What is UP with these manufacturers coming out with 7 inch tablets?

[jb1280]

A+++ somebody gets the picture !!! If Apple had made a 7" display then it would have been the golden standard.

But Apple did not make a 7" iPad when it was released. This was also probably not an arbitrary decision, so the question must be asked: "Why did Apple not release a 7" iPad?"

It should be pretty self-evident given the class of application that Apple has developed for the iPad - 7" is simply not enough physical room.

 

[ReallyBigFeet]

This is entirely dependent on what your expectations are for such a device. If all you are looking for is something to supplement a phone and a notebook that only consumes media and information, then I suppose a 7" device might prove to be successful.

Where the iPad really shines and proves its worth are the short work trips where all I know I need is a word processor, email client, browser, calendar, and ability to drive keynote presentations. For myself, and I assume many people, this is the bar that must be reached for true iPad competitors. It has to be able to replace a notebook for basic "real work" things some of the time, and have incredible battery life.

The two major factors for the viability of 7" devices are going to be price and battery life.

Basically, I think that 7" devices might succeed, but they aren't really iPad competitors.

That is effectively what I was arguing.

How many iPad owners didn't own a 'primary' computer prior to their purchase? I bet its an incredibly small number. The iPad was not designed to be a primary computer for anyone, but an auxiliary computing device. There are some users, particularly the really early adopters, who quickly proclaimed that it 'replaced' their MBP or whatever. For the vast majority of those users, they overspent on their primary computer in the first place when all they were using the device for was email, web surfing and managing their media files.

I think Apple intentionally went after a market where the iPad would serve a role as a secondary device for a computer owner. These other players entering the market are doing the same thing. And as a secondary device, not a primary device, a smaller screen is likely going to be a big draw for no other reason than portability and reduced weight.

I happen to be quite addicted to the App store, however, so the thought of a RIM or Android powered device is lost on me for other reasons. But if I had my way, I'd have the same iPad I have now...just smaller/lighter and with a more configurable OS.

 

[TraceyS/FL]

Truth is, before the iPad was announced, I was wishing for a bigger iPod touch. I would have jumped at one if it were 5 or 7 inches. But now that I've gotten used to a 9.7 inch tablet, I know a 5 or 7 inch tablet wouldn't have given me as good of a user experience as an iPad. So I'm wondering if many people *think* they want a 7 inch tablet, only to find once they have one that it's not as useful / easy to use as they imagined. I guess we'll find out.

this.

I would probably have gotten the 7", but after having used the 9.7", i can't imagine it fitting my needs so perfectly.

Time will tell where it all ends up.....

 

[kdarling]

I think Apple intentionally went after a market where the iPad would serve a role as a secondary device for a computer owner.

This is also shown by the fact that the iPad must be tethered to a host computer in order to accomplish OS updates, and uses the host's iTunes.

More importantly, the iPad was created to give Apple yet another locked-in revenue path from the App Store... not to be a standalone computer with unfettered access to apps as Mac laptops and desktops are.

I happen to be quite addicted to the App store, however, so the thought of a RIM or Android powered device is lost on me for other reasons.

See what I mean about apps? However, Android apps are fun too, and corporations will love putting field apps and dashboards on the Playbook.

 

[anthonymoody]

Devices are either pocketable or not. Neither iPads nor any of the 7" tablets are going to fit in a pocket. Full stop. Will the 7"ers fit into a purse better than an iPad? Sure. But it still requires that a bag of some kind be carried.

Once a device can't fit into a pocket, everything else is a tradeoff. IMO Apple has found the sweet spot among size, weight, features, battery life, and price. The proof? Sales that have vastly outstripped even the rosiest forecasts made early on.

My guess is that most of what we will come to think of as "full featured" 7" tablets, playbook included, will retail for 500-600 OFF contract, but that 3G models will retail for less via subsidized contract pricing. Mfrs will point to the features (Ooh teh Flash!) as a way to justify prices comparable to the iPad's despite the iPad's larger size and likely better battery life.

Related: I think RIM has not yet determined with the price will be. I am sure they would prefer to wait to hear what Apple announces for iPad2 features and prices before sticking a price on the Playbook.

 

[trip1ex]

They might be going to 7" to be cheaper than the iPad.

