The Apple iTablet: Will you buy one?
For many years it’s been rumored about. And as we firmly believe, it’s not a joke. Wide-screen, 10-inch, music-player, movie-player, book-reader with full touchscreen capabilities? I’m getting 10 of them.
Some of my girlfriends however feels negatively about the size. They ask, “Who would bring a 10 inch device out for lunch? And how do you even talk on it?”
Apple has been producing great stuffs over the past decade, and as with everything new, there’s always some questions and problems.
Will you be getting one of these then? Here are some pros and cons we have gathered to help you decide better:
Pros:
The rumored Apple iTablet features highlighted in two articles by the Financial Times provide the best insight into what we’re likely looking to see in Apple stores come September. Here are some of the best features that we’ve been able to dissect:
- 10 inch screen
- Internet connectivity
- The ability to run iPhone apps
- Book-reading abilities
Okay, so we really know almost nothing about this fabled device. But the essential point is that it’s a slim touch-screen device that could compete in the Netbook space. They are rising in popularity and are surprisingly useful (I’ll admit that I love my HP netbook), but an Apple tablet could blow away any netbook in speed and functionality. Make it portable and include Apple’s take on design and you could have a winner.
Cons:
All of the criticism volleyed towards the still-unreleased Apple tablet can be summed up in one scathing article by PCWorld’s Michael Scalisi. I’m just going to quote him on some of his many points:
- “There are lots of things that tablets are not good at. Take watching movies, for example. Since a tablet is designed for lying flat, you have to be looking straight down to view the computer. Actually, that makes it suck for most things.”
- “While I think a multi-touch display is a great idea, using it to host a virtual keyboard takes too much real estate on a petite 10-inch display.”
- “While the iPhone OS might seem like an obvious choice due to its small footprint and contribution toward long battery life, it has glaring limitations on a larger device.”
- “Bundling it with wireless broadband service would find a limited audience.”
Really, there’s not much more we can add to the con side.
What we think
Let’s get two simple truths out of the way first:
1. All of this is rumor. We really have no idea what the iTablet will look like, how it will work, or what features it will offer. Steve Jobs could be laughing his ass off in a comfy chair at Apple HQ for all we know.
2. As a rule, Apple does its research. They perform intensive testing, undergo multiple iterations, and push the boundaries of usability and design. There is a reason that its products have been hits since Steve Jobs returned to the helm.
While we think Scalisi’s points are all valid, they’re all towards a product none of us have ever seen. It is unfathomable to us that Apple wouldn’t realize that a tablet can’t be seen at a flat angle and wouldn’t take measures to fix it. We’d be shocked if they didn’t modify the iPhone OS to perform admirably on a tablet. These are things Apple tests and tweaks constantly.
We’re going to wait until the tablet is in our hands until we give it a review, but we’re going to repeat our very simple point: Apple doesn’t build crappy products.
What do you think?
We voiced our opinion, so now it’s time for yours. From what you know about the Apple iTablet now, would you buy it? Do you think it’s a smart move by Apple? Or will it flop?
Comment and/or discuss on the forums!
[ref Mashable]