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Check Expectations for Apple's Tablet at the Door
Yahoo ^ | Jan 4, 2009 | by Arik Hesseldahl

Posted on 01/04/2010 9:36:32 AM PST by Jet Jaguar

Check Expectations for Apple's Tablet at the Door by Arik Hesseldahl Wednesday, December 30, 2009

If its engineers hew to recent history, Apple's tablet computer may look nothing like what the prognosticators foresee.

The speculative madness surrounding Apple's rumored tablet computer has finally reached its frothy peak.

Tech's chattering classes are obsessed with the unconfirmed product, which Apple (AAPL) may announce at an event in January, or February, or March, depending on which set of reports you adhere to. Apple, not surprisingly, is mum.

The hunger for information—and misguided speculation—reminds me of the mistaken prognosticating about the iPhone before its introduction three years ago. It may be time to step back and realize that Apple may uncork a product so surprising that the company again leaves the tech industry scrambling to catch up to its products' smooth operation and sleek design.

Documented facts about the tablet are few. This much we do know: In November 2008, Apple took control of the trademark name TabletMac from a company called Axiotron, which converts MacBook laptops into tablet computers running Apple's Mac OS X.

(Excerpt) Read more at finance.yahoo.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Computers/Internet
KEYWORDS:
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1 posted on 01/04/2010 9:36:33 AM PST by Jet Jaguar
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To: Jet Jaguar
If its engineers hew to recent history, Apple's tablet computer may look nothing like what the prognosticators foresee.

Are these the same prognosticators who predicted the iPhone to be a heap of junk and would be a monument to failure?

2 posted on 01/04/2010 9:38:27 AM PST by Hodar (Who needs laws .... when this "feels" so right?)
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To: Swordmaker

*Mac turn on sound*


3 posted on 01/04/2010 9:44:00 AM PST by wastedyears (If I'm going out, I'm going out like Major Kong.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

in before the mac fanboyz


4 posted on 01/04/2010 10:19:09 AM PST by stainlessbanner
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To: stainlessbanner

The salivating in the MSM prior to this product reminds me of Obama’s candidacy.


5 posted on 01/04/2010 10:22:29 AM PST by Erik Latranyi (Too many conservatives urge retreat when the war of politics doesn't go their way.)
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To: Jet Jaguar

I am an Apple Anti-fanboy, but I look forward to this release more than I did the previous releases. Why? Because the previous products were already “out there” in the market, and fairly successful (Computers, MP3, Smartphone), but this market segment has struggled mightily. I think that Apple has the GUI smarts to pull it off, however.


6 posted on 01/04/2010 10:26:10 AM PST by Paradox (ObamaCare = Logan's Run ; There is no Sanctuary!)
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To: Hodar

I think they’re referring to those who Photoshopped mock-ups of the upcoming iPhone that looked like variations on an iPod with a phone keyboard. They were all wrong.


7 posted on 01/04/2010 10:30:58 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: Paradox
I'd just be happy with a 10" iPhone form factor. Something that would be suitable for reading digital books. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone. It really is a pocket computer, but there's times when a little more screen real estate would be nice.

So I'm sure whatever they come up with work for me.

8 posted on 01/04/2010 10:34:12 AM PST by AFreeBird (Going Rogue in 2012)
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To: ~Kim4VRWC's~; 1234; 50mm; Abundy; Action-America; acoulterfan; Airwinger; Aliska; altair; ...
More Tablet prognostication with belly button lint attached...PING!


Apple crystal ball gazing Ping!

If you want on or off the Mac Ping List, Freepmail me.

9 posted on 01/04/2010 11:22:41 AM PST by Swordmaker (Remember, the proper pronunciation of IE isAAAAIIIIIEEEEEEE!)
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To: Swordmaker

I like the “belly button lint” verbage... LOL...


10 posted on 01/04/2010 11:41:07 AM PST by Star Traveler (Remember to keep the Messiah of Israel in the One-World Government that we look forward to coming)
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To: Swordmaker

So what is the Swordmaker prognostication?


11 posted on 01/04/2010 11:42:10 AM PST by Leonard210 (Tagline? We don't need no stinkin' tagline.)
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To: Erik Latranyi

Much of the iPhone came from Apple’s research into making a tablet, so they’ve been working on it probably for at least five years with a vision that couldn’t be accomplished by the technology of the time, but apparently can now. Apple’s purchase of PA Semi early last year is rumored to make custom silicon for the tablet. The famously anal-retentive Jobs has been reported to be taking a very personal interest in the project. I’d hate to be working on that right now, except that he’s apparently finally blessed whatever they came up with.

Given that, plus Jobs’ known aversion to making commodity run-of-the-mill products, there’s logical reason for high expectations, as opposed to the baseless hype surrounding Obama.


12 posted on 01/04/2010 11:44:52 AM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: AFreeBird

Those are my thoughts as well. I was recently someplace, conducting some competitive business, when it dawned on me that a “giant iPhone” would have come in REAL handy. 8 - 10 inches would be sweet.