They might be going 7" to not directly compete against iPad. Some consumers are going to prefer a 7" model which will be lighter and more easily held with one hand as an ereader.

A cheaper & smaller tablet might be more attractive to those who can't ditch their laptops.


New tablet market is still young and immature. Still room for experimenting with device size.

Other reasons give in this thread are good too. Maybe they are behind and can't make a 10" tablet for $499 or under and get it out this year with extra features.

Maybe 10" screens are hard to come by if Apple has dibs on all of them.

Who knows.

I do know the wide-screen 7" form factor doesn't look right.

 

[lozpop]

Screen size depends on the type of usage.
For web surfing — which is the most I do on my iPad — would be a pain on a 7", with all that pinch to zoom in and out.

Also.. A 9.7" lets to pop up a big virtual keyboard when you're in landscape mode. On a 7" would be a pain to type.

 

[Syk]

IMO if they price they Playbook at $500, they've priced it too high if they're going to compete with the well established iPad and at that price I'd just and iPad or neither and take my netbook when I travel for work.

Right now I use my iP4 to VPN into work, exchange mail,RDP and I have the 5250 client to access our i5(AS400) This comes in very handy when I'm playing golf and keeps me from going back to the office. I just stand off the course and make quick fixes at work if need be and I'm back out hitting balls or do whatever I want to do.

When I travel I take my netbook just to maybe watch a movie on the flight or to have a tad bigger screen to access work machines if need be from the hotel.

A 7" would be no bigger than maybe a small day planner or a little bigger than a paperback. Still would be easy to carry.

I guess it really depends on what you want out of a device.

 

[Carniphage]

7" is almost exactly one half the area of 9.7"

That's a big difference. The 7" devices have half the screen area (and half the finger area) of the iPad - Cut your iPad in two to get a better idea of how small that is.

So although they can bump up up the resolution of the display, that does not solve all the problems. The 9.7" screen can produce a reasonable facsimile of a comic book - or a magazine page - or a full sized keyboard.

Now image any of those experiences in half the area.

Tablets, be they 7" or 10" are simply not pocketable. They belong in bags. And that means the most critical dimension is not diagonal size but thickness.

The knife-like edge of the iPad means it slips effortlessly into a thin space. I suspect that a 7" tablet with a bulky squared-off edge will feel more and not less bulky.

Once the market has been tested a little, it should be possible to figure out where the sweet spot is. I am guessing it will be nearer to 10" than 7".

C.

 

[anthonymoody]

the most critical dimension is not diagonal size but thickness.

TWSS.

 

[Ciclismo]

U missed the point. Why would anyone want to put something that big in any pocket for tha matter. Tablets aren't supposed to be that mobile. Anything that needs to be done on a 7" tablet while walking, standing in an elevator, at a restaraunt, etc. can and should be done on a smartphone. People try to say that an iPad is a waste of money, but a 7" is clearly the waste. It crosses over into smartphone territory too much. The 9.7" iPad is clearly different from a smartphone just because of the iWork package. I've typed plenty of papers on my iPad. Would never do that on a 7"

That was exactly my point - as some have already mentioned I too believe that many consumers are incompetent in realising that their wishes are not only ureasonable, but incompatible with real life. Look at what people think they need (i.e. want), e.g. better than 10 hours battery life in a super-light package BUT with higher resolution than the iPad as well as the ability for 1080i playback and real multitasking, it shows how disconnected many are with reality.

On the other hand, some people might say that the iPad crosses over into the entry level laptop/netbook territory without being able to do some of the things that you can do on a laptop/netbook. I've typed plenty of papers on my laptop but I would never do that on my 9.7 inch iPad.

Personal taste territory - I've typed up 2 papers so far and am working on a third now on my iPad. It's not the best for formatting, admittedly, but for taking extensive notes, for example at a library, it's ideal because you can then just copy and paste it into MS Word etc.

 

[Bodhi395]

Personally, I think 9.7 inches is a perfect size for a tablet. I don't think Steve Jobs would have released the iPad in that size if he didn't also think it was the most optimal size for this type of product. That's why I doubt we will ever see a 7 inch iPad.

The reason its an optimal size is its big enough to comfortably view web pages and interact with apps. Any smaller and you would be pinching and zooming most web pages, and have trouble navigating certain apps.

