iPad

I’m way behind in my feeds so it’s only now that i read Robert X. Cringely’s Kindling pulpit from the 7^th of December. In it, Bob envisions that the next “innovation” from Apple is a tablet device. I’ve actually been waiting for technology to mature enough for us to see tablets like the one seen on Star Trek Enterprise. Smaller than the “tablet pc” form factor (in all three dimensions), about two or three times larger than a typical pocket pc — but no thicker.

Regrettably, the technology for that hasn’t existed yet. At least not in the stores i frequent. But as we can see from the iPod touch, it’s possible to make a nifty slab of hardware that is sleek, sexy and very, very desirable (i was about to write an article about the stuff i’m missing from the iPod touch earlier, but having been exposed to my collague’s “iTouch”, i just wants one, okay?).

Cringley calls it iTablet. Here’s my guess: The Apple tablet will be called the iPad. Kudos to me if i’m right.

While i’m waiting for the iPad to appear, i’m on the hypothetical look for a surfboard for my wife. It should be simple (in the positive sense), quiet and cheap. I’m undecided between the [computer previously known as] OLPC, which is on sale” for just another three days, a Tranquil PC T3 and an Asus eee PC (model 4 or 8), and possibly one of those ridiculously-small form factor Norhtec thingies i wrote about a year back. I’d add a MiniMac into the equation but that’d rule out the “cheap” factor, and i would have to get two of them — one for myself . Currently, the Asus is the top choice. It’s an affordable all-included-package that probably can be configured to having a Finnish keyboard layout with negligible problems (and a sharpie). But as long as it’s all hypothetical, i’m still open for options. And i’d still want that hypothetical iPad for myself.