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For my schooling needs my place of education provides money to students for computers and I have a good chunk of money that I have yet to spend on anything.  I don’t really have enough money for the cheapest mac laptop but since I have a fairly new iMac on my desk I really don’t feel the need to run out and buy another computer at the moment.  What I am saying is I am sort of saving my money to see what this next announcement is from apple at the end of January.  I was coming up with some key features that I feel like this product must have for me to want to fork out the money to buy.  Here is a list of all the things I am hoping this new MacTablet will have(keep in mind I already want to buy this thing and am already overly excited and we haven’t even heard anything about it).

1. Not just an oversized iPhone

—-Now this “feature” is very vague but what I mean by it is, I already own an iPhone.  I don’t need another overpriced device that does the exact same thing but has a bigger screen.

2. More of a mini computer than kindle with color.

—-I don’t own a kindle but I really think they are interesting and I was certainly looking into purchasing one.  Being they were a bit too pricey for what they did I had a hard time putting down that kind of cash for a pretty simplistic device(not denigrating it, it is a killer device and if I had a better paying job I would for sure buy one).  Having a more expensive kindle that you can see pictures on and you have to charge every night really isn’t that compelling to me.  I am really hoping the new MacTablet DOES have some book integration like a kindle but I really don’t want it to be the main selling point.

2.5. I want a mini computer

—-Since I am purchasing this with school funds I kind of feel like I should only purchase something that will assist in my finishing of assignments.  There is a way to sign into my school on my iPhone and turn in assignments but it really is a pain and just isn’t quite there.  If I had a bigger screen and an actual desktop kind of thing to download my readings and was thinner and lighter than any book, now that is something very compelling to me.  Then being able to access my homework from anywhere, download my readings from anywhere, able to listen to my music or put on my video podcasts onto the device now we are really talking about a device that I can fully see fitting in my life.

3. I don’t like tablets….

—-I really haven’t played on too many but the ones I have played with really just reminded me how genius the guys at Xerox or whoever that came up with the mouse really were.  I feel like all the Tablet PCs that have come out in recent years were just tablets for tablets sake and touching the screen really isn’t a better UI that a keyboard and mouse.  What I am getting at is Apple really mastered the touchscreen with the iPhone.  It really makes sense when using your fingers on the screen and I’m sure that Apple can really make that happen again, but I am just worried its going to have all these confusing gestures that don’t really make things easier and it is just a tablet for tablets sake. Side Note: I’m sure that is not what apple is doing but hearing about the certain things Apple is working on really makes me a tiny bit skeptical.

4. Some sort of provider coverage (not a make or break for me)

—-I REALLY have no interest in another monthly subscription payment but if there was some extra $200-$300 and you get 2 years of coverage for free now that would be really interesting.  People complain about the AT&T coverage for their iPhones and to be honest I’ve had a few times were I’m bummed the call was dropped but it really isn’t some crazy blackout or anything I just call the person right back and its fine.  I think it would be fine whatever wireless provider Apple chooses because I honestly don’t need to be streaming constantly I just would like the ability to go to my favorite news sites and blogs and the ability to check my school work.  Just using it for that purpose really isn’t going to use up much bandwidth at all.  If maybe the provider can have a very small cap if they are worried about people streaming too much.  Not overcharge them but just not able to exceed the limit, now that would be a great business model(not screwing over your customers).

5.  A Word Processor

—-Being that I am buying this for school I’d like to be able to download my assignments and have the ability to do quick edits on the go with this small little device.  It wouldn’t by any means replace doing homework with my computer at my desk but being able to quickly add a comment to a post or upload a short question to my professor really would be a great thing.  I am quite comfortable typing on my iPhone and I know many people complain about it but I have written out long emails to people and really haven’t been too bothered by the non-tactile keyboard.  I would just like a bigger screen for doing major word processing like homework.

