The Apple Tablet – I Want One

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Apple released it’s latest cure for today’s global economic ails, and I want one. Yes, it’s called something else, but I like ApTab better than the alternative.

I was on a conference call, but was madly refreshing the NYTimes Bits blog to get the details.  For someone who has a Mac laptop and an iPhone (hey, that’s me!), I can see the value of the ApTab, especially if you travel for both local and remote events.  10 hours (ish) of battery life?  Yes, pleaae.

My first things I think I like:

• Hardware – The size and weight is nice.  Yes, it’s somewhere between a laptop and an iPod Touch but there seem to be so many places the ApTab can be used.  Add a cover or jacket, and it likely won’t be much different than the Mac laptop.
• Software (O/S) – Seems snappy and basic, which also seems perfect for this type of device.  If this is a “transition” device (somewhere between a desktop/laptop and a smart phone), there isn’t much need for all the crazy code that goes into a full-blown operating system.
• Software (Apps) – There are lots, and lots more coming.

Realistically, you are investing in the hardware at this point.  Can you do without USB inputs or external monitor ports or a camera?  Of these, I think the camera would make the most sense to include for video conversations.

I recently bought a pair of bluetooth headphones, which the ApTab will be able to use.  Yay!

The other thing I was hoping for was a native handwriting application.  You know, to use it like a, um, legal pad?  How cool would it be to actually jot down notes using your own stylus/finger/pointy object?  I could take this to a meeting and actually use it to capture notes – I could use that.  I found a few apps in the store, so that’s good news, and I imagine some young whipper-snapper will create an app that can dump the handwriting notes into an email/calendar/contact/to-do list.

The nice thing is that Apple has a few more weeks and months to tinker with the final product.  I’m not sure about dropping a camera in at this point, but there might be some additional bells and whistles that could accompany the real thing.

But I think that’s the point here.  If I can do with out the hardware things for the next 18-24 months and can find away around the screen-based keyboard, I’m interested.

In fact, I want one.