INBOX:TAKEN IN context, the past two years in the technology world have been close to revolutionary. Three main influences are shaping the way we work and play: the rise of the iPhone and its myriad copycats; the introduction of cheap netbooks designed primarily for the web; and the explosion of online services, especially social networking sites like Facebook.
The web has been the centre and focus of new devices like the iPhone, which suddenly allowed us to touch, squeeze and pinch the internet like never before. This is why rumours that Apple is preparing a netbook-come- touchscreen-tablet computer are so tantalising.
This week Dow Jones reported that Apple planned to launch a netbook computer with a touchscreen monitor as early as the second half of this year, citing two reliable sources.
The mini laptop was described as having a screen of between 9.7in and 10in. Apple was reported to be working with Taiwan’s Wintek, a manufacturer of small and medium displays, and Quanta Computer, the world’s largest notebook maker by revenue, to assemble the netbooks.
But why would Apple be contemplating such a move, if indeed it is? For starters, computer sales are expected to fall by almost one-third globally in 2009 as consumers shift to less expensive laptops, according to projections released by research firm Gartner earlier this month. That means Apple, which traditionally makes higher-priced computers, could be hit as consumers opt for cheaper models.
It would make sense to create an Apple netbook to reduce the impact of this on the group’s bottom line. Plus, the netbook market is exploding. Most people really like Apple’s multitouch platform for the iPhone and iPod Touch. A marriage of the two makes sense, on the face of it at least.
However, not everyone likes netbooks, including Apple chief executive Steve Jobs. Last year he dismissed the netbook concept, saying “we don’t know how to make a $500 computer that’s not a piece of junk”. He even suggested that Apple’s third- generation iPhone was such a Swiss army-knife device that it could do most of the functions of a netbook already. These include checking e-mail, browsing the web, running more complex applications and as serving as an entertainment device (something for which netbooks are not known).
But still the rumours persist about the “iPod touch HD”, as it’s being dubbed by commentators.
Since a 10in screen is a big leap from the iPod Touch’s 3.5in screen, the question is whether it would be a low-end extension of the Mac line rather than a high-end extension of the iPod line. And would Apple bother with a keyboard at all, settling for an onscreen touch-sensitive one, or perhaps Bluetooth support for an external Apple keyboard? A seven- or eight-inch touchscreen device makes more sense in this instance.
If you want my take, what we are talking about is not a netbook at all, but a screen extension for the iPhone or iPod Touch, into which either device could slide. This would not damage Apple’s core Mac sales, but would encourage people to buy the iPhone or iPod Touch.
Whatever the case, it is highly likely Apple will do something to extend its reach into a market that has suddenly lost it appetite for high-priced computers.
