Five Reasons Why An Apple Tablet Makes Sense Now

[Guest]

Chicago (IL) - With WWDC just around the corner, the stage is set for Steve Jobs' keynote and the unveiling of the iPhone.

Five Reasons Why An Apple Tablet Makes Sense Now : Read more

 

[pcwlai]

For my guess, the next "re-invertion" will be the user interface. The next logical step seen from the success of iPhone should lead to the "next generation" user interface with multi-touch and voice recognition.

Computers and the likes should be easy to use. Hand gestures and voice commands is the most intuitive way to communicate as seen between people. With the support from the hardware and operating system, application programmers will be happy to "re-invent" their software to take these advantages as well.

So, the next iMac may come with the main LCD incorporating the touch capability and a "touch keyboard" much like the iPhone and as well. Using the hand to control the main LCD UI element is productive and cool. Using the "touch keyboard" (with mouse like feature [single click, no right click ]) can help to improve the day to day usage model.

Why there is an acquisition of a CPU company recently? Maybe because, there is a UIPU under way. This should greatly reduce the burden on the main CPU from the desktop to notebook to 3rd generation iPhone.

 

[waffle911]

deal-breaking problem numero uno:
7" touch-screens are expensive. Really expensive. Making them thin enough for such a device ensures this. For its intended uses, it might even have to be a sunlight readable transflective panel, adding bulk and price. Figure at least $600-700 for the screen alone, $400 if they're cut a good supply deal. If the device were to be something along the lines of, say, 2" thick (highly unlikely), then the display technology would cost about $200-300.

Second, if an 8 hour battery life were really available for a device of this size at any reasonable price, the Eee PC would have done it already.

Third, the monitor-camera concept is unrealistic any time soon. They have barely begun to look into the technology; they only patented the idea.

Fourth, digital content creation would be a no-go. Anything with enough power to slice and dice video frames and create a usable website is going to be bulkier and have a larger screen.

Fifth, a virtual keyboard is hardly any way to be productive. Without tactile feedback and the ability to accurately feel out key positions, there's little that a touch-typing industry professional could accomplish in any efficient amount of time that couldn't be done more quickly and conveniently on a regular laptop.

In short, today's technology is close, but it isn't quite there yet. And even once it is viable, it will still be outrageously expensive for a while after.

 

[rcwp116]

I just have this dumb idea (I guess)... Would it possible to have a gadget like a spectacle, when you are looking at your PC/Notebook device it will show the monitor screen, and if you are looking away from your device.. it will switch to normal spectacles..

In this way, you won't have to worry about what size of monitor screen to choose.. and you will have a more private space without nosey people wondering what you are typing..

Anyways.. just my 2 cents..

 

[waffle911]

[citation][nom]rcwp116[/nom]I just have this dumb idea (I guess)... Would it possible to have a gadget like a spectacle, when you are looking at your PC/Notebook device it will show the monitor screen, and if you are looking away from your device.. it will switch to normal spectacles.. In this way, you won't have to worry about what size of monitor screen to choose.. and you will have a more private space without nosey people wondering what you are typing.. Anyways.. just my 2 cents..[/citation]

Not dumb; it could theoretically work. Think DLP but with a color laser-like LED array as opposed to a spinning color wheel, and many cleverly positioned micro-mirrors and ceramic optic lenses. Then, a sensor looks for key-coded position tags on the glasses to calculate projection direction, orientation, and focal distance, as well as to determine when the user is looking away so as to shut off the monitor when not in use.

The likely problems would be complexity, response time, projected image resolution/clarity, color range/accuracy, overall fragility, bulk (think the size of, say, two decks of playing cards stacked when the technology has matured, as the unit would not likely be able to be manufactured flat), cost, and energy efficiency, all of which are reasons DLP TV's are on the way out.

 

[gmeader]

Similar Product for $299: Touch Book
http://www.alwaysinnovating.com/touchbook/
The specifications

* 9.4" x 7" x 1.4" for 2 lbs (with keyboard)
* ARM Texas Instruments OMAP3 chip
* 1024x600 8.9'' screen
* Storage: 8GB micro SD card
* Wifi 802.11b/g/n and Bluetooth
* 3-dimensional accelerometer
* Speakers, micro and headphone
* 6 USB 2.0 (3 internal, 2 external, 1 mini)
* 10h to 15 hours of battery life
And it's all opensource, hardware and software.