Go Beyond AIM…

This one’s mainly for Mac users, but can be used for Windows as well. Last week, I wrote a review of Meebo, a multi-IM app for iPhone (also Beejive IM, a similar app). Meebo also has an online webapp component for PC use, but many (including myself), prefer full applications – such as iChat, Mac OS’s built in IM app.

Now, it’s easy to set up AIM with iChat – just type in screen name and password, and you’re good to go. But in recent years, new chat services have been cropping up – specifically, Google Talk and Facebook Chat – as part of accounts you already have. Now for me, I hate having multiple things open for what is essentially the same purpose. So, here’s a little help in setting up iChat with not only AIM, but Google Talk or Facebook Chat as well.

Google Talk (Snow Leopard 10.6) -

This one’s pretty easy – iChat 5 has the feature of adding a Google Account just as easily as an AIM account – just select the Google Account option when creating a new account in preferences.

Google Talk (10.4 Tiger/10.5 Leopard) –

A bit more difficult, but not by much. When creating a new account, select “Jabber Account” – as the ID, enter your Gmail account “______@gmail.com”, your password as the password. The server is talk.google.com, and the port is 5223 – and check the Use SSL box. All set.

Facebook Chat: (10.4-10.6) –

Similar to Google Talk – but a few differences. First, you need your Facebook username – “______@chat.facebook.com” – which you can find by going to the “Account Settings” – where it lists your username (right after your name, 2nd from the top).  Going into iChat now – in Preferences, go to the “Add Account”, and again, select Jabber. Enter in the “______@chat.facebook.com”, the _____ being your Facebook username from earlier, and the password, your regularly Facebook password. Server options are: server is “chat.facebook.com”, Port is 5222. Uncheck SSL for this one. And you’re good to go.

Personal tip – in General Preferences in iChat, enable “Use the same status for all accounts” – allowing you to log in and out of all 3 at once. Enjoy!

Now, for everyone else – those not using iChat. While not personally familiar with these programs, Google lists here how to set up other clients, and Facebook is compatable with Pidgin, Adium, and anything else that can use Jabber using settings that they give here. Enjoy!

Are you ready for possibly one of the biggest (if not the biggest) tech launches of the year? Have you been desperately waiting to get your hands on an iPad ever since it was announced in January? My friends, that wait is almost over (at least for the WiFi-only version anyway) as Apple today announced that pre-orders on this exciting new tablet will begin next week on the 12th, with a full release of the WiFi version coming early next month, on Saturday April 3rd.

The WiFi+3G version of the iPad will launch later in April, while our international friends in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK can pick theirs up in late April as well.

For those who aren’t sure on pricing of the iPad line, here’s a quick reminder; and see here for all the details on what exactly is the iPad, as well as here for some personal thoughts.

Pricing:

• 16GB WiFi only — $499
• 32GB WiFi only — $599
• 64GB WiFi only — $699
• 16GB WiFi + 3G — $629
• 32GB WiFi + 3G — $729
• 64GB WiFi + 3G — $829

So, anyone getting ready to pre-order some iPad “magic”?

Doubletwist – like iTunes, for non-Apple stuff

The age-old issue: you, like nearly everyone else, uses an iPod for music – be it Touch, Nano, Shuffle, or Classic — and you are very happy with using iTunes for syncing and so on. But unfortunately, unless you have an iPhone, the iTunes program is quite unhelpful when it comes to your phone. Unlike your iPod, you can’t just plug in to your computer and sync your music, and while phones have separate applications for syncing media, lets face it – getting everything to work, getting your music from iTunes…its annoying– especially every time you get a new phone.

Enter Doubletwist. iTunes for everything else- literally. Able to recognize and import your iTunes library (even playlists), Doubletwist is compatible with a whole slew of companies and devices – PSP, Zune, Nokia’s, LG’s, Motorola’s, etc. True, it’s not compatible with everything – but it’s certainly more then an iPod and it does a great job syncing. The interface is simple, and familiar to iTunes’, and features the drag/drop method we all know and love. Videos – provided they aren’t purchased (and therefore, DRMed) from iTunes – are converted into a suitable format and synced. Photos – same deal. (Note: iTunes Plus songs, without DRM, are fine)

Best of all – it’s not only a Mac application – Doubletwist is for Windows as well. It also has features for sharing – or “twisting” as they call it – media with friends and family, as well as integration with the Amazon MP3 store.

