[ehMax]

Apple officially sent out invitations Monday for its expected Jan. 27 event in San Francisco, where it is anticipated the company will introduce its new touchscreen tablet device.

According to Engadget the invitation was sent out Monday with the tagline: "Come see our latest creation." The included graphic has the Apple logo surrounded by colorful paint splatters. The event is scheduled for 10:00 a.m. Pacific time.

By the looks of the card, it looks like Apple is finally bringing back MacPaint! It will be a $1000 MacPaintTab!

Seriously, I CAN'T WAIT to find out more about this device and I'm really hoping for one of those special Apple Moments™ .

 

[rpalace]

I have so many ideas swirling around in my head about what this creation is going to look like and do. In my head, I want it

I think I'm most interested in finding out what input method it will use. That should be a defining element of this tabletwhateveryouwanttocallit.

 

[Ravindra Mohabeer]

I wonder if the colours aren't reminiscent of the early iMac flavours? I hope not - though it would be kind of nice to see some jewel encrusted version just to mock those who buy it.

 

[RunTheWorldOnMac]

Interesting... I would say the design would portray a paint app as Mr. Mayor points out.

Now, if I'm trying to meld the design with a tablet I don't have much.

Perhaps the iSplat?

 

[Ottawaman]

Colour Iphone option?

 

[ehMax]

I'm picturing a this for Apple iSlate Tablet features:

- Thin (.5") tablet with 10" screen with (hopefully) reasonable battery life
- Functionality of a Wacom Cintiq bundled with Apple drawing / creative programs
- All Input based on finger touch, not stylus (3rd party vendors will have stylus options)
- Mini Display Port - Can hook up to another display or iMac screen with displayport
- Built-in 3G support
- Camera - Video chat capabilites
- Connects to app store for "iPhone" apps (Slew of updated apps that take advantage of screen)
- Some sort of cool content arrangement (Really excited about what Apple might come up with) Price kept low for content by online ads thanks to recent Apple mobile ad company acquisition - They're largest to date.
- Some sort of interaction with Apple TV - Media on TV
- Price will be $999 US

We'll have to see what the new Apple Tablet will look like / be names / price!

 

[Ravindra Mohabeer]

My first Newton was about $1000 ... I'm hoping for less.

I gather it will be multi-touch, too. I'm hoping that there will be a keyboard option-ish for longer note taking. Also an intuitive OneNote type application built as standard to make it useful for note-taking and field research.

 

[fjnmusic]

Whatever it is, it looks like it will be color.

 

[fjnmusic]

I'm picturing a this for Apple iSlate Tablet features:

- Thin (.5") tablet with 10" screen with (hopefully) reasonable battery life
- Functionality of a Wacom Cintiq bundled with Apple drawing / creative programs
- All Input based on finger touch, not stylus (3rd party vendors will have stylus options)
- Mini Display Port - Can hook up to another display or iMac screen with displayport
- Built-in 3G support
- Camera - Video chat capabilites
- Connects to app store for "iPhone" apps (Slew of updated apps that take advantage of screen)
- Some sort of cool content arrangement (Really excited about what Apple might come up with) Price kept low for content by online ads thanks to recent Apple mobile ad company acquisition - They're largest to date.
- Some sort of interaction with Apple TV - Media on TV
- Price will be $999 US

We'll have to see what the new Apple Tablet will look like / be names / price!

I think you will be able to use any blunted object as a stylus, as handwriting recognition would be a huge advantage over any other device in existence. But if you have to carry a particular easy-to-lose stylus with you? Not likely. Also, finger-writing won't be a go since it wear our your fingertips too quickly and become annoying and painful. Also, I predict a price of $849, perhaps more with a 3G or 4G option enabled.

 

[i-rui]

I'm picturing a this for Apple iSlate Tablet features:

- Thin (.5") tablet with 10" screen with (hopefully) reasonable battery life
- Functionality of a Wacom Cintiq bundled with Apple drawing / creative programs
- All Input based on finger touch, not stylus (3rd party vendors will have stylus options)
- Mini Display Port - Can hook up to another display or iMac screen with displayport
- Built-in 3G support
- Camera - Video chat capabilites
- Connects to app store for "iPhone" apps (Slew of updated apps that take advantage of screen)
- Some sort of cool content arrangement (Really excited about what Apple might come up with) Price kept low for content by online ads thanks to recent Apple mobile ad company acquisition - They're largest to date.
- Some sort of interaction with Apple TV - Media on TV
- Price will be $999 US

We'll have to see what the new Apple Tablet will look like / be names / price!

if it's ALL THAT and that price I'd be ECSTATIC!

the price on a 12" cintiq is $1000+

 

[Lawrence]

Thanks for the heads up Mr. Mayor, Haven't checked my developers email box in awhile,
Better head over there and see if I got an invite yet.

