New Apple Tablet: Opinions on DJ usage?

[mmauve]

So word around the grapevine is that the new Apple tablet ("iSlate", but more than likely to be called something else) is set to be revealed on the 27th of this month. Myself owning a 15" Unibody MBP, I didn't give too much of a crap about a tablet, never have owned one since I couldn't think of any major use.

But today it just dawned on me: do you think (given the amount of DJs who use Apple laptops to do their performances) that it's viable that some may lean towards this new product for touch capabilities with programs such as Ableton or Traktor?. It would certainly be a better choice in some aspects than a mouse pad or external mouse, and would give the DJ less of a "checking email" by flipping the tablet and simply touching the screen for whatever commands they want to execute. Hell who knows, maybe someone can make a JazzMutant Lemur style program to interface with the tablet capabilities.

One thing which comes to mind is the CDJ-2000 "search strip" which allows rapid seeking through a track via a touch sensitive strip. A potentially similar usage on the Apple tablet with Traktors waveforms?

Opinions?

(constructive if possible please, nobody cares to read more mac vs. pc crap).

[lethal_pizzle]

Well I'm guessing it'll be multi-touch, so you are right. essentially it will have the capabilities of being a cheap Jazzmutant Lemur.

Not sure if it'll run OSX, so maybe it won't run Traktor or Ableton? There are a few apps for the iPhone that let it act like a MIDI controller, so I'm sure that it will at least have these capabilities.

[mmauve]

Well I'm guessing it'll be multi-touch, so you are right. essentially it will have the capabilities of being a cheap Jazzmutant Lemur.

Not sure if it'll run OSX, so maybe it won't run Traktor or Ableton? There are a few apps for the iPhone that let it act like a MIDI controller, so I'm sure that it will at least have these capabilities.

I'm not sure about cheap given that it's Apple we're talking about, but I'm fairly certain that its adhering to the typical tablet definition of a laptop with a flip screen that has multi touch. I can't imagine why Apple would fabricate essentially a big iPhone considering they are releasing another revision of it soon.

I guess the bigger question would perhaps be how big the screen is?

[lethal_pizzle]

I'm guessing it'll be a 10 inch tablet with a software keyboard running a souped up version of the iPhone GUI (with an iPhone 4.0 also released with a hi-res screen).

And it'll be cheaper than a Lemur. The Lemur is £1500.

[J-Reign]

A tablet is the way to go with a tabletop controller. More crowd, less "Looking at email".

[famoussas32]

Did you read my post in the Lemur thread before you posted this? I asked the same question

I'm getting one regardless so will see how it is for DJ'ing - I would say very promising in principle.

[lethal_pizzle]

A tablet is the way to go with a tabletop controller. More crowd, less "Looking at email".

Nice setup

[mmauve]

Assuming it's got a 10" screen, that's really treading the line between inconveniently small on real estate, and very portable to carry around. Really hoping it's a 13" or so.

I suppose if BT can get away with using his iPhone to perform with, even if the iSlate is running an iPhone derivative interface, someone might develop some ground breaking application which can take advantage of what it has to offer.

[mmauve]

Did you read my post in the Lemur thread before you posted this? I asked the same question

I'm getting one regardless so will see how it is for DJ'ing - I would say very promising in principle.

Nah I haven't read it since I posted in it, I think we are just on the same brain wave at the moment lol.

+1 on that setup too, I love clean looking stuff like that.

[de_stilj]

will wait to see the beast