With the growing evidence that Apple will be releasing some sort of Apple Tablet in the next 3-6 months, analysts and writers have started speculating about the potential success or failure of such a device.
Both Gizmodo and PC World have taken the time to detail why they think that such a product will be a flop. John Gruber, however, correctly points out that these people are assuming that such a device would mimic present day tablets and offer no compelling new features.
This is not the first time that Apple has been close to releasing a tablet device. Back in 2003, the evidence for a Mac Tablet had reached similarly high levels, but for whatever reason, Apple ultimately decided not to release that device. We've always felt that the reason has been more a marketing decision than a technical one. Until Apple comes up with that "killer feature" for a tablet, we don't believe that Apple would commit to the market. Apple has always said that they won't pursue a product line unless they feel they can offer something new and compelling. While these promises could simply be dismissed as marketing propoganda, it seems clear that Apple's entries into the MP3 and mobile phone markets have met those standards.
Arguably, the iPhone's killer feature on launch was its excellent mobile web browser. This feature was poached from another internal Apple tablet project called "Safari Pad". Steve Jobs is said to have recognized its value and morphed it into what became the iPhone.
So the question remains, what added value has Apple decided it can provide in a tablet device that its competitors have been unable to offer? Are interactive album booklets alone compelling enough to launch this new device? Or have they finally decided to deploy more advanced multi-touch on a larger screen?
From what I've heard (not rumors - source is from a friend who has a friend working on silicon at apple) it will be a big touch, also the camera and microphone for the touch are goers.
What I was told:
1) that the iphone will not get a better camera in the near future. Apple thinks that the greatest thing they have going for them is form factor, and they can't put a bigger camera in without making the phone fatter and thats the biggest design no no
2) they're about to break the exclusive US AT&T contract and add Verizon. This matters to you because AT&T have been dictating some of the features - pulling them off the phone rather than insisting they exist.
3) they're playing with adding a microphone to the itouch so that Shazam and other apps can work in night clubs
4) The "other apps" comment is mostly about italk, or ichat, or something like that - they're about to release their own version of skype
5) 6 months from now you'll see a brand new device. No a phone, not a laptop, not an mp3 player - he would'nt say but basically hinted that like all the news vendors are guessing, its going to be a huge itouch / netbook
Personally, I can see the large touch being an ebook reader - it would make sense to go after the kindle especially as itunes would be a naturally selling platform, however where are the rumors about the distribution deals???
The microphone in the touch is supposed to be for a new app (skype killer)?
How about if it launched with a bluetooth keyboard and mouse? Then you can think of it as a small desktop where you can also pick up the screen and use as a mobile device.
Then Apple market it, in a way that only Apple can, as a replacement for both your desktop and laptop/netbook. That becomes your selling point and the need for a truly unique killer app lessens.
This one caught us by surprise, but it comes from a source that has always been 100% reliable: Not only Apple may be working on a 10-inch tablet, but also in 13" and 15" models, one running Mac OS X.
This source claims that the two touchscreen prototypes—made of aluminum, but on the shape of big iPhones—were in a factory in Shenzuen, China. One of them "was running Mac OS X 10.5." When I asked, the source didn't know if these were built for demonstration purposes, or if they were preproduction units. The company has a tight relation with Apple but "it's not FoxConn."
As I said before, with everyone focused on the 10-inch tablet with iPhone OS, this sighting is quite surprising. However, it is very possible that Apple may be just exploring other form factors, and these two models may or may not end being future products.
The first post is a typical funny but the second one is a pretty incisive look at the potential for what what Apple could be about to launch. I'd almost say it had been written by Apple's press department if I was that cynical!