13 posted on 01/04/2010 12:00:35 PM PST by Paradox (ObamaCare = Logan's Run ; There is no Sanctuary!)
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To: antiRepublicrat

Apple will lose money on any tablet because the competition is tired of being caught flatfooted. There will be loads of competitive products out when any any Apple tablet comes out. Acer and Asus will lead the pack same as they did with netbooks. These are both Taiwanese companies and who is designing the Apple tablet but the Taiwanese?...with some Apple input of course

Taiwan is a small island with an inbred hi-tech sector where gossip is rampant and travels fast and secrets get leaked when bribes are offered. IOW Asus Acer and others know what is going on in the Apple brain trust and will be out with less expensive tablet products simultaneously with any Apple release


14 posted on 01/04/2010 1:38:09 PM PST by dennisw (It all comes 'round again --Fairport)
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To: dennisw
Apple will lose money on any tablet because the competition is tired of being caught flatfooted.

Yet they keep getting caught so.

These are both Taiwanese companies and who is designing the Apple tablet but the Taiwanese?...with some Apple input of course

You must be thinking of the other OEMs. Apple does the design, Apple pushes manufacturing technology and requires those makers to upgrade to their systems in order to make Apple products (look at the unibody aluminum cases for an example). For the tablet it's also likely that Apple will use an in-house custom chip to power it (remember, they bought PA Semi), which makes duplication much harder.

IOW Asus Acer and others know what is going on in the Apple brain trust and will be out with less expensive tablet products simultaneously with any Apple release

Apple is notoriously tight with its suppliers, and notoriously angry when suppliers disappoint. I believe it was nVidia that Apple dropped for years simply over nVidia leaking some specs prior to an Apple announcement. Apple would have no problem dropping FoxConn (who makes much of their stuff) over such industrial espionage.

The fun part is that Apple will certainly have various aspects of the tablet patented, just as it had over 200 with the iPhone. It's fairly easy as a patent holder to prevent the importation of infringing products.

It is kind of sickening watching you gloat over the possibility that foreign companies would use industrial espionage to duplicate American products in order to undercut American companies.

15 posted on 01/04/2010 2:23:34 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: dennisw

I’m sure your prediction about the Apple Tablet will be spot on just like the rest of your predictions about Apple.

If this doesn’t come in a box that says “Designed by Apple in California” I will be shocked. I can’t imagine Jobs wouldn’t be very hands on if not the prime mover on a product like this.


16 posted on 01/04/2010 2:26:27 PM PST by Mr. Blonde (You ever thought about being weird for a living?)
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To: Mr. Blonde
If this doesn’t come in a box that says “Designed by Apple in California” I will be shocked. I can’t imagine Jobs wouldn’t be very hands on if not the prime mover on a product like this.

Sorry to burst your bubble but the only thing that Apple does that is 100% American is it marketing and advertising
When it comes to the iphone, ipod, tablets, laptops, the bulk of the R&D and engineering and electronics engineering is done in Taiwan. Which is pretty much the same for HP and Dell but varying from item to item. I mean Dell and HP sell a very wide range of things

Think--- Designed & engineered in Taiwan and made in mainland China
Some stuff in Taiwan
Used to be all laptops were made in Taiwan but now they are pretty much made in China but still designed/engineered in Taiwan

17 posted on 01/04/2010 3:39:43 PM PST by dennisw (It all comes 'round again --Fairport)
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To: antiRepublicrat
It is kind of sickening watching you gloat over the possibility that foreign companies would use industrial espionage to duplicate American products in order to undercut American companies.

I am just stating a fact of life in China and Taiwan
Acer and Asus don't need anything that Apple has to come out with their own tablet
They'll do a tablet their own way with different chips and 100% different electronics
But Apple's Taiwanese competition is very interested in what features an Apple tablet will have so they also can offer those features. They will resort to bribery to get such intel

But the consumer won't know or care about all that
All he will know is he will see Apple tablets and ones by Acer and Asus who already have the 10.1" format down pat for netbooks. Adapting it to 10.1" tablet is not so difficult
Acer and Asus will come in at lower price than Apple tablets and the consumer shall decide

All I'm saying is Apple has competition that will not be left in the dust the way they were with the iphone.
They have learned their lessons

18 posted on 01/04/2010 3:53:55 PM PST by dennisw (It all comes 'round again --Fairport)
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To: dennisw
I am just stating a fact of life in China and Taiwan

It's the way you gloat about it, relishing Apple getting trounced by foreign companies that have to commit industrial espionage against Apple in order to compete.

And whatever lessons they may have learned can be stopped at the border with a patent infringement suit. I've been wondering when Apple might finally come around to doing that in the face of such blatant cheap import copies.

19 posted on 01/04/2010 7:51:24 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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To: dennisw
Sorry to burst your bubble but the only thing that Apple does that is 100% American is it marketing and advertising

Sorry to burst your bubble, but all of Apple's design is in America. Jonathan Ive, his staff, and the engineers he works with are in Cupertino. They send their people out to the Asian manufacturers to get them up to speed to be able to manufacture what was designed. With the purchase of PA Semi, the hard-core circuit design for mobiles is starting to get done in-house, too. You keep thinking Apple is like the other OEMs, and you keep being wrong.

20 posted on 01/04/2010 8:03:05 PM PST by antiRepublicrat
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