Apple Accelerometer Patents and a Tablet Mac?

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com)

Macsimumnews reports (http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/buzz_apples_new_accelerometer_patent_reveals_a_stunning_tablet_pc/) on a new patent that appears to be one of Apple's which depicts possible uses for an accelerometer in a Tablet form factor.

The patent application includes diagrams of what appears to be a tablet form-factor screen with use of an accelerometer. Possible uses include:

- detecting movement of a portable device as a way to trigger whether a page of document or image may be displayed
- gaming application to detect a scene change
- in navigation application to navigate a large object or document that can not be displayed entirely at once
- determine whether a device is moving
- movement as password authentication
- and more...

Apple presently uses accelerometers in their PowerBook/MacBook line of computers described as "Sudden Motion Sensor" technology to park the heads of the hard drive if the laptop falls. These new patent descriptions may simply be in relation to research done in developing this technology, however the possibility of a Tablet Mac always draws interest of the Mac community. Apple has long been rumored to be working on a Tablet PC, since the demise of the Apple Newton PDA (http://guides.macrumors.com/Newton). Rumors peaked in 2003 (http://www.macrumors.com/pages/2003/02/20030221004455.shtml) with several credible sources pointing to the evidence of a Tablet Mac at that time.

[supergod]

The tablet rumour never does seem to go away does it?

[iGary]

Not. Happening. Ever.

[snkTab]

It's the new iPod Steve mentioned in the keynote.

[stoid]

Apple's going to make an Etch-a-Sketch! You draw on it, then shake it to clear the screen!

[SpaceMagic]

What a random patent! Password protection judged by motion! Not that secure...

[p0intblank]

Apple's going to make an Etch-a-Sketch! You draw on it, then shake it to clear the screen!

There's actually a Widget that lets you do that. It's pretty neat. :p

As for this so called "rumor," I am calling bogus. Steve knows there isn't any real market for tablet PCs yet, so why bother now? Maybe in a few years.

[capone2]

Not. Happening. Ever.


it will happen, either in tablet or PDA device. oh yes bet your bottom dollar.

[darh]

there actually already is an game wich uses the sudden motion sensor in the pbooks en ibooks:: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26075 . It lets you move a ball with moving you 'book!

[ennerseed]

the concept of using an accelerometer type sensor to view large documents on a small screen is fabulous.
using this for images, webpages, etc is really the only way to go without wearing an (EXTREMELY) geeky headset device.

And sorry folks I really think a part of Apples Intel decision is in the fact that they will be able to produce a small handheld full OSX Mac.

[gb506]

As for this so called "rumor," I am calling bogus. Steve knows there isn't any real market for tablet PCs yet, so why bother now? Maybe in a few years.

Remember, there wasn't a big market for portable mp3 players until recently, either... It's all about implementation...

[nagromme]

I want OS X in as small a form factor as Apple will give me, even if most apps are best when an external display is added.

This sounds like just another "just in case" patent though. Many Apple patents never turn into products, and some that do become products stay in the labs and are never sold.

But you can already download games that use the PowerBook/MacBook's motion sensors :)

[GrannySmith_G5]

Not. Happening. Ever.

I would be willing to bet you any amount of money that you are dead wrong.

[mwpeters8182]

If they announced an OS X tablet, I'd probably order it within a week. A bunch of people use tablets in my lab, it's great for taking notes electronically when you can't just do it with text - figures, etc.

[Bad Beaver]

If they announced an OS X tablet, I'd probably order it within a week. A bunch of people use tablets in my lab, it's great for taking notes electronically when you can't just do it with text - figures, etc.

ACK. Apple would take in even more of the education market too.

[MrCrowbar]

[QUOTE=p0intblank]There's actually a Widget that lets you do that. It's pretty neat. :p

Can you post a link to that widget? I'm actually interested in all widgets using the sudden motion sensor. :) Wish there would be a link on apple to those things.

[p0intblank]

Remember, there wasn't a big market for portable mp3 players until recently, either... It's all about implementation...

This is true, but it's Tablet PCs we are talking about. How many people do you see using a PDA? I see very few rarely. Tons of people could utilize an MP3 player because it's a music player. It's simple. How many people need a Tablet PC? A small percentage, that's for sure. I would be interested in using one, but I don't know if I would ever really need one.

But I agree with you about implemenatation. I just don't see it happening with this particular market.

Edit: MrCrowbar, I'm sorry for my bad wording in my post. It doesn't use Sudden Motion Sensor technology. It's simply an Etch-A-Sketch Widget that you use and shake with your mouse movements.

You can find it here: http://www.apple.com/downloads/dashboard/games/sketcher.html

[darh]

[QUOTE=p0intblank]There's actually a Widget that lets you do that. It's pretty neat. :p

Can you post a link to that widget? I'm actually interested in all widgets using the sudden motion sensor. :) Wish there would be a link on apple to those things.


a widget: http://pallit.lhi.is/palli/dashlevel/
and a game: http://www.versiontracker.com/dyn/moreinfo/macosx/26075

enjoy:p

[dual64bit]

Perhaps this whole movement detection is just a ploy to take on Dance Dance Revolution!!

Picture it now, no footpads, just hold this apple product and dance!