If you’d like Doubletwist, check it out on the site here to see if they support your phone or device. Also, you might want to check that you have a USB cable to connect your phone to your PC. Finally, if you’re looking to keep a fair amount of songs, look into getting a MicroSD card, so you have memory to store ‘em.

And next time your iPhone toting friend is bragging about having his music on his phone – you’ll have the last laugh.

Since Apple announced the iPad last week, opinions are abound, with many predicting failure for a device whose capability seems to lie somewhere  between Apple’s  MacBook and iPod Touch in the company’s attempt to replace or reinvent the traditional computer. In that regard the iPad isn’t well suited in its current stage: it lacks a video camera so you can’t iChat, there is no iLife for content creation, for some reason multi-tasking is still a no-show even with the iPad’s bumped-up specs, and in terms of using this for browsing the web, it’s good but not great, lacking the Flash support that is used on many web sites across the web, like ESPN and Hulu.

As a student, though, even with all these flaws I see a lot of potential for the iPad. I actually believe that this could be a great device, and am really eager to pick one up for this reason alone—this could finally be the perfect school computer.

As a fellow high school student like many of you, textbooks are killer. They’re heavy, smelly, old and in most cases just no fun to read. The pictures on the pages for say a Chemistry book, are confusing and not really great at grabbing the attention of someone not really into Chem. I know there are times when I go through a textbook to try to get a better understanding of something, and come away more confused.

Do I think the iPad will fix this? I honestly don’t know. It is far too early to tell how well this device will perform, but the potential for a McGraw-Hill or other textbook makers to create an iBook version of their textbook with the ability to put in videos and audio around the standard text to better explain topics would be a tremendous asset. In fact, many textbook publishers are saying that they are currently working on putting e-textbooks on the iPad and other eBooks. But on a more basic level, the advantages of a single 1.5 lb device instead of several weighty textbooks cannot be under-emphasized, and especially when the device is a fraction of the cost of their physical counterparts (the exact discount between the digital and physical versions will depend on the publisher but there will invariably be somewhat of a cheaper price). This already would be a strong reason for me to drop $499 on one.

Another big draw of the iPad to me is the great potential for notes. Now I’m not talking about using the large, on-screen keyboard (which I don’t know how anyone could take serious notes on), but by using the keyboard dock accessory (which while an expensive $69, is something I consider a must have). Together you still get a great real and full size keyboard that is pretty thin itself (just go into an Apple Store and look at their Bluetooth keyboards—they’re mad thin and this looks to be exactly like it); and with iWork and the Pages app, the iPad easily becomes a great note taking device. True it is three pieces as opposed to a small netbook, but you’re getting a full keyboard and a great screen, which when propped up using the dock, should make it very easy to use for even the most intense history notes– and much better than trying to type on a more cramped netbook.

This is as a plus on top of all the other “fun” things of the iPad, with the App Store and great music, movie and game experiences.

So my first impression of the Apple’s iPad intro—the perfect student device, which will not only be great for school, but a solid device for other tasks like browsing the web, playing games and playing back music, movies, and viewing pix. And hopefully some of those aforementioned issues like lack of multi-tasking and Flash playback will be addressed in a software update to make this device even better.

Maybe I’m too optimistic, but right now, I’m really looking forward to the launch of the iPad and being able to really get my hands on it to see how it lives up to doing these and other tasks. And remember, the iPad was announced only last week, and if the past success of the iPhone, iTouch and App Store are any indication, I truly believe that it is a device that will only get better as developers get a chance to built apps made for the iPad, a bunch of which I fully expect will be ready by the time the WiFi-only iPad launches in about 50 days. Until then, let’s wait and see before passing judgment that the iPad is a failure (honestly, the hype online the past few months was so high that it was near impossible for people to be happy with whatever Apple announced).

What you think—will the iPad be the killer device for school use; would you use it? You happy or unhappy with what the iPad is after all the speculation? Sound off in the comments.

The opinions expressed here are my own and not necessarily shared by others at TeenTechBlog. If you would prefer to email me your thoughts on how the iPad relates to students, you can email me at eli@teentechblog.com

Last week we covered exactly what the iPad is, now let’s take a closer look at some of the accessories Apple plans on rolling out alongside the new device. Apple announced 5 main accessories along with the iPad; let’s take a close look at what exactly they are:

• Keyboard Dock– This is a must have add-on in my book—a dock that props up your iPad for ideal vertical view, as well as including a full-sized, physical QWERTY keyboard. The dock, which comes with a keyboard very similar to the Apple wireless Bluetooth keyboards for Macs, also gives you a iPod 30 pin connector for syncing with your computer, charging, or using other add-ons like the ones below, as well as an audio jack let’s you connect to better speakers if you want. If you plan to use the iPad as, say, your computer in school for taking notes or writing papers (for example, using the Pages app), this truly is a must-have, even at it’s price of $69.

