Apple's January 27th Event

EVH said:
If Apple chose to go down the same route, they could limit the 3G to iTunes & app store downloads but require Wi-Fi for web browsing.
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Whatever the reason, being gimped in comparison to a smaller iPhone would look bad, I think..
 
philip2009 said:
Tablet computing does nothing for me personally, or for most of the rest of the population apparently given the number of failed attempts to hype the form factor. I wonder what Apple will use as the USP ? It certainly won't be a $199 proposed selling price like Freescale.
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I think it could work.

I see it as a device you'd have lying around the living room so anyone can pick it up and quickly look things up on the internet, check facebook, youtube, etc. I don't think it would be a device you'd want to do a lot of work on just very casual browsing, the sort of thing people have been using their iPhone's for.

Of course it will definitely need 3G for fast browsing on the move as people commuting on trains/busses will be a big target market.

The USP with it though I believe will be eBooks/magazines/multimedia content of some kind. Not sure how they're going to do this bit yet though, I think they need a way of making it really easy on the eye when reading for medium to long periods.

I personally can't wait to see what's announced.
 
vonhelmet said:
I'm curious as to how the phone thing will work in the tablet. It could end up looking like you're holding a tea tray against your face to talk.

Presumably you'll have to go hands free...
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I would guess bluetooth headset support or the like to allow phone use.

I quite like the idea of a tablet, even if it were an overgrown ipod touch type functionality. I would like a device which is similar in form factor to an ebook reader so it can be used as one but is more general purpose ... I haven't got a ebook reader as I just think that they are to limited in scope so I wouldn't use it enough to justify. Something which had web access and decent multimedia playback on top of being able to read documents, i.e. a tablet style netbook, would be more useful.

Will I get one .... probably not at first ... going by the "never buy version 1.0" of anything technological rule :)
 
R4z0r said:
I think it could work.

I see it as a device you'd have lying around the living room so anyone can pick it up and quickly look things up on the internet, check facebook, youtube, etc. I don't think it would be a device you'd want to do a lot of work on just very casual browsing, the sort of thing people have been using their iPhone's for.

Of course it will definitely need 3G for fast browsing on the move as people commuting on trains/busses will be a big target market.

The USP with it though I believe will be eBooks/magazines/multimedia content of some kind. Not sure how they're going to do this bit yet though, I think they need a way of making it really easy on the eye when reading for medium to long periods.

I personally can't wait to see what's announced.
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I can see that working, I love the guardian app for the iphone but the screen is simple too small for it.

Problem is, for a rumoured asking price of $1000 it needs to do much much more than that. Video calling would be a start for me but other manufacturers have seemingly proven in the past that the public at large don't have much interest in it.
 
bigredshark said:
I can see that working, I love the guardian app for the iphone but the screen is simple too small for it.

Problem is, for a rumoured asking price of $1000 it needs to do much much more than that. Video calling would be a start for me but other manufacturers have seemingly proven in the past that the public at large don't have much interest in it.
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Would you actually use video calling? I've had it on phones for the last three years and used it twice, both times to test it...:p
 
Amp34 said:
Would you actually use video calling? I've had it on phones for the last three years and used it twice, both times to test it...:p
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On a phone no, on a tablet yes, I do frequently do video calls on skype with my parents and for work, not needing my laptop to do that would be a nice feature for me. Though as I said I'm fully aware the mass market probably doesn't exist based on current take up...
 
Another bit of information that seems to be popping up on the interwebs... :p

Looks like the tablet will operate like the iPhone currently does with respect to mobile carriers. Subsidised if you sign a lovely long contract (for data) with a mobile company. Unsubsidised if you don't and buy from Apple.
 
By far the most bizarre rumour I've heard is that apple are prospecting for ways to subsidise the device outside of contracts (ie. companies willing to pay for placement of their content on the device) and they've actually discussed with Microsoft the prospect of making bing the default search engine.

Odd bedfellows indeed.

Then again, given the increasing competition, maybe apple don't feel so benevolent towards google these days...
 
I wonder if the "Come see our creation" poster may point to the tablet being different from the Alu/Black we have on Mac's now. Perhaps it will be something more robust or I have seen somewhere maybe a chrome or stainless steel finish on the back of the device. :)
 
According to publishing insiders (take from this rumour what you will...):

Apple's tablet will not be priced "anywhere near" the $1,000 mark that some have floated as a possible price point
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Makes you wonder if this is truly going to be Apple's answer to the netbook & kindle in one device - similar price, much better experience.
 
My take:

Tuesday: MacBook Pro (or any other devices) hardware updates
Wends: iPhone OS 4, Tablet, iLife.

The hardware updates may get merged with the wends things...

New Macbook Pro time tho!
 
I do think there will be an MBP refresh but I'm not convinced it will be the entire range. It makes sense to replace the low end with i3 and the mid to top end with i5. But because the iMac stayed with C2D I suspect the low end MBP's will also stay with them (perhaps with a speed bump). That would allow Apple to get a better price on the C2D parts. Then there could be a move to i3 across the iMac, MB and MBP range later in the year.
 
Some things are pretty certain.

1. It will run Ipod/Iphone OSX (not full). 2 reasons, a) it does not cannibalise macbook sales and b) there is no itunes store app delivery mechanism for full OSX apps (unlike ipod/iphone).

2. It won't require a contract (they realise that current iphone owners - many of whom are the Apple faithful cannot tolerate needing to have 2 3G phone contracts). It is possible however that there may be a lower priced subsided version from the main carriers.

3. There will be a compatibility mode for existing ipod/iphone apps - this prevents the marketplace segmenting and gives the device an existing apps base.

4. Price will accordingly be based on large ipod rather than touchscreen macbook. I think around £350-£500 UK.
 
deaglecat said:
4. Price will accordingly be based on large ipod rather than touchscreen macbook. I think around £350-£500 UK.
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You think it'll be cheaper than an iphone - for what must essentially be the same hardware or better and a bigger screen. That's an interesting idea but seems like wishful thinking to me.
 
Depends on whether it has GSM / UMTS inside, GPS and a video camera. It could be more like an oversized Ipod touch (Wifi, no camera, no GSM, no GPS)... So yes it is certainly possible to trade these for a bigger screen at a similar price point to an Iphone.
 
deaglecat said:
Depends on whether it has GSM / UMTS inside, GPS and a video camera. It could be more like an oversized Ipod touch (Wifi, no camera, no GSM, no GPS)... So yes it is certainly possible to trade these for a bigger screen at a similar price point to an Iphone.
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Fairly compromised unit if it lacks those things though. Even then bear in mind what a sony ebook reader sells for without any of those features. Whatever else Apple's products are, budget isn't among them. It'll be a miracle if it's less than £500 outside of a contract.
 
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