tablets

BOL 1042: Attack of the BelBots

We learn that not only is a botnet using Twitter to store some of its data but that botnet follow Veronica. Who is a bot herself. We also ponder why leaked pictures of the Dell smartphone are so blurry. And bad news folks. Looks like no tablet for the Apple announcement, but it sounds like it will be in September.

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Dell’s first phone spied on web http://www.reghardware.co.uk/2009/08/14/dell_smartphone_pictures/

Apple planning September event? http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-10309110-37.html… Read more

Apple tablet may be under wraps until 2010

For all the breathless pontificating and predicting on the worst-kept secret in tech, the Apple tablet, most pundits have pointed to Apple's traditional September press event as the likely launch point for this new product.

Now, some are saying that Apple's unconfirmed September confab will be primarily about music devices, and any tablet PC will remain under wraps until sometime in 2010. According to Mac news site The Loop:

Very reliable sources familiar with the product have said speculation of the tablet being introduced during the September event are flat-out wrong. The Apple tablet, they said, would not … Read more

Is the Apple tablet for cars?

We frequently get tips from readers offering inside information or links to obscure foreign sources. Sometimes they check out, sometimes they feel more like paranoid delusions (and sometimes it's hard to tell the difference).

There was a particularly frenetic message today from a reader offering links to an Russian Apple site called DeepApple, that purported to explain how the still-unconfirmed Apple tablet would in fact be targeted primarily at automotive use. In part, it reads:

"The Tablet itself will be aimed for use in cars (mostly, but not only) as a center of car equipment digital integration... Placing … Read more

Apple planning September event?

It's happened every September for the past few years, and it appears it's on track again: Apple is planning a keynote event rumored to take place the second week of September, according to AllThingsD's Peter Kafka.

He says he has heard from "multiple music industry sources" that there will be an Apple event held sometime during the week of September 7. Now, this isn't a huge surprise since Apple has held an event announcing the latest upgrade to the iPod and iTunes around this same time every year. But this year there are some … Read more

The original Apple tablet: Marketing lessons from the Newton

We all know Apple's original tablet had some hard-core fans, but it bit the dust--hard--back in 1998, not long after Steve Jobs returned to the company. Some say the touch-screen Newton, one of the early "personal digital assistants," was ahead of its time. Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it's interesting to look back at Apple's marketing efforts and wonder if there are any lessons to be learned and how they might be applied to spinning a new tablet, if indeed it's a real product.

Of course, a lot has changed in 10 years. Or has it?

What do you guys think? Will Apple have a hard time selling a new Newton?

Other Newton ads:

What is Newton? Wanted Where is Newton? Most boring meeting in the world Gotham City Who is Newton?

After the break, check out a bonus Newton 2008 mock ad.… Read more

Report: Apple shot ad for new product in diner

The Sierra Sun has an interesting tidbit of information that some blogs have picked up: Apple is apparently shooting an ad for a new, unreleased product in Truckee, Calif., which is near Lake Tahoe and good skiing during the winter.

Reportedly, the ad was being shot at a diner called "Jax at the Tracks." (We haven't been able to confirm whether Apple really was filming in the diner, but it does exist). The Sun reports that "because the product they were advertising hadn't been released, members of the group didn't release any information, or … Read more

Forget the Apple tablet: These touch-screen laptops are available now

While the entire world (or at least bloggers) seemingly holds its breath for the announcement of a tablet PC from Apple, one might think that touch-screen computing is some kind of shocking new development. In fact, tablet PCs have been around for years, and there are several touch-screen laptops currently on the market that could easily satisfy your finger-tapping needs.

We've always loved tablets conceptually, but in real-world situations their usefulness can be dubious for mainstream computer users--most tablets are actually targeted at hospital, education, or industrial customers. Windows XP's wonky tablet support also didn't help matters (although both Vista and now Windows 7 do a much better job).

The most common type is the convertible tablet laptop, which looks like a normal notebook until you swivel the touch-sensitive screen 180 degrees and fold it down over the keyboard. HP's tx series of "entertainment tablets" is one of the only examples of a convertible tablet aimed squarely at casual consumers (we've profiled two recent versions below).

Netbooks, with their tiny keyboards and buttons, always seemed like prime candidates for the tablet treatment, and the new Asus Eee PC T91is a worthwhile attempt, if you don't mind the small 9-inch screen.

Of course, Apple could easily steal the tablet spotlight with a well-made, easy-to-use device (especially if the company follows the hints in our Apple tablet wish list), or they may announce nothing at all in the near future. And despite the reams of mindless speculation about Apple's tablet plans, one company has already beaten them to the punch, in a way.

The current closest relative to an Apple tablet is the Axiotron ModBook, which takes a stock 13-inch MacBook, and reconstructs it as a tablet, removing the keyboard and trackpad, and replacing the display with a Wacom-enabled LCD and digitizer.… Read more

Keyboard for Apple tablet already here?

Recently, my colleague Rafe Needleman wrote a column titled "Why consumers won't buy tablets." The article was a direct reference to the long-standing rumor that Apple may be releasing a slate-style, jumbo iPod Touch this fall. Rafe doesn't really believe Apple would be misguided enough to release a tablet and that if it does put one out in the rumored $700 to $800 price range, "it will die." He also believes that, "This whole category is a nonstarter."

I tend to agree with Rafe on a lot of his points. I think tablets and tweener devices--like Ultra Mobile PCs (UMPCs)--that are too big to put in your pocket, cumbersome to operate, and overpriced, are problematic and have no place in the marketplace.

The reason why Netbooks have been successful is that they're cheap, and their form factor makes sense, especially for those looking to take a basic, lightweight computer out with them on the road--or just out to the patio. It's a pretty simple equation and you'd think that Apple would just follow the Netbook trend and come out with something that didn't break the mold but was sexier, a little zippier, and cost an extra $100-$200 in so-called Apple tax. What I'm talking about is a 10-inch $600-$700 Apple Netbook with a keyboard.… Read more

Why an Apple tablet will succeed

The Apple tablet, if it arrives, is an extension of a design that already has mass appeal--and does not require a leap of faith to believe it will succeed.

The Apple iPhone and iPod are arguably small tablets--and consumers have demonstrated unmistakably that they love these devices. So, a larger, more versatile version of the iPod makes perfect sense.

And some not-so-small companies like Qualcomm and Intel are pushing tablet-like devices for their next-generation silicon. So this isn't just Apple (if the Apple tablet rumors are indeed true).

That said, let's not limit this potential market to Apple. … Read more