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Apple hints at ‘handheld tablet computer’ with European design trademark filing
Friday, August 13, 2004 - 10:00 AM EST

"Apple has filed for a European design trademark which may provide a tantalising glimpse of the company's long-awaited tablet computer," Tony Smith reports for The Register. "The filing, made in May this year but only published this week, covers a 'handheld computer' and contains sketches of what look like an iBook screen minus the body of the computer."

"Back in November 2003, old pal Matthew Rothenberg at eWeek let the cat out of the bag with a "hunch" that Apple has seeded prototype tablet Macs with developers. It used Mac OS X's Inkwell handwriting recognition technology and a healthy amount of knowledge picked up during the development of the Newton OS. Inkwell has been a part of Apple's system software since September 2002's release of Mac OS X 10.2. So far, only graphics tablet users have been able to do anything with it," Smith reports. "August's Apple Expo Paris may prove more exciting than previously thought."

More details and sketches here.

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Aug 13, 04 - 10:11 am Comment from: max

Apple isn't going to make a tablet computer or a phone or a PDA. End of story.

Aug 13, 04 - 10:24 am Comment from: ed

Yeah, good point, max. Very convincing argument.

While Jobs has gone on record saying he didn't think a PDA was a viable option for Apple, I can really see something like a wireless drawing slate/touch screen, enabling artists to see the lines they are drawing right where they are drawing them, i.e. like paper! Those Wacom tablets are wonderful, but it is so difficult to be drawing in one place and seeing the reults somewhere else, usually in a completely different size. Who better to make such a specialized device than Apple, especially with their in-built artist/graphic designer market?

Aug 13, 04 - 10:26 am Comment from: JadisOne

It is probably a wallmounted monitor.

Aug 13, 04 - 10:29 am Comment from: Sol

We wait for weeks for a half-way decent rumour and suddenly there are two: new iMac specifications and now the iTablet! Such a device would be cool for browsing the Net from a sofa and maybe controlling the Airport Express audio output.

Aug 13, 04 - 10:38 am Comment from: MS Blaster

"Apple isn't going to make a tablet computer or a phone or a PDA"

But according to the article, the trademark filing refers to a 'handheld computer' which is not the same as a "tablet computer or a phone or a PDA". End of story.

Aug 13, 04 - 10:57 am Comment from: Picasso

I don't know if I want a tablet Mac or not, but I sure wish I could draw as well as the person who did those sketches!

Pablo

Aug 13, 04 - 11:05 am Comment from: Ashami

Perhaps the head of the new iMac is detachable?

Aug 13, 04 - 11:09 am Comment from: mr angry

How about if the new iMac had a removable screen.

Aug 13, 04 - 11:10 am Comment from: AlexSpark

Add an iPod type dock (but much bigger) and you have the new imac ... maybe

Aug 13, 04 - 11:11 am Comment from: defrag

If you look at the 3rd sketch, you can even see the hinge release!
Wow!!!

Why would a tablet have a hinge release?

Aug 13, 04 - 11:23 am Comment from: max

iSlab - Apple's revolutionary all in one home entertaiment device. Connects to virtually any electronic device wireless or not. Music, video, audio and data all in one islab.

Aug 13, 04 - 11:29 am Comment from: Jayplus

Perhaps it's a wireless monitor, where your Mac can broadcast a DVD, or movie onto it via Airport Express?

Given that the iMac will be coming out later this month, this "tablet" won't be unveiled until early next year. I think Macworld SF....

Aug 13, 04 - 11:33 am Comment from: Less is More

It's a cutting board. Surf the net and browse the latest recipes while you chop, slice, and dice. (Knives optional extra.)

Aug 13, 04 - 11:35 am Comment from: Nobody

defrag,
Actually, it looks more like a port than a hinge release.

Aug 13, 04 - 11:40 am Comment from: mr angry

If Apple made a chopping board I would buy one.

Aug 13, 04 - 12:11 pm Comment from: pkradd

The new iMac will not have a removable screen. That's been bandied about for years. It would make the cost even higher then the upcoming iMac... and to some that is too much already. It will not have a wireless mouse or keyboard either.

Apple, indeed, is not coming out with a tablet... at least not the kind that is currently failing miserably in the marketplace from M$. This design/patent filing, however, does indicate that they are coming out with some kind of device that looks similar to one. This is not the end of the story. It is the beginning. (Patent filings are not made unless a product is in the works or iminent).