[p0intblank]

Ah, so it appears darh has found some solutions. :)

[24C]

I'd like a small form factor Mac,a bit like nagromme's, but to fit inside my jacket, allowed me to have a simple input screen so I could go online via Wifi (Starbucks), upload some pics/ simple notes to dotmac/whatever instead of lugging a PB around. If I could fit my music on it, some videos even better, so kinda like a bigger iPod on steriods with a tablet/touch screen.
I'll wait, maybe I'll get lucky :)

[Rocketman]

Dear Apple Computer,

I want a tablet device. It should have EDGE or equivelant, and an associated ETHERNET output jack so I can hook my Powerbook to it as well.

It should have a touch screen and be a fully capable computer WRT browser, email, office document viewing and correction, etc.

It should have optional Blackberry features somehow and optional serius satellite radio or equivelant because one cannot miss Stern on a Jobs device.

Price is no object and features are.

Rocketman

[gorkonapple]

IBM/Lenovo had ths acellerometer and hard drive protection for a full year before Apple had it. How the USPTO can have a patent on this is nuts. Apple did not invent it.

[TheMasin9]

Not. Happening. Ever.
thank you iGary. apple is not one to fall into the stupidity of regular pc manufacturers (granted they are now using intel, but that was for legit reasons)

[dongmin]

The tablet rumour never does seem to go away does it?No offense to the macrumors modders, but the only reason you see this rumor pop up every few months is that Macrumors is obsessed with the idea. This rumor has been on-going for the last four years when the iWalk hoax surfaced. Now with the Intel transition and, of course, all the side rumors that come with it, there is bound to be renewed speculation about a tablet.

Don't get me wrong: I'm all for a sub-notebook with innovative design. But I've been waiting for four years for something solid to surface. All we've gotten are teasers and more teasers. Just about every other big rumor has been realized: the G5, Mac on Intel, Apple content distribution, etc. But the famed MacTablet (or MacPad, MacBooklet, MacNote) has yet to materialize.

[Doctor Q]

Patents are written to cover (and claim) as much territory as possible, while trying to stay specific enough so the author can claim it is new and unique. The end result is often hard to interpret if you're trying to guess what product(s) they have in mind.

Perhaps they don't even have a specific product in mind, but are simply putting a lock on technology they are playing with in their R&D labs.

I found these two descriptions in the patent interesting:

To detect and record a sequence of movements of a portable device, where the recorded movement data may be used to recreate the moving history subsequently (e.g., off line).Their example: recording the movements on a roller coaster. Since a device with this technology would detect acceleration but not movement at a steady velocity, I assume it can't (in theory) use a replay of its movement history, from a known starting location, to determine where it is now. But crude versions of the idea could be more sophisticated than simply detecting and responding to dropped notebook computers.

To detect and determine activities of a user with a portable device having the accelerometer attached therein.It can monitor your exercise activity and let you know when you've done enough push-ups. Or beep when you vary from your perfect steady-pace velocity as you lead the Boston Marathon.

Imagine an iPod with an acceleration sensor. It could turn up the volume on your in-car iPod when it feels you accelerate to freeway speed. Or you could start dancing (with your silhouette against a colored wall of course) and let the iPod detect your movements and play matching music!

[Big Fat Lies!]

Isn't it possible that Apple indeed is not interested in producing a TabletPC but more interested in an entertainment device?

[Big Fat Lies!]

Patents are written to cover (and claim) as much territory as possible, while trying to stay specific enough so the author can claim it is new and unique. The end result is often hard to interpret if you're trying to guess what product(s) they have in mind.

Perhaps they don't even have a specific product in mind, but are simply putting a lock on technology they are playing with in their R&D labs.

I found these two descriptions in the patent interesting:

Their example: recording the movements on a roller coaster. Since a device with this technology would detect acceleration but not movement at a steady velocity, I assume it can't (in theory) use a replay of its movement history, from a known starting location, to determine where it is now. But crude versions of the idea could be more sophisticated than simply detecting and responding to dropped notebook computers.

It can monitor your exercise activity and let you know when you've done enough push-ups. Or beep when you vary from your perfect steady-pace velocity as you lead the Boston Marathon.

Imagine an iPod with an acceleration sensor. It could turn up the volume on your in-car iPod when it feels you accelerate to freeway speed. Or you could start dancing (with your silhouette against a colored wall of course) and let the iPod detect your movements and play matching music!

Now what about taking the iPod screen and having it cover the entire front of the iPod and use this technology to navigate?

[Stridder44]

A Tablet PC/Media Device Mix? Take the best of both worlds and make it into one device!

[tdungan]

IBM/Lenovo had ths acellerometer and hard drive protection for a full year before Apple had it. How the USPTO can have a patent on this is nuts. Apple did not invent it.

I was thinking the same thing! Especially when Steve claimed they invented the sudden motion sensor during the last keynote.

In this case, there is also prior art. They called it "Rock 'n Scroll" and it was part of a Linux powered handheld from Compaq called Itsy. Not a consumer product mind you, more of a lab project. But as a proof of concept they used it to play a port of Doom.

There's nothing revolutionary here though. As computing devices get ever smaller and smaller, keyboards, trackpads, and touchscreens aren't practical anymore. Short of a direct neural connection or fast and accurate speech recognition, the next logical method would be gesture recognition.

This patent won't hold up just as I have faith that they'll eventually invalidate the hierarchical menu control of a digital audio device. (you read me Creative):rolleyes:

[shamino]

Why do these applications have to be in a tablet? I understand the presense of tablet drawings implies a lot, but this tech is applicable in any computer that might be in motion. Meaning PDAs, iPods, laptops, etc.

