Mac Tablet Rumors Ping!
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Posted on 10/04/2009 6:43:29 PM PDT by Swordmaker
The focus of Apple's long-rumored tablet device could be the transformation of newspapers, magazines and other print media, a new rumor suggests.
With anonymous information from people within various facets of the publishing world, Gizmodo has said that Apple has been reaching out to print publications about putting their products for sale on iTunes via a new piece of hardware. The report cited people familiar with The New York Times, publishers McGraw Hill and Oberlin Press, and a trip that "several executives from one of the largest magazine groups" took to the company's Cupertino, Calif., headquarters.
Apple's tablet has been through a number of different iterations, and the project has been reset numerous times by company co-founder Steve Jobs. The report said that Jobs was presented with a tablet device that ran a modified version of OS X years ago, but the device was shelved because the company could not determine what use people would have for the hardware.
The focus of the hardware now is said to not be the playback of media, which the iPod and iPhone lines already handle well. Instead, Apple is reportedly working to have publishers place their print content on iTunes.
"The eventual goal is to have publishers create hybridized content that draws from audio, video, interactive graphics in books, magazines and newspapers, where paper layouts would be static," the report said. "And with release dates for Microsoft's Courier set to be quite far away and Kindle stuck with relatively static e-ink, it appears that Apple is moving towards a pole position in distribution of this next-generation print content. First, it'll get its feet wet with more basic repurposing of the stuff found on dead trees today."
Gizmodo also corroborates what sources have told AppleInsider -- that the device will debut in early 2010.
Two people from The New York Times were allegedly contacted by Apple in June about putting their product on a "new device." And McGraw Hilll and Oberlin Press are said to be working to put their textbooks on iTunes, possibly in a DRMed format that would allow use for a period of time. And magazine executives are alleged to have presented their ideas on the future of publishing on Apple's campus. Given the evidence, the report asserts that Apple is looking to go beyond e-readers, like Amazon's Kindle, to "redefine print."
I’ve heard that Apple isn’t very happy with talks at the moment, because the print companies just want to recycle their current business models on the device.
At least Apple is thinking of new applications for the tablet form factor, rather than just running an OS without a keyboard.
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It’s a last gasp opportunity that I’m certain publishers will be too narrow-minded to seize.
>> Two people from The New York Times were allegedly contacted by Apple in June about putting their product on a “new device.”
ROFL! Same Old Crap, New Attractive Can.
I don’t see paid news selling all that well.
BTW, it’s interesting to see them taking Kindle on directly. IMHO the appliance+ePaper form factor a la Kindle is better for distribution of “ink” stuff, than a general purpose LCD tablet computer. We’ll see how it goes. It’ll be interesting
I would love to buy a tablet.
>> I would love to buy a tablet.
How do you type on it?
A backlit screen cannot compete with E-Ink. A tablet will just be another “all purpose” device like a cell phone with a camera. It will not be a Kindle killer.
>> A backlit screen cannot compete with E-Ink. A tablet will just be another “all purpose” device like a cell phone with a camera. It will not be a Kindle killer.
Yeah, that’s what I think also. Heavy, thick, expensive, views poorly at wide angles or bright light, low battery life.
On the other hand, I have never understood the appeal of tablet computers, except for vertical apps. I’m not saying it isn’t there... just that I haven’t ever seen it.
I have had this discussion with a friend who is a passionate Mac aficionado and really believes that this Apple tablet will launch Apple into the stratosphere. When pressed for why the tablet form factor is better, the best he’s done so far is “you can lie on the couch and surf with it”. I’m not convinced that’s a killer app! :-) Maybe I’m wrong.
I suspect it will be like the Newton which used a stylus. Or maybe like the iPhone or iTouch with an online type screen.
And, don’t forget, many of these devices allow a peripheral keyboard to be added.
The same way you type on an iPhone... with a virtual keyboard...
>> I suspect it will be like the Newton which used a stylus.
Ugh. If you could see my handwriting you’d know why I say that.
>> Or maybe like the iPhone or iTouch with an online type screen.
Ugh again. I’m not sure what line I was in when they were handing out penmanship skills, but it was definitely NOT the “patience” line. :-)
>> And, don’t forget, many of these devices allow a peripheral keyboard to be added.
OK, now we’re getting somewhere. Of course, you’ll have to have some sort of built in rack thingie to hold the tablet upright while you use the keyboard... which means you’ll pretty much need to be at a flat surface, like a table, to use it. Can you imagine balancing that setup on your lap on an airplane? HEY WAIT A MINUTE... I have an idea! What if we make this sort of folding clamshell-like contraption with the keyboard in the bottom half, and the screen in the top half? ;-)
Please don’t get me wrong, I’m not saying there’s no market for this tablet (although I have my doubts). There very well could be an outstanding application that I just don’t “get”. And for my own personal needs, the laptop form factor is perfect, so I won’t be needing one.
How about if it had a real keyboard at the bottom of the tablet?
>> The same way you type on an iPhone... with a virtual keyboard...
On an iPhone, a virtual keyboard is a necessity.
On a device that’s reasonably expected to take the place of a laptop, a virtual keyboard would be (imo) a giant annoyance. Why? Because you’ve moved into a use case scenario where SIGNIFICANT amounts of typing are reasonable to expect.
Am I missing something here? What is the target market for these tablet devices? What are the use cases that are not well-served by a laptop but would work better on a tablet?
Isn’t there already a Kindle app for iPhone? If it’s also coming out for this tablet, Apple will have a huge advantage over potential competitors (including the Kindle, heh).
>> How about if it had a real keyboard at the bottom of the tablet?
Then I would want it to fold in the middle, so it would be easier to carry around. :-)
But seriously, if the keyboard is big enough to be useful, then you would have one big awkward tablet — and the display would be awkward too.
If the keyboard is a little teensy Chiclet-key thing like on the big Kindles, then what the heck, just give me the @#$%^&* virtual keyboard to suffer with.
Just my 2c
By the way, I’m really not trying to be disparaging or argumentative, I’m seriously trying to wrap my brain around what this thing would be good for.
It may be, for magazine and video presentations. Kindle's black and white format cannot reproduce images in color, nor can it present high speed video. Color video within a magazine format, with magazine like paging, advertising, etc. Could be a winner.
On an iPhone, a virtual keyboard is a necessity.
The rumors that I've seen it appears to be a 10" iTouch.
I was in the Porsche dealership this morning and the salesman let me use his Blackberry to make a phone call. I simply could not believe the size of the buttons ... they were smaller than a pea. More like lentil sized.
I don’t know how people use them.
That's what they were saying about the virtual keyboard on the iPhone.
I do a significant amount of typing on my iPhone already. It would only be faster if it were larger. I find I miss the predictive typing the iPhone offers when I am typing on a regular computer keyboard. Once you get used to it, it really is convenient and speeds up your typing.
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