Apple Tablets in Late 2009 / Early 2010?

[FanIn80]

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles...next_year.html

The 10-inch, 3G-enabled tablet, akin to a jumbo iPod touch, is the latest brainchild of chief executive Steve Jobs. That distinction, as insiders will tell you, carries its share of baggage. Under the critical eye of Jobs, contours must be precise, each pixel of the interface has to match a particular vision, and there can be no fault -- no matter how slight -- or it's back to the drawing board.

As such, AppleInsider has observed silently as the project was reset at least a half-dozen times over the past 24 months. Each time, development was frozen and key aspects of the device rethought, retooled and repositioned. At times, those close to the Apple co-founder had their doubts that it would ever see the light of day, just like a smaller PDA device he canned a few years after returning to the company.

However, the past six months have reportedly seen the critical pieces fall into place. Jobs, who's been overseeing the project from his home, office and hospital beds, has finally achieved that much-sought aura of satisfaction. He's since cemented the device in the company's 2010 roadmap, where it's being positioned for a first quarter launch, according to people well-respected by AppleInsider for their striking accuracy in Apple's internal affairs.

http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/a52c9ec0-7...nclick_check=1

The device is expected to be launched alongside new content deals, including some aimed at stimulating sales of CD-length music, according to people briefed on the project. The touch-sensitive computer will have a screen that may be up to 10 inches diagonally.

It will connect to the internet like the iPod Touch – probably without phone capability but with access to the web, and to Apple's online stores for software and entertainment.

The entertainment industry is hoping that Apple, which revolutionised the markets for music players and for phones, can do it again. "It's a portable entertainment device," said one entertainment executive. "It's going to be fabulous for watching movies."

Recording industry executives said Apple planned to use the larger screen to offer new services such as interactive booklets and liner notes that come along with purchases of entire music CDs.

And here's an artist's rendition of what it may look like, compared against an iPhone...




Add: Further reading:
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/24/...from-p-a-semi/
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/27/...-in-september/

[Jedi Ninja]

Originally Posted by FanIn80

And here's an artist's rendition of what it may look like, compared against an iPhone...




Add: Further reading:
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/24/...from-p-a-semi/
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/27/...-in-september/

Interesting. Tablet computers have had a hard go of it catching on in the past, but now that the iPhone has really gotten large numbers of people acclimatized to using an on-screen keyboard, I can see this product making a good go of it.

The artist's rendition is mind blowing.

[Pastiche]

Apple's well due for a failure and this has failure written all over it.

[FanIn80]

I think it all hinges on the application support. For media and entertainment purposes, a 10" iPod Touch sounds pretty awesome... but if they lock it down to App Store apps only, it won't be that great. They're going to need to include desktop apps. iWork, Office for Mac, etc etc.

Having said all of that, knowing Apple (and Steve Jobs), this thing will have something more to it than what we're seeing now.

[Pastiche]

The news clip you attached is a bad marketing gimmick. The signs are there. I'm sure that was a leaked story from apple. It focuses on the personalities instead of the device. Steve Jobs' latest masterpiece. He didn't rest until it was perfected. Teaser trailer stuff. Bad sign that when they actually talk about the device it's of the decidedly ho-hum variety. Ok it offers liner notes, streams movies. Okay.

Compare that with early leaks of the iPhone. An iPod that's also a phone! That was exciting. This seems like there are fewer innovative products coming down the line at Apple. That's fine, they don't need to release innovative hardware every year and the company will still be fine. However, a 10 inch media laptop?

And I agree there's going to be something else to it but if you hunkey down and think... what? There isn't a giant unwashed niche that I can really perceive that this device will capture as the ipod and iphones did. It's a netbook that seems to still have all the trappings of tablet computers.

Either way, we'll see. Could be another amazing product. Could be another tablet.

[octothorp]

I'm only interested in an apple tablet that will allow me to run illustrator and use a wacom pen directly on it. Somehow, I don't think that's this tablet.

[FanIn80]

Oh hey. That would be pretty cool...

[Human Torch]

Originally Posted by octothorp

I'm only interested in an apple tablet that will allow me to run illustrator and use a wacom pen directly on it. Somehow, I don't think that's this tablet.

Yup, if I can't use photoshop & wacom pens it's not worth it.

[mykalberta]

Is this the new phone for Verizon? If so that is one mother large phone.

This is why I think the rumor is BS. Unless its a new computer line and has nothing to do with the iPhone. What do people think will be the pricepoint $650 US?

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Is this the new phone for Verizon? If so that is one mother large phone.

This is why I think the rumor is BS. Unless its a new computer line and has nothing to do with the iPhone. What do people think will be the pricepoint $650 US?

Huh?

It isn't a phone... it's a 10" tablet. The drawing is just an artist's rendition of what it may look like.

[FanIn80]

More reading: http://www.macrumors.com/2009/07/28/...-apple-tablet/

With the growing evidence that Apple will be releasing some sort of Apple Tablet in the next 3-6 months, analysts and writers have started speculating about the potential success or failure of such a device.

Both Gizmodo and PC World have taken the time to detail why they think that such a product will be a flop. John Gruber, however, points out that these people are incorrectly assuming that such a device would mimic present day tablets and offer no compelling new features.

[FanIn80]

More tablet infos:

The device, as he sees it, will…

- Be similar to an iPod touch, only larger, capable of running most of the 70,000 applications on the iPhone App Store plus a new category of apps designed for the bigger screen.
- Will be used primarily for Web surfing, e-mail, and digital media, competing with netbooks without being a netbook.
- Will be priced between an iPhone and a MacBook -- between $500 and $700.
- Is likely to include a 3G cellular modem and could be subsidized by a carrier -- either AT&T or Verizon.
- Will sell better than Apple TV did its first year (1.2 million units).
- Could in fact sell 2 million units at $600 each to generate $1.2 billion and add about 3% to Apple's revenue stream in calendar 2010.

