Apple Tablet being released end of Jan

[Colt.ps]

Great news for fans of userbility and design

http://mobile.venturebeat.com/2010/01/11/orange-exec-confirms-apples-tablet-upcoming-launch/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaig n=Feed:+Venturebeat+(VentureBeat)


How I'd LOVE one of these.....although not sure a recovering agoraphobic should worry about portable computers

[Amnesiac.ps]

I too would love one. But also don't leave the house enough to warrant the (presumably) sky high price.

Still its something to keep an eye on.

[Tstrike.ps]

Verrry nice !

[Jamesy.ps]

Do they accept an arm and leg over the counter?

[Tstrike.ps]

I think they are taking your first born this time.

[mic]

Looks good. Lets see how it preforms.

[Chips]

Got a notebook laptop already (folding screen) with touch-screen, finger print reader and shed loads of other stuff. Had it for ~20 months now. Use it daily, so getting on for 700 odd times. Bought it for it's portability (small size, 12" screen). So it is kind of a tablet when folded down flat, and it's touchscreen is genuine, so can type with fingers onto "virtual keyboard" on the screen (albeit not hugely fast!).

Number of times needed it to be a tablet: 0.
Number of times used as a tablet: 1
Number of times the touch-screen has provided something beyond the keyboard can manage, or be faster than mousepad/keyboard?: 20 times perhaps? Usually for pressing a button instead of moving mouse)
How much longer does it take to mess about trying to write than type?: Huge amount of time longer...

It looks nice, but I'd be surprised if many people actually need a tablet over a normal laptop, or a notebook.

[Colt.ps]

It's going to be interesting how it impacts our use of the pc though chips - don't you think?

I agree with your summary by the way --- except i'm not sure this is the 'device to replace' a lap top. I do wonder whether it will be the device that introduces computers to a larger audience - stuff like presentations, erm, e-books, portable video player, erm....yeah

[Dr.Strangelove.ps]

people will buy it and then rant on how good it is etc etc
its to be expected

but i think this one is far sexier (i know it isnt a tablet)

lenovo: ideapad

[grom.ps]

The Lenovo is very sweet indeed



The Apple tablet is hasn't been confirmed at all. Stephane made some comments that were taken out of context and then translated into words that the Apple fanbois wanted to hear. Yes, Apple are going to release a tablet, yes, it is supposed to be a lot cheaper than a lot of Apple kit and yes, it's expected to be on sale very soon indeed but that picture is not of an Apple tablet and no details are out yet at all. It's amazing how it got turned into front page news.

The only reason I'm interested in one would be for sitting in front of the tv doing some casual surfing - they won't be powerful enough for anything else.

[SleeperService.ps]

Yeah that lenovo looks very good.

[Colt.ps]

If you need persuading that it's a good idea for companies to try replacing netbooks with something even more compact and simple to use :

@jemimah_knightRT @jonfildes RT @security4all: By 2013, mobiles will overtake PCs as most common Web access device worldwide: http://www.gartner.com/it/page.jsp?id=1278413

[Dr.Strangelove.ps]

i agree on the last point,

but the other predictions.....

[MacNetron.ps]

By 2015 Gartner still will make predictions without ever looking back if the previous predictions ever came true.

I made friends with an university teacher (NOT!) by stating that his prediction of "within 5 years every student will not come to the university anymore but "to go college online", was invalid. "Make it 10 years, but probably 15" I said. How did I dare to say that!
Of course, I was right, because the 10 years have passed now.

[Colt.ps]

All the rumours in one pic

[Dr.Strangelove.ps]

from the grauniad

http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology...-reader-launch

but im loving this quote

I'll buy almost anything if it's shiny and made by Apple.

I'm loving my Macbook wheel.

[Chips]

It's going to be interesting how it impacts our use of the pc though chips - don't you think?

I agree with your summary by the way --- except i'm not sure this is the 'device to replace' a lap top. I do wonder whether it will be the device that introduces computers to a larger audience - stuff like presentations, erm, e-books, portable video player, erm....yeah

I don't personally think it is. Tablets aren't new, they've been around for quite a while, and I don't see anything really new or ground breaking from Apple. They do, however, take things largely ignored and popularise them. They make gadgets cool, in other words. Touchscreen has been around for YEARS, it's just that for most applications, it is so much slower than using a normal pointing device and keyboard. However, Apple sort of popularised it to the masses, who embraced it. Was it the touchscreen, or was it the Apple gloss though?

Apple are very good at making things look incredibly nice, and their marketing is excellent. Essentially they are selling an image that people want to buy into. People pay a premium for that, and then they do tend to go on about how wonderful Apple is

Apple have a very strong following, some people will buy their products even when they don't need it, and that is the power of the Apple image being sold. I'm sure the product will be very good, Apple do make good quality products, it is just that as with everything Apple, you pay a large premium for the image you wish to be a part of, and for some people, that is the motivation to purchase something they don't like.

So will this revolutionise anything? No, there is no new technology in this whatsoever. What Apple may be able to do (if the product exists) is popularise it.

If they do, I predict a GOOD sale of "stands" for the tablet. People will find that holding a computer in one hand whilst only having one hand to interact with it, is annoying. Once you put it on a stand...you're back to the laptop/notebook design, which is far easier to type and interact with. However, I'm sure people who buy it will say they couldn't live without it
Of course, if it has excellent battery life yet weighs very little AND is as powerful as a normal laptop, then that'd be what I'd find cool With solid state drives, and things getting smaller, it will be interesting to see how small these things can go.

Would I turn one down if I was given one? Of course not I do think it would rapidly fall into disuse though...I'd just carry it about with me. Then if I saw a hot lady with a penchant for Apple products, I'd get it out and let her make cooing noises...

[Colt.ps]

There is this tendency for popularist assumption that apple users are apple users because apples are 'cool' somehow, rather than robustly made, reliable and flexible products that have excellent userbility.
It may be true of some. It's simply patronizing to the rest of us that have experienced all manner of tech, extensively and in all manner of applications, and formed firm opinions on what works and what doesn't, what lasts and what breaks.

By the way, touch screen has indeed been around for years - I've not been without a device featuring it for at least the last 7 - and it always sucked. Personally, I am still hugely impressed every time i use the touchscreen on my iphone - it's precise, quick and spot on - and the first time I can honestly say i prefer it to hard set keys.

[Colt.ps]

This is intersting too - and looks neat!

http://mashable.com/2010/01/02/google-tablet/

[Chips]

I did say Apple make good quality products. Just that you also pay a mark-up for the brand name, and not necessarily the quality. Why else, when I last looked 18 months ago admittedly, did a black macbook cost £200 more than a white macbook?

The reason I looked at Apple was that a friend has a macbook that's over 5 years old and I was hugely worried about how laptops seem to have a short lifespan. However, the premium paid for the same product is excessive. At around £400 more expensive than the laptop I ended up buying for the same product contents, the cost was not justified.

Apple do advertise almost exclusively upon their brand/look, not a mention of quality... They may make good products, but that isn't why most people buy them over other brands. Obviously some do, and I've been told a long time ago that graphics designers in particular will swear by Apple over anything else - but i imagine that is the software side of things, not hardware?

As for their touchscreen - I've used an iPhone and I did enjoy the interface, a lot. It looked very nice, and worked surprisingly well. Would I own one? Yes - but the price is beyond silly for what I would get out of it
Right now my phone is a phone, a texting device - and above all, my alarm clock

Back to the tablets - unless these things are really light, I am sceptical as to their use other than "play thing". Doesn't mean they don't look nice, and doesn't mean that the interfaces aren't great...just that the actual idea itself seems a bit arbitrary for most users.