All the talk about whether Apple will or won’t produce a tablet PC (and/or a netbook) has rekindled my thinking about something I’ve actually wanted for quite some time.
I’d love to have a device for two different, but similar, functionalities.
The main one, by far, would be to use in the kitchen. Mostly for looking up and reading recipes, but it would also be useful for the occasional lookup, quick net browse, listening to music while cooking/cleaning, etc.
The second would be to use in the bathroom to do the occasional NYT crossword or otherwise fill the time.
Yes, I can do both of these with the current iPhone or Touch, but they are too small, both to read and navigate while doing various kitchen things. Notebooks and current tablets are too big. Some netbooks might be about the right size, but they (along with notebooks) have the whole clamshell thing. Also, they are not instant on.
So, an iPhone somewhere around 8-10″ tall and 6″ wide would be perfect. (It could really just be a Touch since I most likely won’t be carrying it outside the house, but the more I think about it, the possibilities would be greater if it had phone capabilities. Just having always-on internet would make it so my mom could junk the big PC and DSL she’s now using.)
BTW, my friends are tired of me saying this, but I believe newspapers and books won’t go away until you can comfortably bring a computer into the bathroom. The device I’m describing could be the one to do this.
[Update 4/29]
Lots of reports the past couple days indicating that my wait may not be long at all, including this from the WSJ:
Apple has had discussions with Verizon recently about its product plans, including a multimedia device that is bigger than the iPod Touch but smaller than a laptop, a person familiar with the situation said. However, the talks haven’t become advanced, the person added.
Comments are closed.