New Analyst Mockup and Sales Estimates for Apple's Tablet

[Fozzie_DeBear]

I wonder if it will have a webcam and could incorporate iChat/Skype

[FanIn80]

That would be interesting...

[The Ditch]

I have a netbook I got for $350, it is a full computer, ie having Windows on it capable of running quite a few programs (limited by the hardware in it) can also be turned into a hakintosh if so inclined. I'm a pretty big Apple fan, I own an Apple tower, laptop, iphone but honestly I don't see how I could get myself to spend $700 American on an Apple tablet that doesn't have full OS on it, not capable of running a lot of Apple programs (my guess) when for less than half of that I can have way more.

[mykalberta]

Kind of off topic, 3rd hand info but I trust the sales guy who told me this morning as he is one of the few who is a computer enthusiast. He said that Telus would have an Apple iPhone for Christmas 2010. He was replacing his Storm with the lastest Bb. I have heard this before from other Sales guys but his is the first opinion to me that has merit.

Take it for what its worth, but would conicide with the 2010 Verizon rumors.

We still dont officially support anything other than the Bb and Windows Mobile phones, but currently the iPhone and Pre do work with our email system. There are rumors on the Windows side that if Apple is legally successful in blocking the Pre from accessing iTunes, that MS might put a block on all 3rd party mobile mail clients accessing Exchange.

I know the Pre has a 3rd party non MS client, I dont know if the iPhone does as well. The Bb admin in the US told me we only supports MS supported devices and have told me to convay to people that they replace a Bb with an iPhone and Pre at their own risk.

[HotHotHeat]

I'm surprised so many people doubt Apple at this point. If they're going to enter into a new market, they're going to do it cause the product they have to sell is heads and shoulders about the rest. This product will be cool, and will be something that people want.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

We still dont officially support anything other than the Bb and Windows Mobile phones, but currently the iPhone and Pre do work with our email system. There are rumors on the Windows side that if Apple is legally successful in blocking the Pre from accessing iTunes, that MS might put a block on all 3rd party mobile mail clients accessing Exchange.

I know the Pre has a 3rd party non MS client, I dont know if the iPhone does as well. The Bb admin in the US told me we only supports MS supported devices and have told me to convay to people that they replace a Bb with an iPhone and Pre at their own risk.

I don't know what you mean by "3rd party" in the context of your post. Are you saying that the Pre has a non-MS and non-Palm email client? If so, are you asking if Apple has a non-Apple email client?

Apple only has one email client on the iPhone. It is called Mail, and it is native to the iPhone OS (ie: it's not a 3rd party app). It your speaking from the context of an Exchange server syncing outwards, then both the native Palm and the native Apple mail clients are considered "3rd party" mail apps.

Personally, I'm quite fine with MS blocking non-MS apps from using ActiveSync with Exchange servers. It's a POS anyway, and they can't stop IMAP from working. Besides... Apple has it's own sync service called MobileMe, which is heads and tails better than Exchange. The only downside, is it's hosted on Apple's servers. If MS blocks Exchange ActiveSync, I would be ecstatic it Apple responded by packaging the MobileMe service and making it available to corporations as a replacement for Exchange.

Plus, with BES already well established, and the whole corporate infrastructure shifting to a mobile standard... I really don't think MS wants to pick this kind of fight. I'd love to see them try, though.

[mykalberta]

Its some MS Mobile Exchange mail client -client is the wrong word, its nothing to do with the front end, from what I understand its a set of protocols specifically for Exchange that needs to be licensed from Microsoft - Active Sync sounds correct. Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices have it. I know the Palm Pre does not. I dont know if the iPhone does.

It has nothing to do with the BES server. It has to do with the Exchange Server. We run Exchange 2007.

Trust me when I say, no corporation with switch from Exchange to MobileMe. If anything they would switch to Apache or something open source to bypass it. From what I have read its a licensing issue. MS is trying to get it on all iPhones. And if the iTunes/Pre thing is won by Apple then MS wont have to worry about anti-trust since it doesnt dominate mail severs world wide, corporate mail servers yes.

As an aside, I would buy the tablet in a heart beat if it came with a battery life similar to a netbook of 9+ hours.

[FanIn80]

Originally Posted by mykalberta

Its some MS Mobile Exchange mail client -client is the wrong word, its nothing to do with the front end, from what I understand its a set of protocols specifically for Exchange that needs to be licensed from Microsoft - Active Sync sounds correct. Windows Mobile and Blackberry devices have it. I know the Palm Pre does not. I dont know if the iPhone does.

It has nothing to do with the BES server. It has to do with the Exchange Server. We run Exchange 2008.

Trust me when I say, no corporation with switch from Exchange to MobileMe. If anything they would switch to Apache or something open source to bypass it. From what I have read its a licensing issue. MS is trying to get it on all iPhones. And if the iTunes/Pre thing is won by Apple then MS wont have to worry about anti-trust since it doesnt dominate mail severs world wide, corporate mail servers yes.

As an aside, I would buy the tablet in a heart beat if it came with a battery life similar to a netbook of 9+ hours.

Oh you're just talking about the ActiveSync protocol? The iPhone already has that. I didn't know Palm doesn't support it. Makes sense though. Knowing them, they probably have some kind of hack that tricks Outlook into thinking it's a Windows Mobile phone.

http://www.apple.com/iphone/business...tion/#exchange