For example, suppose you have a GPS device attached. These tend to draw a lot of power, since they are radio receivers. When you're in motion, you want to keep on fetching coordinates. When you're standing still, however, you may want to shut down the receiver, to cut power consumption.

The gaming application also looks interesting. Not really appropriate for a laptop, but good for lots of other kinds of devices.

But there is the question of prior art. For example, there's a tilt sensor for old Palm devices (http://www.harbaum.org/till/palm/adxl202/) which looks like the same thing. I read the first version of this page (before the dongle version was invented) back in the mid 90's.

[SiliconAddict]

movement as password authentication


OK. Drop behind the back, catch it between the legs, spin around like a balarina, and jump up and down twice. That's my password. Just don't tell anyone. http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/worried.gif

I can only imagine custer support calls.

“OK sir I just reset your passmotion. Please moonwalk for 3 seconds and pump your fist with your laptop in your hand. You will then be prompted to change your passmotion.” :D

Not. Happening. Ever.


Hmm did you happen to be one of the people who said the same about Apple using x86? :eek: :cool:

[rosalindavenue]

This would be great for playing Warioware Twisted! on your iTablet-- other than that, doesn't seem so great to me.;)

[shamino]

OK. Drop behind the back, catch it between the legs, spin around like a balarina, and jump up and down twice. That's my password. Just don't tell anyone. http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/worried.gif
Ah. I see this computer is owned by the Harlem Globetrotters. :D

[Doctor Q]

OK. Drop behind the back, catch it between the legs, spin around like a balarina, and jump up and down twice. That's my password. Just don't tell anyone. That's my password too. What a coincidence!

Actually, you could do this without making such a spectacle of yourself. Simply handwrite your password by moving the tablet against a pen. And don't do it wrong, because then you won't be able to log in.

[pknz]

30yrs edition PDA?

[steve_hill4]

thank you iGary. apple is not one to fall into the stupidity of regular pc manufacturers (granted they are now using intel, but that was for legit reasons)
Yes, most if not all of this is nonsense, but I think there is some basis to this rumour recurring, but more likely PDA than Tablet. Think about it, if Palm produce more PDAs that start running on Windows Mobile and that won't work with Mac OS, Apple will need to corner the market for their Mac owners who use PDAs, (i.e people like me).

Also, few use PDAs now, but fewer use tablets. While it is assumed that smartphones will eventually replace PDAs and probably mp3 players, PDAs could play an important role in Apple's strategy, short term. Think of an iNewton or a MacPalm that runs Mobile Tiger and will work on Mac OS and Windows. Over the next few years, Apple could sell a ton of these to consumers, whatever their platform, the very same people that up until a year or two back were happy with a CD player for music and notepad/organiser for appointments and notes. This leaves Apple open to move into true smartphones with iTunes playback, thus tying consumers in for several more years, (though in theory easier to hack to play other music files).

Sure it's all fantasy, but I could see it working.

[MrCrowbar]

I like passmotion... imagine business ppl in the underground making extreme moves to log in. And finally, computer nerds and hackers will have to do some sports. :)

I'd like Apple to show us that "much cooler" thing on April Fools Day. I still hope for the iPhone. I stick to my old Nokia 6610 because newer phoes with camera often have too many features and a completely overloaded interface. Who else than Apple could design a phone you can actually use. I'd like some sort of iPod with front row to switch between music, phone and organizer with a touch screen for easy dialing and typing (and doing Spotlight searches for contacts and music).

[slu]

Meh. Tablet PCs do not have the universal appeal that they need to be a successful product. I have not seen a "regular" person (i.e. not someone that has a tablet for their job like a service tech of some kind) using a tablet PC ever.

PDAs are much more common and if there is any truth to this, I think it would be in the PDA type area or for an entire new product.

But why would Apple release a PDA after failing at it once? I know they often say one thing and then eventually do another, but has there ever been an occasion where Apple discontinued and entire product line, then revived it several years later?

[cr2sh]

For example, a user who carrying an accelerometer, either attached to a portable device or attached to a vehicle, may drive a vehicle to different locations to perform a survey, in order to create a map for those locations. The map may be subsequently created using the movement data collected by the accelerometer during the drive.

An accelerometer, combined with several gyroscopes could be used to accomplish what they're stating... but an accelerometer alone, could not. This is called an IMU, and its used in aviation a lot.

What they're saying really doesn't make any sense. A map could not be created using a an accelerometer alone, only a chart.

The directions would be...

"Accelerate to 55mph for 20 seconds, then accelerate -10mph for a minute, the accelerate 18mph for 10 seconds."

[The Red Wolf]

Hmmm. DigitalPaper. As light as a notepad, as easy to use as pen and paper. But digital. 1080i compatible, Wireless 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.0, 1/4" thick, running a full version of OS-X 10.5. 12 Hour battery life, but the writing surface is also solar charging the battery... Vaopor-ware? Maybe. But this is a patent. Not some giant iPod. iPod=Music. Not media playing colour, not video-video pda from.... just leave my scroll wheel and monochrome display alone. GEN 2 forever! Sorry... I hate the new iPods. No firewire booting, no firewire port, plays music videos? What? iPod? Um... No.