• iPad Case– This is Apple’s case for the iPad, that not only protects the screen while keeping it usable for typing and, well just using the device, it also has a built-in stand that can be used in many different ways, such as setting on a table for viewing slide shows or videos. The iPad Case will be priced at $39, though we’re sure there will be many other cases coming out for much less than that.

• iPad Dock– Pretty much the Keyboard Dock, minus the keyboard. It’ll cost $29.

• iPad Camera Connection Kit– This takes the regular iPod dock connector on the iPad and turns it into either a USB port or SD card slot for importing pix from your digital camera right to your iPad. This is some of the most basic functions found on even the cheapest netbooks and we would’ve really liked Apple to have put both of these into the iPad from the outset, but I guess thinness has it’s price. The price for this add-on kit is also $29.

There also is an extra power adapter for charging off of a regular outlet (with a greater range, thanks to a 6-foot cable) and a VGA connector for hooking this up to a computer screen or TV with a VGA port available.

So there you have it—a round-up of all the iPad accessories Apple plans to sell alongside the new iPad. The big thing here of course is the new keyboard dock, which should definitely throw a whole new dimension on what this device can do (we all know how much people wanted a real keyboard on the iPhone).

There are a lot of great puzzle-like games available for the iPhone and iPod Touch. We recently had a chance to test out a new one called Colorix, a kind of Tetris-Bejeweled mix, and it actually plays pretty well, a great quick game for the bus or killing time.

Made by Mobo Studio, the goal of Colorix is simple— take the sets of 3 colored marbles falling down and try to get match 3 colors together in a row. You can make a row in any direction—horizontally, vertically, and diagonally– and can also get matches in different combos, like having one match lead directly to another. The more matches and combos you get, the more points you accumulate, with the goal to get as many points as you can while avoiding the marbles reaching the top of the screen. Simple, right?

As the marbles fall, you have the power to place the sets of 3 where you want (though they only fall vertically), and while it falls you can either speed up the fall by 2x tapping on the spot you want them to fall (getting you more points), or use swipes to change the order of the marbles. When we first started playing we thought this was way too easy (we picked up the controls pretty easily after playing it a little), but after playing for a little bit, we started to realize a whole bunch of different combinations to get even more points using special marbles (such as Rainbow ones that change after they’re placed—as seen above in the pic). As you get more points and move up to higher levels, the game does also get tougher, with more color combinations and black marbles that stay on the board for a certain amount of turns and block spaces and combinations (as seen in the number 4 marble above).

Gameplay in Colorix is also very smooth, with quick load times and no stuttering during gameplay. The graphics are also surprisingly good for a game like this, with everything looking slick and colorful.

While it isn’t as feature-packed as say a Bejewled or Tetris, Colorix is a solid game for those look for a cheap, fun puzzle game that while not intense, is still very addictive and we’re gonna give Colorix a very good 4 out 5.

Colorix is available now in the App Store for a not too bad price of $1.99 (with a free Colorix Lite version also available now). You can check it out in the App Store here (link opens iTunes)

The Apple iPad

Well, it’s official. Apple has finally ended the months (and years) of speculation today, with the announcement of the iPad tablet. What is the iPad? Well for starters, think of it as an iPod Touch– just on so much steroids that it would make Jose Canseco jealous.

Ok, so there is a TON to cover here, let’s start with the hardware and specs, and WOW does this thing look great.

Hardware and Specs

As you can see from the pic above, this thing looks absolutely amazing. The multi-touch screen is a very sleek looking 9.7 inches (same as the Kindle DX), with the same fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating found on the iPhone 3GS. The front of the device really does look like a giant iPod Touch, with the only button being the home button.

Now as for the rest of the iPad, again all I can say is wow. Like the latest MacBook Pro’s, the case is unibody made out of one sheet of aluminum, and this means a really thin design. How thin? Try .5 inches thin! Yeah, this thing really is pretty much paper thin! And weight? Try 1.5 pounds! Yeah, in terms of looks, Apple seems to have yet again knocked this design right out of the park.

