Apple planning to release tablet-like device this Fall?
The rumor mill never stops churning for Apple. The more recent and pervasive ones have been netbooks, an iPhone nano and Steve Jobs’ declining health – and now we can add a larger iPod Touch to the list. According to TechCrunch, three independent sources have more or less said that a larger iPod Touch can be expected by Fall 2009; one of the sources even claims to have held a prototype in hand. If this is true, it could be a nice compromise between a netbook and a tablet. The device reportedly has a screen size somewhere between 7 and 9 inches and will make use of iTunes and the App Store just as the iPhone and iPod Touch do now. While watching shows, movies and browsing the web would be a pure joy on a device like this, for some apps and for use strictly as a music player it may not be be the device of choice. TechCrunch states that Apple is still shopping for a manufacturer in the Asian region so there is obviously no price point to report for the time being. It will be interesting to see how this one plays out as there are certainly plenty of people waiting for Apple to churn out a tablet – would you guys line up on release day?
I wouldn’t line up on release day because it will probably cost a fortune. That said, I think it would be smart for them to release a proper tablet/convertible rather than a giant touch. When I had my Toshiba tablet it was awesome for design work. I know that a lot of design/art people like Apple products so it would probably sell. A giant touch would be hard to type on since I guess you would have to lay it flat on the table and use the touch screen. I bet such a device would be cool but it may have trouble finding a niche outside of those with lots of money to spend on flashy gadgets.
I’m sure it would be a cool thing to play with for like 10 minutes, but can you really see it in widespread use? Not
I can see the widespread use of this if this has a data only plan along with high quality video conferencing. Deaf people will definitely buy it and use it.
I think people would buy it, also if the apple wireless keyboard can be paired with it then it would practically be a netbook. carrying both around wouldn’t be practical though. I guess we have to wait and see what they chrun out.
Yeah, I would like such a device. And I don’t see any problems in making it. The key component will be the SoC (CPU+GPU), if Apple can get that right and started a long time ago to design it, all the other stuff is easy.
First off, you have to compare it with the iPod touch of fall 09. Let’s say the top model iPod touch of fall 09 will have more storage, a slightly faster CPU and a GPU upgrade (from MBX lite to SGX520 or 530). The top model for $399 will come with 64GB.
For the “iPod Touch HD” you just have to double or quadruple everything.
- 7″ touchscreen with 960X640 (4x the resolution of the iPod touch). Before native applications come out, apps for the iPod Touch will automatically go through a quality upscaler and games get anti-aliasing. So initially everything for the iPod touch is at least usable.
- To help with the higher resolution you go two tiers higher in the GPU department. Instead of a SGX520 it gets a SGX540 (4x as powerful) or instead of the SGX530 a SGX545 (quite possible for fall 09 if Apple wants to)
- Dualcore CPU, otherwise identical (also doable).
- 256MB RAM (or 2x of the iPod touch 09) for Multitasking (shouldn’t be that much work to enable it) and higher resolution
- start with 64GB internal storage
- bigger battery (naturally)
The rest of the internal stuff remains the same.
As mentioned earlier, the only possible problem is the SoC. But if Apple started designing early it’s possible and the Soc would only be ~1.5x as big (@65nm) as the iPhone chips (@90nm). And more RAM is easy.
Other than that, just scale the iPod touch to 7″ dimension (of couse don’t make the blank spaces around the display bigger). Keep the 10-11mm thickness. Hardware changes on the outside would be: a kick-stand, stereo speakers and just one extra button for task switching.
The OS: Support dualcore (the big OS X already does), enable multitasking (the internal apps already do), copy&paste and maybe add one alternative input method. Update all the internal programs (Safari, iPod etc.) to natively support the higher resolution (and a landscape keyboard).
Then sell the default model for ~$700, with higher prices for more storage (the 7″ Archos, 190×110x16mm/7.48″x4.33″x0.629″, with 800×480, next-gen Cortex-A8 ARM CPU, SGX530 and a 320GB hard drive costs $550 and is already available). Done!
This may be a cool idea, but I just dont see the practicality of it.
This Fall ended ten days ago. (Pssst, it’s still 2008 here in North America.) There is no “this fall” currently, there is only Last Fall and Next Fall. “This Fall” is a terribly poor choice of seasonal identification to use this time of year. You mean Next Fall.
I have a 32GB Touch. It’s OK, but limited compared to my 12″ PB. Cut and paste, searching, organizing apps in folders, etc. What I really want is something with ALL the capabilities of my 12″ PB, smaller and lighter than that, bigger than the Touch. What for? For traveling abroad. They make similar small portable computers running Windows. A friend of mine in France has one. Why not Apple? They could easily enlarge the Touch and make it a real computer, without CD/DVD drive, but WITH wi-fi and Bluetooth and maybe e-net for emergencies where wireless is not available, or a dongle or something that plugs in to the dock connecter with a pass-through to charge it. I’d buy one in a heartbeat.