Sorry, not to digress... But a Tablet Mac running Dual Core Yonnah or a Freescale Dual core would be lovely. Wireless, inkwell... smaller than an iBook (MacBook). More battery life. Like a MacBook... Mini? Perhaps? MacBook Nano? Hmmm... How about Revenge of the Newtons Episode III. Badly rendered with no storyline to speak of and some rasta-celtic dinasour... Digressing again..

Nevermind.

[aswitcher]

I have some hope Apple will do a microtablet for your multmedia centre remote...or as some suggested, out this tech in an ipod which has wifi which is in turn your iTunes etc remote...

[blackfox]

I have some hope Apple will do a microtablet for your multimedia centre remote...or as some suggested, out this tech in an ipod which has wifi which is in turn your iTunes remote...

That is what I was thinking.

Perhaps something like:
www.nokiausa.com/770

I think it would have enough utility to do well in the marketplace, especially if well-integrated with a suite of Apple hardware/software designed to merge your computing, entertainment and perhaps even home-management needs in to an elegant solution.

[Aeolius]

Between April and July, I'll be in the market for six Mac Minis (coupled with Xenarc touchscreens) and an xServe, to serve as the backbone of my home automation endeavors. If Apple comes out with something cooler, between now and then, all the better.

[blueflame]

seems that waht the mac mini is to me. even the old apples macs, with the all in one design, became the imac.
andreas
Meh. Tablet PCs do not have the universal appeal that they need to be a successful product. I have not seen a "regular" person (i.e. not someone that has a tablet for their job like a service tech of some kind) using a tablet PC ever.

PDAs are much more common and if there is any truth to this, I think it would be in the PDA type area or for an entire new product.

But why would Apple release a PDA after failing at it once? I know they often say one thing and then eventually do another, but has there ever been an occasion where Apple discontinued and entire product line, then revived it several years later?

[cr2sh]

If Apple does produce a tablet... they'll make it worthless by putting some 1024x768 screen on it.

I'm certain.

[applextrent]

While the patent may be real, the writer of this article has zero credibility.

Neo's real name is Jack; we fired him at AppleXnet.com after we suspected his motivation was to publish articles loaded with buzzwords and technical jargon to try and get investors interested in Apple to try and personally profit off of Apple's stock, for he admits he owns stock in the company. Our biggest issue with him however was the plethora of anonymous comments he would post on his own articles. In an attempt to spur interest and hype in his articles he would literally post upwards from 10-50 fake comments an article, having conversations with himself, coming up with fake names, etc. At first we thought all the comments showing the same IP was a glitch in our website code, but after reading a few we realized it was no glitch, the writing style of the comments were clearly the same. Jack was then fired from AppleXnet. He was soon picked up by Macsimum. Feeling obligated to do the right thing we told Sellers why we fired Jack. Sellers then told us he was going to fire Jack but never did. Oh, not to mention he isn't even a Mac user. Never was.

Apple has plenty of patents and very few of the ideas actually make it into actual products. While I haven't bothered to make sure the patent numbers match, this could simply be the patent for Apple's detection sensing hard drives which are already in new portable Macs. This could also be useful on a product such as a widescreen iPod or something. It is highly unlikely it has to specifically do with a tablet. Jack, erhm Neo is just making things up as usual.

--Trent Lapinski
AppleXnet.com

[kjs862]

If Apple does produce a tablet... they'll make it worthless by putting some 1024x768 screen on it.

I'm certain.


Yeah I noticed on Apple's laptops even with the newly updated resolutation it is still low compared to dell's laptops. Any thoughts on this? I know that it pisses me off.

[nagromme]

The "whack the desk to go to next page" concept absolutely cracks me up!

http://www.macsimumnews.com/images/uploads/FIG_5B_accelerometer.JPG

:D Better use flash instead of HD! (I can just see that in a library.)

PS, "Joggling" is a word for a real exercise... it means jogging while juggling--especially using juggling weights such as Exerballs. (I use juggling weights myself but I don't jog with them--they'd only end up in a ditch!) A device that can tell the difference between jogging, juggling, and joggling would be an advanced product indeed!

[7on]

Apple needs to give back to the designers that have been with them through thick and thin, I say MacTablet so I won't have to chuck money towards a Wacom.

[nagromme]

Yeah I noticed on Apple's laptops even with the newly updated resolutation it is still low compared to dell's laptops. Any thoughts on this? I know that it pisses me off.
Compare to SOME Dell models. The reason is clear:

More resolution/tinier pixels has obvious benefits for some people: it's worth it to be able to fit more windows and text.

But more resolution/tinier pixels has obvious PROBLEMS too: it makes the screen and text less readable and harder on the eyes. Less usable for long periods. Less usable if your eyes aren't perfect. I suspect this is an issue for very many people.

So Apple could either offer a range of screen choices (an expensive proposition unless sales volume is really high), or they can pick a happy medium.

Not everyone wants tiny text to peer at--and if you enlarge the text it's sharp, but sharpness is hardly a problem on any Apple display.

I actually think the pixels are TOO small on current Mac laptops AND on Cinema Displays. Others, like you, wish those pixels were even smaller. Different needs for different people.

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Shrinking things tiny to fit more on-screen sounds great, but Exposé is a good (in some ways better) solution: look at things nice and big, but shrink them WHEN you need to for moving between windows/documents. MS Windows doesn't have Exposé, and when I use a non-Exposé computer I feel really cramped. I'd much rather have Exposé than have everything tiny all the time.

