7-inch iPad "DOA:" Jobs

[Paul Daniel Ash]

In comments widely interpreted as dismissing the rumors of a 7-inch iPad 2G, Steve Jobs is saying that "the current crop of seven-inch tablets are going to be DOA - dead on arrival." In a clear reference to smaller tablets by companies like RIM, Samsung and Dell, Jobs told reporters and analysts listening in on a conference call announcing Apple's fourth fiscal quarter financial results that the touch interface on smaller tablets would be too hard to control, joking that they would have to ship with sandpaper "so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size."

Rumors of the smaller iPad have been out since before the original iPad was shipped, and have been increasing in recent months as the production cycle for the second generation iPad has begun to ramp up, and the perennial gossips at Taiwan's DigiTimes have repeatedly asserted that a 7-inch iPad is in the works. Other reports have leaked out of the leaky Asian supply chain seemingly validating this rumor. Jobs's remarks, however, seem to dispel those rumors, as well as previewing the marketing rhetoric Apple will deploy against the smaller competitors.

"Seven-inch tablets," Jobs said, "are 'tweeners' - too big to compete with a smartphone and too small to compete with an iPad," He explained how difference between seven and ten inches in terms of screen real estate is deceptive: "The screen measurements are diagonal, so that a seven-inch screen is only 45 per cent as large as iPad's 10-inch screen. You heard me right," he added for effect in typical Jobs style, "just 45 per cent as large." Heading off the counter-argument that you could just increase pixel density like you would to get 1024x780 on a netbook screen, Jobs argued that this had its own risks. "While one could increase the resolution of the display to make up for some of the difference," he allowed, "it is meaningless unless your tablet also includes sandpaper so that the user can sand down their fingers to around one quarter of their present size... there are clear limits on how close you can physically place elements on a touchscreen before users cannot reliably tap, flick, or pinch them."

While bashing the form factor, Steve Jobs didn't miss the opportunity to take a shot at Google, whose Android 2.2 OS will power virtually all of these erstwhile competitors. "Even Google is telling tablet companies to wait for a new release of Android next year," he said. "What does it mean when software supplier says not to use software for tablets, and what does this mean when you ignore them and use it anyway?"

One should remember that this was marketing talk, delivered to people in the industry, and that Jobs himself used to mock tablets as being good for nothing but surfing the Web while in the bathroom. However, it wouldn't make much sense to cut down a product you'd be releasing in just a few months as "magical," so it's a safe bet that we won't see the mini-iPad for a couple of years... if ever.

Source: MacRumors

[sharpjunkie76]

10" form factor is perfect. Who would want an iPad nano?

[rocky5]

10" form factor is perfect. Who would want an iPad nano?

Em people that don't want to spend £400 on an oversized iPod touch? A 7 inch one should be at least £100/150 cheaper.

Inbetween the current iPod touch 4g and iPad price cater for all.

I personally thing the iPad it to big and heavy something in-between my iphone4 and iPad would be nice.

[Poseidon79]

Thank God this rumor has been squashed.

[sziklassy]

I don;t understand how this would be harder to develop than a much smaller iphone/ipod touch? Not that I wanted one, but the reasoning that was given makes little sense to me...

[Coentje44]

So theres no 7inc iPad cming right? yay!

[mmurphmsu]

So if we had to sand down or fingers for a 7 inch ipad, Do we have to cut the skin/muscle off on our fingers down to the bone and make a point out of it to use the Nano? Does he not realize the nano is smaller than the iPhon/iPod Touch?

[jdm.accord]

Thank God this rumor has been squashed.

Indeed. Now for the Verizon iPhone rumor.........

[Aliquippakid]

Ya WTF. My fingers work fine on my 3gs? Stupid reasoning

[eelpout]

I dunno, 7" seems completely usable to me.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AFL0AmZK3Y]YouTube - Samsung Galaxy Tab Hands On[/ame]

[Tech NiNjA]

$100-$150 difference? Really? It would make no sense whatsoever that by the time you walk out of apple you will have more than likely spent over 1k assuming you bought the 64gb. If you cant afford that then move on down to a 32gb so on and so forth. So all together what im trying to say is that 100-150 isnt going to make a lick of a difference for anyone and if it does then ur better off buying an acer or something along those lines. As for the thought of a 7" ipad....blah. They shouldnt make it only because the amount of money time and effort it would take to manufacture it would be a complete waste. All of that could be spent on perfecting what is already a beautiful platform. Increase options and possibly change up materials to make it lighter. The imagination all on its own could create a ridiculous list of ideas. Not knockin ya down but you get what you pay for and affordable doesnt really get you much....

[mikerlx]

Thank God this rumor has been squashed.

Me too!

[zozodouce]

I dunno, 7" seems completely usable to me.

YouTube - Samsung Galaxy Tab Hands On

have you seen the price for this garbage Galaxy Tab? you need to check the prices before you talk bro.

[Stratofarius]

I don't see why would ANYONE need that...

[eelpout]

have you seen the price for this garbage Galaxy Tab? you need to check the prices before you talk bro.

Yep and it's crazy. But I used this video as a form factor example, not promoting a specific device.

[engelke2010]

I was hoping it would have come out. I was planning on getting an iPad once I get my deposit refunded next spring. A 7 inch would have been perfect for me. Hopefully that won't mean I won't be getting the regular one now.

[iLaw-One]

Hurray to the next iPad not going smaller!! I couldn't bear the thought of it...now I really can't wait for it's release

[TheOrioles33]

An iPad or any tablet for that matter has to be about the size of a standard piece of 8.5X11 paper to be useful. For me at least and for what I use it for.

[EskimoRuler]

Thank God this rumor has been squashed.

+1

I wasn't waiting for it but glad its been settled. I didn't feel that the smaller iPad would be beneficial bedsides price and maybe weight.

[iphone?3gs]

Em people that don't want to spend £400 on an oversized iPod touch? A 7 inch one should be at least £100/150 cheaper.

Inbetween the current iPod touch 4g and iPad price cater for all.

I personally thing the iPad it to big and heavy something in-between my iphone4 and iPad would be nice.

Oh yea because an oversized iPod touch is 10 inches but not 7? But seriously did that not stop yet? Oversized iPod! Whoppe! Because the Android Tablets arent oversized phones?