Tablet MacBook launched... again
And still not by Apple
Tablet computing fans fed up with waiting for Apple to release a pen-powered Mac are at long last able to buy one thanks to US-based Mac upgrade specialist Other World Computing.
OWC's Axiotron Modbook: a tablet Mac at last
Slip OWC $1300 (£795/€1015) and send in your brand new metal MacBook, and the company will convert into a tablet it's calling the Axiotron Modbook.
Or you can buy one straight off for $2199 (£1345/€1717). That's for a 2.1GHz model - the 2.4GHz version costs $2479 (£1516/€1936).
OWC said it will also convert older, plastic-covered MacBooks and, as a bonus, it will equip every Modbook with an integrated GPS pick-up.
Beyond the price, there's a wee catch: while OWC will take your order today, it doesn't expect to ship any Modbooks out until early next year.
Not cheap
Still, that's not a long a wait as Apple would have tablet buffs endure.
Curiously, OWC's been here before. Back in 2007, it offered a similar MacBook-to-tablet conversion. A year before, another supplier offered 100 iTabs - originally called iTablets - on eBay.
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COMMENTS
plastic macbooks only, for the moment
To be clear, a close perusal of the axiotron.com site confirms that they presently offer this only for the original macbooks, but they hope to have a revised shell casting available in "mid-2009" to serve the new ones. El Reg has had a bit of a cock-up on the press release comprehension front.
So far as Apple is concerned, for OS X licensing this _is_ an Apple-labeled product, just resold in a modified case. Axiotron sells through distributors in the US and Canada, with each responsible for warrenty service.
Reading their forums, I see the Axiotron CEO was an Apple engineer on the Newton and some other products, and the company is an Apple Premier Developer, though I'm not sure if that signfies more than dropping a few grand on ADC membership.
@ AC "old macbooks only"
So you missed the bit which said:
"Slip OWC $1300 (£795/€1015) and send in your brand new *metal* MacBook, and the company will convert into a tablet it's calling the Axiotron Modbook."
@ I smell Psystar
Why? Psystar are selling non-macs with OS X pre-installed, these guys are selling (mostly) mac hardware.
And, if Proton Wrangler is to believed, they are doing this with the knowledge of Apple.
old macbooks only
While extremely expensive they actually work very well, and they include their own warranty.
but its only available on the old style plastic macbooks not any of the aluminum ones.
Buy a proper tablet PC
...or you could buy a proper tablet PC (HP 2730p, Gigabyte M912, etc) and stick OSX on it. It works on these and other tablet PCs...