2. The best of both worlds comes if you have tiny pixels AND a fully, globally, easily scalable UI. Every icon, menu, button and text scaled together smoothly and sharply. Then you can set the balance YOU want, and the tinier pixels means extra sharpness. Neither Windows nor Mac OS is there yet (windows is closer, in that you can re-size menus etc.) but both Leopard and Vista are expected to have this.

[hayesk]

Now what about taking the iPod screen and having it cover the entire front of the iPod and use this technology to navigate?

Hmmm... when you go jogging, you'd experience a whole new "Shuffle"

[1macker1]

I like the idea, and for joggin, u can use the 'hold' button.
Hmmm... when you go jogging, you'd experience a whole new "Shuffle"

[lacrossegoalie4]

I can think of about 100 (fellow) med. students who are just waiting to jump on the Apple Tablet. Some have given in and bought Gateways or Toshibas....the tablets are so helpful in the med. profession. Let's go Steve!

[Play Ultimate]

Not. Happening. Ever.

I'm not so sure. I could see a OSX Blackberry being quite popular especially if it had an iPod player included.

[Play Ultimate]

[QUOTE=SiliconAddict]OK. Drop behind the back, catch it between the legs, spin around like a balarina, and jump up and down twice. That's my password. Just don't tell anyone. http://www.pocketpcthoughts.com/forums/images/smiles/worried.gif

that's who this device is for

[MacinDoc]

This just protects the idea in case Apple might want to use it some time in the future; it has no bearing on Apple's upcoming planned product releases or product development...

[EricNau]

I have never, and will never see the point of a tablet PC, it's like a notebook only not as good.

Apple would have to do something truly amazing before they could impress me with a tablet.

[kjs862]

Compare to SOME Dell models. The reason is clear:

More resolution/tinier pixels has obvious benefits for some people: it's worth it to be able to fit more windows and text.

But more resolution/tinier pixels has obvious PROBLEMS too: it makes the screen and text less readable and harder on the eyes. Less usable for long periods. Less usable if your eyes aren't perfect. I suspect this is an issue for very many people.

So Apple could either offer a range of screen choices (an expensive proposition unless sales volume is really high), or they can pick a happy medium.

Not everyone wants tiny text to peer at--and if you enlarge the text it's sharp, but sharpness is hardly a problem on any Apple display.

I actually think the pixels are TOO small on current Mac laptops AND on Cinema Displays. Others, like you, wish those pixels were even smaller. Different needs for different people.

Two things to keep in mind:

1. Shrinking things tiny to fit more on-screen sounds great, but Exposé is a good (in some ways better) solution: look at things nice and big, but shrink them WHEN you need to for moving between windows/documents. MS Windows doesn't have Exposé, and when I use a non-Exposé computer I feel really cramped. I'd much rather have Exposé than have everything tiny all the time.

2. The best of both worlds comes if you have tiny pixels AND a fully, globally, easily scalable UI. Every icon, menu, button and text scaled together smoothly and sharply. Then you can set the balance YOU want, and the tinier pixels means extra sharpness. Neither Windows nor Mac OS is there yet (windows is closer, in that you can re-size menus etc.) but both Leopard and Vista are expected to have this.

I can definitely understand how some people might not want a high resolution for the reasons you mentioned, but Apple should still offer that option of a high resolution especially on their "pro" machines. If a user choose not to utilize the full resolution of the machine, they can simply go to system preferences and lower the resolution.

[steve_hill4]

Hmmm. DigitalPaper. As light as a notepad, as easy to use as pen and paper. But digital. 1080i compatible, Wireless 802.11n, Bluetooth 2.0, 1/4" thick, running a full version of OS-X 10.5. 12 Hour battery life, but the writing surface is also solar charging the battery... Vaopor-ware? Maybe. But this is a patent. Not some giant iPod. iPod=Music. Not media playing colour, not video-video pda from.... just leave my scroll wheel and monochrome display alone. GEN 2 forever! Sorry... I hate the new iPods. No firewire booting, no firewire port, plays music videos? What? iPod? Um... No.

Sorry, not to digress... But a Tablet Mac running Dual Core Yonnah or a Freescale Dual core would be lovely. Wireless, inkwell... smaller than an iBook (MacBook). More battery life. Like a MacBook... Mini? Perhaps? MacBook Nano? Hmmm... How about Revenge of the Newtons Episode III. Badly rendered with no storyline to speak of and some rasta-celtic dinasour... Digressing again..

Nevermind.
Just pop two of these little pills into your mouth and lie back. Everything will be normal again soon.

[cr2sh]

I have never, and will never see the point of a tablet PC, it's like a notebook only not as good.

Even Microsoft has done some good things with tablet edition.

I've owned tablets and I think they're great. I'd love to have an apple.

But to state that you'll NEVER see the point of a tablet... might be a little close minded. Trust me.. they're cool for laying on the couch and surfing the web.

[steve_hill4]

I can definitely understand how some people might not want a high resolution for the reasons you mentioned, but Apple should still offer that option of a high resolution especially on their "pro" machines. If a user choose not to utilize the full resolution of the machine, they can simply go to system preferences and lower the resolution.
I agree, I almost always use the highest res available, and my viewing style adjusts to it. When I swtiched from 1024x768 to 1280x1024 on the same monitor, it looked too small, now I hate seeing these monitors below their maximum res. I'll max out my MacBook Pro to 1440x900, but if they offered higher, I'd probably take that instead. I trust the manufacturers to decide the optimum viewing experience and tell us what it is. I know some see this as dictating to us, but I don't see the need to up the number of pixels and have to increase text, icon and dock size in order to make it viewable again, it almost defeats the object of it.

