Macworld reports on Apple co-founder Steve Wozniak's keynote session at Storage Networking World in California. Wozniak was questioned about how tablets would change the computer industry.

The tablet is not necessarily for the people in this room, Wozniak told the audience of enterprise storage engineers. Its for the normal people in the world, Wozniak said.

I think Steve Jobs had that intention from the day we started Apple, but it was just hard to get there, because we had to go through a lot of steps where you connected to things, and (eventually) computers grew up to where they could do ... normal consumer appliance things, Wozniak said.

Top Rated Comments

ezekielrage_99 Avatar
189 months ago
I'm not buying a tablet until there is one that runs mac OS X (the modbook is too expensive) :D


I'm still a firm believer tablet computers need to come with the following to be considered "standard":
1) Soliataire
2) Minesweaper
3) Disk Defrag
4) A CD Burner

Other than that I do think Woz's comments were right on the money.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
fredr500 Avatar
189 months ago
I felt the same way as Woz when the iPad was first announced. A great product for my wife but not for me, I need my macbook.

Then I was assigned to develop iPad apps and got one. My wife still doesn't have one, but I won't leave home without mine. I can remote into my home or work mac when needed, have all my music and video and docs with me always.

Sure, I won't write code on it but for pretty much everything else this is it. Basically it is a window into the world, erasable paper, portable media.

I've also got a blackberry, a windows phone, a Galaxy, a Dell Streak and a Xoom on my desk right now (and a Playbook on the way) and just can't understand how they all missed the mark when Apple has been showing them the way for the past year.

I've become a believer in the iPad.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Laird Knox Avatar
189 months ago
I don't think it needs 5 years, the hardware is already powerful enough to handle image editing and sorting it just needs a well designed app and someway of assessing wireless storage.

Don't think just hardware though - Even though the hardware will continue to evolve, the software has a long way to go as well. They have really been making some great strides lately but still have much to do.

In addition, people's usage habits will continue to evolve. My Mom doesn't do much more than email, web, word processing and photo browsing. Does she really need a big box to do that? I see a tablet sitting in a dock connected to a keyboard/mouse and possibly an external monitor. Works just as well as that big box. Then she can pick it up and use it as a tablet when she doesn't need the keyboard.

All the pieces are falling into place but I have to agree that five years is a pretty good timeline. In ten things are really going to get interesting. ;)
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
NebulaClash Avatar
189 months ago
Once again, this is the start of the tablet era. Don't think of it in terms of the iPad we have in 2011. Think of it in terms of the iPad of 2020. That will blow the doors off anything we know today. It will sync to the cloud, will have voice input, far better keyboard input, connect to every other device you own, and no, I don't know how but I will enjoy watching it unfold.

By 2020 the vast majority of consumers will think of a tablet as their computer and only specialists will get anything like what we call a computer today.

By the way, people own lots of computers today. They just call them the phone, the DVR, the ...
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
firewood Avatar
189 months ago
I definitely have to disagree with him. Typing on a touch screen just makes me angry...

The average normal person should not be touch typing. Before computers, the majority of homes did not have a typewriter. Most businessman did not have a typewriter on their desk either (their secretaries did), and certainly not a keypunch machine. This keyboard everywhere UI has only been common for 3 decades and hopefully will be gone in a lot less than another 3 decades. The popular tablets (PalmPilot, iPad) are good first steps.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)
redscull Avatar
189 months ago
What iPad user can't figure out how to use iTunes to sync the thing? My 65-year old mother figured out how to sync her iPod classic. How is iPad syncing any different or more complicated than what people have been doing for a decade? iPad does not require a tech genius - or 12 year old kid - to keep it working.
It's not about figuring it out. It's about having a computer period. A normal person doesn't own multiple computers. He owns a computer. He might not even have bought it himself, and certainly won't maintain multiple computers (nor will the person who gifted the computer). So once the tablet is the normal person's computer, it's going to be the only one he's using. Telling him he needs a second computer just to use his primary computer is unacceptable.

Example: My mom has a computer. It was a Christmas present from me one year. But now it's old, full of crap, and needs replacing. But instead of upgrading it, I got her an iPad. It meets all her computer needs (except printing). That old clunker is in no shape to run iTunes; it's hard drive isn't even as large as the iPad's! I certainly won't be upgrading her desktop just to let her sync her iPad, nor will she when she's happy using just the iPad. She gets updates on the occasions that I visit with my MBP.

