[joveblue]

Originally Posted by ezkcdude Maybe it's not arrogant to ignore the demand for Flash-enabled devices, but it certainly doesn't seem market-centric.

Seems pretty market-centric to me to put out a product which doesn't feature a really buggy, crashy, inefficient, proprietary feature when not including it will help push a better, open standard (to the benefit of... the market). I know I for one would rather not have Safari crashing all the time and my battery being drained for no apparent reason because I've visited a site with a dodgy video player or flash ad....

[joveblue]

Originally Posted by chucker They haven't really created all that many proprietary formats in the past decade. There's the file formats of iWork, which were previously openly specced but no longer. Other than that, I can't really think of much.

There's also the iPod Dock Connector...

[Robo]

I know what they should call it!

Maclet.

Hear me out. It's similar to "Tablet," but it has Mac in it (duh). Mac and Tablet both have the same "a" sound, so it rhymes, and sounds better than MacTab (sorry, PB PM).

But here's the thing: Even if you never get the "tablet" connection at all, the name still makes sense. "-let" is a common diminutive suffix -- think "apps" vs. "applets" -- so "Maclet" suggests something smaller than a Mac. Also, note that it's "Maclet," not "MacLet" -- whereas "MacBook" is a compound name, "Maclet" is one word, suggesting something that stands as part of its own line rather than "MacTablet," which suggests a tablet model in the existing "Mac" line.

Of course, pretty much everybody seems to agree that this is going to be more like an oversized iPod touch than a diminutive Mac -- the Mac interface just isn't designed for touch, and Apple's sure to make this product use their App Store cash cow. But here's the thing: I don't think positioning it as a $799 iPod is going to help it sell. Apple will need to sell the idea that it's a "real" computer, with or without the keyboard, and I think working from the "Mac" branding (rather than the "i" branding) would help sell the computer-ness. I mean, which would you rather find on your significant other's credit card statement -- a $799 MACLET, or a $799 IPOD TOUCH UNPOCKETABLE EDITION?

I mean, Apple seems to be launching a product in a wide-open, untouched and unfamiliar market segment. What else is branding and identity for, but to help customers make sense of such products? They need to use branding to tell us what this thing is.

That's my official recommendation, anyway. iPod, iPhone, Maclet, Mac. There's a nice symmetry to that, no? (And did I mention "Maclet" shares its letter and syllable counts and consonant-vowel pattern with the still-loved "Newton"? Or that it looks sharp, with no descenders below the baseline?)

And yeah, I know they just registered "iSlate" as a trademark in like every country ever. That name just sounds so bad - the "sl" slips off your tongue, only to smash into a grating "ate" sound. It sounds scaly, reptilian. I mean, just try saying each name five times fast.

Maybe they could split the difference and just call it "iMaclet." Anyone? No? Come on, that was awesome.

[chucker]

Originally Posted by joveblue There's also the iPod Dock Connector...

Ah, yes!

[joveblue]

Originally Posted by Roboman $799 IPOD TOUCH UNPOCKETABLE EDITION

Love it.

[drewprops]

Robo, I absolutely buy your pitch for Mockolate.

[ezkcdude]

The iSlate site was registered three years ago. Does anyone really think they still plan on using that name?

It's too bad ThinkPad was already taken.

I think it will be something obvious like iReader, iViewer, or iBrowser. (That last one is kind of funny, eh?)

[Brad]

Originally Posted by ezkcdude The iSlate site was registered three years ago. Does anyone really think they still plan on using that name?

Apple had registered iPhone domains in 2002 and by the time it announced the device Apple had showed a clear trend of abandoning the iNamingScheme, but it went with "iPhone" anyway.

[ezkcdude]

Originally Posted by Brad Apple had registered iPhone domains in 2002 and by the time it announced the device Apple had showed a clear trend of abandoning the iNamingScheme, but it went with "iPhone" anyway.

Well, that is certainly a good argument. I hope they choose something else though. iSlate seems so stone age. I can see commercials with the Flintstones. And instead of the app store, maybe you'd download apps from the app quarry.

[Kraetos]

iBook.

Seriously.

People tell me I'm crazy but I don't see how. They own the name, and how is it not perfect for a device that will be book-sized and connected to the internet?

[chucker]

Originally Posted by Kraetos iBook. Seriously. People tell me I'm crazy but I don't see how. They own the name, and how is it not perfect for a device that will be book-sized and connected to the internet?

Because unless it comes in a clamshell/lid/etc. form factor, it's not much of a book?

