So we know the iSlate, if indeed Apple decides to call it that, is coming and hopefully, we should know all about it by the 27th of January. That leaves 16 days (or 16 lifetimes in geek terms) worth of speculation time.
In the spirit of hype building we thought it might be nice to put together a list of the finest Apple tablet mock ups we could find, before they are all proved wrong later this month when Apple releases a computer with a holographic display that you control with your mind (probably).
Remember folks, there was all sorts of speculation surrounding the iPhone before it came out, almost none of which turned out to be accurate. Don't be surprised if the same turns out to be true for Apple's new tablet device too. Still, it's fun to let your imagination get carried away on a wave of hype from time to time, much like these talented photoshop experts have...
This first one seems a little unlikely, though it does address the concerns some Mac fans have about what the keyboard interface is going to be like. Still, it’s unlikely that Apple will ever want to release something that comes in bits like this does.
Here’s an early concept of what a mac tablet might look like. It certainly looks gorgeous with the MacBook white trim around the edge. With the screen of the new Apple device reported to be a mere ten inches however, it seems unlikely that the form factor will be quite this large.
This one truly is outlandish. We’re expecting some cool advances in touchscreen technology, but transparent glass screens are perhaps a bit too much to hope for. It’s also probably going to be at least another few years before a device as small as the iPhone is capable of running an OS as complex as OS X 10.5 Leopard.
This is more like it, a big iPhone just as predicted. It does seem likely that the new Apple device will have plenty in common with the iPhone, but will it go as far as to retain specific form factor details, such as the silver bezel and home button?
This could well be the closest of the lot to what Apple actually has in store for January the 27th. The very latest reports indicate that the tablet device will be wrapped in aluminum, much like the recently updated MacBook Pro line. This is certainly the most attractive mock up we’ve seen (in our humble view), so we’re hopeful the final product won’t deviate too drastically from this sleek design.
This may not be the most accomplished mock-up in the world, but the concept of having two adjacent touchscreens in a laptop style set-up is tantalizing to say the least. It seems to us however, that Apple will want to keep the costs relatively low, which makes the inclusion of two touchscreens seem a bit hopeful for the proposed $1000 price point.
Now this truly is gorgeous. With a screen that stretches right to the edges of the device’s front, this mock up truly gives Apple something to live up to. Again, this might be a bit beyond the scope of today’s affordable technology, but it’s nice to dream.
Building on the idea of a laptop form factor, this clever mock up makes use of a fully collapsible hinge and a bendable OLED touchscreen. Of all the concepts we've seen, this is the one we want most - maybe in ten years time, it will become a reality, don't hold out your hopes for January however.
There's a lot of buzz around augmented reality just now and it could well make up some of the new functionality that Apple has planned for it's new device. It might seem like Star Trek but Google and Nokia are already well under way with their augmented reality services so Apple might choose to make this type of service a unique selling point for it's slate PC.
Could Apple surprise everyone and release a touchscreen device with a handy slide out QWERTY? It'd certainly save some of that all important screen real estate when typing and it would bring the device directly into the netbook market, which Apple has purportedly been looking at with interest. Food for thought.
All of Apple's other products have had their form factors borrowed for mock-ups, so it's hardly surprising that some photoshop wizards are pondering something that slots into the iMac device line. This would of course hamper portability quite a bit, but it'd be a digital artist's dream come true.
File this one under 'silly'. The last thing anyone needs is an oversized iPod touch with no new OS options. Still, this makes a pretty nice concept for a touchscreen keyboard for Apple's desktop range one day.
Though still very much in the oversized iPod touch family of Mac tablet concepts, this sexy looking device does make iTunes artwork look positively gorgeous. Not sure about the need for two home buttons though.
This looks too much like a single purpose, animator's workstation to be something that Apple will consider. Expect the Apple tablet computer to be much more multi-purpose. Nice stand though and the enormous screen is gorgeous.
Funny that the least likely concept is one that was actually designed and built by Apple itself in the 80s. It'll never happen, but we still want one of these, just so we can tease people on Ebay.
And there you have it, the iSlate, iTablet or MacBook touch as imagined by the most talented photoshop demons in the land. If you know of any other astonishing Apple tablet concepts, please send them our way, we'd love to see them!
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