Apple ModBook?

If this is true, some heads are gonna roll! His Steveness will be quite displeased... OWC and Axiotron announce the ModBook, a Mac-based tablet computer.

Thats very interesting.. I have always wanted a tablet mac, but I don't think I will be getting it.

So can you legally just buy hardware mod it as a new product and then resell, or would they need a license from apple? I'm guessing they don't as apple would surely rather build it themselves...if they wanted to release one at all.
I know I'd rather have an apple-made machine than some chopped up modded "used to be apple" thing - And, I assume, it'll cost more.

Sounds mad! I want one.

Sounds like it might be more of a service.

1) Purchase your Macbook (Pro?
2) Send it in
3) They hack it up, replace screen, add hinge, inkwell, etc...
4) Void your warranty
5) Give you their warranty
6) Return it to you...

VOILA! Modbook (Pro!?)

That sounds more Believable. Still not something I can see myself ever doing.

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/01/04/why-a-mac-tablet-from-apple-doesnt-make-sense/

According to this at TUAW it's such an "über-niche" market that it's not worth Apple making one, so at least this mod can satisfy those who are hoping for one I suppose.

Ohhh so that's what this is all about... Well I thought it was hardware.

I kept remembering Apple getting patents for what could point towards a tablet. I thought that this was it but manufactured by someone willing to pay licensing fees to Apple for the use of the patents.

slyseeker said:

Sounds like it might be more of a service.

1) Purchase your Macbook (Pro?
2) Send it in
3) They hack it up, replace screen, add hinge, inkwell, etc...
4) Void your warranty
5) Give you their warranty
6) Return it to you...

VOILA! Modbook (Pro!?)

Click to expand...

That is exactly what that article said. At the Expo itself, they will have limited number of "pre-modded" machines (what the article refers to as 'turnkey') for sale, but when those run out it will go to the method described by slyseeker.

It is a for sure thing though. They have a stand and trials at MacWorld, so they can't really back out on that. If Apple does release a tablet, it has some competition...

Without the fitting software, a tablet mac won't be much use. I wonder what they did with it, but butchering a MacBook to like like a tablet won't replace the time and thought Apple would devote to such a product. Still hoping for 11" MBP on Tuesday or so.

I'm hoping they don't release an 11" MBP for the purely selfish reason that it'll make me regret having a Macbook (Only a little).

Just a thought, would the tablet design be bad for the screen? My Macbook is cool all over except for the top left on the base, with the screen being so close wouldn't the heat affect it over time?

I'm also hoping for a smaller MacBook Pro, not that i plan to buy one in the near future, but i miss the 12" PowerBook.
Anyway, i have seen a couple of iBooks and MacBooks modded to a tablet format and they seem to work very well, plus this mods have been done by average users, so i expect a mod done by professional engineers to be much much better. This sounds like a great option instead of a Wacom Cintiq tablet ($2499), if you need one. I could be wrong, but i think this idea has great potential.

I can't find any real coverage of the Modbook on any of the sites (they're too obsessed with the iPhone). But, I did Google the preview Web site.

GPS? March release? Pre-order? meh.

Thats is interesting. I'd feel better if it was made by Apple but its still cool. Not that I will ever get one anyway just because I doubt I'd have the cash to spend on one.

It's neato, but I can't ever really see myself using a tablet. I need a keyboard to type documents, surf the web, write emails, etc. It seems like it would be SO slow with a pen.

^^ Same here... I'd rather just buy a Wacom Tablet, which I don't have much use for as I'm pretty darn good with Illustrator's drawing tools, and would rather just illustrate with pen and paint with paint.

Video of the Modbook. Actually very poor video, but still -

http://www.tuaw.com/2007/01/13/s/

Well, a year has passed, and the Modbook has finally become a reality. Is there anyone who is interested in buying one? If I was dying for a tablet Mac, I probably would. The first thing I thought was that it sucks it doesn't have a keyboard, but then I realized that the new wireless keyboard is so small, thin and portable, it wouldn't be a big deal to toss it in my bag along with the Modbook. Throw in a collapsable book stand to hold up the Modbook, and you're in business!

I was first surprised that Apple has given them the nod to make it, but then I thought of Motorola and iTunes. Apple let them make a java iTunes app for their phones, which I think was a slick way for Apple to research a music phone without paying for any research on their own. Maybe they're using this company to test the waters for their own tablet computer, which will of course be much better.

the modbook has actually been out for a while... I remember looking at it a couple of months ago.

NPuter said:

the modbook has actually been out for a while... I remember looking at it a couple of months ago.

Click to expand...

Well, this thread is a year old.