ClovingWestbrook
Banned
So while an Apple Tablet hasn't been formally announced and probably won't for some time I figure this would be a nice place to state what we anticipate and hope for it to be. Here are some new thoughts on the subject:
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/16/apple-tablet-speculation-continuing-to-gain-attention/
CNNMoney.com today reports on the continued hype over Apple's much-rumored tablet computer, citing the multitude of different speculative reports of the device's specs to attempt to paint a picture what users can expect when it is finally announced.
If the rumors are true, the tablet will be able to do basically everything a gadget could possibly do. It's an e-reader, a gaming device, and a music player. You can watch TV and movies on it and surf the Internet (or so we've heard). And it will have thousands of third-party apps available for it ... or maybe it will run Mac OS X. That's all still unknown.
The report reiterates a number of rumors that have been circulating in recent months, including a price point ranging from $600 to $1000, multiple models with and without 3G connectivity, and integrated webcam.
Many Apple fans are eagerly anticipating the device, wondering exactly how Apple is aiming to remake the tablet and netbook market segments in much the same way the iPod and iPhone found novel ways to bring new dimensions to the music player and smartphone device categories.
"The Tablet will be awesome, and my guess is that it will be an instant hit for people who loved Kindles and people who want netbooks," said David Wertheimer, executive director of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center.
Wertheimer said he finds it hard to comprehend how the tablet will replace all other on-the-go tech products. "But then again, what I can't imagine, Steve Jobs often can," he added.
Others are not so sanguine about the prospects of an Apple tablet being able to serve as an all-in-one device capable of replacing users' computers, media players, and e-Book readers.
"What we've found in the past with these multi-function devices is that they're better for ad-hoc purposes, like quick and dirty tasks," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with Yankee Group. "They're not for any prolonged, high-performance use."
While Apple remains as tight-lipped as always about its tablet plans, consumers and industry experts alike are left speculating on just what Steve Jobs and Apple have up their collective sleeve. If rumors are to believed, however, Apple may finally be ready to show its hand early next year, and the market will then decide how well the device achieves Apple's goals and measures up to expectations.
Edit:
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/12/apple-researching-pen-based-input-recognition-for-tablet-devices/
Unwired View reports on a newly-published patent application from Apple disclosing software methods for processing pen-based computer input. While the patent application, which was filed on July 19th, 2009, is broadly written to apply to computers in general with pen-based input-only "tablets", the inventors also make reference to tablets with integrated display screens for both input and output, such as the company's much-rumored tablet device.
In particular, the described invention relates most specifically to handwriting recognition and the use of an "ink manager" to determine phrase being entered by the user before sending the phrases on to a handwriting recognition engine for deciphering.
To tell the truth, the patent app has little to do with a tablet computer per se. It's mostly concerned how to make digital ink recognition/interpretation process better, especially when filling out various forms. And it achieves that by trying to recognize full ink phrases, instead of a separate ink strokes: The ink manager collects separate ink strokes, determines when a whole phrase have been entered and passes that phrase to handwriting recognition engine.
Apple has placed a great deal of emphasis on its multi-touch technology used in the iPhone and iPod touch as a differentiator from what it has perceived as inferior stylus-based input methods. But the patent application published today indicates that the company has not completely abandoned such technologies and is in fact seeking to continue improving their functionality.
The patent application's lead inventor is Larry Yaeger, a former Apple researcher who was instrumental in designing the handwriting recognition software used in both the Apple Newton and the Inkwell feature of Mac OS X. He is currently a professor at Indiana University.
UPDATE 12/23- Thanks to celebi23
Based on the articles supplied in post 197
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/16/apple-tablet-speculation-continuing-to-gain-attention/
CNNMoney.com today reports on the continued hype over Apple's much-rumored tablet computer, citing the multitude of different speculative reports of the device's specs to attempt to paint a picture what users can expect when it is finally announced.
If the rumors are true, the tablet will be able to do basically everything a gadget could possibly do. It's an e-reader, a gaming device, and a music player. You can watch TV and movies on it and surf the Internet (or so we've heard). And it will have thousands of third-party apps available for it ... or maybe it will run Mac OS X. That's all still unknown.
The report reiterates a number of rumors that have been circulating in recent months, including a price point ranging from $600 to $1000, multiple models with and without 3G connectivity, and integrated webcam.
Many Apple fans are eagerly anticipating the device, wondering exactly how Apple is aiming to remake the tablet and netbook market segments in much the same way the iPod and iPhone found novel ways to bring new dimensions to the music player and smartphone device categories.
"The Tablet will be awesome, and my guess is that it will be an instant hit for people who loved Kindles and people who want netbooks," said David Wertheimer, executive director of Carnegie Mellon's Entertainment Technology Center.
Wertheimer said he finds it hard to comprehend how the tablet will replace all other on-the-go tech products. "But then again, what I can't imagine, Steve Jobs often can," he added.
Others are not so sanguine about the prospects of an Apple tablet being able to serve as an all-in-one device capable of replacing users' computers, media players, and e-Book readers.
"What we've found in the past with these multi-function devices is that they're better for ad-hoc purposes, like quick and dirty tasks," said Zeus Kerravala, an analyst with Yankee Group. "They're not for any prolonged, high-performance use."
While Apple remains as tight-lipped as always about its tablet plans, consumers and industry experts alike are left speculating on just what Steve Jobs and Apple have up their collective sleeve. If rumors are to believed, however, Apple may finally be ready to show its hand early next year, and the market will then decide how well the device achieves Apple's goals and measures up to expectations.
Edit:
http://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/12/apple-researching-pen-based-input-recognition-for-tablet-devices/
Unwired View reports on a newly-published patent application from Apple disclosing software methods for processing pen-based computer input. While the patent application, which was filed on July 19th, 2009, is broadly written to apply to computers in general with pen-based input-only "tablets", the inventors also make reference to tablets with integrated display screens for both input and output, such as the company's much-rumored tablet device.
In particular, the described invention relates most specifically to handwriting recognition and the use of an "ink manager" to determine phrase being entered by the user before sending the phrases on to a handwriting recognition engine for deciphering.
To tell the truth, the patent app has little to do with a tablet computer per se. It's mostly concerned how to make digital ink recognition/interpretation process better, especially when filling out various forms. And it achieves that by trying to recognize full ink phrases, instead of a separate ink strokes: The ink manager collects separate ink strokes, determines when a whole phrase have been entered and passes that phrase to handwriting recognition engine.
Apple has placed a great deal of emphasis on its multi-touch technology used in the iPhone and iPod touch as a differentiator from what it has perceived as inferior stylus-based input methods. But the patent application published today indicates that the company has not completely abandoned such technologies and is in fact seeking to continue improving their functionality.
The patent application's lead inventor is Larry Yaeger, a former Apple researcher who was instrumental in designing the handwriting recognition software used in both the Apple Newton and the Inkwell feature of Mac OS X. He is currently a professor at Indiana University.
UPDATE 12/23- Thanks to celebi23
Based on the articles supplied in post 197
- 7-10 inch Apple Tablet (maybe 2 different sizes, 7 & 10 inch models)
- priced shockingly low
- Either runs a version of iPhone OS, or a hybrid of the full Mac OS X & iPhone OS
- Revealed at a January 26th event & released March/April or possibly delayed until shortly after WWDC (probably June 28th-July 3rd) in order to build hype for the tablet
