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Posts Tagged ‘ Apple Tablet ’

Apple Tablet an Ideal Business Tool

By Fei on January 26, 2010

By Tony Bradley
January 26, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – The clock is winding down to the big reveal on Wednesday at Apple’s major press event. It could be an iSlate, or an iSlab, or an iTablet, or perhaps even an iPod Tablet Edition. There are almost as many potential names for the mythic device that may not exist as there are pundits speculating about what the device will or won’t do–myself included…if it exists.

If Apple does not announce a touchscreen tablet device of some kind it may be the single biggest failing in the history of the rumor mill. There are some rumors that seem wilder than others–like the Apple tablet will have 3D graphics, but there is also a diverse selection of very plausible speculation.

Based on the prevailing rumors, my PC World peer Bill Snyder predicts that the Apple tablet will be all flash with no substance and will not have any place in a business environment. I disagree. While I agree with some of the potential pitfalls Snyder lays out, I believe the Apple tablet PC could be uniquely suited for small business environments.

A platform like the Apple tablet–if it is based on the iPhone mobile operating system and is equipped to run the extensive library of iPhone apps–could be perfect for small business. Smartphones in general have evolved to the point that they are just very small computers, and for just about any function a business user could want to perform “there is an app for that”.
There have been times, both as an iPhone owner and as a Windows Mobile smartphone owner, that I have chosen to leave behind my notebook when traveling. The smartphone can get my email, surf the Web, conduct instant messaging chats with colleagues, and view and edit documents (with the right tools depending on the platform).

The legions of iPhone users already try to use the device for everything, and there is a growing segment of apps aimed at endowing the iPhone with more enterprise-friendly capabilities, and enabling the secure integration of the iPhone with the business world.

While newer devices like the Droid and Nexus One have leapfrogged the iPhone in terms of hardware specifications, the iPhone is still relatively fast, has an intuitive interface, is equipped with a clear and bright display, and has apps available for virtually any purpose. The biggest obstacle to simply using the iPhone as a primary mobile computing device is size.
An Apple tablet that provides the brilliant display, extensive battery life, intuitive interface, and endless catalog of apps of the iPhone in a larger form factor you can actually read and interact with could be a device perfectly suited for small business users. Not only is there “an app for that”, but most apps are free or very cheap–especially when compared with the investment required for full-blown computer software.

I certainly don’t expect large enterprises to abandon traditional desktop and notebook computers and deploy tens of thousands of Apple tablets–especially if the tablet is running on the iPhone mobile operating system as opposed to Mac OS X. A Windows-based tablet has an automatic advantage in the enterprise, although the HP device demonstrated by Steve Ballmer at CES this year was less than compelling.

Let’s face it. Until Wednesday rolls around and Apple unveils the epic new tablet PC…or it doesn’t, Snyder’s speculation is just as possible as mine. Assuming that Apple launches a tablet PC of some kind or another at this event, the success of that device will be determined by its overall functionality and utility balanced against its price…mixed with a healthy dose of Apple’s Teflon reputation and devoted fan base.

This Week in Apple Tablet Rumors

By Fei on January 25, 2010

By Jared Newman
January 25, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – Why dwell on AT&T’s and Verizon’s supposed support of Apple’s tablet when there are so many other rumors to choose from? With less than a week to go until Apple reveals — or by some stretch of the imagination does not reveal — its tablet device, rumors have predictably hit fever pitch, no longer focusing on the whens and ifs of the tablet, but what it will include and how.

So here’s a handy guide to everything we’ve heard this week. When Steve Jobs gets on stage at a press event on January 27, you can print this out and keep score at home:

Design

AppleInsider reports that the Apple tablet is a 10-inch device that looks a lot like a mock-up by Fotoboer.nl, except more like the iPhone. That means it’ll have a home button, volume rocker, speakers and a 30-pin dock connector, or two according to iLounge. It’ll be thinner than the original iPhone and sport a unibody aluminum shell, say the usual “people familiar with the device.”

