The New York Times has revealed further details of the origins of Apple’s iPhone, indicating that, as widely maintained, the project began not as a revolutionary cellphone but as a notebook-scale internet tablet. John Markoff, discussing Apple CEO Steve Jobs’ recent dismissal of ebooks, claims that MultiTouch began life in a hardware development project creating a so-called ‘Safari Pad’.
“Apple’s multitouch technology began life not as a cellphone, but as a notepad-sized skunkworks project internally dubbed Safari Pad, run by Tim Bucher, then Apple’s head of Macintosh hardware. To his credit, Mr. Jobs seized on the technology and morphed it into the iPhone”John Markoff, New York Times
Image via Flickr
Markoff goes on to suggest that Apple could be working on an internet tablet & ebook reader, rivalling Amazon’s Kindle device, and building on the iPod Touch as first aspect of a new, WiFi-enabled platform rather than a simple evolution of the iPod line.
A touchscreen-based Mac OS X tablet was rumored for release earlier this year, but Apple instead launched the MacBook Air; now, speculation has begun that the compact motherboard and components in the Air are also serving as a test-bed for implementation in a smaller, UMPC-sized device.
[via Mac Rumors]
we’ll see………………
First of all, very cool, interesting concept. Also, very aesthetically pleasing to the eye. Could it be the laptop/notebook evolved..? or could it be a re-visit from the past, i wonder… I remember growing up in an era, where men walked around town with a “boom-box” strapped to their shoulder, then came the “tape-man”, cd player, now – Ipod Nation. In juxtaposition it seems Apple is progressing (yes, quite fast i might add..), in a retrograde fahion. We’ve gone from boom-box to ipod, now we’re reverting from iMac back to a computer “i can carry around with my hand’s…??? (ugh)”. Soon, we’ll have iphoniac’s, better yet, iMacian’s (myself included, might not be able to resist the temptation, lol..), walking around with an iTablet strapped to the shoulder. Very sheek, retro…..
Retro re-defined anyone..?
When i get mine (merely out of curiosity, like my iphone 3gs..).
Think i’ll pull out my bright orange flairs, platform shoes, and an afro (with a comb in it), iTablet strapped to the shoulder, the motown’s blairing from my itune’s library, & hit the town!! : ) Now there’s an oxymoron: “back to the future, folks..!”
Sorry, couldn’t resist : )