First Apple Tablet (ModBook)

[nekokami]

Third party vendor modifies Apple MacBooks to create the ModBook:

http://eshop.macsales.com/shop/ModBook


Press release:

Axiotron to Demonstrate ModBook, the One & Only TabletMac at Wizard World Los Angeles

El Segundo, CA - March 13th, 2007 - Solution hardware manufacturer Axiotron, Inc. today announced that it will be showcasing the award winning ModBook™, the only Mac OS® X tablet computer solution on the market, on the Axiotron Booth #310 at the Wizard World Convention & Expo Los Angeles. From March 16th to 18th, showfloor visitors will be able to take the ModBook for a spin and on Saturday, March 17th, special guest and Emmy award winning artist Shannon Tindle will be demonstrating the ModBook's benefits.

Parallel to in-depth product presentations by Axiotron's lead engineers, visitors will be able to try out the ModBook and find out for themselves, why it was chosen for one of the prestigious MacWorld Best-of-Show awards earlier this year. On Saturday, March 17th, Shannon Tindle, who is best known for his Emmy award winning work on Cartoon Network's "Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends", will be joining the Axiotron team and sharing his experiences with the ModBook.

"Events like the Wizard World are a great venue for us to meet the talented and inspired artists we had in mind when we developed our ModBook." said Andreas Haas, President of Axiotron. "The feedback we are getting at an event like this is invaluable for our efforts to provide the best tablet solutions for artists."

The Axiotron ModBook is a high-end slate-style notebook computer solution based on Apple® MacBook™ notebook computers featuring true pen input, a new 13.3" wide screen LCD and an optional Global Positioning System in a tough, satin chrome plated magnesium top shell. With the award winning Mac OS™ X and its build-in Inkwell handwriting recognition, up to 2GHz fast Intel Core 2 Duo processors, the integrated iSight™ camera and the CD/DVD combo drive, the slate-style Axiotron ModBook is the ultimate companion for everyone who favors the pen as input device.

"Not only is our ModBook the only Mac OS™ X based tablet computer, it also beats every other slate-style TabletPC in almost every category" said Nathan Oshidari, Director of Business Development. "The largest screen protected by Axiotron ForceGlass™, the fastest Intel Core 2 Duo processor, Bluetooth, 802.11n Wireless LAN, Built-in GPS, CD/DVD burner and iSight Camera, and all at a price lower than the closest yet not-so comparable Slates from Fujitsu or Motion Computing".

The ModBook features Wacom® Penabled® hardware, the same high quality technology that makes the Wacom pen tablets and interactive pen displays the preferred choice for professional artists, designers, photographers, and consumers. The ModBook's pen digitizer is responsive (133 position updates per second), accurate (20x display resolution) and pressure sensitive (256 levels).

The included ModBook Digitizer Pen features 2 programmable side buttons plus an eraser and comes with three types of replaceable pen nibs, the traditional hard Pencil Nib, the Felt Nib and a new spring-loaded Studio Nib for improved control over pressure sensitivity. In contrast to cheaper touch screen solutions the ModBook's radio-based digitizer technology allows users to draw with their hand resting on the screen and to control the cursor while the pen is hovering over the screen, providing for an intuitive, mouse-like interface with zero learning curve.

Pricing and Availability

Starting at $2,279 for the complete solution, including the Apple MacBook base system, the ModBook conversion kit, the conversion service and a comprehensive 1 year warranty, the ModBook is exclusively available for orders in the US through Other World Computing. Please visit www.macsales.com or call +1.800.275.4576

About Axiotron, Inc.
A high-tech solution hardware manufacturing company, Axiotron, Inc. (www.axiotron.com) is the maker of the award-winning ModBook™, the one and only TabletMac™ solution. Following its unique vision of Customizing Your World™ Axiotron™ is dedicated to the conception and development of intriguing digital lifestyle products, and aspires to become a leading innovator in the high-tech industry. In addition to developing, manufacturing and marketing products for selected markets, Axiotron is offering its product development expertise to customers in need of a truly custom hardware product. Founded in January 2005 and privately held, Axiotron is a Delaware corporation headquartered in El Segundo, California.

