Apple's iSlate and the Competition

[dconnors]

All eyes are on an Apple iSlate computer unveiling later this month. What is the competition cooking up to stop it in its tracks?

Apple's iSlate and the Competition : Read more

 

[thackstonns]

I dont understand why they think I will pay 600 to 800 bucks for a tablet pc. 800 bucks will buy a somewhat decent laptop. More than enough power for me on the go. I dont know seems like they are trying to make a cheap ass product, stick some shine on it and sell it for what a decent computer would run. I mean only the tegra 2 will do 1080p most likely. And media is web is about the only thing you will do with this. You arent going to touch type a term paper or write a disertation. Just seems a little pointless 2 me

 

[drip50291]

wow, a giant iphone just i wanted to not fit in my pocket. Rly apple?

 

[radguy]

Yeah I agree 800 bucks would be ridiculous unless its got some real muscle. $450 gets you a nice acer 1410 so its I'll give it an extra 150 for touch screeness but if its over 600 and not as well equiped its way overpriced.

 

[deputc26]

$10 says it runs on an ARM, any takers?

 

[memeroot]

I'm fairly sure it will be tegra II based....

My feeling with all these things is what I realy want is an iPac
basically a touch screen (similar to the IdeaPad's) a clip on keyboard and a real computer with psu in a backpack.

 

[connacht]

WTF is with the United Nations mousepad? Who the hell want's to advertise they like the idea of a one world government? Screw the UN.

 

[invlem]

Personally I think a net book is a much more convenient option than these slate PCs. For one, net books are smaller and quite frankly moving away from the physical keyboard seems like a slew of problems waiting to happen.

Apple's touch screens have always been remarkable compared to the competition, and I think this is where slate PCs will have their fate decided.

If you're going to remove the physical buttons you'd better have a damn good touch screen. I know apple's touch screen technology (iPhone, Touch) is awesome, how are the competitors?

 

[waffle911]

[citation][nom]invlem[/nom]I know apple's touch screen technology (iPhone, Touch) is awesome, how are the competitors?[/citation]
That's the key, here. All these guys got to show off first, but only because iSlate rumors have been floating around long enough for everybody to whip up something as a preemptive "in" on Apple's potential market. They've probably been at this for the past 6-8 months at best, while Apple's been developing this thing for well more than a year. There's a reason they didn't buy into the netbook craze, and it's because they saw a much more lucrative market opportunity that others are just now beginning to see. I still have no idea what it would be best suited for, and by the looks of it neither do any of Apple's competitors, except perhaps Lenovo, which is clearly going in its own well-defined direction.
Apple has two things going with this:
1. They know touchscreen interfaces better than just about anyone else (not just the hardware side, but the software to make it feel natural to use)
2. They've had a several-month head start on the rest of the industry.
Apple is playing its cards close to its chest, and everyone else might have shown their hands a bit too soon.
This game doesn't really begin until Apple says it does, and everyone seems to know this, even if they won't admit it. Perhaps Apple really does have an Ace up its sleeve this time.

 

[Honis]

[citation][nom]connacht[/nom]WTF is with the United Nations mousepad? Who the hell want's to advertise they like the idea of a one world government? Screw the UN.[/citation]He ran out of money after buying all that mac crap and had to go with a free mouse pad.

The iSlate will be touted as the next great creation, it will be sold to plenty of idiots, it will sit unused after the "new" wears off, the idiots will return to their iPods and not think of the money they wasted. I'm not implying it wont have a useful purpose, as many tablet PCs are to people, but it will have the iBand Wagon killing each other to obtain.

 

[pocketdrummer]

[citation][nom]deputc26[/nom]$10 says it runs on an ARM, any takers?[/citation]

I'll take. My guess is Atom. They are butt-buddies with Intel now-a-days, I don't see why they'd go for a different manufacturer?

 

[d_kuhn]

I got one of my kids an Atom netbook in December... good battery life, nice form factor... but not a lot of power. It's reasonable for a $350 machine, but for $800 I'd demand a lot more performance.

 

[d_kuhn]

And that Lenovo Laptop/Slate looks REALLY interesting. Ultraportable laptop and slate rolled into one, cool idea and decent looking implementation.

 

[Guest]

The real question in my head is what type of display will be used. If Apple can whip out an eInk type display capable of full color and video, and with backlighting when doing video, for less than $1000, I'd probably spill for it even if the CPU isn't "up to snuff". Trying to do eReader stuff with a standard LCD is terrible.

With color/backlighting/video capability, an iPad could be eReader, iPodBig, car/plane entertainment, etc etc. Heck, I'd want one even if it was just the screen and I had to add the 'computer' in the form of an external brick running linux on tegra2 somehow.

If it's JUST a lowpower macbook with a touchscreen instead of a keyboard, i.e. JUST a giant ipod touch, it'll flop IMHO.

 

[tictac_ns]

Things are finally coming together for the device I want. When I am away from my office, I need to be able to read things (pdf's, e-mail, word processing docs and spreadsheets. I would like to keep up on podcasts and blogs. When I am at the office, I act on what I have seen or read. So the power would be needed in my office machine. Also, when I am away from the office, I am in transit lap space while traveling is at a premium, so a tablet would be "easier" to find space for. I am often in bright sun-light, so making the device usable outside would be a requirement ( a la e-ink technology. )

So really, I am looking for a convertible "net-book" using the Pixel Qi screen. Oh yes, the cheaper the better