6. Digital Comics……and more.

—-Many people are talking about magazine subscriptions with this new MacTablet and I was thinking back to all the magazines I read and I’m not sure I’d really want to subscribe to any on a device like that when I could just go to the site for free and read majority of the content there anyways.  BUT it got me thinking about what I would totally subscribe to on this machine and it was so very clear, Digital Comics.  Every week I head on down to the Local Comic Shop and buy a few comic books read them and then put them in bags and for the most part don’t read them or touch them again.  I end up buying the big hardcovers of all the series I like and having those sit on the shelf.  I am worried once I am older I will just have these boxes and boxes of comic books that I don’t really need anymore but couldn’t force myself to throw away and the solution is clear digital comics.  I could store many many more on my computer, have an amazing catalog of issue covers and what happened in what series the possibilities really got me excited.  Then I wouldn’t have these hundreds of single issues all over the place and I am still going to buy the big Deluxe Edition Hardcovers anyways so this might cut down on price and have my comics with me where ever I go.  Thinking about some other things I might subscribe to on a color kindle like device perhaps some photography magazines would be interesting to look at on a nice 10 inch screen.  Or perhaps it will get me back into reading Macworld again, if it was provided straight to my device every month.  Just writing this I am getting more and more excited about the subscriptions to magazines….All these completely depend on the content providers agreeing on a deal with apple, which I’m not going to hold my breath on with the comics.

7. Multi Tasking

—-Pretty straight forward, just being able to have multiple apps open doing different things at one time.  Of course if it’s more like a computer and less like a big iPhone that is an obvious feature but just thought I would throw that one in there on my wishlist for the MacTablet.

That’s really most of what I want/need out of this new MacTablet for it to be an interesting device to me.  The main one that really is a make or break for me is the ability to do my school work.  If this is just a glorified kindle it will be a great cool device but I really am not in the market (right now) for a colored kindle.  Whatever it is it will be very cool to see what Apple anounces at the end of January so keep on the look out for the Apple event.

Cheers!

Ian

“Gandalf Has Fallen”

“The Death Of Boromir”

“This Is A Dream”

“The March Of The Ents”

And my ALL TIME Favorite part of the entire series.

“The Breaking Of The Fellowship”

-First off it is a great way to charge more for a product and then donate a bit to an Aids organization.

-It paints a picture that the business that participates in Product (Red) is more caring than a company that does not and gains the public’s trust. When in reality they are just trying to make more money

-Its completely a marketing tool. The CEO’s and heads of the corporations don’t care about causes around the world if they did they wouldn’t be doing what they are doing which is making money. (there is nothing wrong with making money in my opinion but don’t pretend you started this business to save the world)

-Real people are actually going over to Africa helping in the Aids crisis, helping people and these companies get far more recognition than individuals that should be held high for their sacrifices and I feel that all these movements take away what REAL people are doing for others.

-It gives people this false sense of servitude when in actuality all they did was bought a red t-shirt or bought a coffee at starbucks or bought an iPod that was red.

-In the Going Green movement, Apple is trying to be more green and a way they are “Going Green” they don’t give out plastic bags anymore.  Which is pretty convenient because Apple was known for spending a lot more on their plastic bags than other business’s so people could reuse the bags over and over but now they can save all that money.

Now I am all for helping others especially being a Christian it certainly is a calling to go out and help others less fortunate but it makes me sick when corporations like starbucks and t shirt companies just jump on this band wagon.  It’s completely for money.  If they wanted to “Save The World’ they could donate money out of their own pockets and really do something instead of giving a small percentage of their over priced drinks to Aids in Africa.  Americans really are selfish and really just take the lazy way out of everything and this is another way to make Americans that have far too much, not feel any guilt for only thinking about themselves.  With all these fake movements Americans can do EXACTLY what they’ve always done but think somehow they are making the world better by drinking their $10 cup of coffee (I drink Starbucks btw and like it just not the way they go about marketing themselves).

A Christmas Story (a must)

Home Alone (1 and 2)

ELF

The Santa Claus

It’s A Wonderful Life

White Christmas

Miracle on 34th Street (new one)

A Christmas Carol

A MUPPET Christmas Carol

***I need some more ideas @reply me on twitter or leave a comment on here.

This video is how to host a Launch Party for Windows 7 in your own home.