Here's my Apple 2 cents worth. ;-) Yeah, it's a fantasy or dream but a good one! :-D I'm basing this totally on rumors, along with a combination of both Apple's R&D along with released products, unknown unreleased hardware, plus the great engineering minds they have to miniaturize virtually any and all things possible. Need I mention Newton, the entire iPod line, iPhones, Mac Mini and the MacBook Air.
I think they should eventually have 3 models:
1) iTablet/iBook - More or less a Super iPod Touch w/media, ebook & game player abilities but with the raw power to do more computing & much more powerful than a top-of-the-line netbook. Runs the iPhone/Touch/Tablet (iTT) 4.x which is a actually a lite version of Snow Leopard. Outfitted with the new PA Semi/Apple designed 2GHz Dual Core ARM Cortex A9 CPU, 512MB-1GB of Ram w/a 7-10" screen and 64-128GB of storage. It would have WiFi & Bluetooth of course but only a Dock Connector with maybe an SD Card Slot. Front facing standard iSight camera and a 5MP rear with an LED ring around the lens to conserve space. Starting price $499.00
2) MacTablet/MacBook Tablet - Basically a "Super iTablet" or "MacBook Air Tablet" with the same iSight & rear camera, but a lesser version of my 3rd suggestion below. 10"+ screen which does what the iTablet can do and runs both the iTT 4.x & a full version of Snow Leopard. Hardware specs are beefier with MacBook Air equipment, Core 2 Duo/Core i3, 2GB Ram, NVIDA 9400M and a coprocessor along for the ride which would be an ARM, at least the iPhone 3GS version or better, to run the iTT 4.x and to add more horsepower if needed. WiFi, Bluetooth, Dock connector, SD Card Slot and 1- USB port, storage 128-256GB. Starting price $699.00
3) MacTablet Pro/MacBook Tablet Pro - Another all of the above included well, almost. ;-) It would include a faster Core 2 Duo/Core i3 CPU, 4GB Ram, the new Cortex A9 coprocessor that's in the iTablet, and a newer NVIDA 9xxxM series GPU w/512-1GB of video Ram, 10-13.3" screen, add a 2nd USB, SD Card Slot and a FireWire 800 unless LightPeak is available! :-D Storage 256-512GB. Starting price $899.00
Optional accessories: Dock that's either angled or user adjustable to provide a comfortable position to allow the use of a keyboard that can be USB or BlueTooth. An HDMI adaptor for the Dock connector.
I think the new tablet will at least be a super iPod Touch with many more features but I think the MacBook Air was one of many stepping stones towards the development of the upcoming iTablet. If the medical community is interested I can agree with the reasoning that they do but in any for all versions they can be used as a stand alone computer not unlike a Star Trek Tricorder, PADD and even a wall hangable medical monitor not unlike classic Trek or STNG. They could also replace old school clipboard charts if they still exist along with various other medical support devices if you can with an app for that dock connector device, why not?
http://memory-alpha.org/en/wiki/PADD
As cool as they are today we can easily make something much better and have with current technology.
Crude by todays displays but hey this was in the 60's!