Internals

3G and GPS are on board, says AppleInsider, and iLounge says the tablet’s wireless radio stripe is long enough to accommodate 802.11n. Richard Doherty, director of consulting firm the Envisioneering Group, believes Apple is targeting multi-core ARM processors for the tablet but may opt for single core in the first generation, but that’s more speculation than rumor. Northeast Securities analyst Ashok Kumar agrees that there won’t be any Intel inside.

Content

You name it. HarperCollins is hashing out an e-book deal, Electronic Arts is working on games, CBS and Disney could provide television content, Conde Nast might supply magazines and the New York Times is reportedly interested in supplying the news, all according to a report in the Wall Street Journal . Bloomberg adds that McGraw-Hill and Hachette are in talks to supply textbooks.

Pricing and Availability

Guesses are all over the map, but in December an analyst guessed at $1,000, which people may not pay. Today’s biggest news is that Verizon and AT&T could both support the tablet, but it’s not clear whether that will lead to a subsidy, which people also may not pay. The Wall Street Journal maintains that the tablet is shipping in March, but Kaufman Brothers analyst Shaw Wu says it may not ship until June.

Apple Tablet: Content Will Be Key

By Fei on January 21, 2010

By Ian Paul
January 21, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – On January 27, Apple is holding an event to unveil its “latest creation,” which is expected to be a 10-inch touchscreen tablet. Apple’s rumored device has been generating a lot of buzz and excitement, but it’s not clear yet whether tablet excitement — assuming that Apple really is unveiling a tablet, of course — will turn into tablet dollars at the cash register.

One factor not working in Apple’s favor is that tablet devices have never proven to be successful with paying customers. Ken Delaney, an analyst at Gartner, recently told Bloomberg that tablet computers only account for one percent of the PC market despite being around since the 1990s. Granted, Apple’s device may look more like a large iPod Touch than the traditional tablet laptop with a swivel screen, but even so Apple will need more than just flashy hardware to make its tablet product successful.

Perhaps more than any other product the company has produced, the rumored tablet will need an ecosystem of compelling content to convince people they want to buy this device. But what would that look like?

iTunes LP and iTunes Extra

The most obvious use for a tablet would be for playing back music and video sold through the iTunes store. Just like your laptop, iPod, or iPhone, an Apple tablet would offer a way to watch movies and television shows and listen to music. The device may also convince people to buy albums with the iTunes LP feature, and movies with iTunes Extras, the DVD-like special features included with movies downloaded from Apple.
Applications

It’s not clear yet what kind of an operating system Apple’s latest creation will have. If it runs a standard version of OS X then the rumored tablet will run the same computer programs your Mac does, but if the device is running the iPhone OS that opens up Apple’s wide catalog of third-party iPhone applications available through the iTunes Store.

Games

Most iPod Touch and iPhone video games are controlled by the use of an accelerometer where you tip the device to one side or the other to manipulate on-screen movements. That may be a relatively easy thing to do on a handheld device with the flick of the wrist, but a 10-inch tablet would require you to grip the device with both hands much like you would with a steering wheel, which may not be as compelling for gaming. But there are some games, such as Madden NFL 10, that make use of on-screen controls that could be more interesting, and two-player games like Touch Hockey: FS5 would be far easier to play on a bigger screen. Of course, putting iPhone games on the tablet assumes the device would be running the iPhone OS and not Mac OS X.

Books

The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday morning that Apple is in talks with Harper Collins and other publishers to bring e-books to the rumored tablet device. But unlike books on the Kindle, Sony Reader, Nook, or any of the numerous e-readers announced at CES, books on Apple’s tablet may have interactive features including video, interviews and social networking. That may be a compelling format for a children’s book–imagine Maurice Sendak’s Where the Wild Things Are with embedded clips from the movie–or business-oriented books that could benefit from interactive illustrations or news video, but do you really need interactivity when reading fiction? By my estimation you’d lose more than you’d gain reading works by John Steinbeck, Philip Roth, or Jonathan Safran Foer with interactive features.

