Pop Mechanic's look at the Tablet as the future of Magazines (1 Viewer)

[Parker Clack]

What I think they should do with a tablet is make it a dual screen. You open it up like a book and have a screen on your left and a screen on your right. They should come with solid state drives and each screen have its own power supply. They should have Wi-Fi and Bluetooth built in with SD card slots. Mini USB would be nice to connect to a PC or an external disc drive. Built in cell service options would be nice but with Mi-Fi that isn't needed. A built in forward facing camera and mic would be great so that you can video conference from you device. Call it an iBook.

Parker

 

[Sam Posten]

Yeah that'd cost about $3k Packy =)

 

[DaveF]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Parker Clack /forum/thread/296029/pop-mechanic-s-look-at-the-tablet-as-the-future-of-magazines/30#post_3644723

I don't really agree that input is a conundrum. This smacks of the same sort of criticism the iPhone got -- "Apple must release a version with a hardware keyboard, otherwise..." Well guess what -- wrong. Wrong because the virtual keyboard works just as well as the non-virtual ones on competitors like the Pre & Droid if not better.

In the case of the tablet, those using it primarily for consuming as opposed to creating media, will be fine with a virtual keyboard. And those who decide to use the tablet to write their dissertation will use a Bluetooth keyboard with the tablet propped on a stand or its dock.
....
If Jobs wasn't convinced the tablet will be a general-audience hit it never would get released in the first place.

Yes, quite. If you make a number of assumptions about is key purpose as a media-consumption centric device, and not meant for the full range of computer uses in general. And that you also assume it will work with Bluetooth keyboards, which the iPhone doesn't do. (And that this is then an inelegant general purpose device, where people must carry additionally a BT keyboard and mouse and extra stand to use it as general purpose device, which seems un-Apple like).

The solution may be trivial. I'm not arguing, as iPhone doubters did, that it must have a hardware keyboard to succeed. Rather, as with the iPhone, the choice of input method is key to defining the device. It may be a virtual keyboard. But I don't think that was an obvious choice from day one of design concepts. That brings real strengths and weaknesses to a device that--critically unlike the iPhone -- will not be usable one-handed. A virtual keyboard might not even be usable when handheld. Or if it is, that requires specific thought on how the keyboard is designed on a 7"+ device.

The final input system may look obvious, once seen, but I think it's a real design hurdle and not a trivial choice "do what we did for the iPhone".

 

[BrianW]

I'm late to the party, but I'd like to thank Dave for showing me the way.

As others have alluded to, there is more to the e-ink displays than battery life. As Dave has said, it is fundamentally different from LCD. Primarily, the "ink" is in the same plane as the "paper", reducing eye strain immensely under a variety of lighting conditions. This is as close to real ink on real paper as it gets. In an LCD, the LCD shutters (pixels) and backlight are in different planes, causing your eyes to constantly decide which plane to focus on, which is tiring, and can even cause your eyes to temporarily lose the ability to focus after use. If you use an LCD screen 10 hours a day and wonder what the big deal is, remember that you probably use this LCD screen in an office environment where lighting is constant and controlled. It's difficult to read an LCD screen on a sunny beach, on a balcony, in a garden, or even in your back yard -- all favorite places for book lovers to read their books.

I think the popularity of the Kindle has surprised everyone. I thought like Jobs is alleged to have thought, and didn't think such a dedicated device would have much success. But the book lovers bought them and love them, and Amazon has reported that it's now selling more eBooks than real books. I believe the device has even awakened "dormant" book lovers -- those who love to read but thought they never had the time to browse the bookstore for interesting reading material. There are more book lovers, it seems, than anyone thought, and the ability to read the Kindle any place they can read a book is enough for them to buy such a single-purpose device. The fact that it can store and fetch books is a bonus.

I also believe that many Kindle users are more inclined to buy a borderline title in electronic form that they would never buy in book form. If you buy a book and don't like it, it sits on your shelf until you find the time to get rid of it. But if you buy an e-book and don't like it, no action on your part is required to deal with it. With the memory in these devices, you don't even have to go to the trouble of deleting it. Keep it forever, and maybe you will find it interesting some day. Believe that lie, and you won't think you've wasted your money. Sure, you're out a bit of money, just like with a real book, but at least it's not collecting dust.

