Tablet rumors: 3G, dual dock connectors, user interface
Your latest serving of Apple's tablet rumors comes courtesy of iLounge, which is claiming two "double-confirmed" details about the forthcoming device:
1. The tablet will have dual dock connectors: one on the bottom just like the iPhone and iPod touch, and one on the long side so you can charge the device in landscape orientation.
2. Similar to the original iPhone, which had a mostly aluminum back, the tablet has a metal backside with a long, non-metal strip allowing for wireless access. There could be any number of antennae behind that strip, from the 802.11g wireless currently in iPods and iPhones, to 802.11n for faster networking, and even – potentially – a 3G antenna. iLounge goes on to speculate what sort of fees might be involved with the tablet's data services through a provider like Verizon or AT&T; short answer is, based on current rates, it won't be cheap.
In other tablet-related news, Gizmodo has posted a lengthy article proposing that the tablet's interface will basically be a blown-up version of the iPhone OS. After reading Gizmodo's argument, it's hard to disagree with them. While a traditional desktop and folder OS would probably appeal more to the geeks among us, that approach has historically been a failure with Windows-based tablets, and the iPhone interface expanded into a full-sized computer could be exactly what Joe Consumer needs to get over his unease and fear toward computers. The iPhone's interface is much more intuitive than Windows or even the full version of OS X, so running an entire, full-fledged computer off of it seems like exactly the next logical step in the user interface evolution that Gizmodo claims it to be.
What do you think? Is the tablet destined to be just a blown-up iPhone? Let us know in the comments.