Now specs. This is a pretty standard set of spec, and pretty much what you’d expect:

• WiFi with wireless N support (for the latest and greatest WiFi networks)
• GPS
• Accelerometer
• Mic
• Bluetooth
• 1 GHZ Apple A4 processor
• 10 hour battery (yes, 10 hours!)
• Availability in three different storage capacities– 16 GB. 32 GB, and 64 GB

In addition to the WiFi-only model, Apple plans to sell a version with both WiFi and AT&T 3G (sorry Verizon users, today sadly wasn’t your Apple device day).

Now this is actually really interesting stuff here: Apple and AT&T will be selling this WiFi+3G version (in all the same capacities as the WiFi-only iPads) for $130 more than the WiFi-only model, and there will be no requirement for a 2 year contract. Think of it as pay-as-you-go Internet, with plans starting at $14.99 a month for 250 MB of data, and $30 a month for unlimited data. Again, this is pretty great as not only are you not tied down to AT&T for 2 years, but price wise, a regular laptop card will cost you $60 on pretty much any carrier, not to mention that it will also require you to sign a 2 year contract. Paying only $30 for unlimited internet without contract? Not a bad deal at all in my book.

Software

Ok so the hardware for the iPad is only one part of this awesome-looking puzzle, perhaps the bigger part is the software on the device.

As we wrote yesterday in the rumor round-up, the tablet runs the iPhone OS (version 3.2 if your wondering) instead of the full OS X found on the Macs. Now for a mobile device, this isn’t so bad as it means the 140,000+ apps in the App Store will be able to run on this larger device.

How are the applications compatible with an iPad screen twice that of the iPhone and iTouch? One option is to just put on the app and either run it in a smaller 1x version (basically a small box for the app surrounded by a lot of black), or to double pixel the app, scaling it to the iPad’s larger screen. This seemed to work pretty well for some apps when shown off in the demo today, but there is also another way: Apple announced a new SDK today for developers to make apps specifically for the iPad, and while this does require some work on the developers’ part, Apple is saying this will be a whole new “gold rush” like the original App Store was when it first came out, and from a user point of view, it should mean a lot nicer iPad apps.

YouTube on the iPad– looks a lot like the normal YouTube

Speaking of reworked apps for the iPad, Apple did this themselves, redoing pretty much every one of the standard iPhone apps from Calendar to YouTube to Mail and iTunes to Maps to even iPod (which now looks exactly like normal iTunes), with everything else in between– making them a lot nicer and more powerful than their iPhone counterparts.

The iTunes Store app now, for example looks pretty much like the real, regular iTunes, with even the ability to play back iTunes LP content. YouTube also looks great, with videos now not only playing back in HD, but with the look and feel of the real YouTube. Other apps like Photos have gotten some upgrades as well, with cool smooth transitions and even nicer sorting. In short, all the Apple apps, which were great on the iPhone and iTouch are even better here.

iWork on the iPad

Apple also announced a new version of iWork for the iPad, meaning now you can write notes in Pages, work on slideshows in Keynote, and make spreadsheets (for whatever reason you may have) in Numbers right from the iPad, and just like you would on a regular Mac. These will be available at the launch of the iPad for $9.99 each.

Sadly though there is still some bad news here, as Apple still seems to have left 2 things off the iPad, things we really were hoping to finally get– multitasking and flash video. Why we still don’t know, but this device is just screaming to play back Hulu and listen to Pandora while checking your email, so let’s hope Apple makes both happen and soon.

Books, Newspapers and Games

There is so much on this end and that it’s such an important part of the iPad that we’re going to separate it from regular software.

Managing and reading books on the iPad

Let’s start with the books and newspapers. For music and movies there’s the iTunes store; for apps, there’s the App Store; and now for books, there’s an all new store called the iBookstore. Basically, its a one-stop shop to download all the latest books (called iBooks), in the simple Apple way we’ve all come to know and love. Apple also has deals with not only book publishers but textbooks as well. If it’s up to reading and carrying a thousand pound textbook or one that is just an app on a 1.5 pound iPad, which would you choose (particularly if the iPad textbook price is much lower than the regular, non-digital version).

Not to mention that reading books on the device look great, and while it’s still to early to tell if it’s better than reading on say a Kindle or Nook, we get the feeling Barnes and Noble and Amazon are pretty nervous right now.

