Wishing for a cheap Apple Tablet
Awhile ago, The Register had a story up saying that a European filing had tipped Apple's hand at creating a Tablet Computer:
The filing, made in May this year but only published this week, covers a "handheld computer" and contains sketches of what look like an iBook screen minus the body of the computer.
I'm been kind of ambivalent about tablets for a long while -- Mac users generally just make fun of them, but that's generally because Apple isn't selling them. They haven't been a raving success in the PC world, but something I've noticed is that those who take them, really really take to them. Seriously -- there have been some real success stories here.
The majority of people that I know that have taken to them have been in the corporate field, but there are lots of vertical markets where they make a lot of sense. The problem has been getting volume up and the price down to where normal people are willing to grab them... because for most people a tablet would just suck as their primary computer.
However, for many people, including myself, I think a tablet would just kick ass as a secondary computer. I've been thinking about this more and more as the Mac Mini has been pushed as a 'secondary' PC for users who already have a nice PC, but wouldn't mind picking up a Mac to see what the fuss was about... as long as it was cheap. You don't dump a lot of cash into a secondary computer. I already have a secondary computer, even if it kind of sucks, and the Mini just wouldn't really add anything to the desk except coolness.
The thing is, for a secondary computer, or even a third computer... I know exactly where I'd want to use it and for what. Coffee shops, out and about, and most importantly... the bed & couch. I use the laptop all the time there, but generally for things that aren't taking up a large amount of resources. Emails, tripping through RSS feeds, catching up on links -- namely, lots of reading. The keyboard, while used, is often not used all that much. It's a lot of clicking and reading. And using an iBook, or Powerbook, just sort of sucks. Especially when I'm trying to watch something, like a ripped DVD, etc.
I'm sorry, but they just sort of do. The Powerbooks get way too hot, and the iBooks have way too skimpy of a screen, and the form-factor of having to have it sit on your lap and balanced on your knees just gets to you after awhile. I need something that reinforces my various bad lounging postures so I'm not having to perch there with my knees clutched tight so no one can see up my kilt.
A tablet would rock for these types of tasks, and it's those types of tasks it would be used for. Not as a primary computer, and for many not even a secondary computer, but it'd be a damn good excuse for a third computer. Assuming it was cheap enough, and they got Inkwell working well enough. And ARD would have to not suck.
Going by what they have available, Apple could probably make a lower-end tablet that cost anywhere from $900 to $1.5k. This would all depend on the components used, but it's certainly doable, all while keeping their healthy margins. I'm probably in a minority, but if it was anything under $1k and not embarrassingly skimpy in some way, I'd save the dough to buy one. Easily.
Unfortunately the odds of it happening are pretty low, Apple has other things it needs to focus on without splitting things out even further... which means if I want that tablet, I have to look to Windows.
Which kinda sucks.
Posted by drunkenbatmanJanuary 24, 2005, at 04:14 AM
Comments (16)
Posted by: DB at January 24, 2005 05:47 AM
I think if there was a market Apple would have done it... one of my coworkers on the dark side has one and it has tempted me. Not at first but they do have advantages once you get the hang of the pen. Ink would need to be improved from where it is compared to XP tablet which is better than I expected in hand writing recognition.
Count me in if:
- good battery life. has to be better than the current ibook or powerbooks
- good handwriting recognition for note taking, emails with the stylus
- prefer wide screen with pivot support for web pages
- built in wireless at least 802.11g
- good resolution so text looks nice
I would be willing to pay $1,500
Posted by: Henry Maddocks at January 24, 2005 05:58 AM
I used to do a lot of international business class travel so I've seen a disproportionately large number of tablets and pretty much everyone I have spoken to who used one hated it.
Sure they weren't sat on a sofa watching dvd porn while sipping a vodka martini so maybe they were using them wrong.
Most of these conversations were started by the tablet owner admiring my 12 inch PB which was smaller, lighter and did more.
In my opinion, and those of the people I've talked to, and evidently the market in general, tablets are some sci-fi novel prop that hasn't really found a purpose in the real world and Apple should steer clear.
Posted by: ssp at January 24, 2005 06:46 AM
I can see how a tablet computer would be nice, in theory at least (not that I've seen anybody make good use of one so far).
But I don't see any problems with using the Powerbook to watch some film before sleeping or so. Just put it on the bed and lay down, there you are... On the other hand I really can't see how you'd be able to watch something on a tablet-style computer without having to hold it upright all the time.
Posted by: David Troyer at January 24, 2005 07:35 AM
I hate to just down somebody's comments, but I have to disagree with DB.
Battery better than the current iBook. Good luck on that front, seriously.
Resolution is specific to the LCD size across the board, so I'm not sure where you're going with that one.