Mags and Rags

There’s been a lot of buzz ever since Sports Illustrated unveiled its electronic magazine concept, and now there’s more news that The New York Times’ long-awaited second attempt at a paywall may be timed with Apple’s product announcement next week. Many other companies are also considering or working on new digital formats including Time Inc., News Corp., and Hearst. But there’s a big question mark hanging over the issue of whether people would be willing to pay for online content again.

About those paint splotches…

A rumor out yesterday, and first reported by Fox News, says that Apple may also be introducing new versions of iLife and a preview of iPhone OS 4.0. Is it possible that Apple’s new device will have some kind of artistic bent to it, as the company’s event invitation suggests? Could Apple’s new device be ideal for using iMovie, iPhoto or iWeb in new and interesting ways? Only a few days until we know for sure.

22-Inch Touchscreen iMac in the Works, Report Says

By Fei on January 20, 2010

By Ian Paul
January 20, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – If you’re tired of hearing about the mythical Apple tablet, then you’ll be happy to hear a new rumor has popped up claiming Apple will launch a 22-inch touchscreen iMac later this year. The computer will be produced by Taiwan-based manufacturer Quanta, with the screens being produced by Sintek Photronic, according to DigiTimes based on an account from the Chinese language newspaper China Times.

Apple: Reach Out and Touch Me

A touchscreen iMac wouldn’t be terribly surprising, since touch-based features and devices are becoming an increasing part of Apple’s product lineup. The company has had a runaway success with the iPhone and iPod Touch, multitouch trackpads in MacBooks were introduced in 2008, and Apple recently brought out the touch-based Magic Mouse. If the rumors are correct, Apple may also be introducing a 10-inch touchscreen multimedia device at the end of this month.

Touch Gone Wild

But it’s not just Apple that is getting into the touchscreen game; many other tech firms demonstrated touch-based devices at this year’s . Tablet devices were announced by a variety of manufacturers including Hewlett-Packard, Lenovo, Notion Ink, and Archos.
E-readers are also getting into touchscreens with devices like Spring Design’s Alex reader, Hearst’s Skiff and Plastic Logic’s Que. Outside of CES, Barnes & Nobles’ Nook and Sony’s Reader lineup introduced touch features last year, and HP launched several TouchSmart PCs and laptops–some with Hulu and Netflix integration–that could give a touchscreen iMac some healthy competition.

What Would a Touchscreen iMac Look Like?

The obvious assumption is that a touchscreen iMac would be an evolution of the current iMac design. But then again, the company may have something a little more radical in mind. Check out this quote from Apple CEO Steve Jobs discussing the future of the PC and tablet devices with Microsoft founder Bill Gates and The Wall Street Journal’s personal technology columnist Walt Mossberg at the AllThingsD Conference in 2007: “This general purpose device is going to continue to be with us and morph with us, whether it’s a tablet or a notebook or, you know, a big curved desktop that you have at your house or whatever it might be.”
Was that just talk or did Jobs drop us a hint about a “big curved desktop” back in 2007? Curved displays haven’t taken off in terms of popularity, but are often hailed by critics because the screens provide a far more immersive experience than flat displays do.
If Jobs was hinting at a curved iMac at D5, I wonder if it would look anything like the concept put forth two years ago by Apple design hobbyist Nuno Teixera? I guess we’ll have to wait until later this year to find out.

Apple Tablet Frenzy Hits New Heights

By Fei on January 14, 2010

By Ian Paul
January 14, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – Now that this year’s Consumer Electronics Show is history, gadget hounds are turning their attention to a rumored Apple event on January 27, when it is widely believed Apple will announce its mythical tablet device. With just over two weeks until the supposed event, rumors surrounding the Apple tablet are reaching a fever pitch.

On Monday, France Telecom deputy chief executive Stéphane Richard supposedly confirmed the existence of a tablet only to have the company later deny that he’d confirmed anything. One day later, several rumors surrounding multitouch and the worldwide supply of 10.1-inch screens are being added to the mix.

