What Should a Slate Tablet Look Like Today? Revisited

A while back I wrote a post What Should a Slate Tablet Look Like Today?. I thought it would be interesting to revisit the post in light of Apple’s iPad launch this week.

Looking back at that post, here is what I listed as my primary requirements:

1. A form factor similar to the Kindle DX (maybe a larger screen, but similar thickness);
2. A real back-lit screen – maybe with the ability to turn off back light to conserve power. Without backlight, should look as good as Kindle;
3. Ink input – and maybe touch;
4. Running a full OS – a light version of Windows or a Linux distribution (I do not want just an eBook reader);
5. Software support: Reader for PDF and Office, etc., eMail, Browser, OneNote-like app, Media support;
6. No extras: no modem, no optical drive, minimal ports, no video out, no web cam;
7. No HDD – maybe an SDD, maybe the OS in ROM or something;
8. No keyboard except maybe by USB or Bluetooth;
9. Maybe assume that most applications I need will be in Browser (cannot believe I said that lol);
10. Price point around $500

Lets compare those requirements to the new iPad:

1. The iPad does pretty well on this – though it appears to be quite a bit thicker than a Kindle;
2. Meets the primary requirement here, but does not satisfy my wish to be able to turn it off and have it look like a Kindle screen (not sure this is even possible);
3. Ok – fails on this one completely
4. I am not sure if I consider what is on there a “full OS” – seems pretty limited to me, and is incompatible with everything but iPhone apps;
5. Fails on this, and even fails on many browser-based apps, given the lack of Flash support (and I am pretty sure it does not support Silverlight;
6. Seems to be on same page as me here, though I would probably have included a USB port (Apple’s love of proprietary connections strikes again);
7. Right on here – though the $500 model’s drive is too small to be useful;
8. Got it right again – though I think Bluetooth would have been a good idea;
9. As I said above, support for web apps may be limited since Apple does not seem willing to support plugins like Flash or Silverlight;
10. Bottom end model meets this, but as I said, its 16gd SSD is too small to be useful.

So the iPad meets a lot of my requirements, but without ink support, and with its lack of support for applications I need, it is definitely not what I need as an all around slate tablet. It is a cute toy, but it is just that – a toy.