Unsurprisingly, in the last few days since the iPad has been introduced, the media coverage of the new device has gone from mostly positive, to mostly negative. Now that the iPad is under the microscope, we can see it for what it is and for all it’s faults. Many people have been having issues with their iPad connecting to WiFi, over heating, taking a long time to charge, and I can’t say I’m that surprised. It is a first generation device after all, and Apple’s first gens do have a way of disappointing. I was thinking about it today, and understood that I am mostly disappointed because I wanted the iPad to be more like this…
If you are not familiar, this is the Axiotron Modbook, a real life full fledged Mac Tablet, and it has been available for years. Inside is a real working Macbook that has been manipulated into tablet form. This is what I was hoping Apple would create, albeit in a slimmer, more visually pleasing form.
Now, the Modbook isn’t perfect, it isn’t a touch screen like the iPad. Instead you can use a pen to write on the screen of the tablet. But not for long. Axiotron has also announced a new device they are working on call the Modbook Pro, which is a modified Macbook Pro with a dual touch and pen sensitive screen.
Although these modified Macs are pricey, they are exactly what many Mac users want from a tablet. A device like this is perfect for professionals in the art and design world who want to use their Macs to sketch and edit by hand but without the hassle of external devices. It is also perfect for business professionals who are always on the go, when carrying a laptop from meeting to meeting is too cumbersome. Finally, it is also perfect for the wired consumer who wants the convenience of mobile computing without having to stop to find a table to sit out just to whip out their laptop to compete a few tasks that aren’t possible via their smartphone.
I definitely think tablet computers are the wave of the future and a far more functional portable computing platform than netbooks, but instead of dumbing them down to do a few key things well, they should be able to do everything necessary to keep a mobile life, well, mobile.