Here’s what’s going on:

Fingerworks No More

In 2005, Apple bought a small company called Fingerworks that was doing innovative work on touch-based devices. The company’s work was likely folded into the multitouch gestures that Apple used on the iPhone and MacBook trackpads. Despite purchasing the company five years ago, however, Apple left the Fingerworks.com Web site online to serve as a self-help guide for former Fingerworks customers.

But that all changed on Monday, when Macrumors discovered the Fingerworks Web site had been shut down. Macrumors speculates that Apple pulled the site offline in anticipation of the Apple tablet launch since the still-rumored tablet device could use some of the advanced gestures developed by Fingerworks. Of course, another possibility is that Apple just decided they’d left the site up long enough and were just cleaning house.
Hey Steve, can you spare a screen?

TG Daily is reporting that Apple has bought up all available supplies of 10.1-inch LCD and OLED screens. The news is according to an anonymous product designer who said it was impossible to purchase 10-inch screens right now, because Apple had bought out the supplies from all component suppliers in Asia. If true, this rumor adds credence to earlier claims that Apple plans on producing a whole lot of tablets in the product’s first year, perhaps as many as 10 million. Of course it’s important to remember that two complementary rumors, while compelling, don’t make a fact.

Fake Screen

You can expect to see many blurry cam images as we get closer to the rumored date of Apple’s announcement, and today’s image comes from The Mac Observer. The blog has posted an image from an anonymous source that is purportedly the glass and frame for Apple’s tablet. The glass reportedly measures 10-inches diagonal, and the frame basically looks like a stretched out iPhone right down to the home button at the bottom and the slot for the earpiece at the top. It’s doubtful this image is the real deal since it mimics the iPhone far too closely and lacks a practical location for a Webcam.

There are also many other rumors about the tablet including a Reuters piece suggesting the tablet would launch this spring, and an anonymous source who last week told Silicon Alley Insider that he’d seen the tablet’s user interface and it was “pretty.” I’m sure tomorrow’s tablet rumors will be just as shocking and insightful.

Why a Microsoft Tablet PC is Better for Business

By Fei on January 7, 2010

By Tony Bradley
January 7, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – Reports suggest that Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer will unveil details of Microsoft’s entry in the tablet PC arena during his keynote speech today at the 2010 International Consumer Electronics Show (CES). The announcement will steal some of the thunder from the extreme hype and speculation over Apple’s “iSlate” tablet PC– which may or may not exist and may or may not be announced at an Apple event later this month.

Tablet PC’s are not new. The slate form factor portable computer has been around for almost a decade, since Microsoft initially pushed the concept with its Windows XP Tablet PC Edition. Those tablets were before their time, though, and the concept never really caught on.

Technology has evolved now, as technology does, and with mobile phones like the iPhone, Droid, and Nexus One which are more or less mini tablet PC’s with phone capabilities thrown in, and newer technologies like netbooks and smartbooks, it seems the time has come for tablet PC’s.
Microsoft and Apple–assuming the rumors are on target and they both release tablet PC’s in the near future–are not the only players in the tablet PC market, but they will be the biggest and most visible. Speculation is already mounting that the Apple “iSlate” could spark lines similar to the launch of the iPhone, and one rumor suggests that Apple intends to sell 10 million tablet PC’s per year.

It’s hard to compare vaporware based on rumored specifications and capabilities , but I’ll give it a try anyway. Actually, I am not going to compare the devices directly, but instead address why a Microsoft tablet will be a more suitable business tool, while the Apple tablet will be more of a consumer gadget.

Apple has a legions of loyal followers and I assume that the “iSlate” will be a grand slam success, possibly rivaling the success of the iPhone. The “iSlate” may revolutionize tablet computing the way that the iPhone revolutionized smartphones. But, almost three years later the iPhone is still struggling for acceptance in the corporate world and is primarily a consumer-oriented device despite its popularity.

