In 2006, I decided that I wanted an Apple tablet very, very badly. Four years later, the closest thing I have is an iPhone. However, there are lots of rumors going around about an “iSlate” that Apple will be announcing later this month, and I can pretty much guarantee that I won’t be buying one.
The iPhone/iPod Touch platform is amazing for what it is: a small, extremely portable device that fits in your pocket. It’s not meant to replace a computer, but it performs many of the functions of one pretty well. I think, however, that the control Apple has over this platform is dangerous. It sets a precedent that, if followed by others, would destroy the open nature of the personal computer.
The iSlate, in all likelihood, will mimic the iPhone/iPod Touch platform, but in a larger form factor. This is not the kind of device that an Apple tablet should be. An Applet tablet should be in the likeness of an iPod Touch, but run the best operating system in the world: OS X. It definitely should not run the crippled, mobile version of OS X that the iPhone and iPod Touch run.
I don’t need a tablet device, but my love of gadgets wouldn’t let me pass up a really cool multitouch notebook. If Apple can’t do it, maybe someone else can.
-Philip