Tablet : This means the end of the Mac

[knobsturner]

Well not quite - programmers, pro video editing and a few other tasks will need a mac. Everyone else will want the tablet. They will replace the iMacs and Macbooks. (not overnight). Us programmers, enthusiasts, and graphic pros will still need a Mac to deal with large files, etc.

Support costs and the ability to run unsigned software kind of doom the open natured Mac and PC. Don't forget about the hassle to backup, install apps, uninstall apps, etc. People just don't want that. Apple can sell an iPod touch for $200 only because support costs are so much lower than a macbook.

When you buy a new tablet to replace a lost or old one, you just log in and everything will appear, just as you left it.

I see no reason why there won't be 5" and 70" versions of this (not right away). It could have a USB port with only 'Made for the apple tablet' peripherals plugging into it, like keyboards, printers, etc.

PCs and Macs are just way too much for the average person's computer needs. They want email, web, tv, movies, books, photos and personal video. They don't want backup, restore, hard drive crash woes, unsigned applications and wonky extensions.

 

[steezy1337]

that's like saying no-one needs a desktop computer because we have laptops now. i know i won't be getting a tablet and i only really use my mac for what you described.

 

[SkyBell]

Honestly, I think if Apple does come out with a tablet, it'll be a failure. I know of nobody who has any interest in a tablet. I've seen a tablet "in the wild" maybe twice in my life. Even if it does, by some stretch of the imagination, become a success, it will certainly not replace the personal computer. Not even come close. Cloud computing hasn't taken off yet. I don't think it will. I know I like to have all my files with me on my hard drive, not on some server thousands of miles away. It's a bad idea, just like a tablet.

People seem to think that Apple has the ability to make something popular just because they produce their own version of it. It just doesn't work that way.

 

[knobsturner]

Macs suck - PCs more so. There are not many 'non technical'** people I have talked to that don't sound exasperated to the point of defeat when the topic of computers comes up. They are just too complicated for people who only want to surf, add photos and home movies, and watch stuff.

In 2 - 3 years I see 2 Macs in our house (down from 5) - ie: one laptop and one desktop for working on ( I work at home). The other iMacs and laptops do nothing but surf, email, iTunes and Photos. The odd Pages doc for homework too. They will be replaced by 'tablets', which may not be what Apple calls them. For instance the AppleTV may be discontinued or simply be replaced with one of these new boxes.

** (non technical being the type of person that does not post or read things in places like this).

 

[MTI]

People seem to think that Apple has the ability to make something popular just because they produce their own version of it. It just doesn't work that way.

Cassie, maybe it's time to recycle your G4 eMac and join us in the realm of the new computers.

As for the tablet/slate . . . has anyone ever suggested that it's going to replace desktop or laptop computing? I seem to recall that netbooks were widely sneered at for their tiny screens, keyboards, processors and lack of optical drives . . . funny how the consumers didn't seem to care that they couldn't cut HD movies on it or do multilayer CAD drawings on them . . .

 

[liquidsuns]

The Apple Slate is going to change everything for the consumer. A large majority of us don't need laptops offer and only need desktops if we want a really large screen.

Operating systems themselves: Mac OS, Windows, Linux, are overkill and outdated means of interaction. OS' like the iPhone OS are the future for most, if not all, of the consumer market. Consumers want simple, beautiful, and fun devices and software that just work without any hassle.

To say that tablets will fail because they have failed in the past is just stupid. These old tablets were terribly designed pieces of hardware trying to run the same old operating system. The Apple Slate will have a completely different kind of OS, a huge ecosystem of touchscreen apps and content, and be a beautifully designed device.

A 7-10" touchscreen, with the right OS and vision, can have totally unlimited potential.

As long as it has even a basic version of iLife and iWork, it will be all most of us need.

The Apple Slate will change consumer and business computing forever and will be the most amazing device we have ever used....in my opinion, of course.

 

[netdog]

I seem to recall that netbooks were widely sneered at for their tiny screens, keyboards, processors and lack of optical drives . . . funny how the consumers didn't seem to care that they couldn't cut HD movies on it or do multilayer CAD drawings on them . . .

Netbooks are so Noughties.

 

[djellison]

The Apple Slate is going to change everything for the consumer..

Really? REALLY? You don't even know what it actually is yet, nor what it will do, what it's input method is, what it's connectivity is like, what it's caperbilities are etc etc.

And yet here you are confidently stating that it will change EVERYTHING.

Really?

