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Apple Orders 10 Million Tablets?
Arvisp writes "According to a blog post by former Google China president Kai-Fu Lee, Apple plans to produce nearly 10 million tablets in the still-unannounced product's first year. If Lee's blog post is to be believed, Apple plans to sell nearly twice as many tablets as it did iPhones in the product's first year."
They'll have enough units this time, but what network can handle a jump in traffic?
I really hope it's not AT&Uknowho.
10 tablets for $15. Only available in blue.
Squirrel!
V1agra ? Cialis?
I hear Tiger woods is looking for new sponsors...
I'm thinking Jobs asked "How much per unit if we're making 10 million of them?" Then after the manufacturer crunches the numbers and comes back with the figures, Jobs will offer to pay that per-unit cost but in increments of 10,000 units.
Want to improve your Karma? Instead of "Post Anonymously", try the "Post Humously" option.
Ibuprofin? meclozine? placebo? They'll be happy if they sell like iPods, but they will have an awful big headache if they are lame like the 'air'-book.
I know I'm going to sound like a naysayer, so, hey, I may as well nay say.
Google's probably going for a tablet as well, so 2010 will likely be the year of the tablet - in the form of iphones and iclones, with much larger screens, the next must-have at the coffee shops. But it's going to fall flat on its face. It's too close to netbooks, but not as useful as a netbook.
Nay, I say, nay
Always proofread carefully to see if you any words out.
And the author knows this how? How do we know it will be a "big iPod", it could be completely different for all we know because nobody has seen it who is allowed to talk about it. Regardless, of what it actually does, the idea that Apple will predict that it will sell 10 million tablets in the first year is hooey. If anything, I would guess they will do the opposite and order too few units in order to increase the demand for the product by creating scarcity. Just ask the Nintendo when the Wii came out or whoever made tickle me elmo how this works...
Gentlemen! You can't fight in here, this is the war room!
Come on now people. This is obviously bogus. Apple would be sitting on 5 million plus (low estimate) tablets when the technology changes in 6-12 months. No way they are ordering 10 million.
I'll try anything once. Twice if it tastes good
Is that the American "million" or the British "million"?
I kid, I kid... although Apple does seem to think big these days.
#DeleteChrome
They are aiming to hit the 20 million mark as for the iPhone, so 10 million is somewhat reasonable order, but a huge bet also. I am happy to observe the unfolding story and possible drama here..
With the strong following that Apple has for its product lines and the underserved tablet market for personal computing i dont see this as unreasonable. provided they got the bugs out before investing in the hardware. a mass order will help Apple secure a better cost and that should bring about a better retail for the consumer.
So we're at the first step in the Apple Product Cycle? It's nice to see we're right on track.
As an aside, I think it makes lots of sense for Apple to produce a tablet product, but I can't imagine them actually producing 10,000,000 of these things for launch.
First, it's a ridiculously high number, far exceeding the number of iPhones sold in a year and coming close to the number of all types of iPods combined.
Second, I doubt Apple would ever allow any of their new products to be overproduced. Artificial scarcity only adds to the perceived desirability of Apple products, driving the hype engine even more.
Apple is quickly converging it's products into single slabs of screen and processing power. I don't think the internet infrastructure will be different in 2020, but I do think you'll simply have a choice of screen sizes and the option to attach a laptop-style bottom case with extra horsepower or stick with the touchscreen top.
Maybe Apple will pull a coup this time around and offer a large tablet interface that's easily dockable. I know for many people the option to snag their interface and take it to a meeting down the hall or at the coffee shop would be pretty valuable. Stick a camera on the back as well as the front of it and you've really got something that could save time for a wide array of industries.
Apple will convince the public that they need it, a market will be created, and I just have to wait a few months to pick up the copycat product at half the cost.
for every BS Apple product rumor, I could probably afford the new Apple iTablet when it finally comes out in 2025.
For the record I own a MacBook Pro, and a Mac Mini.
Not to mention my HackBook Mini. (HP mini 1116 running Snow Leopard.)
If I were God, wouldn't I protect my churches from acts of me?
iSlates aren't meant to compete with netbooks, they are meant to compete with eBook readers (while in addition offering all the functionality of an iPhone or iTouch). Think color eBook reader/video viewer along with a google maps implementation and accelerometers so you can play games just by tilting it, and you see it has gaming functionality that netbooks don't and large screen capability that smartphones don't. (Much as I love my Android phone, it is harder than heck to read things on.)
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
I thought earlier in a different article we were told that the iPhone was the Apple tablet/netbook. Now they are doing a tablet as well? At some point they'll just end up picking off their own product sales and they will become their own worst enemy, as even the most ardent MacFanBois(TM) only want so many Apple products...
Damn_registrars has no butt-hole. Damn_registrars has no use for a butt-hole.
