even the tiniest bit of moral outrage toward the fact that apple’s potentially coolest new piece of hardware goes entirely against open computing. It was fine (not great) when it was just a phone but this is a computer.
Somehow this idea that it’s more ‘accessible to the masses’ stacks up at greater value for you and taking a giant leap backwards in openness worth it to you?
Don’t get me wrong this thing looks like an awesome toy… I’d love to play with it. But the idea that this represents the future of computing for the masses, as Apple and you seem to be suggesting, scares the shit out of me.
9:56 pm on January 28th, 2010
Regarding Bespin versus Zend, no I would not be happy. I don’t mean to say that Bespin is in any way equivalent to Zend. I’m just using it to point out that coding on an iPad isn’t impossible. In fact, I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until someone releases a $9.99 PHP editor on the AppStore. My guess is that it’ll be by Aptana, who already have their own cloud service.
As for the Apple stuff, I can’t explain myself any better than Stephen Fry explained himself: “I do like and have tried to champion OpenSource software. How can I square that with my love of Apple? I’m complicated. I’m a human being. I also believe in a mixed economy and mixed nuts. I love our National Health Service and the National Theatre, but I also love Fortnum and Mason’s and Hollywood movies.”
I know intuitively that Openness must and will succeed, but at the same time I have an increasingly low tolerance for stuff that isn’t superbly designed. I don’t ever want to have to tweak/configure/fix things. They should just work. Apple’s products, by and large, do just that.
Ubuntu has made great strides in the last few years, but I won’t be going back to a fully open ecosystem until it approaches the simplicity & design I can get from Apple.
Fry’s excellent article – http://www.stephenfry.com/2010/01/28/ipad-about/
11:18 pm on January 28th, 2010
@DennisJordan
>>all this crap about the tablet being four iPhones duct-taped together misses the point. The game changed and an iPod Touch is now a quarter-tablet
I agree 100% !
>>The tablet is definitely Apple’s fourth “it” device, after the Mac in ‘84, the iMac in 1999 or so and the iPod shortly after.
Even though the iPhone is really a mini-iPad, I still think the iPhone was the 4th.
Mobile internet was SUPERSHIT before it came out. Have you ever tried to browse a WAP/WEP website? Eeeek!
Data was 10x more expensive.
Multi-touch didn’t exist.
Mobile games were limited to Nintendo DS & PSP.
>>Apple’s biggest error in this was making it too good. . . sexier than a MacBook . . . overpriced dinosaur. Instead of standing alone or adding value to the rest of the lineup, I think it’s going to cannibalize
I thought that, too.
Then I saw this quote:
“If anyone is going to cannibalize the sale of our products it might as well be us.” – Steve Jobs
He’s got all the angles covered
>> What will be left is the $2000+ pro and the tablet.
techies will continue to buy their desktops & laptops, because they need access to more hardcore stuff
but what’s going to happen is that everyone else will buy ipads
i don’t mean “everyone who would otherwise have bought a laptop or desktop”
i mean something closer to “everyone who is alive and wants to be online”
there are SO MANY people who don’t have computers because computers make them feel stupid or dumb, or because they think they won’t be able to figure them out.
apple is going to sell an ipad to 50% of those people
then those people will each convince 1 friend to get one, because it’s so easy to use
word of mouth rules
apple stores will help a lot too, because they’re a no-pressure place where people can hold them, and try them out, and ask all sorts of questions.
12:55 pm on January 30th, 2010
most of your “R” predictions are general in nature and applicable to almost any new “tablet” gadget (i.e., Dell, HP and others will be release one of their own this year).
>Coupled with the keyboard dock, I believe it is in fact good enough to be most >people’s ONLY computer.
no it’s not. web experience is not complete w/o Flash. no USB = no connectivity to printer, USB drive, etc. no webcam = inability to video conference.
yes, it’s fast, slim, beautiful but… useless as the “only computer”. I will wait for the second generation of the iPad or get one from another manufacturer that will include the aforesaid necessities.
Apple can’t be “excused” by taking so much time, bulding up so much hype/expection, and then releasing a barely useful device.
8:39 pm on January 31st, 2010
My “predictions” seem general now that it has been launched. Yes, “tablets” have been available by Dell, HP, and others for years, but they all sucked ass! They never took off.
I use my iPhone for a LOT of web browsing, and 99% of the time I don’t miss Flash. USB is also not required – you can do a lot via WiFi these days. Many printers support WiFi printing. In an interview, Steve Jobs said the iPad will support printing at launch.
Lack of web cam is not a huge deal (though I agree it is annoying). The amount of people who think video conferencing is cool is very high, but the amount of people who actually DO video conferencing is very low. Not a deal breaker, just a nice to have.
It may be useless as YOUR only computer, but most people don’t require all the features you would use. They’re not “necessities”. Just useful-for-geeks.
7:51 pm on February 2nd, 2010
I am talking about tablets that were announced at CES, which took place before your predictions.
