This story appeared on Network World at

http://www.networkworld.com/columnists/2007/122407bradner.html

Apple's next mold breaker?

Columnist dreams of what Apple could announce at Macworld

'Net Insider By Scott Bradner , Network World , 12/24/2007

My editor pointed out that this issue has a forward/predicting theme and suggested I keep that in mind when figuring out what to write. After pondering that for a while I decided to write about what I'd like to happen rather than predict what may actually happen when Steve Jobs announces new Apple products at the Macworld Conference & Expo later this month.

A few months ago one of the Apple rumor Web sites predicted Jobs would announce a product that was some sort of entirely new concept in computing at Macworld. I haven’t seen anything more about such a device but I've been dreaming of what I'd like to see (and would order).

In my dreams the new product would combine the long rumored Apple tablet computer with the iPhone to create a sort of all-in-one portable device.

This device would be small at 8.5 x 11 inches (or smaller) and very thin — around a half inch. It would also include:

* A non-slip back

* A high-resolution, multi-touch screen — 200 ppi or greater resolution

* Full iPhone functions with support for wired or Bluetooth headsets

* iTunes and full iPod music and video functions

* A GPS receiver

* Full Leopard distribution with no restrictions on what applications it can run

* Published APIs for all iPhone functions

* VoIP support

* Enough flash memory to hold the core operating system along with iPhone and iPod support

* 100GB or more of hard disk

* User upgradeable/replaceable memory, CPU and disk

* 10/100/1000Mbps Ethernet and dual USB 2.0, maybe firewire

* An external USB DVD/CD read/write drive

* A flash card slot

* Two replaceable batteries with a total of more than 10 hours lifetime when Leopard is running in user mode, more than 250 hours when operating in iPhone standby mode

* Wi-Fi, WiMAX, Bluetooth, EDGE and G3 radios — more than one of which can operate simultaneously

* A large iPhone-like in-screen multi-touch keyboard

* An external USB keyboard option with bracket that holds computer in a laptop-screen-like orientation

* System comes enabled; carrier contract only needed if cellular phone services wanted

* No carrier lock-in required

* Enterprise-level security controls, including remote lock and erase

My handwriting is bad enough that having a stylus-based input mode would be of no use, but others might find it useful.

In my dreams at least some GPS device vendors would port their navigation and location software to this new device and integrate it with Google maps and so forth.

I do not know what to call such a device — iEverything seems a bit funky.

I'd like one of these! Too bad it's just a dream device.

Disclaimer: As far as I know, Harvard does not dream, so the above must be my own fantasy.