I don’t think i would line up to buy one, I already have the touch and i couldn’t warrant spending close to a G on one of these. I’d rather wait for the Adamo(spelling?). If they just fixed the stupid Safari crashing on the iPod Touch I’d be happy.
I think everyone saw this one coming. They are trying to take the market share for tablet/netbooks so they need to make their own soon. It will come out in 09′ and it will be great but it will have it’s own limitations and will be for a niche market.
Stop being so technical all the time…this isn’t the weather channel, its BGR. While this sounds like a novel idea, I don’t see how many people would be up for lugging this thing around with them everywhere. Plus I think the price point would be absurd, knowing its manufacturer.
I’m not dying for one.
I don’t understand the appeal of something I’m going to have to carry around in a bag. Touch/iPhone is easy to pocket, looks great, works great, why mess with it.
Smaller iPhone bigger touch. Doesn’t make sense to me…
I wouldn’t line up for it, but I’d be interested in getting one. I’ve been waiting for Apple to release something of this type.
While some people can’t see the “point” of this, it’s because they haven’t done much field and on-site work. It’s cumbersome to type with a laptop while running around collecting data (i.e. signal strength on wireless network) whereas something like a clipboard with stylus input would have suffice better. Other application could be like menus in a fancy class resturant, or in a shipping warehouse to pull up info on packages.
Question is, would you really need a Mac? That’s all subjective. For me, I work on a daily basis with UNIX. MacOS buiilt on BSD nicely complements it without having to cry in fustration with Linux. That simply doesn’t apply to everyone. The iPod and iPhone already run MacOS so the OS for a tablet is just in waiting.
I’ll be looking at purchasing a new notebook this fall (so long as I’m employed), so I’m highly interested in how this pans out.
Add WiMAX and it would be great. The timing would match up well with the Clear deployment. Xohm already is very very fast in Baltimore. Once you try it you are hooked. 4G + Apple = Magic.
if it’s truly an apple tablet computer of sorts, I’d get one in a second.
However, just a bigger ipod touch with more restrictive apple features and a big screen? I’ll pass.
Actually I think it will be a sensation. The ultimate PDF and ebook reader as well as internet browsing device. Deliver presentations, use it as a netbook/tablet and high end video conferencing device. Optional wireless keyboard and mouse – perfecto! I’m sure it will come free/heavily discounted with some mobile data plans.
I’m sure movies will look great on it, but why else would you lug it around with you? Deliver presentations on a 7″ screen? You won’t be closing that deal. Unless it has some special suprise we don’t know about, there just isn’t a need for this.
The larger iPod Touch must still be pocketable. The “concept” is a Mac that we have with us all the time, everywhere we go. I simply won’t buy another mobile Mac that I have to lug in a case. And imagine what an anywhere, anytime Mac can feature as services!
Nor should anyone have to buy more than one Mac. So the “MacTROU” (for The Rest of Us) must be untethered, like the Kindle, using EVDO. And better than the Kindle, this gizmo connects to all your files on MobileMe.
Apple can charge whatever it needs to for the mobile Mac, for the connectivity, and for a subscription to MobileMe.
Touch Pro?
Uh, hello? Who would carry around a device with a 7 or 9 inch screen if it doesn’t have FLASH SUPPORT? Come on, guys. Open up those eyes.
For me it would be perfect for quick browsing on the couch, reading ebooks, watching movies, play small games from the app store, control the (hidden) MediaCenterPC, organize the family shopping list, have my kids show me something funny on the internet etc. etc. It would perfectly complement my iPhone and my full size Notebook.
But I guess for people who already bought an iPod Touch as some sort of internet tablet/living room device (and I know a lot of people who bought one just for that) it wouldn’t be as interesting. Also for people who already have a small netbook that they use primarily for couch surfing and consuming of media on the go (opposite of producing something).
For me netbooks are to small to work on them and to clunky to have one extra around just for surfing or to read something on them or too much computer for the wife to allow one always standing around in the living room
So a 7″ iPod Touch would be a perfect fit to my desktop (24″, stationary and for work), notebook (13.3″, mobile and half for work) and iphone (3.5″, always with me). And my family would definitively love to have one or two around in the house.
But I can understand why some wouldn’t like it as a 24/7 personal companion (too big) or a work device (not enough of a “real” computer) and find it too pricey for a “gimmick”.
@Who?
Flash? It’s quite possible that Apple figures something out in the next 9 months for a more powerful next-gen machine. Maybe not for the iPhone, but why not for a bigger, stronger iPod Touch HD?
Add a bluetooth headset and it is your phone and iPod, compact fold out bluetooth keyboard and it is your PC/Laptop and full size internet access and it could all be the size of a notebook. Sounds like a home run for students, young professionals, design and media folks. I could see getting one to keep in my living room or kitchen, it could be the entertainment system too.
If they can sell for under $1000 with solid features they would compete with iPhone, smart phone and Blackberry buyers who want a bigger screen or to drop the laptop.
Do you know how many times ive wanted to touch my iMac while trying to lasso a photo in Photoshop? This would be awesome for anyone who uses any advanced Mac app…