My Wish List for the Apple Tablet

(CBS)  Like other tech journalists, I got my invitation for an Apple press event on January 27th inviting us to "Come see our latest creation." Apple didn't offer any details but the speculation is that the company will announce some type of tablet device, probably optimized for watching video and reading books.

If Steve Jobs does announce a tablet device when he takes the stage at San Francisco's Yerba Buena Center next week, he won't be the first famous tech executive to do so.

I was at the Comdex computer trade show in November 2001 when Bill Gates announced Windows software for the tablet PC. Gates, at the time, predicted that the Tablet would become the most popular form of PC within 5 years. That was 9 more than years ago and even though a number of PC vendors have come out with tablet PCs, they remain one of the least popular forms of PCs.

The PCs that Gates showed off were running a version of Windows XP designed to allow users to write on the screen instead of type on a keyboard, although many tablet PCs also had keyboard so they be optionally used as conventional laptops.

A Microsoft press release at the time quoted Ted Clark, vice president of Tablet PC at Compaq, as saying "We see the Tablet PC as a business tool that lets you work the way you want to work, bringing the power of the PC anywhere you want to work. He added, "This will be your primary computer - it's not a 'companion' device to anything else, except a companion to you."

Ted Clark, Bill Gates and everyone else who predicted the domination of the tablet PC were wrong. Despite some inroads in medical, government, military and vertical markets like delivery personnel, tablets have largely been ignored by consumers. But the reason might be because Microsoft positioned them as work machines instead of as media players.

The reason I never bought into the tablet craze is because they replaced the keyboard with a stylus, encouraging people to write rather than type. If I preferred writing to typing, I never would have taken that junior high school typing class so many years ago. Not only does typing produce more legible copy, it's also faster. A good typist can type as many as 70 words per minute but it's hard to handwrite at more than 20 words per minute. What's more, hand writing is more tiring than typing. Why would anyone want to use a stylus instead of a keyboard if the stylus is harder to use, slower and less accurate?

But the rumored Apple tablet - and it's important to remember that it's still just a rumor - is said to be optimized not so much for productivity but for entertainment and reading. If that's the case, it could change the ballgame. While a tablet might be terrible for productivity, it's actually a good form factor for reading and watching video. And, depending on its features and software, it might also be pretty good for web surfing and light email use.

My wish list

Of course, if Apple were to launch a tablet and if that tablet had a USB port, then it might be possible to plug in a keyboard and a mouse to use the device for productivity applications. I'm not sure that will be the neither case, nor do I know what operating system and software the device will use. But my guess is as good as anyone's so I'm going to lay out what I think the device should be.

I would like to see an Apple tablet that runs a custom version of the same OS X operating system that Apple uses for the Mac (and also the iPhone). I'd like to see the default user interface look pretty much like the iPhone does, but I'd also like to see a way for it to more closely resemble the Macintosh desktop for those people who might want to use it for productivity purposes. When it's emulating the iPhone it could be used to run all iPhone applications including, of course, the iPod software for watching video and listening to music. There would also be plenty of book reading apps, including perhaps a version for reading Amazon Kindle books as well as software from competing book sellers and software for an open e-book format that could be used by any publisher. The device will almost certainly support the read electronic newspapers and magazines.

But if someone wanted to use it for productivity, I'd like to see the device transform itself into a Macintosh with the ability to run all Mac applications, including Microsoft Office. I'm not convinced that people would buy it for this purpose, but I do think that people who had the device might be interested in using it for productivity when necessary. For example, someone might use the tablet to read a book or watch a movie on a plane but - after landing - they might plug in a small external keyboard to (or use an onscreen virtual keyboard) to use it for email, web research or report writing from their hotel room.

Of course, Apple didn't consult me on what the tablet should be and I admit I have no idea what they will announce. I'm not even 100% certain they will announce a tablet but, whatever it is, it's fun to speculate.

[TogetherinParis]

The automotive applications: rear camera, speedometer, battery reserve, odometer, compass, entertainment system, gps unit, cell phone, as well as the easy reader and flick watching would prove useful. It has to be able to send & receive telemetry, so bluetooth, etc. makes sense. Breathalyzer in next generation.
Homework: security system, smart thermostat, motion sensing, Smoke alarm in next generation.
Auto supervision of labor/nurse/nanny, red light cameras, road toll taking devices, automotive security system, face recognition, Recognize owner by smell in the next generation.