 

[JLUGO35]

I said it before and I will say it to the day I die. Netbooks are the biggest waste of technological resources in my opinion. As for a tablet, I seriously doubt they will replace laptops. I prefer moderately sized screens and it does not serve my needs. Maybe for the frequent business traveler who needs mobility but other than that, I see laptops reigning supreme for a long time to come.

 

[*LTD*]

Ok. Fair enough. Then bring on the tablet.

 

[djellison]

I said it before and I will say it to the day I die. Netbooks are the biggest waste of technological resources in my opinion.

They are affordable, portable, and very very popular. In what way are they a 'waste of technological resources', exactly?

 

[sushi]

It's going to be fun watching Apple's tablet device.

I remember when many friends thrashed the iPod when it was introduced. How it would never sell. There was no market for an expensive device like the original iPod that only played music and it only worked with a Mac. So many predicted that it would be an Apple failure. But look where we are today. Awesome.

My guess is that the Apple tablet will be similar in it's path.

BTW, back in the Newton days, there were plans for Newton devices the size of yellow stickies to as big as white boards. Seems like Apple is on the right path with the tablet.

 

[djellison]

Just for clarity - define ' everything ' for the purpose of your claim.

Maybe the very first Mac changed 'everything' in the world of personal computing - but that's not 'everything'. The first iPod might have changed how we listen to music, but that's a hard call given that other MP3 players already existed. The iPhone certainly triggered a dramatic development race for Smartphones, but to be honest, it's not changed very much. I've got a phone with a camera, GPS, sms, email, browsing, blah blah - I had an HTC that had all that, which I could install Apps on, a couple of years ago. The iPhone maybe moved things on, but it didn't change 'everything'.

What is it you expect this device to be or do that will change 'everything'

 

[ArrowSmith]

The key as always - apps, apps, apps. Tablets(whether apple or some other company) can succeed in educational, medical, inventory, etc.... where you need a light-weight PC with limited # of apps. Don't think for a second this will replace your desktop.

 

[maflynn]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

Oh please. There's no way that a tablet computer will kill off the macpro, iMac and MacbookPro

I can safely say that there's no way I'd want to use a tablet over a laptop

it's like saying the Toyota prius will kill off the minivan. Two different vehicles satisfying two different needs

 

[shrimpdesign]

I think if Apple is going to release a tablet, it wont be not "just" their version of a tablet PC. I would never have bought a smartphone, but then again, the iPhone isn't really a smartphone as they were previously defined.

I think the big questions is, will Apple's tablet be a tablet PC as we know it today? I doubt it. Not in a revolutionary way. But in the same way that Apple payed attention to the complete user experience with the iPhone? Yes.

From what I've gathered there have been no polished tablet computers; they're usually a variant of Windows or Linux with add-on applications to conform the desktop UI to a tablet interaction. Lipstick on a pig. You need a completely re-hauled user interface and experience for a tablet computer. Can Apple do that? They have certainly proved themselves competent for that task.

 

[jayducharme]

In 2 - 3 years I see 2 Macs in our house (down from 5) - ie: one laptop and one desktop for working on ( I work at home).

I just downsized from a Mac Pro to a MacBook Pro. I found I really didn't use or even need all that horsepower. IMO, there are going to be more and more sites like Aviary and 280Slides, where most peoples' multimedia needs will be fulfilled online, without ever having to purchase or install a program. And all their storage will be online as well. That will make devices like a tablet very attractive, since horsepower won't be as important as good Internet connectivity and moderate graphics capabilities.

EDIT: To drive the point home, I've spent three days transferring data and programs to my laptop. If everything were online, it really wouldn't matter what device I had.

 

[ArrowSmith]

I just downsized from a Mac Pro to a MacBook Pro. I found I really didn't use or even need all that horsepower. IMO, there are going to be more and more sites like Aviary and 280Slides, where most peoples' multimedia needs will be fulfilled online, without ever having to purchase or install a program. And all their storage will be online as well. That will make devices like a tablet very attractive, since horsepower won't be as important as good Internet connectivity and moderate graphics capabilities.

EDIT: To drive the point home, I've spent three days transferring data and programs to my laptop. If everything were online, it really wouldn't matter what device I had.

You really don't want all your data on the "cloud". Really bad idea.

 

[Sydde]

You really don't want all your data on the "cloud". Really bad idea.

Epiphany time: the new device that will take full advantage of "the cloud" will also leverage J.K. Rowling's fans by using the name "Nimbus 2010".