Newspapers also look great, and when the New York Times got up to show off there iPad version of the paper (which you can see in the first pic of the post),  it looked even better than the regular paper and much better than the Kindle version. Not only does the layout seem to perfectly replicate that of the normal paper, but it also has features like built in playback of videos, taking newspapers to a whole new level.

Gaming is the third huge piece of the iPad, and like with the iPhone and iTouch, Apple doesn’t look to be stopping their rush on the mobile video game market anytime soon. The iPad looks to be yet another sick gaming device, and when EA came up to show off an iPad version of Need for Speed Shift, it looked absolutely insane. Definitely PSP quality graphics with the fun gameplay found on the DS. How much further gaming on the iPad will be taken is up to the app developers, but the iPad definitely has the promise, and we got a feeling that there will be a lot of good apps ready to make full use of the more powerful iPad.

Wrap Up

Is the iPad perfect? No. As mentioned before it still lacks multi-tasking and Flash support (really big things), and other nice things to have like a camera, but this is all just the beginning of Apple’s attempt for a middle device between smartphone and laptop. Honestly, I think the iPad has a shot to be something big. Not from a media aspect like the iTouch was, but in terms of using for things like reading textbooks and newspapers or taking notes in school (using either the built in keyboard or more preferably a Bluetooth one– which we’ll get to more in an iPad accessories post). The interface is simple and easy– it’s the same iPhone/iTouch one used by over 75 million people (yes, 75 MILLION), in a package that looks incredible.

And here’s the biggest reason I’m looking forward to the iPad– the price. The  WiFi-only version of the iPad will be available  in just 60 days (think late March) for a very, very solid $499 for the 16 GB version, $599 for the 32 GB version and $699 for the 64 GB version. The WiFi+3G version will be available in 90 days (think April time), for $629 for the 16 GB version, $729 for the 32 GB, and $829 for the 64 GB version. For a device like this with so much more potential and power (such as with using this as an eBook reader) than a netbook, $499 is an entry price I think a lot of people will get into, and will help the iPad succeed where many other tablets before it had failed. And I know I’ll be saving up to pick one of these up when it comes out over the next 2 months.

What you think– you into the iPad or think there is no need for this between your iTouch and computer. Would you use it in school as your textbook reader and note taker or would you rather go with a netbook? Let us know in the comments.

Seeing as that in under 24 hours Apple will finally announce it’s new “creation,” the rumor wire has been burning up on the internet. Seriously, there is every type of rumors here from an actual possibility, all the way to “some guy in his basement’s magic wish.” And while we tried our hardest to stay away from all these rampant rumors, here’s a few of the latest and coolest ones, with our thoughts on if we believe it will actually happen.

RUMOR– The Tablet is coming.

Is this what the Apple Tablet will look like?

Our Thoughts– Seeing as this has been pointed to in every which way– be it from major magazine and newspaper editors like Conde Nast and the New York Times to a major textbook publisher– McGraw-Hill (who’s CEO today in a CNBC interview went so far as to say that tomorrow Apple will show off the Tablet running the iPhone OS and that it will offer it’s textbooks as eBooks for the device), I’d have to say this 98% chance of some sort of Tablet-related announcement. Throw in the different style of invite (if you recall, when Apple sends out invites to new events, they usually have some kind of theme– like this iPod one and MacBook related one), and the fact that Apple also uses January for its major new announcements– such as the announcement of the first iPhone, and the MacBook Air. We really like the Tablet (or iPad, iSlate, iTablet– whatever it’s called) odds.

RUMOR– The Tablet will have AT&T and/or Verzion 3G built in.

Our Thoughts– The fact that the Tablet will offer some sort of 3G “always connected” option seems logical enough to actually happen, now the rumors of AT&T and/or Verizon having their 3G on the Tablet… a little tougher to understand. There are some sites, like Fox News, saying that the Tablet will have both an AT&T and Verizon 3G option available (yay!), while others are saying it will be only Verizon 3G, or only AT&T 3G. The last two make a lot of sense, as there are advantages and quirks to both sides: AT&T’s iPhone data problems are well-documented but it still does carry the iPhone and using it’s GSM tech; Verizon, on the other hand, uses CDMA tech for connecting to 3G networks which would be better for using the device worldwide (unless the Verizon one has a dual CDMA/GSM chip that would allow it to work here on Verizon 3G and overseas as well).