Now, if they'd changed the res to equal or slightly above 1080 lines for HD, that would have been the best move. It would be great viewing 1080p HD video on the go.

[andrewm]

I feel that the iPod may be headed the direction of the Palm, but with a full hard drive inside. It lacks only a stylus and a large screen at this time; if Apple comes out with a miniature OS X, adds a stylus, and develops an iTunesMini software with a touch-sensitive <i>screen-based</i> clickwheel, they might have something (not to mention get themselves out of one of the main conflicts with Creative).

[Fukui]

Image having a large schematic too big to fit onto the screen, so when you slide the tablet up or down it scrolls the view, just like you were looking at a larger piece of paper...

Hmm, maybe the next "iPod" to come from apple?

[iMeowbot]

IBM/Lenovo had ths acellerometer and hard drive protection for a full year before Apple had it. How the USPTO can have a patent on this is nuts. Apple did not invent it.
Apple filed a few years before IBM introduced their Active Protection system, and filing first wins in the patent system.

It's probably worth noting that the application mentioned at the top of this thread is not describing a future or unannounced product. The current PowerBooks already do this (http://www.kernelthread.com/software/ams/ams.html).

[Norse Son]

To save typing I pasted text from a post I made last week, regarding the rumors on an actual video iPod. If you think it through, this patent could be used on such a device...
________________________________

"Well, how about trying this on for size:
• Give it a 5.5-7" diagonal OLED screen (to avoid backlight battery drain).
• Allow watching video content in landscape view...
• But in portrait view it has Newton/Palm-like functions...
• Have it run a MacOS X-Lite "Tigger", that has "condensed versions" of Safari, Mail, Widgets, iTunes, Front Row, DVD Player (no DVD drive, though - see below), Text Edit, Stickies...
• Input is via Inkwell (Newton OS influenced) or an onscreen mini-keyboard on the touch-sensitive screen.
• It has built-in WiFi (802.11g) and Bluetooth (for external keyboards, etc.).
• Ports are FrWr400, USB2, optical i/o, and mini-DVI (or other video connector).
• It has an 80GB 1.8" SATA(?) hard drive.
• It has (under license from Sony) the same removable-media drive as the PSP - which would allow it to play all those UMD movies that are released for the PSP...
• It is only slightly "chubbier" than the current generation iPod (video) and the width & length of a paperback book.

Major selling points are that (1) it can play your iTunes collection, (b) it presents video at a higher screen resolution and bit rate than current iTMS video, (3) it will play UMDs, and (4) it has "practical" functions for web, e-mail, notetaking, widgets, etc.

Of course, I doubt we'll see it before the Christmas shopping season, if even that soon, because:
• 802.11n won't be "unofficially" in shipping products before midyear at earliest (could eliminate FrWr400 and/or USB2?), while the "official" standard is a year away.
• There still aren't enough video/TV choices on iTMS and at a better resolution & bit rate.
• Other Apple "digital home" pieces have not materialized as of yet.
• Downloading feature-length content would be painfully slow until broadband evolves further.
• Is there a chip out there (now) that would be strong & fast enough to power this vPod while maintaining good battery life?"
________________________________

Well, with the right "brain" powering it - what's the latest from Intel's purchase of ARM, what, 7 years ago? OLED is key, I think, to conserve some on battery life. Perhaps it could use NAND Flash for the disk, saving on battery life even further. Any large apps or content could come on the UMDs. And if it could hold, say, 10GB of NAND, it may be possible to "shunt" the UMD's contents to RAM, effectively shutting down the UMD drive until needed... Just some thoughts.

I think a device like this could prove very popular on college campuses, with students using the device to take notes in class, listen to their iTunes, maintain a schedule, check up on event info on campus or in the area, watch videos, etc.

I know when I was in college I'd have snapped up one of these in a heartbeat - just as soon as my student loan balance cleared, anywayz.....

[SiliconAddict]

Neither Windows nor Mac OS is there yet (windows is closer, in that you can re-size menus etc.) but both Leopard and Vista are expected to have this.


Which basically makes your comment a moot point does it not? All people have to do is struggle 8 month to a year and they will have their Resolution Independent UI. It could be argued that buying a laptop that supports such a high resolution is future proofing yourself to a certain extent.

[SiliconAddict]

I have never, and will never see the point of a tablet PC, it's like a notebook only not as good.

Apple would have to do something truly amazing before they could impress me with a tablet.


I've railed against this opinion so many times I should copy the text. Actually I think I will...
*goes looking for his last 3 paragraph post on why Tablet PC's can work if done right.*

REPOST:

A tastefully done Tablet PC convertible (Read: Standard laptop that can convert into a tablet.) I think Apple could make a real winner in that arena. If nothing else the graphics art professionals would drool over having an Apple laptop that they can work in Photoshop right on the screen.
And then there are people like me that do better in meetings with notepads the going clickity, clickity, clickity on a keyboard. Finally I got to use a tablet for a month at work. It was damn hard to give up. Not because of MS’s piss poor attempt at shoe-horning Windows into a tablet roll but from a personalization standpoint. I really got tied to that computer. There is something about interacting with your computer with a pen that seems much more. . .oh I don’t know. Does the term personal make any sense? IMHO the experience made me feel like I was more closely tied to the computing experience and that was with the Windows interface. I know Apple could blow the doors off of what MS is offering.


