Steve Jobs kills the rumour of a 7" iPad

Basq

Assuming Steve Jobs wasn’t trying to throw reporters and competitors off the scent, then Apple has just killed off all rumours of a 7″ iPad being developed by Apple.

During Apple’s quarterly financial results conference call tonight, Jobs launched into an unprompted rant about Google and its fragmented operating system, before moving on to make a string of statements about the iPad and its competitors:

• the new 7″ tablets that are being released have 45% less screen size than the iPad’s screen

• According to Jobs, Google has warned manufacturers of Android-based tablets not to use the 2.2 Froyo OS on their products, instead insisting they wait for Google to release a dedicated tablet OS



• Jobs dismissed 7″ tablets as ‘tweens’ - too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad

• Apple has tested functionality on on a variety of different sized tablet screens, and Jobs stated in no uncertain terms that ‘a 10″ screen is the minimum size a tablet can be’ to ensure software remains effective

If there was any doubt, Jobs made it explicitly clear during the following Q&A with journalists:

“The reason we’re not making a 7″ inch tablet, is because we think it’s too small to express the software.”

And so it seems certain that Apple will not develop a 7″ iPad. Will that let the likes of Samsung own the tablet market?

Sourc: Bitterwallet

KeithM89_old

Listening to the audio now here.

He makes alot of good points and im glad there isnt a 7 inch iPad

Basq

I think a smaller iPad is ridiculous to be honest..

.. 10" is the perfect size!

Having used a 7" Archos tablet, it's horrible (both for software and size).

KeithM89_old

I loved his line about including sandpaper to sand their fingers down to make them useable

Oafley Jones

Jobs has a history of slating/dismissing ideas/products only to introduce them at a keynote.

Linoge

Oafley Jones wrote: »

Jobs has a history of slating/dismissing ideas/products only to introduce them at a keynote.

Anyones you are referring to in particular? Its one thing to lie a bit to throw the competition off the scent, but its another thing to slate the idea entirely.

Easy to say now of course, but i always thought the 7" iPad was a baseless rumour and didnt make sense. I think Dells 5" tablet will be an absolute flop.

http://en.community.dell.com/dell-blogs/direct2dell/b/direct2dell/archive/2010/05/25/dell-streak-the-versatile-5-inch-android-tablet.aspx

Jobs remark "too big to compete with a smartphone, and too small to compete with an iPad" was just echoing what all the critics were saying.