The Tablet: Our Most Expected Unexpected Feature
Tuesday, January 26, 2010 at 9:17AM 
We're busy baking today at TDL: Why not put some icing on the speculation cake... Tomorrow, unveiled for all will be "Apple'S LATEsted creation." While we know absolutely nothing for sure about the device, that means it's a perfect time to talk about a feature we expect to see on the Canvas/iSlate/iPad that we haven't heard people talking about anywhere else.
If the new device is indeed media oriented, that means portable movies and tv shows on a screen bigger,brighter, and crisper than the iPhone. If, as expected, the device has a ten inch screen, that will make it awkward to hold for a full feature film. There's always the chance it will have some sort of stand built-in, but there's probably a better chance of the MacBook getting firewire back (again) before that happens.
Keep in mind that the potential customers who have $600-$1,000 to buy a tablet on day one, also are likely to have a large HDTV at home. Isn't that a better way to watch a movie if you're already at home to begin with? Enter our expected feature: Wireless HDMI. A small dongle shipped with the device could attach to the HDMI port on the television, and turn the tablet into a wireless AppleTV when you're at home. True, a dongle isn't Apple's style, but not having the function sleekly built into the tablet certainly is. If you're going to have a dongle, it's best to have it hidden behind the TV, right?
What feature do you think might surprise us all tomorrow?
hdmi, speculation, tablet Permalink
Reader Comments (2)
"..... Enter our expected feature: Wireless HDMI. A small dongle shipped with the device ..... True, a dongle isn't Apple's style ....... What feature do you think might surprise us all tomorrow?"
Not this, because the "dongle" part, as you say, "isn't Apple's style", except that, if surprisingly there is such a "dongle", it already exists: it's called the Apple TV and if you have one it's already connected to your HDTV.
Apple doesn't like warts on their products. They will have 802.11n built-in but it won't be for streaming to your TV.
If anything, the tablet will be another way for you to CONTROL your existing Mac or Apple TV, where the content already resides.
TheJ