So... what network can handle a jump of 10 million nodes? THE INTERNET.
And where your iPod Touch gets 0 bars, your iSlate will get 0 bars.
The author of the article has a hard time believing that Apple ordered 10 million tablets this year. While his logic is sound regarding the numbers, the author isn't quoting Apple. The author's source for this rumor is an ex-Google employee. And this employee is not saying Apple "ordered" 10 million only that Apple "plans to produce" 10 million. There's a huge difference between the two. Like any company building a new product, Apple has ordered X amount while letting their suppliers know that they may want up to Y amount. If the product sells well, Apple will increase their order. If it doesn't Apple will not. Also the Y amount may be an unreachable goal. Sometimes when negotiating contracts, some suppliers are not interested unless you are ordering a large amount. Everyone knows that goal isn't likely but it makes everything look good.
Well, there's spam egg sausage and spam, that's not got much spam in it.
Let's just hope the iSlate is a lot easier to clean then our current keyboard are... uh, cause I tend to spill things on my keyboard... uh, like soda! Yeah, that's the ticket, soda! It has nothing to do with using the computer to view porn, honest!
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
Like this?
Fails to meet (Google's) sales projections.
If Apple gets the tablet right and it sees high demand for the product, I don't see 10 million being an unreachable goal. The iPhone has a significant impediment to sales that a regular computer doesn't have, you have to sign up for a 2 year phone contract that costs over $2000.
Slightly off topic comment: I used to live in the Great Lakes region. The locals there, or rather, most people from any point between Chicago and Syracuse, particpate in what is known as the "Northern Cities Vowel Shift".
So, when I see the tag "ipad" on this story, I have to say, I immediately think this is a Great Lakes person trying to say "iPod". Brilliant. And also quite painful to listen to.
So, Apple fan boyz are switching from kool-aid to tablets, then? Note to self: the cliche will no longer be "they've drank the kool-aid", but rather "they've swallowed the tablets!"
I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
ONE INFINITE LOOP, Here We Go Again, Sunday (NNGadget) — Apple is reportedly close to launching its long-rumored ____. It could be Apple’s latest billion-dollar jackpot.
Analyst speculation says the ___ will be launched in September and be in the shops by Christmas. A new mention of the ___ crops up on Twitter around every eight minutes.
The ___ is rumoured to be any size and scale between the iPod Shuffle and the Macintosh IIfx. Some have described the ___ as a “___-killer.” Analyst speculation suggests the ___ will use a fantastic new interface. “It will be a whole new paradigm,” said Apple blogger Leander Kahney.
Expectations flared when technology research analysts noted that Taiwanese suppliers had received orders from an unknown buyer for a particular obscure component to be filled by the end of the year. “The only possible conclusion is that Apple will launch a ___ by early next year,” said Kahney. “They’ve been working on the ___ for the past six years. People expect it to be the ultimate Apple surprise. This thing will knock people’s socks off.”
Apple has refused to comment on the ___ speculation. But Tim Cook, its chief operating officer, recently hinted that the company was working on something “very innovative.” Steve Jobs is thought to have been personally involved in the development of the ___ over the past two years.
Daniel Eran Dilger noted on roughlydrafted.com that the ___ would need to be fueled on pain, angst, the destruction of the ecology, the torture of kittens and the tears of widows and orphans, but put together a devastatingly convincing and very lengthy explanation as to why Apple’s actions were the only humanly acceptable option for the consumer, the technology industry and the future of humanity, and that Jobs’ Nobel Peace Prize was ridiculously overdue. And that all problems were clearly Microsoft’s fault.
Illustration: The generic Apple product. Fits everyone!
http://rocknerd.co.uk
I have a modern HP tablet (tx2500 series) that a friend convinced me to buy (got it for a great price). After almost a year of owning it, I still fail to recognize where the tablet functionality is really beneficial. I can type much faster than it can accurately recognize my handwriting, and I haven't found any applications that are truly useful in tablet mode. Sure I have some gimmicky graphics programs that work great and they're fun to show off, but overall it just doesn't do anything special. I think I'd be better off owning both a 15" laptop and a 10" netbook instead of a tablet that's right about in the middle.
Who the heck would order 10 million (obsolete in 3 months) pieces of anything?
Kai-Fu Lee? Quelle Folie...
"If you believe everything you read; Better not read."
{Chinese Proverb}
Dude, they sold 10 million iPhones in the first full year of sales. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:IPhone_sales_per_quarter_simple.svg As for iPods, the total number sold is over a quarter billion. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Ipod_sales_per_quarter.svg
As we're seeing with the Kindle, and the iPhone, many people can find uses for additional computers in our lives. I can definitely see a use for a tablet device sitting on my coffee table, waiting to be used by anyone walking in as both a media selector (iTunes to an AirPort Express/Apple TV), or as a general device to answer "Who is in that movie?", "What's on tomorrow", "You're talking BS" questions. I already use my iPhone for that, this would just be a general device, whereas the iPhone is "personal".