PC tablets have never taken off for several reasons:

1. Price points are ridiculously high for a tablet device and marginally high for a convertible device that transforms into a tablet.

2. MS forced a dumb*** method of handwriting recog. More specifically NONE. Yes folks. When a note is written in ink it stays in a handwritten form instead of converted over to typed text. You have that option but MS implementation is sloppy to say the least. So how impressed am I supposed to be when I get an e-mail from my insurance broker quoting me a figure and I can’t figure out if that it a $6,000 or a sloppy $5,000. There is a reason why typed text as taken over the world. I not longer have to translate someone’s crappy handwriting. This is where MS fails and where Apple excelled back in 1997! Yah I still own a Newton 2100 and I also own a iPaq 4705 and let me tell you the handwriting recog on the Newton still blows the iPaq away even though the recog software is supposedly based on the software that was on the Newton.

3. Not really MS's fault because they don't make hardware but the integration of the OS into the hardware is sloppy to say the least. Seriously. All MS did was create a package that gets installed on top of an XP install. Hardly tailored to a tablet. They did the same thing they did with their PDA when it first came out (Palm Sized PDA.) They dumped the Windows GUI on a platform that it wasn't designed for. That is partly why Pocket PC 2001 and so forth is more popular. MS did some tweaking to the GUI for the platform. Similarly MS just dumped XP onto the tablet without any forethought about the interface. No thought on how a user works when he or she has their arm draped over half the screen. No thought on how you access your applications or how to interact with them. Nope. Dump and run.

4.MS dipped a toe into the market. Their position? These devices are for the vertical market. That is all well and fine but its hardly going to grow a market if all you are doing is saying that hey! You average consumers don’t want this. This is for the business industry.

'
In typical MS fashion they did everything they could to sabotage the Tablet PC before it even shipped. All of the above Apple could fix, enhance, and well frankly do it right out of the gate. The tablet PC can work. I’ve used one for about a week. The experience feels much more personal then typing on a desktop. The problem with a tablet and something that most people don’t get is that the pure slate will NEVER succeed. Ever. Only the convertible. The laptop that has the display swing back and lay flat against the keyboard. Why? Because as I like to put it handwriting is bandwidth limited when it comes to entering data. In terms of speed it generally follows OCR, speech, typing, handwriting. (I have seen a person type faster then they could talk but those people are super freaks and are not the norm. If Apple could make a convertible tablet that gets 5+ hours of battery life, has a tweaked GUI for the pen, is marketed as a personal computing experience, is less then 1” thick with the screen, and keeps the keyboard they could blow the market wide open.

[ozone]

Not. Happening. Ever.

Better back that up iGary. Ever used a tablet? I use one every day. Handwriting capability directly on a PDF maybe just helped a $250,000 research proposal meet a critical deadline. Is it a niche market? Maybe. But that niche includes people who make a LOT of important decisions.

MS did a lot better job with the tablets than most people think. Don't knock it till you try it.

[illegalprelude]

Imagine an iPod with an acceleration sensor. It could turn up the volume on your in-car iPod when it feels you accelerate to freeway speed. Or you could start dancing (with your silhouette against a colored wall of course) and let the iPod detect your movements and play matching music!
I love that option, my Mini Cooper / all Mini Coopers have that. The option is amazing, when i speed up, music gets louder, go slower, music comes down and u can adjust how sensative u want it to be

[lorenz]

More explanations of sudden motion sensor and few examples like :
AMSVisualizer and StableWindow. (links at bottom)

http://www.kernelthread.com/software/ams/ams.html

[guifa]

I would be willing to bet you any amount of money that you are dead wrong.
That'd be a one way bet though. If it happens, you get the money. If it doesn't, you can always claim it could still happen and so thus you could never lose the better, only stalemate it or win :)

I'll bet you that anything will happen eventually. Anything, for any amount of money. :)

[brian24GC]

This rumor has been on-going for the last four years when the iWalk hoax surfaced.

Steve actually admitted in an interview (http://www.appleinsider.com/article.php?id=484) at the All Things Digital Conference that Apple did develop a PDA internally, but it never made it to production.

Also, I'm surprised no one has mentioned this Accelerometer being used in a Smart Phone. T-Mobile's soon to be released MDA PocketPC Smart phone (http://www.t-mobile.com/promos/online/preregmdasda/) is going to have a similar feature so that when you turn it on its side to use the QWERTY keyboard it automatically rotates the screen.

Sorry to bring up the old iPhone rumor, but it makes sense.

[thejadedmonkey]

Sorry to bring up the old iPhone rumor, but it makes sense.

That's alright...I was thinking the same thing. On the patents, it says "Tablet" quite plainley....too obvious for a company such as apple, who is into secrecy. My guess is that it's for either the next iPods, or an iPhone.

Then, there the far out stretch where Nintendo was supposdly in cahoots with Apple, and the patent is nothing more than for a revolution style remote for the iTelevision (that was rumored days before MWSF)

[jouster]

That's alright...I was thinking the same thing. On the patents, it says "Tablet" quite plainly....too obvious for a company such as apple, who is into secrecy.