I don't know what the pixie dust is either. What we want is an iPhone with a real keyboard, a 10-inch display that you can read on the beach, that fits in your shirt pocket. Until that device comes out, everything will be a compromise.

 

[Ted Todorov]

Originally Posted by DaveF ">[/url]
... And that you also assume it will work with Bluetooth keyboards, which the iPhone doesn't do. (And that this is then an inelegant general purpose device, where people must carry additionally a BT keyboard and mouse and extra stand to use it as general purpose device, which seems un-Apple like).

The solution may be trivial. ...[/QUOTE]Hi Dave,

For the Bluetooth possibility I certainly am not envisioning people carrying around keyboards. They will have them pre-positioned in their work areas at home/work along with docks and and likely external monitors. I wouldn't be surprised if the tablet has MiniDisplayPort -- making it into an AppleTV replacement with HDTVs as well as plugable into external monitors including those 27" iMacs & other Apple Cinema Displays. As far as BT not working with the iPhone, it does - Apple just chooses not to turn on certain features as they have progressive royalties depending on what is enables. They'll have every incentive to turn it on for the tablet.

On the train/plane commute to/from work it will actually be quit doable to touch-type on screen with the tablet positioned horizontally on your lap.

You are also right that their may be a trivial solution no one is considering, like speech recognition. If you have tried the free Dragon Dictate on the iPhone, the result are not bad, but still need work. However for all we know Apple has been furiously working in-house on speech recognition for the last 7 years, and have a superior to Dragon solution. (Also FWIW, Dragon happily licenses its engine). In the Star Trek universe you talk to the computer, so that must be the final goal ;) Apple also has allegedly best in the business handwriting recognition that has been back-burnered since the death of the Newton. It's still there though.

But I think that Siracusa is closest to being correct: probably there will be no magic bunnies pulled out of the hat when it comes to input. It won't matter -- a certain segment of the buying public will bitch, say that MS tablets have had X for years now. It won't matter. Apart from the iTunes ecosystem that Siracusa emphasizes the Tablet will have an insanely great UI -- you'll think it has landed from science fiction movie. That combined with all the media and Apps Apple will be in a position to offer will make all deficiencies, real or imagined irrelevant.

You said previously: "...[i]MacBook Air device: of interest to a niche[/i]..." -- I challenge that premise. I am typing this on an unibody MacBookPro with a shaped, non-removable battery. The keyboard, shape, multi-ouch no-button trackpad, look are all identical to the Air. The MacBook Air has in fact taken over the universe -- anyone thinking that this won't be the form factor of all high quality future laptops simply hasn't been paying attention. The MacBook Air has been the single most successful Mac to be introduced in the Jobs are in terms of its influence. And yes, I do include the iMac -- the original Bondi blue iMac and the current one have nothing in common (other than the built in monitor -- but so what -- the original 1984 Macintosh had a built in monitor, and the look came from an ADM-3A terminal).

 

[Ted Todorov]

Originally Posted by Parker Clack
What I think they should do with a tablet is make it a dual screen. ...

Call it an iBook.

I agree with Sam on this one. About as far from Apple design as we could ever get -- and the current two screen thingy, the Nook, is an unmitigated disaster.

However -- I think you have gotten the name right. iTablet isn't it. (one too many syllables). iSlate sounds out of the Flintstones & iPad out of Kotex. iPod is taken

iBook on the other hand is perfect, and the trademark already belongs to Apple, no questions asked. You heard it here second.

 

[Sam Posten]

I don't think it will be iBook. Maybe iBook Pro =)

 

[Sam Posten]

Via @gruber again.

1997 calling!