About Shannon Tindle
Shannon Tindle's animation career began in 1997 when he was accepted into the character animation program at Cal Arts. After 2 years in the program Shannon got his first job as a character designer at Disney TV. Shannon spent the next several years continuing work as a character designer for Warner Bros., Sony Pictures, Hyperion, Nickelodeon and Universal. Along the way he garnered 3 Annie nominations and was awarded an Emmy for his work on Cartoon Network's Foster's Home for Imaginary Friends. Shannon recently provided character designs and storyboards for Henry Selick's film Coraline. He is currently co-directing an original short for Cartoon Network and works as a visual development/story artist at Dreamworks Animation on the Mr. Peabody and Sherman feature.

###

Press Contact

Andreas Haas
President
inquire_press@axiotron.com

Axiotron, Inc.
400 Continental Blvd. 6th Floor
El Segundo, California 90245
www.axiotron.com

My comment: I don't know if this is the same company that was attempting to auction modded Apple notebooks on eBay a while back or not. I've been saying I wanted an Apple tablet for years, but ironically, now that one is available (sort of), I seem to be migrating toward Linux. Still, the idea of running Painter on this unit does make my fingers itch.

[yvanleterrible]

Photoshop would work nice on that thing too!

I wonder if Apple gave them some kind of support. I know they do for software dev. and some hardware but hardware from their own?

I've been waiting for a tablet too... and a successor to Newton... and a reader... and eink... I'm kind of fed up about it now. I'm sure that if any of these devices come out I'll ligth right back up! Such a woossie!

[nekokami]

Lest anyone think I'm too much of an Apple fan: http://www.theonion.com/content/news...ls_new_product

[yvanleterrible]

[TadW]

Apple sometimes surprises me... why does it take a 3rd vendor to come up with a Mac OS-X-based tablet computer?

[delphidb96]

Because no one would buy a tablet PC costing more than $5,000 - except maybe the government???

Derek

Originally Posted by TadW

Apple sometimes surprises me... why does it take a 3rd vendor to come up with a Mac OS-X-based tablet computer?

[yvanleterrible]

Instead of making a tablet, that afterwards needs a protective cover, couldn't they make a notebook that would lay flat, allow the display to reorient at will and equip it with a touchscreen that you can write directly on ?

[nekokami]

I'm not sure what you mean by "lay flat," but the hybrid tablets I've seen with screens that can re-orient to cover the keys have connectors that require some tricky engineering. That might not work so well in a "modded" solution. I agree, though, it's the design I would prefer.

I don't know why Apple hasn't released their own tablet. I would think it would be a hit with their graphics and design oriented customer base, and certainly the "for the rest of us" users would find a pen easier to deal with than a mouse. But their hardware is so expensive already, I can see that it could price them right out of the market. As I said above, my next system will probably be running linux, rather than OSX.

[yvanleterrible]

Originally Posted by nekokami

I'm not sure what you mean by "lay flat," but the hybrid tablets I've seen with screens that can re-orient to cover the keys have connectors that require some tricky engineering. That might not work so well in a "modded" solution. I agree, though, it's the design I would prefer.

I don't know why Apple hasn't released their own tablet. I would think it would be a hit with their graphics and design oriented customer base, and certainly the "for the rest of us" users would find a pen easier to deal with than a mouse. But their hardware is so expensive already, I can see that it could price them right out of the market. As I said above, my next system will probably be running linux, rather than OSX.

Yes I've seen those hybrids. As you say about the trickyness of the engineering is well represented by the price associated to it's fragility.

What I mean by flat is the notebook opened to it's extreme, just like you open a paper notebook. If you can chage the display orientation you can write on it for right or for left. All they'd need to add to an ordinary notebook is a touchscreen, display software ans the others bits needed for efficient use. Simple as that.