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Do you figure we'll see a Tablet Mac at MWSF '09?

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blashphemy

macrumors member
Original poster
Dec 5, 2006
73
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I put this thread here because a tablet mac would be an ultraportable and that fits in with the MBA.

Anyways, I'm in the market for a Tablet PC starting immediately, for college next year. I'm not talking about a 8" iPhone, I'm talking about the full convertible computer with a 12"-13.3" screen deal. Based on what I've heard, Montevina is going to be quite an improvement over the current Merom chipsets, for everything from the networking to the graphics to the performance (processor and RAM), so I decided that I wanted a Montevina tablet. When Santa Rosa came out last summer, most tablets were not updated with santa rosa until that winter, so I've accepted that I'm going to have to wait until December/January to get a Montevina tablet.

I recently watched GottaBeMobile's review of the Axiotron Modbook
http://www.gottabemobile.com/GBM+InkShow+Axiotron+ModBook+Video+Review+Part+1+Tour+And+Software.aspx
and I have to say that I am very attracted to going through OS X with a pen like that. I don't think I'll be getting a Modbook because it's too heavy, I need a convertible, and Apple's OS X implementation of tablet features quite frankly sucks. But, if Apple put in proper software support, improved the hardware to make it lighter, add things like scroll wheels on the side of the monitor, stuff like that, they would have a real winner on their hands and I would pick up a first gen. Mac Tablet in an instant.

So my question is really, does it look like we might get a proper Mac Tablet at MWSF '09 or earlier? I really thought Apple was going to come out with one this past WWDC to get the drop on the back-to-school buyers, but I guess I was wrong. And besides, Wacom's released their capacitive-touch + pen digitizer this past May, Montevina gets released in July, it looks like a no-holds barred solution. Even if Apple did make it a slate machine, with multi-touch Apple could put in a over-laid keyboard for typing on screen when you need it similar to Axiotron's solution, but of course larger, transparent even when typing so you can see what you're typing underneath, stuff like that and it would really revolutionize things. If Apple doesn't come out with one I guess I'm stuck with the Lenovo tablet successor... god I hate Vista though.
 
I think it's almost certain. Apple's patent filing for "advanced multitouch" seems perfectly geared towards a tablet also. I don't think I'd hold my breath about the scroll wheels though :D
 
I don't see it in the near future, and most certainly not by MWSF '09. There's too much other stuff going on. Apple might be stretching itself too thin. Why get into a market where the competition and demand just isn't there? Sorry, but I don't see it happening within the next three years, but then again that's IMHO. :cool:
 
I'm betting we won't see one until Apple is ready to take multi-touch to be fully implemented in the OS. Maybe that'll be the focus of OS11... or something different entirely.

I'm going to say at least six years.
 
SFStateStudent said:
I don't see it in the near future, and most certainly not by MWSF '09. There's too much other stuff going on. Apple might be stretching itself too thin. Why get into a market where the competition and demand just isn't there? Sorry, but I don't see it happening within the next three years, but then again that's IMHO. :cool:
Click to expand...

I agree. The market is very small for windows tablets, and when you take those %'s and compare to Apples market share the numbers don't look so good.
 
The iPhone is the impetus towards a tablet with multitouch. Touch interaction is the future of computing, and if you seriously believe Apple would sit by the sidelines, or stick soley to developing touch in the iPhone for SIX YEARS I think you're absolutely crazy.
 
Aren't there rumors that there is some kind of Mac tablet scheduled for release this Fall?
 
ziggyonice said:
I'm betting we won't see one until Apple is ready to take multi-touch to be fully implemented in the OS. Maybe that'll be the focus of OS11... or something different entirely.

I'm going to say at least six years.
Click to expand...

six years would be a bit too much. three years tops would sound about right.

wordy said:
The iPhone is the impetus towards a tablet with multitouch. Touch interaction is the future of computing, and if you seriously believe Apple would sit by the sidelines, or stick soley to developing touch in the iPhone for SIX YEARS I think you're absolutely crazy.
Click to expand...

the future of computing? no. but for some portable computing and some home uses, yes.
 
jnc said:
No. iPhone and MacBook Air. That's it.
Click to expand...

It might be interesting to see what the Axiom folks could do with a modded Macbook Air instead of a Macbook :) The cost would really get outrageous though.
 
I see an ultraportable tablet Mac type device later this year, placed in between the iPhone and the MacBook as far as pricing goes. Maybe it'll be a beefed-up iPhone rather than a MacBook mini. This will be followed by full-scale multi-touch Macs in 2010.
 
Ya for sure! Steven even sent me a prototype image a few months back:

 
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