Aug 13, 04 - 12:59 pm Comment from: treadlightly

Perhaps the fact the m$ has failed in the tablet pc market means that Apple WILL develop something in that market. Apple has been very successful developing a product for an already existing, albeit slow moving, market, and producing a blockbuster (can you say "iPod?"). Perhaps Apple has seen something that m$ missed in the design of a tablet pc and is going to produce the next blockbuster for that flailing market. Let's face it, m$ isn't great at designing products people crave, Apple is. Apple's entrance in this market may mean that the market would actually start moving because a decent standard will have been established. They've done it before, of course, that doesn't mean they'll do it in this market, it's simply a thought.

Aug 13, 04 - 01:16 pm Comment from: Paul

Yawn... I'm so tired of these stories... For the MAC newbies, they can hope for a MAC tablet of whatever PDA crap the new story is about, but for long time users, we have been dancing with these type of rumors for ever... Sorry, but until I will see the tablet on the APPLE website, I will just say: "BS!"

Aug 13, 04 - 01:24 pm Comment from: MacMan

AlexSpark...
It definitely looks similar to the iPods dock connector. The new iMac may not come with a wireless mouse or keyboard, but if the dock was also the base (main cpu) similar to the current iMacs, then the mouse and keyboard would like plug into it. Then once the monitor is "undocked"... wallah! there's your iTablet.

The separated monitor looks as though it could hold a small harddrive, doesn't it... a small "60GB" harddrive, anyone?

Aug 13, 04 - 01:29 pm Comment from: Mac Beth

my ibook is all i need but im getting kinda slippery lookin at those pics!

i hope they do make one smile i like cool toys as long as they are easy to use. and as long as someone buys it FOR me smile

make it in nice colors, please.

Aug 13, 04 - 01:56 pm Comment from: notatotalsucker

That article had a few words you don't hear too often in the PC world... "Industrial Design Team".

Aug 13, 04 - 02:01 pm Comment from: pkradd

Paul,

You understand of course that this is not a rumor, the filing of a design/trademark. You also understand that this means an actual product is in the offing at some future date.... or do you? Sorry you're tired, but your "holier than thou" comment is off the mark in this case. Incidentally this seems to confirm reports last year from some very reliable tech writers that Apple was indeed working on some kind of hybrid PDA/Tablet device with a small screen incased in an approximate 5 X 7 form factor. It was even discribed as being a white encloser - similar to the regular iPod. ParisExpo may have more then an iMac G5 to unveil

Aug 13, 04 - 02:04 pm Comment from: mike

yeah.. those pics look nothing like an ibook *sarc

Aug 13, 04 - 02:21 pm Comment from: Mac Daddy

Considering Steve Jobs' comments about PDAs and tablet PCs, any such device will not be called either a PDA or tablet PC by Apple.

Aug 13, 04 - 03:14 pm Comment from: NoMacForYou

Maybe it will run Mac OS X Starter Edition for developing countries.......Doh!

Aug 13, 04 - 03:24 pm Comment from: Al

This rumour is nothing. I heard that Microsoft was going to release an Operating System that was secure and actually worked when hooked up to the internet! I heard they would get it to users and manufacturers before the end of the decade! Not only that, I heard they named it after a cow!

Moooooo!

Aug 13, 04 - 03:42 pm Comment from: NoMacForYou

" I heard they named it after a cow! "

Its A Bar Al, Not a Cow, but a Bar....You know, like a saloon...

Geez....

Aug 13, 04 - 03:59 pm Comment from: giofoto

No no I think they meant the OLD OLD iBook....it's going to be a toilet seat cover. So that you can sit in the toilet backwards....with a wireless keyboard. "Productivity throughout your Home" smile

Aug 13, 04 - 04:06 pm Comment from: giofoto

Beth

Ahh well....first you want 9 fans and now an iBook. Make up your mind! Slippery, hunh? Still need those 9 fans or hot breath (with an ice cube to cool it) that you had "anticipated". raspberry

Aug 13, 04 - 04:23 pm Comment from: pkradd

As someone pointed out on another site, patent/design filings often disquise the final look of the device. It doesn't have to be exact, just a generalization. For example, the click wheel on the mini and now regular iPod was shown as part of a mouse and not on an MP3 player when it was filed. So there!

Aug 13, 04 - 05:00 pm Comment from: Paul

pkradd, thanks for the lesson! However, tradmarking a product doesn't mean that you are going to put this product in production. You can trademark a product to protect your interests... But thanks again for the acid answer, I always like to be jerked off on line...

Aug 13, 04 - 05:04 pm Comment from: Twenty Benson

This is the new iMac. Why would Apple want to trademark a bloody stand? Especially when it would give the game away?

If it's a 20 incher G5... I WANT ONE!

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