iBook Converts to iTablet

Samuel Cotterall writes to tell us The Register is reporting that, not content to wait for Apple's mythical tablet PC to ship, ThePlaceforitAll.com is selling converted iBooks on eBay to fill the void. From the article: "ThePlaceforitAll.com is the first to admit the hardware will not be supported by Apple, thanks to the warranty-warping modification work, but the software should still be covered. More worrying is the site's statement that it "will not fix any broken iTablets". It will also ship to US-located buyers only."

Comments

Vaporware

[chriss]

Some remarks:

• The concept: Take a 12" iBook, flip the display onto its back, attach a Keytec USB touchpanel on top and fix it all together. No further hardware modifications, of course you will not be able to use the keyboard or trackpad afterwards, and one USB port is already used by the touchscreen.
• None of these have ever been build. From their site: "The iTab is not built yet. We will build them as they are sold." If they intend to sell 100 of them, shouldn't they at least build one prototype? All they have are some photoshopped mockups.
• Obviously Apples warranty will no longer apply. They will give you no guarantee either. Even more: "We will not fix any broken iTabs." Great service. Should you buy it and it never works, just throw it away. But of course this will never happen, because "we will do extensive tests on the iBook before modifying to catch any problems with it. Any problems with a computer are usually immediately visible after these tests. So the chance of your iTab breaking after purchase is lower." Exactly. The whole warranty stuff is overrated, vendor tested hardware almost never fails.
• Handwriting does not work. "The touchscreen technology used in iTab is not compatible with InkWell, Apple's handwriting recognition technology". Your only option is to purchase a third party virtual keyboard product.
• The vendor has a 14 feedbacks from buyers at ebay, five of them since 09/2005, most of which where books about tennis, none hardware.

Don't touch it

Auction on ebay
iTab homepage (already slashdotted)

Chriss

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