Axiotron's Modbook Pro: when the Modbook just isn't enough

While we sit around twiddling our thumbs waiting for Apple's rumored resurrection of the Newton, we'll occupy ourselves with the latest 3rd party Mac tablet -- the Modbook Pro. Based off a 15-inch unibody MacBook Pro, the Modbook Pro has all the same ports as the standard model (including the ExpressCard/34 slot), supports both pen and touch input, and has a glossy black shell. Axiotron pre-installs Quicktouch software to aid those with fat fingers, and the screen is totally flush. However, nobody said that function came cheap -- the Modbook Pro starts at $5k, but there's a $400 discount available for Macworld.

[Via Boy Genius Report]

[Paul Chapel @ Jan 7th 2009 10:44AM]

I keep seeing various iTablets pop up, but no one takes the time to explain why such a device would be such a good idea. You obviously can't slip it into your pocket like an iPhone or iPod Touch. Most tablets have done very badly in the market.

[loocas @ Jan 7th 2009 10:47AM]

You know, it helps you keep at the very fruit edge, it's cool and sexy and unique. And you've gotta be cool, sexy and unique, right? Otherwise your life doesn't have any point.

[Levi @ Jan 7th 2009 11:01AM]

They are popular i the business world. They offer a convenience factor that normal laptops or PDA's don't. Using my own office as an example, we have a staff of consultants that travel to various locations and conduct surveys. They are walking around all day, and the tablets that they all got (lucky bastards) will be very useful to them once they can wrap their old timey ways around the tech.

[Steve @ Jan 7th 2009 11:02AM]

A very useful feature of tablets is for digital artists that want more tangible control over their media. This gives them a way to draw onscreen as opposed to a mouse, trackpad or external tablet. This method is more intuitive and natural.
Photo retouchers also can benefit tremendously from this.
The pricetag, however is just too high unfortunately. Pick up a Cintiq 12WX for $999 and you get a tablet you can attach to any computer.

[Kelmon @ Jan 7th 2009 11:04AM]

Uses for such a device are pretty minimal. Applications range from the obvious, such as enabling artists to draw on the move, to the less obvious, such as a sort of replacement clipboard for doctors doing the rounds at a hospital. In this respect I think this product works - it's a niche product for a niche market that Apple really does not need to invest time in. That Axiotron is investing in another model of the ModBook rather suggests that they did well enough from the original to justify having another go. In this respect I wish them the best of luck but I can safely say that this is not a product that I would be interested in buying.

[LloydChiro @ Jan 7th 2009 6:27PM]

Uses are minimal? Tell that to any TabletPC user. Putting pen on screen like you put a pen on paper is a much more natural act than using a mouse. Using a tablet format enhances the whole computing experience for most pieces of software, especially the everyday use of the operating system and file management.

[dajimmers @ Jan 7th 2009 6:28PM]

They can be very useful for students too. I used my tablet for all of my notes in med school- using OneNote and electronic lecture slides I now have an organized, full-color, indexed and searchable (both the slide text and my own handwriting), hyperlink-enabled database that fits on a single SD card if I want it to. My classmates have stacks of black and white copies that measure over 3 feet tall (seriously). Sure a regular notebook works well too and can use OneNote, but hand-drawn arrows, symbols, diagrams, etc. are much more useful than straight text.

Apple could better build the market for students if they tried. Microsoft could too if they publicized OneNote more.

[Das Boot @ Jan 7th 2009 10:44AM]

I am ordering one as we speak. oh wait, 5K? eh, what the hell.

[me @ Jan 7th 2009 2:19PM]

Good Luck! I have been trying all morning to place my order for 3 of them. Their website is up and down rittled with database errors and when you try to call the number those people are a joke! The guy got real nasty screaming we sell hard drives and memory not that. For the hassle and the price for this I say it is CRAP!

[Mic2000 @ Jan 7th 2009 10:44AM]

Is this a concept or for real? If so, won't Apple sabotage the sales of this product?

[loocas @ Jan 7th 2009 10:46AM]

They sabotaged it themselves, by the $5K price tag!

[Kelmon @ Jan 7th 2009 11:07AM]

I think we'll call it a real product when it actually ships. If the original ModBook is anything to go by, this could take a while and be considered vapourware in the interim. However, it is something that should keep Apple happy since it delivers a Mac product to a market that Apple themselves don't think is very big whilst generating revenue to Apple for any sales made. Everyone is a winner.

[Addz @ Jan 7th 2009 10:45AM]

Oh no
All first comments at the exact same time

[loocas @ Jan 7th 2009 10:45AM]

:D:D:D:D:D

[loocas @ Jan 7th 2009 10:48AM]

Oh, c'mon engadget! If you keep deleting posts, at least delete the whole reply history along!

[swingin' dick hero @ Jan 7th 2009 11:48AM]

:D:D:D:D:D

[nick @ Jan 7th 2009 10:55AM]

Neat product but honestly, tablet computing is one of the few areas where Vista has a very real advantage over Mac OS X support wise. Unless some recent changes have happened that I am unaware of, the handwriting recognition on vista always seemed much better to me.

