[NTLK] The Apple Tablet (aka iNewt) saga, part 4,037,862

[Ryan Vetter]

Hi:

I do hope that if Apple releases a tablet, that a stylus will work with it.  But I am not keeping my hopes high.  Having stylus capability would serve business markets, like editing and marking up PDFs, in graphic design for art and animation, etc.

But having this functionality means more complexity, and more difficulty for Apple.  They have to come up with a hybrid screen that will be good for multi-touch but also good for a stylus.  The glass that is currently used, I don't know if that will do, because it will scratch too easily...

What I think they will do is just give people multi-touch, like the iPhone, and push entertainment and books on it... then see where that takes them.  But the patent filing is interesting, considering the timing.  Maybe Apple will surprise us, I hope they do.  I am sure with the research that I have done that the challenges on the tablet have been great, perhaps the greatest of anything Apple has tried.

They have been scaling the OS for the device, with multi-touch, trying to design a thin slate with lots of power and good battery life, and come up with not only an innovative screen that won't scratch easily, but a set of backend services to make the device attractive to consumers.  Over six years into developing a modern tablet, and no product yet.

It's really a new category that I am sure we all hope Apple invents.

Now, if Microvision would just come out with their wearable computer displays, we could leapfrog this tablet business... Sigh.



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