There is also talk that Verizon is telling it’s employees to stay tuned for a big live webcast at around 1 PM EST, which just so happens to be when a certain Apple event is taking place. This is a complete up in the air, personally, I’m hoping for the Fox News option that both can get the device.

A rumored pic of the new iPhone OS 4.0 (via Boy Genius Report)

RUMOR– iPhone 4.0 software announced, with an iPhone FOR Verizon

Our Thoughts– If the Tablet is, in fact, running the iPhone OS as opposed to regular OS X, then this too is 98% likely to be announced. According to Boy Genius Report, the new OS should bring some much needed and long awaited features like multi-tasking and a new contacts sync option (perhaps syncing with Facebook etc. like Android and webOS?) among other updates. There is also talk that select developers have already been given an updated SDK to make their apps better compatible with the larger screen of the Tablet to be shown off at the announcement.

As for a Verizon iPhone, we really want to believe this is coming. It’s for sure possible for Apple to make a dual GSM/CDMA iPhone that would allow it to be international while also using Verizon’s network back home (the BlackBerry Storm and Tour as well a bunch of other phones already do this), but we’re not as sure on this just because the rumors aren’t as strong and the fact that Apple usually updates the iPhone around June time. While on the topic of new iPhone carriers, we’d have to say T-Mobile would be the more likely next carrier as they use similar tech to AT&T. Some rumors say a T-Mobile iPhone will come this summer.

A 4G iPhone, however, has better odds and it would be able to run on both Verizon’s and AT&T’s upcoming 4G networks, which Verizon plans to start rolling out later this year and AT&T next year. In such a case, only one iPhone type would be needed since both would then use the same tech. Chances of iPhone 4.0 announcement: probable. Verizon iPhone: doubtful (though we’d love to be surprised).

RUMOR– Tablet will be not just an eReader, large multimedia player and internet viewer, but also a great game player.

Our Thoughts– Now while this sounds like someone’s dream device– a mix of the book reading of the Kindle, the media playback and great web browser used on the iPod Touch and iPhone, and a PSP/DS type of game player– it actually could make sense. Invites have been sent out to a lot of gaming publications, not what you’d expect if there was no big gaming aspect to the device. There also is talk that EA is planning on attending to show off the great gaming power of the Tablet.

If this is true (which we very much believe to be), then Apple has made it very clear that the new Tablet is not just after the Kindle’s lunch money, but the DS and PSP’s too.

Now there are a bunch of other rumors out there (we’re not even gonna try to get into all the hardware possibilities), but these are some of the more interesting (and well, rational) ones. You know what, though, like many others out there I’m really looking forward to tomorrow’s event for no other reason than to calm down the rumors (if only for an hour). Of course, make sure to check back here tomorrow, as we’ll have whatever Apple plans to show off covered right here. Oh, and feel free to share your picks on what Apple announces tomorrow (maybe a cereal line), as well as to guess the name of said device or what you think the Tablet will be called.

We wonder what this could be? Perhaps it’s some sort of tablet device *cough* *cough*. Well, whatever it is that Apple is planning, we’ll know soon enough as invites of an Apple event to “come see what’s our latest creation.” We’ll of course have all the info on what’s announced next week, January 27th, so make sure to check back then.

In the meanwhile, any guesses on what will be announced?

One of the many rumored renderings of what the Apple Tablet will look like (From Huffington Post)

For the better part of this year (particularly the later half), a lot of talk has been going around EVERYWHERE– be it on blogs, news outlets, TV– about a new Apple Tablet device. Rumors depict a 9 to 10 inch iPod touch (including multi-touch, something no Mac has done before) powered by Mac OS X Snow Leopard, accompanied by an iTunes-like store for books, magazines and newspapers (to fight the Nook, Kindle and all other e-readers as well as “help save” print media).

We have never mentioned anything in previous posts about the Tablet, though the rumors have circulated for years now, primarily because the disussion appeared to to be grounded more in hope than in fact. But with recent increase and detail emerging about the theoretical device, I have joined the ranks of believers and am convinced that it is finally coming…. very soon.

So what has changed my mind so much that I really want a device like this and believe it’s coming so soon? A lot of things.