The only reason you would want a 7 inch screen is portability, since you would be sacrificing screen space. However, I think almost anyone that would buy a tablet device would also have a smart phone too. Since they have the smart phone, they don't need to bring the tablet out with them, and therefore they wouldn't want to sacrifice the screen size.

Tablets are designed to be mostly kept at home, and maybe taken on overnight vacations. They are not carry around wherever you go devices, that's for smart phones. Therefore, I think these companies making 7 inch tablets are just trying to save money and differentiate themselves from the iPad. However, I don't think people will want the smaller size, and these tablets will all be middling products that won't succeed, akin to the Zune.

 

[vw195]

Personally, I think 9.7 inches is a perfect size for a tablet. I don't think Steve Jobs would have released the iPad in that size if he didn't also think it was the most optimal size for this type of product. That's why I doubt we will ever see a 7 inch iPad.

The reason its an optimal size is its big enough to comfortably view web pages and interact with apps. Any smaller and you would be pinching and zooming most web pages, and have trouble navigating certain apps.

The only reason you would want a 7 inch screen is portability, since you would be sacrificing screen space. However, I think almost anyone that would buy a tablet device would also have a smart phone too. Since they have the smart phone, they don't need to bring the tablet out with them, and therefore they wouldn't want to sacrifice the screen size.

Tablets are designed to be mostly kept at home, and maybe taken on overnight vacations. They are not carry around wherever you go devices, that's for smart phones. Therefore, I think these companies making 7 inch tablets are just trying to save money and differentiate themselves from the iPad. However, I don't think people will want the smaller size, and these tablets will all be middling products that won't succeed, akin to the Zune.

I have a 4.3" evo and a 9.7" ipad. I want to sell my ipad and get a 7" one. A 7" ipad at the screen resolution would actually look better than the current ipad. I also disagree with your statement that tablets are for home. I take my tablet to work every day. I dont think 7" is a cost saving measure. I simply think its a better form factor. The zune didnt succeed because the ipod became the defacto standard. It was game over when zune was released, very similar to the uphill battle that macos has.

 

[Syk]

I'd like to have a 7" to me that's a good size for traveling. I guess a 10" would be nice if you're at home. When I'm at home I'll use my laptop top.I just prop it up against my knees and let it rest on my stomach

 

[bcaslis]

I have a 4.3" evo and a 9.7" ipad. I want to sell my ipad and get a 7" one. A 7" ipad at the screen resolution would actually look better than the current ipad. I also disagree with your statement that tablets are for home. I take my tablet to work every day. I dont think 7" is a cost saving measure. I simply think its a better form factor. The zune didnt succeed because the ipod became the defacto standard. It was game over when zune was released, very similar to the uphill battle that macos has.

How are you going to use a 7"? I think what many are missing is unlike laptops your interaction with a tablet is the finger. On a smaller physical screen, even if it had more pixels, there are fewer "fingers" that fit on the screen. The UI needs to be changed otherwise you can't hit the targets accurately, they will be too small for the finger.

 

[vw195]

How are you going to use a 7"? I think what many are missing is unlike laptops your interaction with a tablet is the finger. On a smaller physical screen, even if it had more pixels, there are fewer "fingers" that fit on the screen. The UI needs to be changed otherwise you can't hit the targets accurately, they will be too small for the finger.

No offense but I can accurately hit targets on a 3.5" touch so I dont understand your point. The UI wouldnt need changed.

I think its hard for people to imagine now since they are used to 9.7" Ill entertain the possibility that 7" would be too small but I really think Id like it.

 

[Syk]

I'm with you vw195

I can hit and navigate all day on my iphone4 or my son's touch. Every one's got used to the iPad screen and think it's the defacto.

For my needs a 7" screen would be idea. A larger screen would be nice if I was staying home and maybe watching movies.

A 7" tablet would be light, portable and I don't think the UI would have to under go a big change to make it usable. Heck if I can VPN into work and connect to our i5(AS400) on my iPhone and get what I need done. A 7" would be idea

 

[EthanNixon]

Wasn't there a thread about how Apple was coming out with a 7" iPad, and everyone was saying how it will be good?

Now another company is coming out with a 7" iPad, and it's the worst idea ever?

 

[drjsway]

On the other hand, some people might say that the iPad crosses over into the entry level laptop/netbook territory without being able to do some of the things that you can do on a laptop/netbook. I've typed plenty of papers on my laptop but I would never do that on my 9.7 inch iPad.

