Maybe I shouldn't say "never," since that's the same thing people have said about Apple using Intel chips, creating iTunes (and Safari) for Windows, and making a flash iPod that costs more than a hard drive model. Let's just call it "unlikely."
Full-size tablet computers are usually niche only: you'll see them used by doctors, engineers, and warehouse workers, but you don't often see them anywhere else. It's the wrong market (i.e. very corporate) and not a very large one at that. Eventually the MacBook may get a multi-touch display, but I doubt it'll become a tablet unless it gets cheap enough to implement at negligible cost.
But if you've seen the AppleInsider rumor -- and I have my own information that suggests it's legit -- Apple may have a larger, more computer-like communicator by mid-2008. Think DVD resolution and more of the features you'd expect from a computer (copy and paste!) for personal use when a notebook would be too large.
Recently, there was a contest on Gizmodo, I think, about concepts for a Mac Tablet. I was looking into Mac Tablet stuff after this, and I found this:
http://www.news.com/8301-10784_3-6147316-7.html?tag=blog.1
and
http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ModBook
Now I know the ModBook is old news but you'd have to wonder if these things sell, since they aren't really Apple-branded anymore. They're still designed from a regular MacBook... And it seems odd that OWC could actually do this, but I saw somewhere that they can with some agreement. Pretty cool idea, but Steve needs to actually take advantage of this, a 13 inch MBP, and a new Mac Mini replacement for cheaper prices. Then there's the Penryn Mac Pro rumors and the Apple TV hobby. Steve! You got a lot of stuff building up on your to-do list! Stop playing with all of your hot-selling gadgets and make some more for us consumers! LOL. ![]()
I wonder how Leopard runs on that thing, though it may not if Tiger was modded too, which it probably was. OWC should ship them with Leopard now. Anyone have one of these to know? Personally, the new concepts I saw on the web are better looking, but I never heard of this mod being out there before. Maybe it's because they took the Apple logo off
.
-BMF

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