Is the Mac tablet Steve Jobs Waterloo?
For the man who’s second coming has spawned the iMac, iTunes, iPod, OS X, MacBook Air and iPhone — some of the most successful and storied technology products of two centuries — the question of what’s next is a matter of destiny, and that’s something always firmly within the Apple CEO’s control.
The Wall Street Journal (pay wall or get the full article via your iPhone or iPod touch for free) reports that Apple’s 54-year-old chief executive officer, just months after receiving a liver transplant, is back in the trenches and fully involved with the Mac tablet, a product so long in the making that it’s already the stuff of legend.
Mr. Jobs’ focus on the tablet has been jarring for some Apple employees, who had grown accustomed to a level of freedom over strategy and products while the CEO was on leave, said a person familiar with the matter. “People have had to readjust” to Mr. Jobs being back, this person said.
Thereupon, those working on the tablet are said to be under “intense scrutiny” from Mr. Jobs, especially regarding the product’s advertising and marketing strategy. Though the shape, features and pricing of which all remain a mystery, the Mac tablet is widely believed to be Apple’s answer to the netbook phenomenon, which has bolstered PC makers’ unit volume numbers while pummeling their revenues and profits.
Whereas most pundits expect the Mac tablet to run a variant of the iPhone OS, which is highly optimized for touch input and could provide an immediate ecosystem for software and add-ons, a Snow Leopard powered product isn’t out of the question.
All you need is love…
As is legend and a matter of historical fact, Steve Jobs has played pivotal roles in the creation and launch of the iPod, MacBook Air and iPhone, so it shouldn’t be surprising that he’s up to his armpits in the Mac tablet project, as well. Nevertheless, the fact that he’s fully immersed in the minutia of Apple’s next insanely hyped product just months after receiving a liver transplant is simply amazing.
Thereupon, it’s hard not to think that he’s taking on too much too fast. You’ve got to wonder whether this is the right project at the right time or whether Steve Jobs must prove that he’s back and still has the magic to do it all again…
What’s your take?
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August 26th, 2009
Everything will have to be spot on with the tablet in order to get it to sell. There are a lot of people hoping Steve Jobs, Apple and the tablet will fail. Most likely the same ones that were rooting for Steve Jobs to die, taking Apple out with him. Apple has become the anti-Microsoft and maybe the average man on the street hates that since MS has become an American institution for 40 some odd years and people don’t want to see it go away.
So, the tablet which almost no one knows any facts about is becoming hyped by bloggers and cursed by bloggers. Many are just hoping for it to fail, sight unseen even though the device could very well be useful. The same people that hoped and knew that the iPod would be an expensive failure because they had no vision at all of the future.
I hope that Steve Jobs does have some of that magic left and I hope he does see the tablet as the latest tool to further the multimedia industry as he did with the iPod and iPhone. As good as those products turned out for users and the industry, there are still the haters that wish for the Apple tablet to fail without any good reason whatsoever.
I think the tablet will do well because Apple is reaching a lot of influential people in the music and video industry and the expansion of retail stores are going to boost that even further.
August 26th, 2009
I think if they’re trying to hit the Wacom market, they might have quite a job. Wacom tablets are so well built and so sturdy. Though if Mac can make a cheaper Cintiq (hahaha, what are the chances?), I’d totally hit it.
August 26th, 2009
@Constable,
I’d take a break from MacDailyNews, it’s screwing up your perspective.
August 27th, 2009
Is there even going to be an Apple Tablet? No has even confirmed it’s existence.
August 27th, 2009
Steve is apple
August 28th, 2009
Jews love to steal land. Your macbook tablet might be next.
August 28th, 2009
Previously submitted on January 22nd, 2009 as a cry for “HELP! GIVE ME MY DAMN macTABLET!”
What is with MAC _STILL_ not getting this tablet industry? ( You’ve had 6 MONTHS Steve! + pls don’t bugger up the MINIMUM specs. )
I _STILL_ anxiously awaiting my “clipboard” PC/MAC which should be the sub 1/2 LB fully functional PC/MAC, and mac has yet to jump into the Tablet Game.
We @ soma are in the business of art direction with graphic artists, and the Tablet is the single biggest factor in our firms fast turn arounds and hyper quick art review of artists and sending them back feedback for changes.
The tablet brings us back to ‘photo ready’ art critiquing that was the norm Pre computer revolution in the Graphic Arts and advertising industry.
Now work from artists gets reviewed with comments overlaying the actual art work so communication delays or break downs are eliminated and thusly the revision count decreases.
I’d say if you are in the business of art direction or web site usability assessment then you must have a Tablet to remain competitive and profitable. Or you just charge your clients too much due to your lack of efficiency.
Now the problem is that the predominant Tablet device our office has found effective is the Motion computing LE serious of which we have the most recent models that could truly be much more effective if they were faster lighter and LESS micosoftish.
So again I ask what the heck is with steve Jobs and MAC? Where is the vision? Why don’t they see that tablet computers in the hands of their biggest base and largest ancient patriots thee Graphic Artist or Art Director (who reviews the art work) is a god send. I mean last year 40% of our production was donated to local charity while we experienced 400% growth fore the tablet PC from motion has one simple awesome 21st Century tool.
The snipping tool.
Dear Steve Jobs, give me the tools I need so I can change the world, I believe that ‘yes we can’ change the world if we have the tools to equip and enable us to.
Steve go buy a motion pc, get a proof from one of your staff members and use the snipping tool to comment ON the ACTUAL ART WORK on the SCREEN, then Steve you will understand what you have missed, and you will make us our damn ClipBoard PC (min 12″ screen @ higher than 1024×768 resolution).
Sure make it 16×9 aspect so we can look @ and preview video so the production staff can have good frame by frame feedback scenarios too.
But Steve at least at worst get a mac that can knock the socks off this tiresome Motion LE 1700 that bill gates also uses as his daily driver.
I know bill never knew that the snipping tool would revolutionise the art production sector, but for Crap Sakes StevOO yer a creative man @ the helm of a creative technology firm that has for 2 decades enabled Creativity with Technology.
So doods hop to it and get this sorted out.
It’s not just novelty, it is massive global efficiency in advertising.
How ever did you guys miss this one?
My guess stevo, the benz should have been parked not out front in the handi capped spots but where there was an open space, then perhaps one day as you had to walk further to your office, an extra moment of reflection would have netted this blatantly obvious reality that MAC should dominate and own the tablet Computer Market fore mac knows artists, like no other.
Until then I’ll hope for the best @ Axiom as it hobbles along hacking macs into modbooks..
Modbook AIR anyone?… Pretty Please?