Add to that the ability to use it as a general book reader, and you've got a winner.
Tablets aren't laptop replacements, they are secondary displays for the living room, secondary devices that enhance your ability to use the compute power you _already_ have in your house.
Simple, a cellular network card slot so that you can choose your carrier.
In Apple's home country, the carriers with decent coverage (Verizon and Sprint) use the CDMA2000 stack instead of GSM. Like GSM/UMTS, CDMA2000 allows carriers to put the account info on a removable card. But unlike GSM/UMTS, CDMA2000 doesn't require a removable CSIM, so the carriers just tie the account to the internal memory of the handset.
Ok. I see it's 2 for 2. I think a rewording is in order.
Some of my favourite people are from th US; Vonnegut, Chomsky, Bill Hicks.
Apple plans to produce nearly 10 million tablets
And Duke Nukem Forever will be burned into the ROM of each and every one.
1) Can you stick it in your pocket?
Yes (go to 2)
No (go to 3)
2) This is a phone or a music player. It gets a touch screen. Don't mess with it.
3) Does it have an attached screen AND keyboard?
Yes (go to 4)
No (go to 5)
4) This is a laptop. Don't mess with it.
5) This is a PC. Don't mess with it.
in any event, I am presently unable to avail myself of the device, at any price point. but if the wireless conn was verizon, I'd consider it.
if this is supposed to be a new economy, how come they still want my old fashioned money?
This fits with a tablet. http://www.engadget.com/2009/10/02/new-apple-bluetooth-keyboard-arrives-at-the-fcc-new-mouse-rumor/
Carry the tablet around, touch screen, at home or at the office, or on the table at galaxy caffeine bux. Seamless synch with the keyboard and mouse, you now have a netbook/notebook thing. Also could be synched/tethered auto-apple-magically with the iPhone providing the connectivity needed. I would also imagine they have a tweaked safari to make all this work well, so you can transition from phone screen to tablet. Heck, that would give you two screens to use as well, simultaneously, a small portable "dual monitor" set up. Like your important work stuff on the iPhone screen, and "world of facewarbook craft" going on the iSlab. Ya know, *priorities*...
Ideally yes, that's what would happen. But there still remains the elephant in the room that nobody seems to be willing or able to address. The software to seamlessly connect the data and functions of two computers just isn't there. It's a wonderful idea that you could take a satellite computer out and do your work on it and have everything done replicate over to your home computer when you come home...but that's a software problem that nobody has solved. It would be great if you could effortlessly control one computer from another...but the software doesn't exist. Oh sure 80% of it is there and any decent hacker could wrap it all together. But it still only gets you 95% of the way there and the average consumer isn't going to make the effort.
It's a nice dream, but the missing part is not the hardware. It hasn't been the hardware since PDAs were first invented. It has always been the software that is not ready to fulfill this vision of the future.
...But what if I added to the rumor here... Maybe this fabled device clamshells with 2 touchscreens?!?!?!
**!!!Dramatic Music!!!**
How on earth did this make it to the front page?
Not that I'm complaining. . , but this is probably total marketing at this point.
It's like not letting people into a dance club all at once. Having a group of people waiting out in the cold in their night-club gear is excellent advertisement from a variety of standpoints.
By the time Apple actually releases this gizmo, it'll be pre-sold through the wet dream factor alone. All it has to do is not suck, and if it actually happens to be cool, then it'll do very well indeed. But more than this, all this attention indicates that people REALLY want this thing. Star Trek computer GUI devices. There's always, it seems, something that the whole population is hankering for. In the past, it was movie, book and television show releases; entertainment. Somehow, ASUS and now Apple tapped into that same vibe but for a manufactured product. Before it has even left the design floor!
I guess this isn't terribly new wrt computers. I remember waiting with pent up anticipation for the first crop of 486 PCs to hit the market, but this thing has a much less geeky vibe to it. My mom would probably dig such a device.
Whatever. I won't be buying one unless because I find Apple's "Evangelism" kick creepy and patronizing. It's like they finally realized who they really are and have embraced it with gusto. Brr.
-FL
You might want to focus on the reference to Microsoft. It makes people around here edgy.
Watching the ad again made me look up the actual transcript to see what the guy on the screen was saying
"Today we celebrate the first glorious anniversary of the Information Purification Directives. [Apple's hammer-thrower enters, pursued by storm troopers.] We have created for the first time in all history a garden of pure ideology, where each worker may bloom, secure from the pests of any contradictory true thoughts. Our Unification of Thoughts is more powerful a weapon than any fleet or army on earth. We are one people, with one will, one resolve, one cause. Our enemies shall talk themselves to death and we will bury them with their own confusion. [Hammer is thrown at the screen] We shall prevail!
