Apple preps netbook 10-inch touch screen thingy
The web is aflame with rumors that a 10in, touchscreen "netbook" will arrive from Apple later this year. But we see things differently. As we reported on Monday, the rumor-fest began with a brief article on the Taiwanese industry-watching website DigiTimes that Apple's iPhone-display supplier, Wintex, will be supplying Cupertino …
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somebody has to say it...
they also don't know how to build a over-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk...
Read Jobs' words
'We don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk'
That leaves two possibilities:
1: Apple could be putting a lot of effort into trying to design a half decent n**book for $500, or:
2: they could release a machine with the general n**book format, add some special Apple sauce and use that to justify a higher price. The 12" Powerbook still commands high prices on eBay, so there is a demand for a small Apple laptop.
Mac floppies
Funny, I always thought Mac formatted HD floppies were 1.6MB, as are Acorn ADFS ones.
Why is the netbook sector growing?
Because the vast majority of the ones sold are. by comparison, cheap.
Will the apple machine fall into that category, probably not.
iPwn you
Wuh-whats that?
Its an iHouse!
But theres no windows!
Exactly! Bwa hah hah hah!
(sorry people, but it had to be said)
AppStore lock-in or not
The crucial decision they have to make is (a) small laptop or (b) big iPod touch, with the important difference being the app store lockin on the latter.
You know nothing!
Apple's 1.44MB floppy disk drive was called "SuperDisk", not "SuperDrive". I don't know whether to be pleased or dismayed that I know that.
MacBook Touch
Maybe that touch screen isn't the main screen. It could go on the back of a laptop's lid so has iPhone-like functionality even while it's closed up in low-power mode.
One more possibility
@Mike Richards:
3. Apple could be prepping a piece of junk.
And @Richard Porter:
No, the HD drives were 1.4 MB, as opposed to 1.44 MB on MS DOS. AmigaDOS had 1.76 MB.
Oooohhhh
I can see the Mac addicts around campus starting to feel better. They'll soon have something as pretty as my eee PC 1000HA to flash about!
Whatever Apple's actually up to, one thing's for sure
the share price will tank again when they fail to announce a 10" touchscreen 12-core Nehalem-powered device with a 1TB SSD and 2 week battery life on whichever date some analyst pulls out his ass and proclaims TEH DAY
Apple Quality
"Although if the PC market continues to implode, Apple just might have to learn how."
For Apple, there has been no implosion, in fact, they have reported increases in sales. Not that I own any Apple products... if they are genuinely "higher quality" they can sustain this position. After all, people still buy from John Lewis (Nieman Marcus is a loose equivalent for US readers - sans the lowest price promise of John Lewis).
iPods for Teens
Obviously they're going to release an iPod for the modern day teenager. Apple has simply recognised that most teenagers won't read anything unless it comes with big letters and plenty of pictures to colour. I think they missed the boat myself, and should have done something similar to Leapfrog instead, so teens could learn to phonetically sound out the names of the bands they want to listen to.
iBook re-use
The last model was discontinued in June 2006, not quite three years ago. There are still plenty in use, so making a tablet iBook might be too confusing.
On the other hand, the SuperDrive switch was made in just under one year. The last Mac that shipped with a floppy SuperDrive was the PowerBook G3 (Bronze Keyboard, aka Lombard), which was discontinued in February 2000. The first optical SuperDrive was in the PowerMac G4 (Digital Audio), released in January 2001.
They might call it the iBook Tablet, or just iTablet. Maybe the iPad, since it acts more like a pad of paper than a book that opens.
@ Andy Bright
Apple are already helping the teens. The new shuffle says the name of the track they are listening to. No need to learn to read at all now.
A+
Whatever your view of Apple I wouldn't underestimate them. Whatever it is is will be interesting and set the bar high for all other contenders
Paris cos its good for porn
@Daniele Procida
SuperDrive was the name for both Apple's floppy and optical drive.
The SuperDisk you are thinking of is the LS-120 which was never made by Apple.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superdrive
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperDisk
Device
Could be they just don't "call" it a computer.
Make it proprietary, a dedicated Itunes player / shop / photoframe which comes as a part of your iCool (tm) apple refigerator.
Just like MS always is trying to sell set top / webpc's / cloud computers, this could be the i-phone for at home.