The system works well enough; her iPad is her sole computer. But it requires that I, the tech relative, keep it updated.
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 26 Battery Glass Feature

iPhone 16 Pro Max 80% Charge Limit: One Year Later, Was It Worth It?

Wednesday September 24, 2025 3:58 pm PDT by
With the iPhone 15 series, I did an experiment and kept my iPhone's Charge Limit set at 80 percent for an entire year. It provided an interesting look at the impact of charge limits on battery longevity, so I decided to repeat it for the iPhone 16 line. Since September 2024, my iPhone 16 Pro Max has been limited to an 80 percent charge, with no cheating. As of today, my battery's maximum...
Home Hub Command Center with Dome Base Feature

Apple Working on All-New Operating System

Thursday September 25, 2025 1:11 pm PDT by
Apple is developing an all-new operating system codenamed "Charismatic," according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Apple smart home hub concept based on rumors This is likely Apple's long-rumored "homeOS" operating system. In a report last month, Gurman said both Apple's rumored smart home hub in 2026 and tabletop robot in 2027 will run the new operating system. He said the software platform ...
AirPods Pro 3 Newsroom

Apple's 'Back to School' Offer Ends Soon, Now Applies to AirPods Pro 3

Wednesday September 24, 2025 7:20 am PDT by
Apple's annual "Back to School" promotion for students ends soon, so act fast if you want to score free AirPods with the purchase of an eligible new Mac or iPad. Until Tuesday, September 30, college students and qualifying educational staff in the U.S. can receive free AirPods 4 with Active Noise Cancellation when they purchase an eligible new Mac or iPad from Apple. This is a $179 value. ...
iPhone 17 Pro Colors

Skipped the iPhone 17 Pro? Here's What is Rumored for iPhone 18 Pro

Tuesday September 23, 2025 8:55 am PDT by
While the iPhone 18 Pro and iPhone 18 Pro Max are still a year away, there are already a few rumors about the devices that offer an early look ahead. Below, we have recapped some of the early iPhone 18 Pro rumors so far. This story was published previously, and it has been updated to reflect the latest rumors. Many early rumors prove to be true, but nothing is confirmed yet, and Apple's...
apple tv 4k new orange

Next Apple TV Expected to Launch This Year With These New Features

Monday September 22, 2025 10:00 am PDT by
The next Apple TV is expected to be released later this year, and a handful of new features and changes have been rumored for the device. Below, we recap what to expect from the next Apple TV, according to rumors. Likely Features N1 Chip With Wi-Fi 7 Last year, Bloomberg's Mark Gurman said the next Apple TV would be equipped with Apple's own combined Wi-Fi and Bluetooth chip, which is...
iOS 26

Everything New in iOS 26.1 Beta 1

Monday September 22, 2025 12:44 pm PDT by
Apple released the first beta of iOS 26.1 today, just a week after launching iOS 26. iOS 26.1 mainly adds new languages to Apple Intelligence, but there are a few other features that are worth knowing about. New Apple Intelligence Languages Apple Intelligence is now available in Danish, Dutch, Norwegian, Portuguese (Portugal), Swedish, Turkish, Chinese (Traditional), and Vietnamese. AirPo...
Apple More Personal Siri Ad

Apple Responds to U.S. Class Action Lawsuit Over Delayed Siri Features

Friday September 26, 2025 6:57 am PDT by
In March, Apple delayed the launch of its personalized Siri features, and soon after the company was hit with multiple class action lawsuits over the situation. The plaintiffs said they never would have purchased an iPhone 16, or would have paid less, had they known Apple's marketing about the Siri features was false. In the U.S., all of the complaints were consolidated into one class...
50 New Features and Changes Worth Checking Out in macOS Tahoe

50 New macOS Tahoe Features and Changes Worth Checking Out

Wednesday September 24, 2025 8:43 am PDT by
Apple this month released macOS Tahoe, the latest version of the company's Mac operating system. ‌macOS Tahoe 26 adopts Apple's new Liquid Glass design along with new customizations, a new Phone app, and updated capabilities across the platform. In this article, we've selected 50 new features and lesser-known changes that are worth checking out if you're upgrading. What do you think of...