The Business Blog at Intuitive.com

Dave Taylor has been involved with the Internet since 1980 and is widely recognized as an expert on both technical and business issues. He has been published over a thousand times, launched four Internet-related startup companies, has written twenty business and technical books and holds both an MBA and MS Ed. Dave maintains four weblogs: The Business Blog at Intuitive.com, Ask Dave Taylor, Dave On Film, and Attachment Parenting Blog. Dave is an award-winning speaker, sought after conference and workshop participant and frequent guest on radio and podcast programs.

Mac OS X Tablet PowerBook Coming Soon?

Maybe I should call this a PowerTablet or a TabletBook to fit into the Apple naming scheme, but ever since I've seen folks with spiffo tablet PCs (notably Steve Gillmor, who is a reluctant evangelist for the devices, and Robert Scoble, who writes about them with some frequency on his blog) the vision of a tablet Mac has been running through my head.

And then I remembered that a key technology is already built in to Mac OS X -- handwriting recognition -- and that with the addition of people hacking the latest developer release of Mac OS X that's hardware compatible with Intel computers, we might well be able to hobble together a Mac tablet, uhm, PowerTablet today!

For the hardware, I think I'd go for the Toshiba Portege M200. For the OS, Mac OS X Tiger + Intel, of course. For the needed handwriting recognition? A slick little capability that's already in your own Mac called Inkwell.

Anyone already pushing these bits and wires around to try to get one of these up and running? Any shareware authors building note taking and drawing applications for this sort of environment?

I want one of these computers. Today. :-)

Update: I've spent a good few hours thinking about the name of this possible device and decided that if Apple releases something like this - and they will - that it'll be called PowerPad. Think about it: A super-notebook for students? iBook, part of the PowerBook line. Oh, and once this is out, I also expect one that's a hybrid, maybe a 6x9 screen and lots of neato iPod functionality built into the unit too. And that one? How about an iPad?

Posted by Dave Taylor at August 20, 2005 2:14 AM

Comments

I'd buy a Power Tablet yesterday! I'm holding out for one... but I weary of it and Averatec makes reasonably priced convertibles now. And I understand that those new T-Series Chinkpads from Lenovo are wonderful (sigh). All the pieces-parts are coming together for the Power Tablet. Jobs says no, but that's what he always says - so you are right, someone needs to hack one together and we can publicize it. Or should I say, "MAKE" it. Hint, hint.

Posted by: Tom Novak on August 20, 2005 7:08 AM

Jerry Pournell from Byte is also a supporter of the tablet. With tablets having such a small marketshare, I'm not sure that Apple would find it to be a viable product.

At this point, it's not even certain that there will be a continued demand for such a device.

I've tried tablets and found them to be clumsy. It seemed as though it could work if the weight could be brought down to one pound and the tablet was strapped to one's forearm. Then it wouldn't be required to carry the damn thing. Just take the pen out of the pocket, bring your arm up, write, put your arm down, and put the pen back.

But it couldn't be too large, and MUST weigh one pound or less. Maybe in the future when solid state memory can take the place of a decent HD, and OLED's or equivalent are available. But not now.

Posted by: Mel Gross on August 20, 2005 1:12 PM

I believe that "someone" will make such a device and it will be used by anyone who draws whether that be technical or artistic. I would guess that both software and hardware companies are already working on these products but I have no idea how long that will take. I believe dreams come true...

Posted by: Harold on August 20, 2005 1:30 PM

Interesting feedback, Mel. I spent some time this afternoon at Best Buy trying out a $1200 Toshiba tablet, actually, and I think that the 8 1/2 x 11 "piece of paper" format is actually just what I'd want. I just wonder if they make a tablet PC that doesn't have a keyboard inside? Make it *just* the tablet functionality and it's stronger, thinner, lighter, and a much more interesting device. Even with Windows (for now, at least).

Anyone? Is there a tablet PC like that on the market?

Posted by: Dave Taylor on August 20, 2005 8:32 PM

It's called Newton and it has 28 hours of battery life. Unlike those crappy windoze tablets.

Posted by: max on August 21, 2005 3:37 AM

http://channels.lockergnome.com/mobile/archives/20051026_go_buck_rogers_with_your_wearable_computer.phtml -- with further advances in miniaturization, it could shrink down to at least the size of the PalmOS-based wristwatch thingy. Drat, its name escapes me at the moment.

Posted by: Daniel Escasa on October 29, 2005 9:11 AM

Just remembered, it's the Fossil.

Posted by: Daniel Escasa on June 23, 2006 10:35 AM

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