Maybe there will be a rewritten future bundle, MacWrite, MacDraw and MacPaint.

Dave

 

[kevleviathan]

Random thought - Apple has an opportunity here to bypass Adobe if they integrate a tablet with Wacom-like technology with some creative photoshop-like apps.

 

[switch]

kev,

I totally agree with you. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple complements it's iLife and iWorks with iPaint or something like that. Maybe even buying out something like Pixelmator and rebranding it as an iApp.

 

[fjnmusic]

Pixelmator rocks. Like PhotoBooth, only moreso.

 

[chas_m]

Pixelmator looks pretty kindergarten to people who use Photoshop. Pretty though.

As for the invite, I think it's pretty obvious ... this whole iSlate thing is a ruse, a red herring if you will.

On Jan. 27th ... Apple will introduce ...

(wait for it)

... the iSPLATTER PAINTGUN!

OH YEAAAAHHH!!

 

[Ozweego]

I have been on the fence for over a month now on a new pc/mac purchase and am excited to wait and see what this Jan 27th announcement may bring.

If it is the iSlate, here is what I would like to see:

-10"-13.3" Touchscreen - .5" of less thick
-Decent Hard Drive and Ram (if it chooses to go more Macbook then eReader/iPhone style)
-Optical drive with writing capability (Blu-ray was cause sudden Heart palpitations)
-Something a little more rugged then the current iPhone 3G casing. After all it will be moved from desk to car to table to bag to etc. Would be nice not to worry about scratching the glossy finish every time.
-wireless/3g/4g connectivity of course
-optional wireless keyboard/mouse and docking station


If it can provide all the above with other common denominators found within a Macbook then I would happily pay $1000-$1300 for it.

 

[jwootton]

My take on what the tablet will (should) be.

From the price points that have been thrown around, $800-1000, it will have to be much closer to a laptop than an iPhone. I cannot see Apple introducing such an anticipated product at that price point that would have too little functionality. I think that this will be a product between an iPhone and a laptop, but would replace the laptop. WIth the portability of computers and smart phones becoming so popular, this seems like the logical progression. It will have the portability of a netbook, but functionality of a laptop. I envision it being like the macbook air, with a touchscreen that allows for a bluetooth keyboard when you need more functionality out of it.

I don't want to run iPhone apps on it, I have my iPhone for that. I would like to run mac OSX and the OSX applications I already own. I would personally like to get rid of my laptop in favour of the new tablet, but we shall see if that is where they position it or not. Also the rumours of the "surprising interaction" with the device could be very interesting

 

[fyrefly]

If it is the iSlate, here is what I would like to see:

-10"-13.3" Touchscreen - .5" of less thick
-Decent Hard Drive and Ram (if it chooses to go more Macbook then eReader/iPhone style)
-Optical drive with writing capability (Blu-ray was cause sudden Heart palpitations)
-Something a little more rugged then the current iPhone 3G casing. After all it will be moved from desk to car to table to bag to etc. Would be nice not to worry about scratching the glossy finish every time.
-wireless/3g/4g connectivity of course
-optional wireless keyboard/mouse and docking station


If it can provide all the above with other common denominators found within a Macbook then I would happily pay $1000-$1300 for it.

Wow, Apple hasn't even put Blu-Ray into the MacPro or the iMac, I seriously doubt it'll be in the iSlate. iSlate is meant to be thin - optical drive =/= thin.

Also this thing is totally being positioned as between an iPhone and a MacBook - so no big HDD (solid state drive only, I'd think) - nice amount of RAM would be good - but evne the MacBook Air only has 2GB.

10" touchscreen is a given. No bigger. Only interesting thing will be is the 22" iMac Touchscreen rumours turn out to be true.

More rugged casing would be great - and there's been a lot of talk about it having an aluminum case - that would be great. I liked the iPhone 2G's case SO much better than my 3GS's.

Wireless connectivity is a given, as is bluetooth, so the optional keyboard/mouse, etc... could be done that way. Docking station would be sweet - there were those ideas of it sliding into an iMac - but more likely would maybe just be some sort of video out, via an iPod Doc Connector, or a Mini-Displayport.

 

[RunTheWorldOnMac]

Anyone have any thoughts on an upgraded Touch? Price drop?

 

[Lawrence]

Considering that optical drives are on there way out,
Maybe Apple will put a flash card reader on the side of their mPad.