The mind can also be an erogenous zone - Raquel Welch
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Everyone has a slate at CES
DESPITE THE FACT that Apple appears to have trademarked the name 'slate' for its forthcoming Newton-redux tablet, almost every manufacturer and their dog seems to have already nicked the term.
While wandering around CES you will find that every gadget maker peddling a tablet device is calling it a slate. In an interview with Wired, Dell's marketing chief Michael Tatelman called his outfit's tablet a slate. He was showing off a skinny sliver with a 5-inch screen that runs the Android operating system and let it slip that there are lots of slates of all shapes, sizes and operating systems lurking in Dell's labs and aimed at going on sale as soon as possible.
And shy and retiring Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer also called his company's new line of tablets slates. Writing in his blog, John Gruber said that the Vole renamed these things on the basis on a rumoured name for Apple's tablet, "just to try to f**k with them."
That is probably true but there is something more to it than that. Both Microsoft and Dell know that tablet PCs are largely pointless and no one really wants them. They have watched with surprise at the amount of coverage Apple has been getting for its mythical tablet and wondered if Jobs Mob might actually pull it off.
By releasing products and identifying them with Apple's they are hoping to climb onto Apple's coat tails. But if the tablet fad falls on its face, all slates will be forever associated with Apple and there will be no real losers other than Steve Jobs.
If Jobs' Mob launches an Islate, and it launches late, then it will find itself on a battleground effectively prepared by its rivals who will also benefit from its success. It will also have to prove that it is a lot different than the much less expensive options out there. µ
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iSlate is just a decoy. the *real* Apple brand will be the "iPad". all the PC manufacturers fell for the red herring. that way when Apple does announce, it'll be a completely new category that'll be head-n-shoulders better than your run-o-the-mill "slate".
well, if the ui is good enough I think a slate could work out ok. But are they going to be priced like netbooks, like laptops, or what? And what is the screen size? Priced like netbooks with a 10" full multi-touch and I bet they would sell great. But why would I want a 5" one? what would I do with it? and most people would rather have a notebook I think at notebook prices. Guess we'll see.
@Chad Weirick
I had all music in mp3's on my amd k6, long before portable mp3 players of any kind. Don't give apple too much credit.
After notepad and wordpad
iPad? super absorbant, lifts images like silly puttty
A slate pc is a specific form of Tablet that does not have a dedicated keyboard. Apple has a TM on iSlate not "slate". That is like saying apple has a tm on "phone" because they have a TM on "iPhone" please print a correction as you article has innacurate information. Thanks!
That will be all there good for.
Like 'em or hate 'em, Apple has proven with the iPod that being first does not necessarily mean being the best. In fact, I think it is probably safe to say that the whole MP3 market took off because of Apple, despite having waited a few years for the surprise arrival of the iPod.
Could the same be true of the iSlate or whatever it will be called, or will it be another Apple TV? Who knows!?!?! Ask some of those booth babes! They love these kinds of questions! Get the responses on video...or camera at least please!
or maybe is-late ?
gets coat...
@Roland: Not to worry. I'm pretty sure Apple didn't trademark "Slate." The reporter is either sloppy or doesn't know what he's talking about, or both.
Apple registered (2 years ago) the web domain islate.com. That's the sole source of all these "iSlate" rumors, as far as I can tell.
I personally don't think it will be called that. Apple registers A LOT of domain names they never use.
Slate has been a term used for the keyboardless form factors of tablet PC, e.g. Fujitsu ST5112, as opposed to 'convertible', e.g. Dell Latitude XT or 'hybrid', eg. HP TC1100
It's pretty silly to allow that to be trademarked.