No Apple Tablet In September Implies Something Groundbreaking In January
Apple is holding a special event keynote slated for September 7. This special event will most likely be dedicated to music and iPods. I’ll guess it will be new iPods (specifically, iPod Touch and Nanos) with cameras, different storage options, and pricing. I’d also add a new release of iTunes, perhaps with the addition of social features. And this multimedia Cocktail thing sounds likely as well (crossing fingers for Beatles).
But early rumors of a mystical, unicorn-tear washed Apple Tablet have been shot down. I also seriously doubt there there will be a tablet announcement.
But in my mind, this would be a good thing:
- A tablet announced at a music-related event would surely be a “big iPod Touch,” which I have little interest in.
- A tablet saved until January implies it will be something bigger. Apple tends to announce new, paradigm shifting products in January at the MacWorld Keynotes (iMac, the G4 Cube, move to Intel, iTunes, iPhone, MacBook Air).
And what would a “paradigm shifting” tablet mean? I personally hope an Apple Tablet is a reinvention of the MacBook – a rethinking of the portable computer.
My personal wish list:
- Has to be light enough to hold with one hand.
- Option for a physical keyboard.
- Must address ergonomic issues. I don’t want to sit staring face-down at a tablet resting on a table top, nor do I want to hold it in my hands while sitting down. It also can’t solely exist as a touch screen on a stand, as reaching up to do stuff is no improvement over a keyboard and mouse.
- Runs full OS X, or, even juicier would be some hybrid allowing iPhone apps to run in a layer above the desktop, Dashboard style.
How about a tablet that could double as a laptop, desktop, or handheld? It seems a lot of past solutions included a transforming laptop (a revolving screen) but perhaps all that is necessary a laptop with a detachable keyboard.
Apple’s current wireless keyboard is about 11 inches wide and extremely thin. One could have tablet Mac that basically has all of the computing guts behind the monitor instead of the keyboard. A super light keyboard could swivel to act as a lid, support the tablet as a traditional laptop, or detach so the monitor could be used as a handheld.
Another idea would be an iMac-esque “dock” that would provide the tablet Mac a keyboard, mouse, and stand.
Or, the tablet could simple screen-share with a remote Mac, so you’d essentially be holding a touch screen monitor in your hands.
To sum up: I’ll honestly be happy if there is no mention of a tablet come September. “A big iPod Touch” centered on music and possibly running iPhone apps is just too obvious and too easy for Apple.
If no tablet shows up in September, it implies Apple is going for the hard product: the insanely great reinvention of the laptop. Which is a product worth waiting a few months for.