Tablet Mac Becomes Reality 276
teknokracy writes "MacMod has a story about a unique Mac hack. Joseph DeRuvo Jr. says: 'As a Photographer and a Dyslexic the idea of being able to use a Tablet as a platform for showing photographs, editing, and an extension of my badly organized memory is very appealing. ... So taking matters into my own hands I cut into a Dual USB iBook and didn't look back.' It seems our intrepid hardware hacker hasn't just flipped around the LCD and added a semi-functioning touch screen - he's completely engineered a new kind of mac portable, complete with a CF reader, properly installed touch sensor, and topped it all off by properly engineering it all into an Ives-worthy design. With all the trouble these particular iBook models have experienced, why not hack one up for fun and turn it in to something useful?"
Sweet hack! (Score:5, Interesting)
Tablet PC (Score:3, Interesting)
TabletPC = Bad idea? (Score:2, Interesting)
What I like about laptops is that when it's closed, the LCD screen is protected.
Whether it's coding or writing a novel keyboard is still the way to go.
TabletPC is a Microsoft marketing strategy, but to me it's in beta stage as the technology such as handwriting a voice recognition is simply not ready yet, it works sometimes but not good enough for production environment.
Re:TabletPC = Bad idea? (Score:2, Interesting)
http://www.toshibadirect.com/td/b2c/cm
Judging from the specs, I bet Linux would run fine on it. I don't own one (yet) but they appeal to me because it would be great for graphic editing and web browsing -- especially when used in the laptop configuration where you can type and touch hyperlinks on the screen.
Re:Tablet PC (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:TabletPC = Bad idea? (Score:1, Interesting)
Tablet + Mac OS X = WINNAR (Score:5, Interesting)
Mac OS X would be much better on a tablet than Windows.
Apple should license Mac OS X to a tablet PC manufacturer. (Producing it themselves would be too risky.
Rehashed to the death, but.... (Score:5, Interesting)
The fact that not only is TFA's server
Think about it. What could Apple do to make people want a Tablet and what would its target market be? My ideas, by no means perfect, would be:
1. A device that is bigger than current PDA's but smaller than current Windows Tablets, i.e. somewhere around ISO A6 size, or just a bit bigger than the old Newton. This would make it easier to hold (current Tablets are too heavy and too big to hold in one hand while writing with a Pen) and at the same time have enough space for a useful interface and space to sketch on for artists.
2.Very good handwriting recognition. This is important. I think they were getting there when they killed the Newton.
3.An OSX variant with a simplified interface which is more geared towards using a Pen. This would mean perhaps larger controls and a Dock replacement, perhaps a sliding Dock so that necessary apps are within easy reach.
4.A touch screen that enables users to use their fingers as well as a pen. (Therefore the larger controls)
5.Wireless videoand audio streaming. I know Apple has been working on a protocol that is supposed to be good for video streaming. This would or could perhaps tie in with other Apple products such as the iPod and Airport Express where this Tablet could be used as a remote control. This is why being able to use it with one's fingers would be important.
6.Other software and hardware tie ins with Apple products and software, such as the ability to use it as a monitor on movie sets with firewire or usb connectivity, or a cut down version of FCP or iMovie that allows one to cut small video clips. Perhaps a small paint application as well, or a sound editor.
7.It should be shipped with applications that leverage the platform such as a simple sketching application for students and artists, a Apple writing application that makes taking notes as easy or easier than WinXP TE's note taker. Perhaps make the sharing of sketches and notes and media simple via Rendezvous.
8.Apple should make Frameworks for this OS variant available in XCode in order to allow developers to come up with nifty applications as they have for the classic OSX. Java should be included as well to make it interesting for current mobile developers.
9.The target market would be students for artwork and note taking, home consumers for its tie in with Airport Express and iTunes and the iPod, industrial users for use as a digital notepad and checklist, and enterprise users for its note taking and sketching abilities and the ability to make presentations.
This is all a wet dream of course, but I think I'm not alone in wishing for a Tablet with that special Apple touch.
Re:Sweet hack! (Score:2, Interesting)
proof that Mac OS X has the same engine, the easter eggs from the Newton still work on Mac OS X.
A friend who has more consistent handwriting than I showed me. Write out Rosetta 3 times, and you will get "Rosetta Rosetta Hey, that's me!" Same thing happened on the Newton.
Re:What trouble? (Score:4, Interesting)
Mind you
Admittedly my history is much worse than all the other iBook owners I know who own machines from the serial number range, but most of them have had at least one logic board failure. Note that the serial number range covers *years* worth of the iBook models, it's not just a single batch.
Re:Sweet hack! (Score:2, Interesting)
ugly? (Score:2, Interesting)
Apple will never release a Tablet Mac (Score:4, Interesting)
It's been a pleasure (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:Ob. Simpsons Quote (Score:4, Interesting)
The Transcriber handwriting recognition on the Pocket PC is a modified version of Calligrapher, from PhatWare. It was not developed by Apple.
The block recognizer is based on Graffiti licensed from Xerox. The letter recognizer is based on Jot licensed from CIC, the same company that developed Graffiti 2.
So could he sell this? (Score:3, Interesting)