Maybe you should learn to type faster on your iPad? I'm a professional writer and have typed hundreds of pages using the iPad's on screen keyboard. I average around 75WPM and it's far more ergonomic.

The iPad keyboard isn't inherently inferior to a physical keyboard. You just had a lifetime of typing experience on a physical keyboard. If the situation were reversed and the iPad came out twenty years ago and physical keyboards just came out in April, which do you think you would type faster on?

 

[Consultant]

I agree with you, IMO 7'' is just too small, but the reason you are seeing most manufactures at that size is that they are packaging more power on those things, more RAM, more power, larger batteries, so t a 9''+ screen will be too pricy.

Along with a bloated OS that's not optimized for the display.

They can't even get a phone to perform as well as iPhone. Unlikely they'll get a netbook to perform.

 

[bcaslis]

No offense but I can accurately hit targets on a 3.5" touch so I dont understand your point. The UI wouldnt need changed.

I think its hard for people to imagine now since they are used to 9.7" Ill entertain the possibility that 7" would be too small but I really think Id like it.

The issue is the touch is sized to match the pixels and physical size. If you took the current iPad and kept the pixels the same buttons you need to press (like) the keyboard are going to be half the size. It won't work. Apple was only able to do this on the iPhone 4 because the retina display was an exact multiple of the previous display. It's just amazing to me that people miss this (not directing this just at you).

 

[HiRez]

I don't have a problem with them building 7" tablets, I can see how that "tweener" size might appeal to some. Personally I like the 10" screen, it's about right for me, big enough to be usable for a wide range of applications with a decent level of immersiveness, small enough to still be very portable, especially compared to laptops and netbooks.

I would like to see the iPad get a little lighter, it's not unbearably heavy, but it can't be used with only one hand unless it's propped up somehow, and if you rest it on your chest to read in bed it digs in after a while. I suspect they will be able to get the weight down, using something like Gorilla Glass and probably higher tech casing like carbon fiber or air-pocketed aluminum or something. The kindle got considerably lighter. If they can get it close to a pound it would be great.

 

[The Man]

7 inch I understand. What I don't get is the 16:9 format. That's way too narrow. 1024x600 pixels. Yes movies will look great. But reading on it will be less. On the iPad it fits PDFs beautifully. Keyboard takes only half the screen landscape on iPad. Doing stuff on 16:9 will be less comfortable.

 

[vw195]

The issue is the touch is sized to match the pixels and physical size. If you took the current iPad and kept the pixels the same buttons you need to press (like) the keyboard are going to be half the size. It won't work. Apple was only able to do this on the iPhone 4 because the retina display was an exact multiple of the previous display. It's just amazing to me that people miss this (not directing this just at you).

I understand all you say and yes apple would have to change icon sizes and revamp the keyboard a bit, but thats no big thing.

Actually if Apple would fix the flaws of the first ipad, and made it a little lighter that would make me happy as well.

 

[Bodhi395]

I have a 4.3" evo and a 9.7" ipad. I want to sell my ipad and get a 7" one. A 7" ipad at the screen resolution would actually look better than the current ipad. I also disagree with your statement that tablets are for home. I take my tablet to work every day. I dont think 7" is a cost saving measure. I simply think its a better form factor. The zune didnt succeed because the ipod became the defacto standard. It was game over when zune was released, very similar to the uphill battle that macos has.

Isn't it redundant to take to work with you a 4.3" smart phone and a 7" tablet too. You're taking this whole extra device merely to get 2.7" more screen space, which to me isn't worth the hassle of two devices. The only reason I see for a 7" device is if you don't have a smart phone, then it would make sense, since you'd be taking it around with you wherever you go.

I could see someone using a 7" tablet coupled with a bluetooth headset and not needing a smartphone, assuming the tablet would have phone capabilities. I still think that the majority of people will not want to take both a smart phone and tablet with them everywhere, and thus they will always prefer the bigger screen on their tablet.

Wasn't there a thread about how Apple was coming out with a 7" iPad, and everyone was saying how it will be good?

Now another company is coming out with a 7" iPad, and it's the worst idea ever?

I think a 7" tablet is a terrible idea, whether it be an iPad or any other company's product.