I'm not a big tablet fan, but if Apple had one that ran regular Mac OS X (with any addons needed for the tablet interface), it might be intertesting to get this in a small form factor.

Could eventually become small enough to be a Apple PDA.

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Guest wrote:
I'm not a big tablet fan, but if Apple had one that ran regular Mac OS X (with any addons needed for the tablet interface), it might be intertesting to get this in a small form factor.

Could eventually become small enough to be a Apple PDA.

I'm not big on tablets either, but if they could make a Macbook Pro that folded all the way over so you could use it as a table OR leave it as a laptop they'd have a really popular product on their hands.

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Small White Car wrote:
I'm not big on tablets either, but if they could make a Macbook Pro that folded all the way over so you could use it as a table OR leave it as a laptop they'd have a really popular product on their hands.

I'm with ya on that count.Of course, it's been done on the PC side for some time now. What Apple will have to do is incorporate this gesturing and the fold-back form in a portable that is dinky. I mean really small.

I'm thinking about a third larger than the Newton 2100, thinner, of course, with a wide aspect screen, qwerty keyboard, WiFi, Bluetooth, and can run OS X at the same speed as a 800 mhz G4 (faster would be better, obviously, but I'm a realist).

Sell it at iBook prices and Apple couldn't make enough of them.

Ah to dream...

Vern Seward

I've got one of the HP convertible machines for work. I find that, once the screen is flipped, the OS seems to get rather sluggish. Tracking the stylus becomes erratic.

I really love the idea of a tablet mac, but I really would rather have one that doesn't fold. The less moving parts the better. With an intuitive interface (and this looks really intuitive) and a large flash-based capacity (like 5-10 GB or so), Apple could really have a winner. This is definately something I would be interested in, especially given the large amount of online document research I do all the time.

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Small White Car wrote:

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Guest wrote:
I'm not a big tablet fan, but if Apple had one that ran regular Mac OS X (with any addons needed for the tablet interface), it might be intertesting to get this in a small form factor.

Could eventually become small enough to be a Apple PDA.

I'm not big on tablets either, but if they could make a Macbook Pro that folded all the way over so you could use it as a table OR leave it as a laptop they'd have a really popular product on their hands.

The HP convertible is interesting, but i think the swivel hinge is its weak point and Achilles heel. If Apple uses the concept of a clamshell design with a virtual keyboard – which can become a second screen – i think they may have something really slick.

However i am not convinced that touch-typing on a virtual keyboard will be at all easy. The lack of tactile feedback could be a problem. Will be interesting to see how Apple solves that problem. If they can’t do a good job, it will be that design’s Achilles heel, IMO. Time will tell.

I want my MTV!!

I have a sneaky suspicion that this suggests more about the iPod than a tablet. The biggest problem with the current iPod is screen size. So how would Ive and Jobs fit a bigger screen on the iPod without cramping the scrollwheel?

They'd virtualize the scrollwheel and the entire surface of the iPod would be touch screen. It would require some smart materials and engineering, but imagine the possibilities of an all-screen iPod design!

danship (a.t) mac (d.o.t) com

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Guest wrote:
I really love the idea of a tablet mac, but I really would rather have one that doesn't fold. The less moving parts the better.

check the following for more pictures:
http://hrmpf.com/wordpress/48/new-apple-patents

It seems that most everything, including a Keyboard, is handled be interactions with screen displays, leading me to believe that no hardware keyboard ( except external ) is in evidence. Ergo, no need for folding or rotating; this may be most likened to an Etch-a-Sketch without buttons.

Even hard & slot drives may be missing, replaced by external units accessed in some kind of wireless fashion. ( saves power, cuts cost )

=== just wishful thinking ===

I agree about this being implemented on the iPod. When the video first came out, I talked wit ha friend of mine abou Apple doing this exact idea with the iPod video in order to keep the samlles form factor possible and at the same time almost triple the screen real estate.

Either way, it would be sofaking cool for an actual product to come from these patents.



"I have a sneaky suspicion that this suggests more about the iPod than a tablet. The biggest problem with the current iPod is screen size. So how would Ive and Jobs fit a bigger screen on the iPod without cramping the scrollwheel?

They'd virtualize the scrollwheel and the entire surface of the iPod would be touch screen. It would require some smart materials and engineering, but imagine the possibilities of an all-screen iPod design!"

A Guest wrote:
"Even hard & slot drives may be missing, replaced by external units
accessed in some kind of wireless fashion. ( saves power, cuts cost )"

Uhhh... No. The way things are now, it is not possible to save power doing things wirelessly. Maybe some day in the future, but not now.
I also find it hard to believe that it would cut costs, but that's out of my area of expertise.

But I'd prefer a slate, not a convertible.

A widescreen 12", preferably flash memory instead of HD, CF and SD slots, Airport Extreme, BT 2.0, two USB 2.0, one FW. GOOD speakers (I hate the speakers on my iBook). Min-DVI out, analog and digital audio in/out.

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Small White Car wrote:

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Guest wrote:
I'm not a big tablet fan, but if Apple had one that ran regular Mac OS X (with any addons needed for the tablet interface), it might be intertesting to get this in a small form factor.

Could eventually become small enough to be a Apple PDA.

I'm not big on tablets either, but if they could make a Macbook Pro that folded all the way over so you could use it as a table OR leave it as a laptop they'd have a really popular product on their hands.

While they really would sell better than hotcakes, i think that there is more of a chance that this is what they are up to:

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danship wrote:
I have a sneaky suspicion that this suggests more about the iPod than a tablet. The biggest problem with the current iPod is screen size. So how would Ive and Jobs fit a bigger screen on the iPod without cramping the scrollwheel?

They'd virtualize the scrollwheel and the entire surface of the iPod would be touch screen. It would require some smart materials and engineering, but imagine the possibilities of an all-screen iPod design!

danship (a.t) mac (d.o.t) com

*wipes up drool*

*decides that there is too much drool*

Hey did anyone notice that the 5G iPod could possibly handle 5 megapixel RAW? i would bet big money that the next 'Pod has a camera in it. Big money.

this is sneakily similar to the gesture-based input of the smaller, glass-screened computers in Minority Report, no?

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ZoundsPadang wrote:
this is sneakily similar to the gesture-based input of the smaller, glass-screened computers in Minority Report, no?

drrrrrrooooooollllll.... OMG that woud be seriously freakin' awsome!!