A Microsoft tablet will be a better business tool than an Apple tablet because of Microsoft’s dominant position in operating systems, business productivity applications, and Web browsers. Businesses rely predominantly on Windows, Office, and Internet Explorer, and Microsoft is in a position to deliver a seamlessly integrated experience between the applications businesses already use on a daily basis, and the additional functionality and productivity offered by a tablet PC.

While both devices, or any other entries in the tablet PC market like the Joojoo, will most likely deliver a similar suite of tools and functions, Microsoft is in a position to seamlessly sync and merge data between the tablet PC and the desktop without requiring additional applications, like enabling all users to install iTunes.

Businesses need to have control that Apple has been unwilling to relinquish. Whether it’s a desktop PC, a notebook, a mobile phone, or a tablet, IT administrators need tools like Active Directory and Group Policy that enable them to centrally manage and maintain the devices.

Businesses are also subject to regulatory mandates and compliance requirements. They need a way to monitor, log, and archive e-mails, voicemails, instant messaging threads, and other communications, and they need methods for ensuring that sensitive data is properly protected no matter what platform it’s on.

It remains to be seen which tablet PC will win the popularity contest. If the iPhone versus Windows Mobile is any indication, odds favor the “iSlate”. But, being popular doesn’t make it a good business tool, and Microsoft is in a unique position to provide businesses with a valuable productivity tool instead of a popular consumer gadget.

5 Ways I’d Use an Apple Tablet (Besides on the Toilet)

By Fei on January 5, 2010

By Jared Newman
January 6, 2009

SAN FRANCISCO – With Apple epxected to [unveil its rumored tablet at the end of January, the debate over the usefulness of such a gadget has reached a fever pitch. Betanews’s Joe Wilcox lit the fire by declaring that the world doesn’t need an Apple tablet or any other tablet for that matter, drawing plenty of venomous responses. Maybe I’ve come too close to the Steve Jobs reality distortion field, but I’m starting to come around to the tablet logic. Here are five ways I might use this newfangled product:

On the Couch

This seems like the most basic use of a tablet, because it’s where we all end up after a long day of work. On one hand, couch Web browsing is the most trivial argument for tablets, because a netbook can do the same thing; but I already favor my iPhone, with its single, lightweight panel, for this kind of casual use. A bigger screen would be nice.

On the Airplane

Using a laptop on an airplane is miserable. You can get by for a few minutes just as you reach cruising altitude, but then the guy in front if you reclines his seat all the way back, and there’s not enough room to keep your computer at a comfortable viewing distance without tilting the monitor forward so it’s practically folded up. And all of this assumes you want your tray table down the whole time. Give me a tablet to hold at any angle as I try to get comfortable in those torturous seats. (Can you tell I traveled recently?)

As a Bedside E-Reader

I’m with Steve Jobs, who in September told David Pogue that dedicated devices will ultimately lose to more versatile products. So I basically want an e-reader that can do more than just read books. When that product exists, I’ll be happy to curl up with it before going to bed.

On Long Car Trips

This is a few years down the road for me personally, but as a child of the original Game Boy generation, pleading with my parents to turn on the car light so I could see that disgusting green screen, I’d have loved an interactive device like the tablet instead of an in-car DVD player. Ideally, the screen would be big enough for two kids to share when watching a movie, while also making a convenient GPS device when traveling alone.

At My Desk?

Tech pundits are speculating that Apple’s going for the home run with the tablet. It’s not just a niche gadget for the uses I’ve described above, but an attempt to transform the entire computing industry, they say. On some level, it makes sense. I’m already envisioning taking the tablet on planes, cars, and trains, and using it everywhere around the house (perhaps, even, the toilet). Using it as a full-blown PC seems like the next logical step, but I’m not seeing a smooth transition from handheld to desktop device. We’ll likely see what Apple has in mind on January 26.

Apple Tablet Coming in January?

By Jon on December 24, 2009

By Jared Newman
December 24, 2009

After months of rumors, we still know very little about Apple‘s tablet device — but that could change very soon. Apple is reportedly holding a media event in San Francisco on January 26, where the company is expected to make a major product announcement.