Just don't call it a computer....
what we know
All we know is that Apple will try to use this new gadget to lock people into THEIR way of doing things, will definitely change things around so that NONE of their current accessories work with this new toy, and will strive to make sure that nobody with any imagination is allowed to break out of the Jobsian universal group mind.
<p>
But at least it'll probably be pretty, and the hardware will probably be well designed.
Wow...my Newspad, at last?
Sounds like the screen's _still_ a bit too small to do any real sketching on, for us media/design/arts types. Still, it looks like somebody -- hoorah, Apple -- is getting a step closer to making me my Newspad at long, long last (yeah, that's right, screw the flying cars).
For you non-Kubrick fans:
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_v-OFRUU6CaM/SA-c-TPK-zI/AAAAAAAACAs/5NeCALK6z14/s320/newspad.jpg
...what Cdr Bowman is watching himself being interviewed on the BBC on while eating his microwaved reconstituted scrambled eggs...also what he uses to record his messages to Houston on, and jacks into to HAL from anywhere on the ship on, and a zillion other nifty things.
@ Tom, re: "If they are going to reuse a name..." : I don't think they'd revive "Newton", owing to previous reminders of poor performance, especially handwriting recognition. I think "MacPad" would be totally sweet, although they'll probably go with "iPad" (groannnn).
And, as far as a n3tbook goes -- that is, just enough computer to use the 'Net and do a little basic work -- I think I saw a comment on this very site to the effect that Apple already made a netb66k, and it's called the G3 iBook.
MacFreak since 1985 (bite me, WinBoi),
mf
(Jobs with a halo, only because El Reg still doesn't have the old-school "smilin' Mac" boot-time icon yet)
cop a ...?
Surely the larger version of an iPod Touch is an iPod Feel?
Mine's the one with the fake left arm that leaves me one hand free...
@ raving angry loony
You complain about Apple's lock-in and compatibility problems, but what OS do you run? I hope it's Linux.
i'll get me coat now .. :)
Yawn. Apple, someone else got there first.
http://www.osnews.com/story/21075/Want_Touch_Book
Ok, it's not 10", but it is rather cool, and runs cooler than a penguin (geddit?) thanks to the exclusion of Atom.
I'm rather surprised TheReg hasn't written an article on this one!
Oopsy
Ahh, I see they have. It's even linked from this article. Serves me right for skim reading before my boss catches me.
http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/03/03/touch_book/
They say a picture's worth a thousand words...
Crystal Ball: Apple's $599 "iPad Touch" Netbook (with pictures)
http://samj.net/2009/03/crystal-ball-apples-599-ipad-netbook.html
Sam
I know nothing!
Ah yes. You're quite right about the names, Anonymous Coward. I'd forgotten that. It looks like I have the pleased/dismayed spectrum covered, anyway.
Makes sense to me....
...since a touchscreen would bring phone/touch-like interface to a laptop, doing away with the mouse. Maybe even still include a physical keyboard, making it a considerable step forward for a netbook-like device.
@benito darder oliver
"they also don't know how to build a over-$500 computer that is not a piece of junk..."
As you say, "somebody has to say it... ", but did it need to be you?
Your credibility just took a huge hit!
And with a name like that, they'll remember your inanity!
Gigantic iPod Touch - yes
I think a gigantic iPod Touch would be a great idea. No need to go down the underpowered x86 route with short battery life, when you could use the latest ARM Cortex chip which would make the Touch's interface fly, even when scaled up to to a 10" display. The only thing I wouldn't like, no doubt, would be the price.
@benito darder oliver
Carry on baiting.....
You're a master.
@Mike Flugennock
I think you'll find the Newspad is credited to Arthur C Clarke not Kubrick
Clarke has similar "web" devices of various size and function in a few of his books
10inches?
i'm not i see the point of a 10" Touch (as it were)
and then again, a 10" screen isn't really going to be able to replace my macbook
so in a way, i'm hoping it's not an iTablet, because if it is, i'll be buying it, but i'll be wishing the screen was bigger the whole time
the announcement date for this item is blindingly obvious
it'll be when Jobs returns to the public world again - let the new guy do all the press stuff for a few months, and when there's a major new product, Steve will be back on the stage.
in fact, i can see them doing a Snow Leopard keynote, and the "one more thing" will be this tablet thing
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