Multitouch Trackpad?

[JackRipper]

--See post #11 for a more detailed description of my idea.
Was thinking the other day how cool it would be if Apple used the multitouch interface in its new laptops and in a standalone trackpad (Mighty pad??).

As much as I hate trackpads, I would buy a multitouch pad in a heartbeat.

Am I alone? Did a search and was surprised to not find anything.

[psychofreak]

They use trackpads that can two-finger scroll, and secondary click....waht more do you want?

[JackRipper]

They use trackpads that can two-finger scroll, and secondary click....waht more do you want?

Well then, I guess I want an Apple trackpad. Just seems to me that they could do something cool with a multitouch "mouse"

[smueboy]

:confused:

We have the 4 button mighty mouse (left, right, ball and sides) and the multi-function trackpad on macbooks.
What more functionality does one need?

[bbydon]

How about a track (scroll) pad instead of the scroll ball.
Mine keeps getting stuck no matter how much i clean it.

[phungy]

How about a function that will crash any Windows OS within a radius of 50 meters? :D :apple:

[smueboy]

How about a track (scroll) pad instead of the scroll ball.
Mine keeps getting stuck no matter how much i clean it.

How do you clean it?

Mine gets stuck occasionally, and i push it down fairly hard and move it around in all directions for a while and it always clears the jam.

[bbydon]

i use a lightly wet cloth or paper towel. sometime one of those pre wet wipes.

turn it up side down, then take the wet cloth and wipe it over the scroll thing.

over and over. i do it for about two minutes an it works again.
dont be afraid to use force while scrolling back and forth.

[jmsait19]

are you just thinking that you would like the zoom feature on the trackpads? that might be cool...

but yea if apple sold a standalone track pad, that would be cool. i have always felt their trackpads were better than anyone elses. the response is just terrific.

[smueboy]

How about a function that will crash any Windows OS within a radius of 50 meters? :D :apple:

oooh yeah - i'd pay for that!

:D

[JackRipper]

are you just thinking that you would like the zoom feature on the trackpads? that might be cool...

but yea if apple sold a standalone track pad, that would be cool. i have always felt their trackpads were better than anyone elses. the response is just terrific.

Thanks for trying to get the thread back on topic, but it seems my idea sucks.
Seriously though, I was thinking about what the multi-touch interface is capable of - the things we haven't seen yet, that may not have even been thought of yet.

Design requirement, 16:9 ratio pad, at least 6 inches wide
What if:
You could set OS X do see each finger as a separate cursor?
-You could move multiple windows at the same time
-Work 5 sliders, knobs, etc. in a sound mixer program at the same time
-digital finger painting

Other possible features
-the option of setting "hot regions" for, say, scrolling windows by running your finger up or down the right side of the pad (not sure if mac books do this already), or running your finger across the bottom of the pad to scan through the dock, or controlling volume, controlling exposé, etc...
-play keyboard notes or strum a guitar - maybe using more than one pad at a time?

This is just off the top of my head, and what I was excited about. I can only hope Apple's already thought of this and is working on it.

Then again, maybe the other poster's are right and I should just let this thread turn into "Mighty Mouse cleaning tips".....

[t0mat0]

SNIP
Seriously though, I was thinking about what the multi-touch interface is capable of - the things we haven't seen yet, that may not have even been thought of yet.

You could set OS X do see each finger as a separate cursor?
-You could move multiple windows at the same time
-Work 5 sliders, knobs, etc. in a sound mixer program at the same time
-digital finger painting

http://www.macworld.com/article/1313...edictions.html
Andy Ihnatko, former Macworld columnist ia thinking along the same lines -
A sophisticated, gesture-based user interface. It might explain why for all the time taken to develop the iPhone, and get it into production, but it's taken from October '07 up until Jan '08 to get out the developer API etc. What if that is because looking at the API would instantly show other secrets in store (and some to be demoed at MWSF 08)?

I think the trackpad and the tablet/thin MB(p) are interelated. There's so much scope to get past the current systems of a mouse and keyboard.

[JackRipper]

http://www.macworld.com/article/1313...edictions.html
Andy Ihnatko, former Macworld columnist ia thinking along the same lines -
A sophisticated, gesture-based user interface. It might explain why for all the time taken to develop the iPhone, and get it into production, but it's taken from October '07 up until Jan '08 to get out the developer API etc. What if that is because looking at the API would instantly show other secrets in store (and some to be demoed at MWSF 08)?

I think the trackpad and the tablet/thin MB(p) are interelated. There's so much scope to get past the current systems of a mouse and keyboard.

Looks like the URL got mangled, so I can't see the article. The more I think about multi-touch the more excited I get. There's just so much you could do with it.

[t0mat0]

Looks like the URL got mangled, so I can't see the article. The more I think about multi-touch the more excited I get. There's just so much you could do with it.

macworld.com/article/131399/2008/01/predictions.html
After CES i'm thinking multi touch, multi voice, and multi body movement!
Think Dance dance or wii games but marking/ monitoring your whole body ( google zcam or check out
http://www.3dvsystems.com/gaming/gaming.html
i have the link to a video demo somewhere...
Is damn exciting when tech is fun :)

[JackRipper]

macworld.com/article/131399/2008/01/predictions.html
After CES i'm thinking multi touch, multi voice, and multi body movement!
Think Dance dance or wii games but marking/ monitoring your whole body ( google zcam or check out
http://www.3dvsystems.com/gaming/gaming.html
i have the link to a video demo somewhere...
Is damn exciting when tech is fun :)

Whoa! That's awesome! Can't wait to get my hands on that stuff. Exciting times.

[t0mat0]

It's what gets me so annoyed when people harp on about multi-touch not being wanted. There's so much potential out there, and there are already hacks/start ups with tec that has been billed in movies as cool in the last century, but now available!

[JackRipper]

It's what gets me so annoyed when people harp on about multi-touch not being wanted. There's so much potential out there, and there are already hacks/start ups with tec that has been billed in movies as cool in the last century, but now available!

Yeah, me too. I don't understand feeling that way about new technology, but I've seen it before.
When DVDs started to get popular one of my friends bought, and quickly returned, a DVD player and some DVDs. His reason? "I already have a VCR". I bet people said the same thing about microwave ovens when they first came out. I already have an oven, what do I need a microwave oven for?

I just hope Apple ignores those kinds of people and give us Multi-Touch for OS X. I bet once the nay-sayers see it in action and play with it themselves, they'll finally see the light.

[JackRipper]

Glad this is finally a reality! Can't wait for developers to start taking advantage.

[DustyLBottoms]

Good call :)

[2contagious]

wow.. magic mouse and magic trackpad both predicted 3 years ago... apple, are you reading this? :P