According to the Financial Times’ unnamed sources, Apple will make the announcement at the Yerba Buena Arts Center, the same place where Apple chief executive Steve Jobs showed off new iPods in September.

Other rumors back up this story. Business Insider reports that Apple will demonstrate the tablet in January. Business Insider also says that Apple has told select developers to get ready, saying their apps will run fine if they’ve been designed for full-screen resolution. The New York Times reports, via an unnamed senior Apple employee, that Steve Jobs is “extremely happy” with the device. No one’s saying the device will launch next month — March seems more likely — but it’ll be the first time Apple actually comes clean with its plans.

For some perspective on how ridiculous the rumor mill has become, think of all the Apple tablet coverage you’ve read over the past half year, then try to tell someone at your next holiday dinner party what the device will be. You really can’t; reports about the device’s capabilities and design have been all over the map.

We’ve heard that the Apple tablet will offer a 9.7-inch screen and sell for $800, or maybe a 6-inch screen, and will sell for under $700. We’ve also heard it will feature a 10.1-inch screen and retail for a cool $1000. As if that’s not enough, yesterday Boy Genius Report said there’s a 7-inch model (price unspecified) in addition to the 10-inch tablet. An analyst recently said the tablet will either run OS X or something like the iPhone OS. We’ve heard that it will play HD video, read e-books, and save the newspaper industry. With all due respect, I’d expect any other tablet to do the same.

So I’m thrilled that the rumors may finally be put to rest in January. But since those hopes are pinned on rumors themselves, we’ll just have to exercise a little patience.

Apple Tablet gearing up for March 2010 release

By Jon on December 9, 2009

By John Cox
Network World
December 9, 2009

Apple has set in motion the manufacturing of a tablet computer, with a launch target of next March or April, according to Yair Reiner, an analyst with investment banker Oppenheimer.

Reiner made detailed claims for the much-anticipated device in a note distributed to clients on Wednesday. (Oppenheimer hasn’t responded yet to a request for a copy of the report, but excerpts from it are being cited in online stories and blogs.)

“The manufacturing cogs for the tablet are creaking into action,” Reiner wrote, according to a Fortune post by Philip Elmer-DeWitt.

Reiner bases his predictions on information from a variety of sources in the consumer electronics supply chain. Though some, like PC World US’ Ian Paul in this recent screed, don’t even believe the tablet exists except as a fanboy fantasy.

Network World’s iOnApple blogger Yoni Heisler freely admits he doesn’t know if the Apple tablet exists, but says the rumors he’s heard are intriguing and that the large-format touch device might prove as revolutionary as the iPhone.

Others wonder if consumers will actually want a tablet, given the ever-lower cost of high-powered notebooks, the rise of compact netbooks, and the growing sophistication of smartphones, the iPhone chief among them. Microsoft has made two-ill-fated attempts to mainstream the tablet form factor, which has found a niche only in some narrow vertical markets.

Reiner’s assertions are unusually specific compared with much of the other feverish tablet speculation.

According to several accounts based on his research note, Reiner forecasts that Apple wants to build up to 1 million tablet computers monthly.

He also says Apple has finally opted for a 10.1-inch multi-touch screen, based on the iPhone’s LCD technology (there had been speculation it would opt for OLED, a more pricey display).

Reiner is forecasting an average sales price of $1,000 for the Tablet. The 13.3-inch MacBook notebook is priced at $999. He makes a conservative assumption that Apple could move 1 million to 1.5 million units per quarter and wring out an average net income margin of 22%.

Perhaps more intriguingly, though again Reiner isn’t the first to suggest this, he claims that Apple has been in talks with an array of book publishers, enticing them to distribute their content for the tablet, rather than Amazon’s Kindle ebook reader. Reiner says the publishers are open to the idea because of dissatisfaction with the contract terms exacted by Amazon for content suppliers on the Kindle.

In November, it was revealed that Apple had filed a patent application for a pen-based mobile device, re-igniting the persistent tablet rumors.