If the internet is to be believed, then in the next few days, Apple is set to announce a tablet computer. Essentially a large iPod Touch or iPhone, the tablet is rumoured to share many of features with the two mentioned devices. It will have a touch screen with much more advanced multi-touch and a 10.1″ screen.
For a long time it was speculated that they would enter the netbook market. A market which has grown hugely in the past few years. The tablet is also not too dissimilar in size to these netbooks.
Whilst I am still not 100% sure what I think of this rumoured product, I personally think someone has thrown a curve ball and we are in store for something much more interesting. On top of that, I would like to see a new iPhone, with new features and better specs, a greater step from the 3GS than the 3GS was from the 3G. This is because, unashamed, I would like to replace my iPhone 3G which I have had since launch date, and this is on top of me stating I would keep using it until it dies.
Going back to the ‘iSlate’, as it has been dubbed (rubbish name in my opinion), one of the tablet related issues I am most interested in, is its exterior design, the way it looks. The basis of this, I believe, will depend mostly on what operating system it uses. A modified iPhone OS, or a modified OS X system. If it is the iPhone OS route, it will primarily be portrait oriented interface and exterior design, and horizontally if it is the OS X route.
Since I did a reasonable job guessing with the Magic Mouse , I’ve had a shot at what I think the tablet would look like. Guessing it will be a mostly landscape device, I have made it look not too dissimilar to the iMac. It even has a Jay Leno/iMac G5/Intel chin on it. There may also be a possibility that it has a stand on the back so it can be angled on a desk, in a similar sort of fashion that the iBook G3 had a handle. The back of the device, I think will be the same sort of shape to the iPhone 3G(S), but if it isn’t, then it probably will share many design cues with the next generation iPhone, rumoured for the summer. There isn’t too much to play with on touch screen devices due to the current technology, in terms of shape since it needs to have a completely flat surface for the screen, hence why all, or most of these touch devices look very similar.
And on that note, I leave you with a video of Microsoft CEO, Steve Ballmer being asked to sign a MacBook Pro, quite funny, if maybe only for the geekier side of you.
