Mac Tablet!!! ~ iPad Thread

[whyweigh5.0]

So we should be expecting Verizon to pick up the iPhone also 

[UncleEbinezer]

So we should be expecting Verizon to pick up the iPhone also 

I could only guess that it is in the near future.

[jephrey]

[kellerb]

80's splatter-art jeans?

[rowjimmy]

[rowjimmy]

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/26/technology/26apple.html

Good article. Here's a small snippet:

It will run all the applications of the iPhone and iPod Touch, have a persistent wireless connection over 3G cellphone networks and Wi-Fi, and will be built with a 10-inch color display, allowing newspapers, magazines and book publishers to deliver their products with an eye to the design that had grabbed readers in print.

[mattstick]

Do the current book readers have internet connections?

There was an interesting article on TUAW about how the Tablet could replace text books in schools.  Seems a long way off, especially given school budgets but I can see the potential.

[rowjimmy]

Do the current book readers have internet connections?

The Kindle does.

[UncleEbinezer]

Do the current book readers have internet connections?

There was an interesting article on TUAW about how the Tablet could replace text books in schools.  Seems a long way off, especially given school budgets but I can see the potential.

I was chatting with my father in law about that recently.  I don't know how far off it really is.  Considering the movement towards "green" and the fact that current college students have grown up with a PC since day 1, I think you would see it happen at the University/college level.  Some places require students to have laptops.  Why not a tablet with their text books.  I could see just saving tons of trees as a major benefit alone. 

[mattstick]

Public schools in Canada have already moved away from having Macs in the classroom because of budget restrictions.

I agree that a huge % of University/College students could have these within even 2 years.  It also curbs something that text book publishers hate - used book sales.

I think that this will be a very flashy, sexy device - but it will also be very restricted unless "hacked" as far as installing pirated software, and making you pay for every single thing you do on the device.

[UncleEbinezer]

I think that this will be a very flashy, sexy device - but it will also be very restricted unless "hacked" as far as installing pirated software, and making you pay for every single thing you do on the device.

Why would you think it would be restricted?  If you are referring to the educational side only, then yeah it would have to be limited.  As a consumer tool, I would think it would remain open. 

But then again, if you limit its abilities even at the educational level, don't you really limit its true ability as a tool? 

[rowjimmy]

Given how much my wife was looking at paying for her textbooks for one class this semester, I'm all for e-readers/tablets replacing them.

[mattstick]

Why would you think it would be restricted?  If you are referring to the educational side only, then yeah it would have to be limited.  As a consumer tool, I would think it would remain open. 

I'm certain the OS will be closer to the iPhone OS than Mac OS. 

Want Photoshop for your tablet?  Download and install it from the App Store for $499.99

The pricing/business model of the App Store on a large scale is very inticing to Apple, I'm sure.

[rowjimmy]

It's definitely going to be a variant of iPhone OS.

[whyweigh5.0]

I agree that if it makes it to classrooms it will be on the college level before anything, long before.  I've heard nightmares of how much just buying used college textbooks can be... it's ridiculous and being able to use one of these tablets instead would def save students some money on that end I think.  As for other venues though, like high schools. 90% just don't have the budget to make this happen, not even close.  So unless Apple does something like "Tablets for students" or something like that I just don't see it happening for a while