[Kraetos]

Originally Posted by chucker Because unless it comes in a clamshell/lid/etc. form factor, it's not much of a book?

A Kindle doesn't have a lid, and it's more of a book than the iBook ever was.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Kraetos A Kindle doesn't have a lid, and it's more of a book than the iBook ever was.

Here's the thing. If one thing sounds more unmarketable than an $800 iPod, it's an $800 e-book reader.

Reading may well be a part of the tablet's functionality, but Apple is not going to want it categorized as a book or a reader. They're not going to want it to be constantly compared to the Kindle and Nook when it costs 2-3x as much. They're going to need to sell the "computer" angle of it. Anything "book" or "reader" is a no go.

[nikstar101]

To add a little more to the iSlate rumour.. It seems that Apple could also have trademarked the name too.

http://www.macrumors.com/2009/12/25/...a-magic-slate/

[Wrao]

I don't really like the "iSlate" name that much. Curiously, I like the name "iPod Slate" much better. Ah well, I still think the device is silly sounding.

[psmith2.0]

iPod slate has a better punch to it, although I guess that throws it too firmly in the iPod camp and further blurs all those lines.

I imagine Apple would want such a thing to stand separate and clear from all that?

Damn, one more month to see what's what...

I'm not interested in one, mind you. I just love seeing brand new goodies from Apple. And if you think about it, it's been a while since that's happened! All the current Macs, iPods and iPhones are mere variations on existing themes (color changes, modest body tweaks, etc.), and nothing truly "new and unique" in quite a while (not since the MacBook Air two years ago, right?).

So just on that aspect alone, I'm looking forward to the 26th. What's it going to look like?

Aluminum and Unibody-based, I would guess. But you never know.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by pscates2.0 Aluminum and Unibody-based, I would guess. But you never know.

I think it'll look much more like the iPod touches and iPhones -- black glass front, maybe even a polished stainless steel back, super-thin and tapered...it really will be super ultra portable. Half an inch thin, methinks.

*cue Jony Ive curveball..."and it's made out of...bamboo!"*

[bassplayinMacFiend]

I was wondering who came by last month and yanked all the bamboo out of my backyard! (I could've made a thousand of those cheap recorders )

If there's a 3G version, it'll have to have a plastic back like the iPhone.

[Moogs]

The odd part of this is the several days part. When have they ever been on stage more than a couple hours at a time, let alone several days?

[Robo]

Originally Posted by Moogs The odd part of this is the several days part. When have they ever been on stage more than a couple hours at a time, let alone several days?

Huh? I'm confused.

[curiousuburb]

iTimeMachine!

[iFerret]

Originally Posted by Roboman Huh? I'm confused.

The article says they've booked the stage for several days...

Citing inside sources, the Financial Times said Wednesday evening that Apple has rented the stage for "several days" at the end of January.

[Robo]

Originally Posted by iFerret The article says they've booked the stage for several days...

Set-up and take-down, I'm guessing?

[joveblue]

Probably a rehearsal too, to make sure everything goes smoothly with all the technology set up and all the people involved and so forth.

[bassplayinMacFiend]

Yea, it'll be 3 weeks of work stuffed into 3 days for everyone stuck in that building with Steve (you don't think Steve will let them leave once they've seen the keynote 3 days early, right?).

[Moogs]

That could be. I guess technically it has to be booked during setup days as well.

[psmith2.0]

Have previous special/media events (ones not taking place at Apple's campus) involved a multi-day reservation? I know those iPod events every autumn are at some theater or smaller venue in San Francisco. It's a ~90 minute affair, but does anyone recall seeing the reservation chunks for these things? Are those 2-3 days too (to allow for set-up, rehearsals/tweaking, interviews/schmoozing and post-event teardown)?

Don't all these events follow this pattern...a single, short-ish event but requiring a full 2-3 day reservation block (day before, day of and day after)? I assume it always goes this way, but I never pay attention to the reserve dates.



I don't know, I'm asking.

[wtd]

Maybe they only need a couple of hours, but reserved several days just to screw with the internet rumor mill?

[psmith2.0]

From AppleInsider: Apple orders 10-inch tablet displays and robust glass panels, with connectors.

Apple has placed mass orders for 10-inch displays as well as strong glass panels and connectors to go with them, according to two separate reports out of the Far East that peg the components for the company's much-anticipated tablet device.

So now the talk is 10". 7"? 10"? 23"?



Who knows anymore.

[Robo]

Maybe they're launching both a 7" and a 10" model? Who knows?

10" seems a little big too me, but we'll see.