[inolipe]

"lot of nonsense has been propagated over the years about. keyboards vs handwriting vs touch. Each has their place, depending on the task and the environment it's used in."

Thanks you very much mwilliams220, I could not agree more!

I'm pretty good at typing on a keyboard but does that prevent from handwriting when I can? Absolutely not! Handwriting is more flexible, more personal, more relaxing... The list is long.

I agree that the keyboard did seriously hurt our ability to handwrite. Does that mean typing is any better than handwriting? No. It simply means that our technology could not produce anything better so far. By the way, in 100 years in the future, people will joke about keyboard and mouse: "that was SO 20th century!". Will those people handwrite instead? Possibly. On a touchscreen most certainly...

[larrymagid]

You are correct about the convertible tablets with keyboards. I should have mentioned that and will try to correct that omission. This was not a result of a lack of research. I was there on several occasions when Gates talked about these and reviewed a few of them -- just an accidental omission.

[mwilliams220]

"The PCs that Gates showed off were running a version of Windows XP designed to allow users to write on the screen instead of type on a keyboard. "

Not "instead", but "as well as". It's not a zero sum game.

"The reason I never bought into the tablet craze is because they replaced the keyboard with a stylus, encouraging people to write rather than type"

No no no. All the tablets had either permanent keyboards or USB slots for keyboards. Did you do *any* fact checking for this article?

Microsoft referred to Tablet PCs with detachable USB keyboards as slate models back in 2000-2001. Those looking more like conventional laptops but with revolving screens were called "convertibles".

Microsoft's concept of a Tablet was never to be a separate device but to simply add additional affordances to a mobile/laptop computer, including pen and touch input. Because it was introduced while Windows XP was out, the Tablet features were introduced simultaneously with Windows XP SP1 and called Tablet PC edition. It was only available as an OEM preinstallation on actual tablet hardware.

When Vista came along, all the tablet functionality was folded into the main Windows editions, and simply became available when the appropriate hardware was present. Windows 7 continues that.

A lot of nonsense has been propagated over the years about. keyboards vs handwriting vs touch. Each has their place, depending on the task and the environment it's used in.

I've read nearly a decade of reviews saying "I can type faster than I can handwrite therefore a Tablet is pointless". Well that's fine if your PC is essentially an internet-enabled typewriter, but shows a complete lack of vision about what a pen/touch-enabled device can do in addition to allowing you to type.

There are environments like meetings and class-rooms where handwritten notes are much more useful, and taking them is more socially acceptable. The "wall" of the laptop screen in a meeting is annoying to many. If your notes are partially diagrammed then a keyboard is useless. Taking maths or science-based notes are usually much better done by pen. Drawing on-the-fly links between textual notes works in way that typed links doesn't. Microsoft's OneNote is an examplar of how mixed input modes can be integrated in a classroom or business setting. There's a new generation of students growing up with software like this, and they don't care if typing a newspaper review column is faster than handwriting - it's simply irrelevant.

Touch is fine for simple navigation on PC devices, but it's usually insufficient for fine-grained input. You can't rest your hand on a screen and write if you rely on touch only. Touch is also a poor substitute for a mouse at a desktop as it's ergonomically tiring and inefficient. It's OK on a home entertainment system where you're essentially navigating a simple console application, but exhausting for regular WIMP interface manipulation.

Millions of people dock their laptops at their desk to use bigger screens, keyboards and mice. Docking a tablet is no different (although you may choose to rotate the tablet into portrait orientation for some document types).

I've used my various Tablets over the years in a number of non-text oriented ways. My 2003 model MotionComputing slate is still a very fine device for managing thousands of pieces of sheet music in PDFs, and sits comfortably at my piano, allowing page-turns with a quick touch of a button. It also allows me to use digital pens and highlighters to mark up the music non-destructively. Special-purpose handwriting recognisers for music notation and math functions add-greatly to the tablet experience for many.

I've also used it for sketching and as an e-book reader, sitting in a comfortable chair rather than at a desk. I suspect that as many textbooks migrate to ebooks that many will find that a device that handles black and white text as well as magnifiable illustrations (bedwards972: there is a use for colour and more in books) or even animated diagrams for technical exposition. A really useful ebook reader will allow you to add your own written or vocal annotations to a text without requiring a different device or software.

[I've made these comments in another forum recently. But honestly I'm sick of the same hack columns being written everywhere.]