Whether it is called the Apple Tablet, iTablet or iPad, there have been rumors surfacing of an Applet tablet computer based on the iPhone OS for a while now, and according to reports, the project has been canceled at least twice by Apple. But now, with the rumor mill in full gear, it seems almost certain we'll finally see this product sometime next year.
But do we really need an Apple Tablet?
While the idea of a tablet computer is enticing, the reality is somewhat limited. An Apple Tablet certainly wouldn't replace the laptop in the work environment. Not only are touch-screen keyboards more difficult to use than physical keyboards, the entire device is an ergonomic nightmare if you are sitting at a desk or a table at the corner cafe. So to be successful, an Apple Tablet must win the hearts and minds of the consumer rather than the business user.
Consumers tend to buy things based on (1) want and (2) need. And while we are willing to splurge on what we want from time to time, it is needs that really drive us to the store. Without an underlying need, a gadget becomes a toy rather than a useful device, and as such sales are pedestrian rather than epidemic.
But it is when both our wants and our needs converge that we really open the wallet.
Take the iPhone for example. Very few of us actually need an iPhone. It is a great device, but ultimately, most of us buy an iPhone because we want an iPhone, not because we need it.
However, we do need a phone. And I daresay we need a music-playing device, or at least, most people consider some type of music a requirement. So the iPhone combining this need for a phone and this need for music into one sexy device with 65,000 apps and an intuitive interface makes for the most popular smartphone in the world. But ultimately, it is the fulfillment of those needs that really make those sales possible.
Again, I ask, do we really need an Apple Tablet?
I think the idea of having a tablet computer is super cool. As Mike Arrington suggests as one of the motivating factors in trying to put together the CrunchPad tablet computer, being able to easily check stuff on the Internet while watching TV or comfortably read an eBook in bed before going to sleep would be a great use for a tablet. But those aren't really needs, and they can easily be fulfilled by our laptop or even our iPod Touch.
So where does the Apple Tablet come in?
Mobile entertainment. In going over some of the uses for an iPhone-based tablet computer, what stuck out for me was how great such a device would be for those long family trips. We've long seen SUVs equipped with television sets and DvD players, but an Apple Tablet could provide music, movies, games and more. It would also be available on trains, planes and in motel rooms and even camping trips.
The one key ingredient for being a successful technology company -- besides good, solid technology -- is timing. Come to the party too early, and no one is prepared for it, which might be one reason why Apple TV has only been a marginal success, at one point being labeled a "hobby" by Steve Jobs. On the other side, come to the party too late, and you are the Microsoft Zune.
Is the time right for a lean, mean portable Apple TV / iPod Touch that can do for movies and games what the iPod did for music? Maybe. When you look at some of the neat technologies out there, like the ability to stream top-of-the-line video games to a dumbbox through Onlive, you can see that we are getting closer and closer to being able to have that all-in-one gadget.
What I do know is that for the Applet Tablet to be a huge success, it will need to be both a want and a need, and perhaps the best way to do that is to become the iPod for movies and games.
Note: The Applet Tablet mockup is sliver of a great picture by Vernhart on Flickr.
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Comments
This is true, most Apple people can and have it,
Apple has brought over the coders to write already as a test through Iphone OSX and now bumpimng it up,, MS..(not the MARA) but billy gates to make outlets to try and beat apple stores..and their great customer service,,, genious..lol
On short, yes we do. Your consumer purchase synopsis has a flaw - consumers don't buy what they need, they buy what their technophile mates say "they need". I overheard it again at lunch today... Q: "what do you want to do with it?" A: "web-browsing, facebook, email, photos, music & video" & out came all the hardware specs blah, blah, blah...
Whilst my iPhone can do these tasks it's a little bit of a push. A tablet with a hybrid OSX/iPhoneOS, full compliment of system apps, iLife Touch & optional iWork Touch is more than enough for the vast majority of consumer's needs - everything a Netbook tries to be. Though why do I get the feeling the 'experts' will be anti.
McD
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