But, the cloud could be good if the device were also able to rely on your own personal tuft of it (e.g., Time Capsule).

 

[t0mat0]

A subsidised netbook alternative?

 

[gdieter]

People seem to think that Apple has the ability to make something popular just because they produce their own version of it. It just doesn't work that way.

Yeah, geez, what were they thinking introducing -another- mp3 into the market in '01? And how did they think they were ever going to have a chance in the crowded cell phone market '07?

 

[mcovert]

I think the idea of not having a physical QWERTY keyboard would be the ultimate reason why I wouldn't get a tablet. I feel like a tablet would just be a larger version of the iphone. Many people would end up cracking the screen as well since there is nothing protecting it.

 

[t0mat0]

I see no reason why there won't be 5" and 70" versions of this (not right away). It could have a USB port with only 'Made for the apple tablet' peripherals plugging into it, like keyboards, printers, etc.

PCs and Macs are just way too much for the average person's computer needs. They want email, web, tv, movies, books, photos and personal video. They don't want backup, restore, hard drive crash woes, unsigned applications and wonky extensions.

Andy Ihnatko made a valid point- there's a reason you don't see BT keyboards for the iPhone, TOuch, or likely for the Tablet (unless if has an iMac like dock holder). To quote him

No hardware keyboard.

Well, duh: it’ll be a touchscreen device. But though I want the RAT to support a touch-typable mechanical keyboard, I don’t believe it’ll be available even as a third-party option.

Two reasons: “An external third-party keyboard would be ugly.” Apple takes aesthetics and function very seriously. They would either include a keyboard themselves, or they wouldn’t include keyboard support of any kind. “Buy a $50 Bluetooth keyboard and prop up the Rat like a notebook screen somehow”? No.

But primarily because (and here I need to put on my Sean Connery voice, a la Captain Ramius in “The Hunt For Red October”) “When Cortez reached the new world, he set fire to his ships. This left his men very well-motivated.”

Apple wants this to be a touch-based computer. If you give people a physical keyboard, they’ll think of the touch system as merely an alternative to the mechanical interface they’re already familiar with.

Worse — and this is what convinces me there won’t be any keyboard support — it’ll subconsciously urge consumers to think of the RAT as a netbook. It can’t possibly compete with a $350 device that runs weaker, but reassuringly familiar, software.

No, you’ll get a big “soft” keyboard with excellent predictive text and autocorrection and that’s it.

This is the guy who takes $1 for a salary. As the recent Apple statement for finances prior to the share holding meeting says - this puts Jobs in line with the stockholders very well. It's in Jobs, and Apple's interest to make this work amazingly.

Everyone bar programmers, pro VT and others will want the tablet? Nope. Some will, some won't - they might want the PC, Windows or Ubuntu version etc.
Tablet does not replae iMac or MacBook - they have specific functions and places in the lineup.
Do you need a Mac Pro for a large file? LightPeak or USB 3 and an SSD will move it quickly. If you want CPU/GPU crunching, then yes.

When you get a new tablet, and log in, unless everything is in the cloud, then not, not everything will appear. I haven't (and please point to one) a conversation about how a Tablet docks. Is it autonomous? Require a Mac for syncing? Could you use it as the iTunes to sync an iPhone or Touch to? What OS does it run....
I see it more likely as being slaved to a Mac, but able to go it alone, like the iPhone or Touch.

Doesn't rule out iTunes syncing, to add content to it. So you'd have MobileMe remote wipe etc...

I can already print from my iPhone. Do I have USB on my iPhone? Nope, but I do have wireless...
Good point on simplicity. The Tablet links in to, in all likelihood a big push for an updated ATV.

full article http://www.suntimes.com/technology/ihnatko/1980077,ihnatko-apple-tablet-microsoft-010710.article

 

[clank72]

Apple will have figured out a way to make this Tablet really cool. You'll see. The ipod touch was a big success for them. BTW, how do you steer a car with a Laptop? Not as cool as moving the screen around. As well as some really cool 3D stuff that will totally sell you on the product. Also they will make you feel "left out" if you don't get it through Marketing and features.

It's not meant to replace anything.. I don't think. But it's will be so cool, you might as well leave your laptop at home and take the tablet.

Apple makes products for people that want the coolest gadgets out there. So it may be a success. On a side note, I knew the MacBook Air would flop soon as he pulled it out of the envelope.

 

[Patrick J]

Don't forget the tablet will be no use for gaming (no that the mac is a heavyweight in that area..)