 

[Parker Clack]

You could go with the single screen but have a cover over it like a book. You open the cover, it turns on and off you go to the races. A 10 inch device in a thin form factor would be easy enough to get around with, allow you to really surf the web without having to increase size of what is displayed and would be a great size for a portable video communication device. One of the other things that is really nice about the Kindle is it's size. My wife has a version one and several gals I work with have the version 2 and they are the right size in your hand. On a device this size a touch screen keyboard wouldn't be a problem for most as we get along fairly well with the ones on our 3 x 4 screens. One thing they would need to get down is the screen res. Many of the cellphones out with 3 x 4 screens don't do that well with video. The iPhone/iPod Touch has one of the better looking images for video. Any "tablet" type of screen would have to have near highdef resolution. Which would really drive up the price. It should also weigh in the 10 - 15 ounce range too.

Ok, so Apple has the trademark on the iBook name but you heard it here first.

 

[mattCR]

God it's too bad some of the things in the iPhone rumor spill didn't turn out... the fact that it doesn't have a keyboard of any sort pretty well keeps me with blackberry. How the hell people can type quickly on an iphone baffles me. I can whip out a few page long emails in a if on a blackberry, and thanks to a tactile keyboard, I can do it without looking at the damn thing all the time. (same reason I won't look at the BB Storm)

The problem that the tablet will face is that, outside of ebooks, give me a functional reason for it. Tablets have made inroads into hospitals for their ability to do intake.. but all (and I mean. ALL) medical infrastructure software I've ever seen has Windows clients. Outside of that people have made the effort to push tablet PCs for years with absolutely no ground gained. Because if you want a PC (or Mac) to do work, you'll find inevitably you need to type something. So the lack of a real keyboard sucks. Imagine trying to type any of your responses in this thread on a touch screen without any keyboard. Yeah good luck with that. Frustration would get to you pretty quickly. One wrong tap and all the sudden you're backtracking etc


The iPod filled a unique market by having infrastructure (iTunes) which allowed people to do something with their MP3 players. So, what kind of infrastructure can apple put behind a tablet that makes it stand out? Nook and Kindle have the book market pretty well.. andthey will be significantly cheaper then apple can sell the tablet.

Sometimes we get a bit too convinced with apple's success and assume they can do no wrong. It's been a long time since the Apple III, the botched management of the IIGS, the failure of Lisa, the Newton, economically unviable and not-accepted AppleTV.. etc.

The problem that apple will face with a tablet is finding a marketplace and a method to support it. And the fact that they've done it before and failed spectacularly (Newton). So, could this be Newton2?

I'll be interested to find the case for it. Because if battery life is significantly less then say,a Kindle, and price is not affordable, then it has to compete in the tablet PC market.. problem with that is that Lenovo and Acer are now shipping Tablet Windows7 "netbooks" for sub $400 with 8 hour battery life.

So, Apple gets into a very price-war ready environment with a late to the party product. I'm very interested to see where they can come up with the "wow" factor...

 

[Ted Todorov]

Originally Posted by mattCR

God it's too bad some of the things in the iPhone rumor spill didn't turn out... the fact that it doesn't have a keyboard of any sort pretty well keeps me with blackberry. How the hell people can type quickly on an iphone baffles me. I can whip out a few page long emails in a if on a blackberry, and thanks to a tactile keyboard, I can do it without looking at the damn thing all the time. (same reason I won't look at the BB Storm)

Matt, if it baffles you so much, why not try it? And yes people can type mighty fast on the iPhone. Horizontal keyboard and excellent predictive type-ahaed (which learns from your usage patterns) help. (Note though that not all touch screens are created equal -- don't expect similar results from the BB Storm.) Not sure what you mean by typing without looking -- you are looking at the BB screen, right? Well, you'll be looking at the iPhone screen as well.

As I type using two different alphabets, for me any smartphone/tablet with a hardware keyboard is a non-starter -- it has to be virtual. My observation is that the most resistance to virtual keyboards comes from people who are used hardware keyboards on smartphones and can't really imagine using anything but. People new to smartphones, coming without preconceptions mostly take to the iPhone's virtual keyboard like fish to water.

And I do think that in the long run virtual keyboards will prevail -- their ability to change keys depending on the occasion and disappear altogether when not needed are killer features.

 

[mattCR]

Matt, if it baffles you so much, why not try it? And yes people can type mighty fast on the iPhone. Horizontal keyboard and excellent predictive type-ahaed (which learns from your usage patterns) help. (Note though that not all touch screens are created equal -- don't expect similar results from the BB Storm.) Not sure what you mean by typing without looking -- you are looking at the BB screen, right? Well, you'll be looking at the iPhone screen as well.