I’ve been using iPhone since the first generation, most of my daily web browsing is done on the deive and one thing I greatly miss is Flash.
This device is for non-geeks; basically, those people who will use it on their couch, browse non-CSS compliant web sites (most likely with Flash) and chat with their relatives/grandchildren (most likely with video). I would have purchased it for my dad who hates his PC, and all he does is exactly that: browse the web and videoconference with me and other folks. It’s a deal breaker, and I am pretty sure it’s a deal breaker for many. One reassuring thing is that some leaked photos of the iPad taken apart show an empty space for camera (http://www.macrumors.com/2010/02/01/ipad-enclosure-has-empty-space-for-camera/)
USB? Essential. If we’re talking about the “only” computer, then who wouldn’t want to take photos with their pocket camera, take the memory card out, stick in a reader and show to friends?
In any case, I will wait for the second generation. Hopefully iPad will face some competition from the planned releases by HP, DELL, et al. It will give Apple a good reason to include some of the obvious features the current generation is lacking.
Let’s see what happens with iPhone this coming summer. Google’s Nexus One is a worthy competitor, so Mr. Jobs can no longer sit back and relax.
9:05 pm on February 2nd, 2010
I didn’t pay much attention to CES, so my predictions aren’t from there. The tablets I did see from CES, though, were just small computers running Windows 7. None of them were optimized for the tablet form factor.
I have no idea what you’re talking about when you said “non-CSS compliant”. I’ve never had a problem with Mobile Safari rendering anything… except Flash.
As for the whole USB thing, Apple actually released USB and SD-Card attachments for the iPad. They’re kind of hokey, but at least they let you use USB & SD. See’em here: http://www.aworldofchange.info/2010/01/27/apple-ipads-myriad-optional-dongles-usb-sd-ac-bbq-apple/
It’s only a matter of time until Belkin or someone releases a full-featured dock that includes a USB hub, nice external speakers, keyboard, a top-mounted webcam, and some kind of harddrive that backs up the iPad automatically. It won’t be too expensive, and it’ll be well worth it.
I think I’ll get a first generation iPad (16 gig, wifi only) just to see if I like it. If I do,I’ll sell it as soon as the 2nd generation is announced, and order myself a top-of-the-line iPad 2.0 with max storage, 3G, and whatever else it includes.
10:50 pm on February 2nd, 2010
Dongles, docks… I would rather sacrifice slightly thickness than having to pay extra for cable attachments.
A number of tiny tablets were showcased at CES. Lots will hit the market. Starting from 5″ devices (http://www.slipperybrick.com/2010/01/dell-unveils-mini-5-tablet-prototype/).
I am tempted to get the iPad but won’t be lining up to buy it.
9:32 am on February 3rd, 2010
I’m not a fan of dongles either, but I wouldn’t mind if it required a dock to connect to other devices.
I’m pretty “meh” about the CES tablets. Everyone and their brother is releasing Android devices. Some of the hardware is great, and the OS is great, but NOBODY is taking the time and spending the money to make a suite of custom-designed apps for their Android-based devices. Without that, it won’t be a slick, custom experience, optimized for the tablet form-factor. Without that, the iPad will continue to kick their asses for a long time to come.
The original iPod beat every other MP3 player in exactly the same way: it came with iTunes. Apple wins because it builds & optimizes both the hardware and the software, so they work together perfectly.
Yes, there were geeks who insisted their Creative MP3 Player was better, because it had an FM tuner, but eventually they realized how inferior “Creative Jukebox” was to iTunes, and they switched. Today, some people use Songbird to manage their music, but this is 10 years later! It has taken SO long for the rest of their industry to get their shit together and design a single elegant competitor. Insanity.
12:10 pm on February 3rd, 2010
>Yes, there were geeks who insisted their Creative MP3 Player was better,
>because it had an FM tuner, but eventually they realized how inferior “Creative
>Jukebox” was to iTunes, and they switched.
I had a Creative MP3 player. Still have it. It has superior sounding qualities, files could be dragged and dropped, FM tuner, etc. I don’t use it not because of shitty “Creative Jukebox” (I never even tried it). I use iPhone because I want all-in-one. The only time I use iTunes is to sync apps and contacts. Music and videos are synced with a third-party application, which is much more flexible and I can simply drag and drop files.
>NOBODY is taking the time and spending the money to make a suite of custom-
>designed apps for their Android-based devices.
Google does. Nexus works great, so does Droid. I am pretty sure that tablets that will be released will provide a decent user experience. While Apple definitely rocks at doing that, they compromise on some essential features. I am waiting for a no-compromise tool. Give me 8 hours of playback but include a camera. Charge a bit more but if you’re including 3G, don’t introduce mini-SIM cards and don’t lock it to data only. Etc. It’ll be great to see what the modding community does with this toy. Maybe when in London, ON, I’ll drop by check out your new iPad.
2:09 pm on February 3rd, 2010
P.S. Here’s something new from Google: http://dev.chromium.org/chromium-os/user-experience/form-factors/tablet