Posted by: Chucky at January 24, 2005 08:11 AM
"Going by what they have available, Apple could probably make a lower-end tablet that cost anywhere from $900 to $1.5k."
Good lord. And they'd sell exactly how many of those puppies? Twelve?
- Apple used to make a kickass tablet that sold for $700, and no one wanted them.
- PocketPC's have finally been getting under the $500 price point, and they're still not exactly selling like hot cakes. Above that price point, basically no one wants them outside of vertical markets.
The economics of high end tablets just doesn't work. There's no market there.
Posted by: Thomas Lange at January 24, 2005 08:26 AM
Good lord. And they'd sell exactly how many of those puppies? Twelve?
LOL Chucky are you for real? I did not take what he said as though Apple should do it, just that the guy with the utility belt wanted one. Can't say I'd blame him, but I don't think they have room in their product lineup for something like that. It already feels crowded.
Posted by: Chucky at January 24, 2005 09:13 AM
"I did not take what he said as though Apple should do it, just that the guy with the utility belt wanted one."
Sure. I've got a few custom made electronic items I'd like to be able to buy at non-custom made prices too.
Just noting that the economics aren't even close to being there for a thousand dollar tablet.
Posted by: Chucky at January 24, 2005 09:24 AM
Or, to put it another way, Apple can't make a tablet that would cost a grand.
Take 10 million dollars worth of engineering and development costs, and spread it over the 10 thousand units you'd sell, and suddenly a $1,000 tablet is selling at $2,000...
Posted by: Izzy at January 24, 2005 09:36 AM
I know that the medical community loves them, and as much as I hate to admit it, they fit well in a hospital setting. With wireless access in the hospitals, tablet PC's basically function like portable charts. I've seen them in practice and the technology does work great...despite being run off of Windows.
Posted by: Dave at January 24, 2005 02:16 PM
Hehe Tablet PCs are great, they are just too different to use, and too expensive. Because of the price most would need to use it as their primary computer and they don't make the best primary computer. You are right though they would make great second or third computers.
You are closer on pricing than you think. Go to Amazon and search for tablet pc in computers. Average price will range from $999 to $1600. I paid $1300 and love mine. It should be interesting to see how Microsoft takes Longhorn with tablets, the buzz is they will join tablet pc edition and windows media center edition into one product.
Posted by: Twist at January 24, 2005 11:41 PM
I have always felt that tablets were just an attempt to create something to fill the void between computers and PDA's. I would rather see the return of the Newton than an Apple branded tablet. A color VGA version of the Newton with a decently fast CPU and tons of modern features would be very nice. Heck even a Newton OS for running on some of the higher end PocketPC devices would be nice.
Posted by: Juanxer at January 25, 2005 04:06 AM
I've always wondered why Palm hasn't done a DIN A5 or A4-sized version of their PDAs. An HD-less base model (say, as an eBook/PDA) ought to be inexpensive enough, and they could offer some storage and comm as options.
Posted by: Stef at January 26, 2005 01:06 PM
I like it. The ITab can bridge the iMac and the iPod: The power and functionality of an iMac, plus the marketing zap of an iPod: personal, simple, mobile, and most of all, visible—chic and envy-provoking. That's how the consumer market works. Price smish.
Posted by: eeeeeeeeeeee at January 26, 2005 09:40 PM
Not a bad idea, but the key is that it is cheap and treated as a second or third computer. Tablets as primary computing devices suck.
Posted by: jbelkin at January 27, 2005 03:03 AM
Most people learn to type so why use a tablet - it's going backwards. The rumors of the tablets were the idiots who thought the screen of the last imac were for a tablet.
With 6 major Pc makers and Windows developing a whole OS - they've sold about 1 million tablet after 2+ years in the PC market of 600 million machines. It's the gnat on a boil's ass in more ways than one.
If you need to fill out forms and you presume the end user is too dumb or you don't want them to type outside the box, the tablet has that limited use but it'll soon be replaced by bar codes and RDIF.
If you really need to watch your scribblings be turned into text - then get a PC - good luck with that.
I have a PowerBook 12" as my only computer, and I don't really find that it's too hot or underpowered or anything like that. I have it on my leg right now, so balancing it while typing isn't that bad either (though I really ought put this on a desk if I go on for too long).
I think there is a general sort of market for a tablet, but an average consumer won't pay more than a $100 or $200 premium over a comparably equipped non-tablet laptop. Touching the screen could be handy sometimes, but not enough of the time to be worthwhile.
I personally like the idea of buying a Mac Mini as a secondary computer-- except for the fact that I live in Japan and don't want to have to either buy a monitor here and haul it back to America, resell it, or otherwise get some kind of ROI on it when I leave in a year or whatever.