[umijin @ Jan 7th 2009 10:58AM]

Looks fantastic, but very high priced.

Any info on the weight of this product? It's not indicated on the company's website or in other articles I checked.

[Timm @ Jan 7th 2009 11:02AM]

They managed to price themselves out of the market...

[Levi @ Jan 7th 2009 11:02AM]

I think there's enough people out there who would buy these so that the guys behind the mods could probably take a year off from real work. Or just live off the cash and plan how they are going to cut this mod and do the next one.

Maybe I should have stayed in school....

[Lunchbox @ Jan 7th 2009 11:06AM]

I wouldn't go near this product until they fix their customer service, most of their fist generation product doesn't fully work with bluetooth failures and RF interference making them unusable. They have yet to fix these a year into production despite repeated promises. I would say stay away!

[MikeJett @ Jan 7th 2009 11:56AM]

This is really a great looking little piece of tech .... except I won't ever buy one ... 5k is way too much for a laptop ... instead I'm eyeing that eee tablet .... or a wind tablet if they release one as rumored ..... drop some OSX love on it and slam bam thank you ma'am I'll have a little digital sketchbook to play around with .....

[john @ Jan 7th 2009 1:16PM]

Is it multi-touch (since the new macbook's have multi-touch trackpads)

They should make a modbook light:
8.9" screen
convertible/tablet form factor

Probably do-able from the Air's components.

[Whyvan @ Jan 7th 2009 1:39PM]

This does have a niche market, and I happen to be right in it.

Student
Architect

This would be absolutely perfect for taking notes in class, as simply typing is not enough due to all the images used in lectures. This form of computer would also be perfect for the architecture student in that you can sketch well (no shawty digitizer screen here, full blown wacom, and at 15"!). There are countless occasions when the ability to draw on my computer would be fantastic, but the inherent flaws in detatched drawing tablets kept me from fully utilizing them.

The pricetag is insane for someone who would only dick around on their machine, but for the graphic artist, architect, or any other person with a livelyhood based in drawing, I think it is fair. Look at the MBP, $2500. Then look at any wacom digitizer screen. There is an 8" (maybe 10"? i forgot...) one that goes for $1000, and this one is 15". Wacom's pricetags increase exponentially with size. For what is involved in the machine, I think the price is fair. again I stress, not for dicking around on, but for serious graphic work. This and the modbook are two of the best options for graphics types, since most of that field is mac-based, and because they are not meant as convertable gimicks (ooh look at me I have a tablet computer that converts into a regular laptop but I never use the touchscreen because it sucks and because I broke the single tiny hinge holding it all together and becasue no graphics professionals use windows anyways...sorry for the rant, I hate the flimsy convertables), but as an actual tool with the real stuff where it counts.

now the decision is between the modook and modbook pro...

[arash @ Jan 7th 2009 1:58PM]

you can buy it with less than 1/3 price of this modbook with better touch supports and many other things from hp or fujitsu, and no it does not work like a wacom it have resistive touch screen and as you dont know tablet pc's are in the market for many years now and no one apple related did not invent it. i belive its the winner form factor of future pc but with windows not unix like systems

[Antimatter @ Jan 7th 2009 4:05PM]

The first thing I would do if I got this (and that's a BIG "if" for $5k) would be to install Windows 7. Windows has a better interface for pen and touch, with better handwriting recognition, a better pen input interface, better touch support, and a better touch interface. Also, all of the best tablet applications are of course windows only, since windows is the only tablet platform.

I really have to say, however, this is one of the best looking and most powerful tablets out there.

[loop @ Jan 7th 2009 4:05PM]

how can these dirty bastards get away with selling a non-official apple product when small small companies like psystar get the hell sued out of them for doing the same thing? capitalistic bastards!

[iBeDaT @ Jan 7th 2009 5:50PM]

They are licensed by apple, parts are bought direct from apple.

[Boards of Canada @ Jan 7th 2009 7:33PM]

buy a 989$ pc tablet, install OsX. Pay yourself a nice trip around Europe with the 4000$ saving.

[54cr1739u5 @ Jan 7th 2009 8:23PM]

This is an incredible piece of equipment for a Digital Artist, but the price tag kills it completely. Those of you contemplating the ModBook Pro to take notes...r u srs? Of course it is a benefit to take notes on a computer, but realistically this thing is made primarily for Picture/Video Editing and Digital Drawing/Painting, Music also. Hopefully Axiotron will come to their senses and lower the BooM so people will actually buy this thing. I gotta say it looks way more refined than it's predecessor, but the ModBook had alot of problems, and horrific customer support.
The reason Apple does not discourage or sue Axiotron was stated above by iBeDat, they are licensed, and the parts are bought direct from Apple. Taking it a step further, Axiotron takes the risk of testing the market, and rest assured, when the demand increases for this product, big brother Apple will take over. Think about it, Apple already makes all the components for these things, minus the shell, it can't be that difficult to build a better one with a much lower cost than Axiotron is charging.