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Apple's Rumored iWatch as an 'Even More Personal Personal Computer'

Monday February 18, 2013 6:58 am PST by Ben Lovejoy
Former Apple executive Jean-Louis Gassée shares his perspective on Apple's rumored "iWatch", noting that the company likely has very ambitious plans for the device given its focus on continually pushing forward the concept of a "personal computer".
[W]hat really floats their [boats], what hardens Apple’s resolve is designing, making, and selling large numbers of personal computers, from the traditional desktop/laptop Mac, to the genre-validating iPad, and on to the iPhone — the Very Personal Computer. Everything else is an ingredient, a booster, a means to the noblest end.
After walking through how Apple's iTunes Store, retail effort, software, and Apple TV all serve as ancillary offerings to support this positioning of the company's primary products as increasingly personal computers, Gassée argues that the iWatch is the next step in this progression and thus Apple will do much more than simply slap a previous-generation iPod nano into a wristband.
Is Apple working on an iWatch that can be experienced as an Even More Personal personal computer — an “intimate computer”? If so, many questions arise: user interface, sensors, iOS version, new types of apps, connection with other iDevices… And, of course price.

This would be much more interesting than the perennially in-the-future Apple TV set. Of course, iWatch and Apple TV aren’t necessarily mutually exclusive.
Gassée's piece comes just as British newspaper The Observer has produced its own mockup of what an iWatch might look like given claims of Apple using Corning's bendable Willow Glass for the device.

iWatch graphic
There is no reason to believe that The Observer has any more insight into the strongly rumored Apple research project than anyone else, but the graphics which accompany the article reproduced on the sister-paper Guardian website do give an interesting feel for the difference a curved glass display could make to a smart watch and the article offers an overview of how Apple might fit into the smart watch market still in its infancy.

Related Roundups: Apple Watch, watchOS 5, watchOS 6
Buyer's Guide: Apple Watch (Caution)
[ 418 comments ]


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oneMadRssn
85 months ago
Those renderings are probably as accurate as this one was of predicting the iPhone:
Rating: 134 Votes
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jreed91
85 months ago
That's probably the worst mockup I've yet to see
Rating: 61 Votes
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jonnysods
85 months ago
Ugh....
Rating: 50 Votes
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basesloaded190
85 months ago
Why on earth is there a headphone jack for a watch?
Rating: 44 Votes
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HVDynamo
85 months ago
I'll be honest. At the moment I have zero interest in something like this. They are going to have to really wow me to get me interested.
Rating: 43 Votes
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Aluminum213
85 months ago
if only I had something on me at all times that could tell me the time, offer maps, email, texts, browsing....


Rating: 40 Votes
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irnchriz
85 months ago

The beginning of the end? Seriously think somethings wrong at Apple HQ.


What are you gibbering on about? Apple have announced nothing, shown nothing. These are crap mockups from the Observer. They have crap all to do with Apple.
Rating: 37 Votes
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Blakjack
85 months ago

More watch stuff?? Ridiculous, to cramped of a space for anything in there.


This is the same ole story with a new topic when Rumors start running of a new apple device:

1. People say how much they hate the idea and will have no use for it
2. Apple confirms the device with an event
3. Some people finally understands the idea, others still hate it and deem it DOA
4. The device goes on sale to the tune of a few million
5. Those who bought it love it, those who didn't, trash it and says sales will begin to decline soon enough.
6. Apples quarter call, reports best quarter ever and the rest of the world, quarter by quarter begins to buy the device and Apple is deemed the most innovative company in history once again.
Rating: 37 Votes
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daveheinzel
85 months ago
I was thinking maybe it could look like this...

Rating: 33 Votes
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mono1980
85 months ago

Who wants to get mugged?


Because people don't wear valuable watches on their wrists now??
Rating: 28 Votes

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