No. Why would I look at the screen at all? I can feel the keyboard. I can type a response with my blackberry down and to my side while I carry on a different conversation without blinking an eye. It takes me no thought to type 1 handed in a hurry with zero errors. I guess it's one of those things. It's the same reason why I have no interest in the storm.

I've tried the iPhone.. and, to be honest, it sucks (IMHO) for me. Outside of the fact I can't manage to get it to work creatively with MS Exchange reliably (and getting it to connect to both multiple exchange servers as far as I can figure out is completely insane to the thing, it won't even try).. I'm just not at all sold on touch screen as a typing method.


Now, I admit.. I'm one of those people who types a lot for a living.. when I sit at a desk in the office, I don't have anyone who types less then 100WPM, and the last test I took (one of those mavis beacon type things) I normally settle in about 120WPM. Typing fast is -important-, I mean, not to be a jerk, but my typical daily email run is a few hundred/day, and most of them require responses. So, the idea of banging around on a touch screen is incredibly annoying. I've tried the iPhone. And, while better then most, it's still mindbogglingly slow and error prone in comparison to a keyboard.

I understand where people like it. That's fine. Come up with a slider keyboard, like Google has done with several of the Android phones.. I'll go for that. I jumped to the iPhone 3GS for about 2 weeks, and was happy like hell to have a Bold back.

But, putting aside phones, on a tablet, it's a totally different matter. On a phone, for MOST people, the messages are short and quick, so a virtual keyboard being fast isn't a big thing. If you're carting around something bigger, and you want to use it as a laptop replacement, then you are going to do significant typing on it. Therein lies the rub...

 

[Sam Posten]

Here you go Packy:
http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/04/msi-planning-to-a-show-dual-screen-e-reader-3d-laptop-at-ces/

Don't expect anything like this from Apple, ever =)

 

[Parker Clack]

Interesting to see what the device actually offers.

 

[Sam Posten]

I don't often fully agree with Dilger but he makes some good arguments here: http://www.roughlydrafted.com/2010/01/05/anticipating-the-apple-tablet/

 

[Walter Kittel]

More from Marco...

http://www.marco.org/318091966
- Walter...

 

[DaveF]

You said previously: "...MacBook Air device: of interest to a niche..." -- I challenge that premise. I am typing this on an unibody MacBookPro with a shaped, non-removable battery. ... The MacBook Air has been the single most successful Mac to be introduced in the Jobs are in terms of its influence.

Read the rest of what I said I agree wholly with you. The MacBook Air is a tech demo sold as a niche product. But what it did was demonstrate the integrated battery and unibody design. And so, the iTablet *could* be such a niche product that's actually a tech demo; subsequent devices would capitalize on it. Because as you yourself show: you don't have an Air, you have the follow-on Pro.

The iTablet could also be a "hobby", like the aTV.

I doubt both of these. No company wants "hobbies"; they want iPhones. Surely the iTablet is meant to be popular like the iPod, iPhone, and MacBook. It's not meant to be an aTV or Air.


So here's the question I keep asking: How will I use a Tablet at home, sitting on the couch? A flat tablet will be inconvenient to view; moreso to type on. Holding it up to view comfortably, at an angle comparable for 2-3 hours? Surely that will be uncomfortable.

Will it have an integrated stand? Will there be a massive 3rd-party market for add-on stands? Do I mis-judge the seeming annoyance of looking down at a 10" screen or having to hold it for hours? I don't know. But it seems like this thing is a different beast in basic usability than a laptop and a handheld.

 

[Sam Posten]

You are supposed to use it on the loo, not the couch...

 

[DaveF]

Nice article on Apple's controlled links. (h/t DF)

 

[Parker Clack]

Dave:

I think you meant to say Apple's controlled [COLOR= rgb(51, 102, 255)]leaks.[/COLOR]

Nice article but I think most of us knew already what Apple has been up to for leaking information out. It allows them to "test" the waters so to speak to see if there is real interest.