To me, it's not really a stretch to imagine Apple/Jobs as the guy on the screen, speaking to the Apple fan base, and Google the hammer thrower. Wouldn't that be ironic?
Firstly, I'm surprised that such a logical fallacy gets modded up, but then this is an Apple story ("X prediction was wrong in the past, therefore Y prediction must be wrong too"?!)
But what's wrong with that often-quoted statement? He doesn't say the Ipod will fail, he says it's lame. Since when does being popular mean it can't be lame? Oh okay - it's now fair game to ridicule every Apple fan who criticises Windows and Internet Explorer. Given how popular they are, they obviously can't be lame, right?
Personally I love my Sandisk Sansa, because I thought the Ipod Shuffle offering was lame. There, I've said it. But I guess according to you, I'm not allowed my own opinion? Quarter of the storage space at the same price, primitive controls, can only use the Apple headphones, and no card slot for additional storage. But I'd never have heard of the Sansa as an alternative if I only read Slashdot, instead I have to read mainstream articles. News for Nerds? Not anymore.
you've hit the nail on the head there sir.
This is barely even marginally coherent, let alone insightful. "the iphone dev team will be"... what?
a "computer" where you can run only applications personally approved by Him.
That's an interesting theory, but it runs a bit counter to the fact that every computer he's ever been part of the design/production of has had third party applications he didn't approve.
if you jailbreak this baby then he sends the Apple stormtroopers to shoot you.
Dovetails right in with the latest Apple rumor I heard -- they've contracted with a Chinese company to provide 100,000 private troops. Some sources say they're amassing near Macau now.
only reason people paid for physical news media is that it was cheap.
Um, no. People paid for physical news media because it had value to them and it was pretty much the only large-scale way of distributing information until about 20 years ago.
the kindle is a success because i can read the news for free online, not books.
The Kindle may be useful to you for that reason. That's fine, but if there's a most-frequently-made mistake commentators here on Slashdot tend to make when evaluating products, it's evaluating them by personal priorities alone (and, for bonus points, assuming any other priority set is irrational: no wireless, less space than a nomad == lame, right?). Remember, there's a whole world of other people out there. Some of whom care more about the convenience the Kindle offers than concerns about DRM. The Kindle's a success because some people like it for any number of reasons.
And because it enables one of the world's largest retailers/distributors to move to a model that favors their profitability.
Tweet, tweet.
It seems that Google (Chrome OS) and Apple (Mobile ME) are all heading towards the "no local storage" concept. I would expect this device to do the same. If used to read email (web/imap), surf, play music (local or internet stream), movies (stream again), or read books, local storage isn't required.
It is only when it is used as a general compute device (instead of a modern equivalent of an X11 server), do we have to start to worry about client synching.
If tablet makers do want to worry about client synching, the bits that people do care about synching (address books, media, calendar, email) are pretty solved, with a large number of implementations, such as Funambol (SyncML) and iTunes.
However, you are strictly correct. Synchronisation of arbitrary files without regard to the data contained inside the file is an unsolvable problem. However, synchronisation of databases? That's a lot easier. My phone deals with that every single day.
As I said, I'm not going to buy a tablet to _replace_ my desktop, laptop or server. I'm not going to use it to create anything (like write code, or a document). I'm going to use it to retrieve stuff I've already got, while lying on the couch or in bed. Have you tried to use a laptop lying down? The screen keeps closing! You can't use it lying on your side!
The tablet will be competing for my Harmony/Kindle/iPod Touch budget, not my laptop budget. Of course, that puts an upper limit on how much I'm willing to pay for the device. :)
This is the most exciting news since Steve invented the phone in 2007.
"Blah blah blah." - [citation needed]
You're right. I had forgotten about USB radios with a built-in subscriber identity. But then the question becomes whether the radios' makers cooperate with the publishers of minority operating systems.
awaiting the new tablet
I've become one too
Think of how stupid the average person is, and realize half of them are stupider than that.
The device will be verrry thin - think top half of a macbook air thin. I also can't imagine Apple/Jobs marketing a tablet device without ubiquitous internet access, probably provided by Verizon. Also, you will no longer desire your old device.
Actually, my Apple TV's do this with a Mac Mini I'm running as home A/V server. Granted, the Apple TV's don't have enough HD space to hold entire movie/music/photo collection but they do sync the latest files and can stream the rest. Works pretty well.
I could really use a tablet that would both stream and display media files. Hoping iPhone OS upgrade may provide this functionality for my iPhone as well.
I drank what? -- Socrates