Magazines/Newspapers/Books

Over the past couple of weeks,  editors from some of the biggest newspapers and magazine companies have either mentioned some sort of Apple Tablet or major touchscreen digital reading device. We’re talking a mention of a “Apple Slate” from an executive editor from the New York Times, and a Time Inc. and Condé Nast demos of reading their magazines (in this case Sports Illustrated and Wired, respectively) off a larger multi-touch screen. Yeah, these guys are pretty big players to say the least. Here, check out SI’s demo:

As someone that reads SI every week, to have an experience like the one demoed– video clips, interactive layout, up to the minute scores, fantasy updates, news– as well as a cooler look that keeps the awesome pix and great articles SI is known for, this is just, wow. Seriously, this just blew me away. If what was shown in the video above is anywhere near the experience one of these devices offers, then sign me up on Day One. For those who doubt that the device in question is from Apple, notice the similarities between the demo device and the iPod touch, as well as the pop up windows when talking about managing your fantasy team and Kurt Warner– observe the blue scroll bar strongly resembling the Safari browser? Giveaways of an Apple Tablet, in my opinion.

There is also talk that Apple is in discussion with book publishers to get their content on this device, and the infinitely more flexibility and features expected to be available on it make this a far more appealing choice than a Kindle or Nook.

Patents, Trademarks and other legal stuff

Like any high-tech, new product, the Apple Tablet is sure to leave a paper trail of patents filed over the years for the various technologies it employs. Indeed, among the tons of patents Apple files for its vast reservoir of new ideas, patents indicative of a large Apple touch device have traveled the internet over the past few years, though recently they have been piecing together to potentially form very handy and diverse functions on such a tablet device. Look at this Gizmodo post of an Apple patent, and tell me it doesn’t look a teeny bit similar to the device used in the SI video. Particularly, look at how the SI video copies and emails a photo of Hideki Matsui and the last picture of the post with the the wheel. Look similar to you as well?

Notice the similarity between the wheels on the top and bottom. Both designed for use inside content (like scrolling or in SI’s case, sending out a pic)

And in respect to securing a trademark for the product’s final name, Apple just picked up the name “TabletMac”, which seeing, as there is no current Mac with touch capabilities, could very well be another point for the existence of the Apple Tablet.

An awesome, portable computer

There are many different rumors going around on what will truly be powering the Apple Tablet (or iTablet, TabletMac, whatever you want to call it). But whether or not Apple gives this the full OS X treatment, or just the scaled down one used on the iPhone and iPod touch, if it’s given such a large screen size and even decent power, you’re talking about a device excellent enough to serve as a portable computer. If built with an Intel Core 2 Duo processor, a 160-250 GB hard drive or solid state drive, a 9 or 10 inch multi-touch screen, key features like 3G (with some rumors saying the device will be on Verizon; others, AT&T) and all your other standard laptop parts– you’ve got a sleek, sick portable Mac. I know I’d be more than happy to use as my regular computer and take to school everyday (especially considering its the support for books, magazines and newspapers, it might prove the perfect school device).

Change the Core 2 Duo processor and Snow Leopard for a processor that is like/faster than the iPhone 3GS’s and runs the iPhone OS with all it’s apps, and again– perfect device for school and travel. Sleek, slim and just another device that would be perfect. Oh, and look at this patent which seems to be a handwritten “notes”  recognition application Apple filed:

Apple patent for handwriting recognition using you a pen to take write on screen (perfect for notes). (From Engadget)

Speaking of Snow Leopard, one of the things quietly updated in the latest Apple OS was the onscreen keyboard, which, well take a look for yourself:

Snow Leopard’s new onscreen keyboard (From Cult of Mac)

Hmm,  how very touch-friendly looking….

Wrap Up

There are tons and tons of rumors on what this mythical Apple Tablet is, and if/when it will launch and for how much. My personal thoughts/wishes? Soon. Apple is know for making BIG product announcements in January (*cough* MacBook Air, iPhone *cough*), and well this is a HUGE product if it is even a fraction of what we’re all thinking of. And hey look at that, January is just a month away.

Price? That I personally can’t even come close to guessing, since the hard core specs on what this will be (a bigger iPod touch, a tablet MacBook?) are so up in the air. But, lemme just say, if Apple prices this, as some are suggesting, in the below $1000 range, your gonna wanna save up and hold on tight to that holiday gift money– you will really want this.

Ok, so there’s my thoughts on the mythical Apple Tablet, and keep checking back as we’ll make sure to keep you up to date on the all the latest news and info. What do you think this Apple Tablet will be? You think it will even happen or is this just some widespread rumor based on some Apple fan’s dream? Would you get one? Let us know in the comments.