Bastion

Will 2010 Be the Year of the Tablet?

Yes, "you" don't see it - but that doesn't mean it isn't coming. You just don't have the vision for it.

Here, it is simple, really (and I agree with the author that this would be huge, but for Apple may cannibalize Apple TV sales...)

It's called a wireless docking station. Not intuitive? The dock goes in your media room and is "permanently" connected to your A/V set up. It has a docking port/stand to hold the iPad (my "trademarked" name for Apple's new tablet) that has either bluetooth, wifi, or maybe both - and IR for remote control.

If you use the iPad out of the dock on the couch, the device streams your content over bluetooth or wifi back to the dock for playback on your A/V system. This gives you more direct control over the device, and might even permit some multi-tasking (depending upon the robustness of the battery) - e.g. you could imdb something related to the movie you're watching.

If you keep the iPad in the dock (better for power management), you just use an Apple Remote to control the Front Row / Apple TV interface to your iPad's content.

In theory, you could also match a bluetooth keyboard to the dock for more "media PC" type of uses whilst sitting on the couch.

Ready to stop being a couch potato? Undock the iPad and go...

I think this could be awesome - maybe it would just replace Apple TV? I guess it would depend upon storage capacity...

Or maybe the iPad dock teams up with a Time Capsule - for backup of the iPad and extra storage...

On Aug 05 10:34 AM User 163599 wrote:

> I don't see why anyone would think a table PC would replace a media
> PC. The two are totally different kinds of hardware devices.
> One is ultra mobile, with a built in screen and keyboard.
> The other does not move, it always attached to your TV where you
> don't want to have to disconnect it. It does not have a keyboard
> but is instead accessed via a remote or wireless keyboard.
> Using a table PC as a media PC wastes all its advantages, size, screen,
> touch screen.