Apple iSlate is upon us?

[Mr. Laser Beam]

Carrier? Is that all the iSlate is, just an oversized iPhone? I have no use for the iPhone, certainly not a bigger one. If the iSlate requires a "plan", then leave me out of it. If, OTOH, the Slate can simply hook into my wireless network like a laptop or desktop computer, then I'm interested.

I was primarily talking about for the iPhone, but also perhaps as an internal modem option for the Islate and other mac products such as the macbook air.

And what would that do for me that 802.11 wireless wouldn't?

 

[Data Holmes]

Carrier? Is that all the iSlate is, just an oversized iPhone? I have no use for the iPhone, certainly not a bigger one. If the iSlate requires a "plan", then leave me out of it. If, OTOH, the Slate can simply hook into my wireless network like a laptop or desktop computer, then I'm interested.

I was primarily talking about for the iPhone, but also perhaps as an internal modem option for the Islate and other mac products such as the macbook air.

And what would that do for me that 802.11 wireless wouldn't?

You can access the internet anywhere a cell phone will work.

An example, here is a sprint coverage map from 2006. Anywhere where you see green you should be able to use a device equipped with a spring 3g modem. Service has expanded some since then as well as some coverage in canada and mexico.

4g coverage is more localized, but you can see coverage areas at this site: http://www.4ginfo.com/index.php/4gmaps.html

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

^ I see. Well, I don't need that kind of service - I would only access the 'net from my own home. So I would hope that any 'service plan' would be strictly optional, since I don't want to spend $$$ for a feature I'll never use.

 

[Marc]

Carrier? Is that all the iSlate is, just an oversized iPhone? I have no use for the iPhone, certainly not a bigger one. If the iSlate requires a "plan", then leave me out of it. If, OTOH, the Slate can simply hook into my wireless network like a laptop or desktop computer, then I'm interested.

I was primarily talking about for the iPhone, but also perhaps as an internal modem option for the Islate and other mac products such as the macbook air.

And what would that do for me that 802.11 wireless wouldn't?

probably would be 11g - the devices won't need the extra performance of 11n combined with it's a larger chipset and more power hungry which is one the reasons it never made it to the iphone.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

^ I see. Well, I don't need that kind of service - I would only access the 'net from my own home. So I would hope that any 'service plan' would be strictly optional, since I don't want to spend $$$ for a feature I'll never use.

Such plans usually are. They generally make laptop models both with and without the modem (and it can also be sold as a separate device). Then again, this is Apple, so who knows what arbitrary feature set they might mandate.

 

[Snaploud]

Microsoft just announced their new HP Tablet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/hp-slate-tablet-microsoft_n_414364.html

 

[Marc]

Microsoft just announced their new HP Tablet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/hp-slate-tablet-microsoft_n_414364.html

Looks it's running Windows XP but I'm guess it's more likely what ever the latest version of Windows Mobile is? (never actually spend much time with it so not sure what the current verison is looks like).

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Microsoft just announced their new HP Tablet:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/01/07/hp-slate-tablet-microsoft_n_414364.html

Looks it's running Windows XP but I'm guess it's more likely what ever the latest version of Windows Mobile is? (never actually spend much time with it so not sure what the current verison is looks like).

Nah, Windows Mobile doesn't look like that. Looks like XP or maybe Vista with an altered color scheme (the "Start" button looks like it might be the Vista-style one.)

They put XP on UMPCs, and that's the closest "relative" to the slate, so I'd assume it's going to run a desktop version of Windows, not a mobile version.

 

[Mr. Laser Beam]

I was primarily talking about for the iPhone, but also perhaps as an internal modem option for the Islate and other mac products such as the macbook air.

And what would that do for me that 802.11 wireless wouldn't?

probably would be 11g - the devices won't need the extra performance of 11n combined with it's a larger chipset and more power hungry which is one the reasons it never made it to the iphone.

Great. An 802.11g device on my network (which is 802.11n) would slow it down.

 

[Marc]

And what would that do for me that 802.11 wireless wouldn't?

probably would be 11g - the devices won't need the extra performance of 11n combined with it's a larger chipset and more power hungry which is one the reasons it never made it to the iphone.

Great. An 802.11g device on my network (which is 802.11n) would slow it down.

that would depend on your access point - some run the 11n at fullspeed even with the G device connected (the dual band units which work on both 2.4 and 5Ghz).

Not sure you'd notice any impact though (unless you're transferring files around) because even with the overheads, 54Mbit wireless is in most cases faster than what your internet connection is.

My iPhone connects to the my wireless when I'm at home which drags it down to G but I've been able to watch a video from my PC on my blu-ray player without a problem.

 

[Data Holmes]

So today is the big day...

Edit to add, it has a name... The iPad

 

[Brent]

iPad

Guys, this really does look like the Star Trek "PADD" come to life! I mean seriously, looking at photos and capabilities now - http://www.engadget.com/2010/01/27/live-from-the-apple-tablet-latest-creation-event/

I love it when Star Trek "future technology" comes to reality in the here and now!

I want

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

Engadget's liveblog is running. It looks slick... but it's what, 800 to 1000 dollars with iphone interface? WITH NO FLASH ON IT? Are you sh-tting me? Steve just pulled up Apple.com and there was no flash (iphone doesn't have flash)

 

[Data Holmes]

lot of Google tie ins going on in this presentation. That's interesting.

 

[What's his face]

I hate the name... iPad. But I love the idea.

 

[TheBrew]

I wish that they had called it the iPADD.

 

[Stone_Cold_Sisko]

It's a 10 inch iPod Touch.

Unless there's a "one more thing" surprise coming up.... this thing seems pretty underwhelming, if the rumored $800 to $1000 price point is true.

No multi-tasking, no Flash in browsing, iPhone apps not customized run in 'small size' windows... I have an IPhone, I love it... but I accept the limitations as a trade-off to be able to put it in your pocket. iPad is almost as big as a laptop.

Seriously this should have been a full OSX (or modified OSX) tablet.

Given the choice, HP Windows 7 Tablet > This

 

[Brent]

Engadget's liveblog is running. It looks slick... but it's what, 800 to 1000 dollars with iphone interface? WITH NO FLASH ON IT? Are you sh-tting me? Steve just pulled up Apple.com and there was no flash (iphone doesn't have flash)

The lack of Flash support is disappointing

I bet it'll give them something in the future they can release new software for and claim wow look we just added flash support yay new feature

 

[Brent]

I hate the name... iPad. But I love the idea.

Indeed, I love the idea. I think others will imitate and hopefully inovate this type of technology. I think the revolution of "PADs" has just started with this, there will be others to follow, offering this style of computing. I think it could change a lot of things of how we do things, but the price does need to be appealing too, at $800-$1000 it is too overpriced, hopefully others will be cheaper, it needs to be $99 to really gain mass appeal. Price is everything.

 

[Data Holmes]

Anyone remember that part of the movie 2001 when the crew is watching TV/video on a flat screen type of "device". This reminds me of that.