Not really. You have to use quite precise language on a patent, at least for the specific innovation you want to copy. Using something more general - such as 'computing device' - significantly weakens the likelihood of the patent being granted.

If Apple uses the term 'tablet' then that is exactly what they are trying to protect. Of course there'd have to be some non-trivial difference from current tablets for the patent to be granted.

And, as many have already pointed out, having a patent granted won't necessarily lead to a product appearing.

[MrCrowbar]

hmmm... that sensor really would be a cool thing for an iPhone. Keep the ClickWheel and shake the phone for dialing a number. Same thing for typing SMS, just shake the unit or whack it doing the morse code. :D

HOnestly I don't think this technology is ready for an input method. And I think noone wants this for all day use. For some games it may be fun, but that's it. It would be helpful on the big iPods to protect the hard drive when you drop the thing.

[brian24GC]

hmmm... that sensor really would be a cool thing for an iPhone. Keep the ClickWheel and shake the phone for dialing a number. Same thing for typing SMS, just shake the unit or whack it doing the morse code. :D

HOnestly I don't think this technology is ready for an input method. And I think noone wants this for all day use. For some games it may be fun, but that's it. It would be helpful on the big iPods to protect the hard drive when you drop the thing.


On a phone, it wouldn't be used as an input method, rather a way to automatically change the screen orientation if the user turns the phone sideways to, for example, view a widescreen mode. I can see this in a future video iPod too.

[mk_in_mke]

I think Apple is moving toward gaming and/or tablet device...


Look at thisgreat article
http://www.kernelthread.com/software/ams2hid/ams2hid.html

And look at the QT movies...

I definitely think that the next device Apple has in hands will have the same effect on the market that the Ipod has or has had.

"...Imagine the possibilities..."

My guess: pretty soon cool new device

[inkswamp]

Not. Happening. Ever.

I'm sorry, was this supposed to have been posted in the Mac switching to Intel discussion?

Or perhaps the iPod for Windows discussion?

Or was it meant for the Apple releasing an office productivity suite discussion?

Or even the iPod Mini being replaced discussion?

Or the no more support for Classic discussion? ;)

I think, if anything, we rumor site readers should accept by now that sentiments like "not happening ever" hold true for a very short time with Apple.

[question fear]

I, for one, am pessimistic at best. l think the most likely option is that Apple might aim for the smartphone/pda market, but it is unlikely they will aim for tablets.
Look at it from a consumer standpoint-most people want pocketability and compactness, that's a big part of the appeal of the treo.
If you want wifi, bt, picture portability, etc. get a Palm TX. I am posting from mine right now.

[Balooba]

Take a look at this game (http://balooba.se).

[shamino]

I love that option, my Mini Cooper / all Mini Coopers have that. The option is amazing, when i speed up, music gets louder, go slower, music comes down and u can adjust how sensative u want it to be
My father's Chevy Lumina (about 5 years old, I think) has this as well. Great option. Pity it's not found in all cars.

[weg]

Steve knows there isn't any real market for tablet PCs yet, so why bother now?

I would buy one if there was one from Apple..

[bugfaceuk]

That's my password too. What a coincidence!

Actually, you could do this without making such a spectacle of yourself. Simply handwrite your password by moving the tablet against a pen. And don't do it wrong, because then you won't be able to log in.

In actual fact scientific studies have determined that everybody sneezes differently. So your password could be entered by holding the laptop/tablet pc at arms length (to increase the displacement) and sneezing. No two people have the same muscle response and the unique user can be identified. Other bodily functions that have unique movements patterns include coughing, jogging, and mast*****ion. Any of which could be used to uniquely identify a user.

Bug

Please note that everything in this post is made up.

[bugfaceuk]

I'm sorry, was this supposed to have been posted in the Mac switching to Intel discussion?

Or perhaps the iPod for Windows discussion?

Or was it meant for the Apple releasing an office productivity suite discussion?

Or even the iPod Mini being replaced discussion?

Or the no more support for Classic discussion? ;)

I think, if anything, we rumor site readers should accept by now that sentiments like "not happening ever" hold true for a very short time with Apple.

Exactly! This patent is probably a "stick the flag in the ground" patent, rather than "oh oh oh we have a great idea for a product" patent, all the same, is it inconceivable that Apple will one day develop a tablet FF? No.

[bugfaceuk]

hmmm... that sensor really would be a cool thing for an iPhone. Keep the ClickWheel and shake the phone for dialing a number. Same thing for typing SMS, just shake the unit or whack it doing the morse code. :D

HOnestly I don't think this technology is ready for an input method. And I think noone wants this for all day use. For some games it may be fun, but that's it. It would be helpful on the big iPods to protect the hard drive when you drop the thing.

Hasn't the "shake the phone to dial" thing been done? I'm pretty sure I saw an advert for something like this from motorola or samsung while I was in Korea (could have been Japan) last year.

My money is on Apple developing the worlds most expensive etcha-sketch.

[Baldanzi]

How many of you that shoot down the Tablet PC actually use one - every day? I do - and it does indeed suck - cuz it is running Tablet XP - and its not on an apple piece of hardware. I for one love the idea of the tablet, but as I use one everyday - I really want one that works.

I don't doubt that Apple and OS X could do it waaay better than the P.O.S I have right now. Tablets aren't bad becasue the idea is bad its just that in their current form they are bad (windows). Do you realize that in their current form Tablet PCs are really not designed for graphic work? I know that sounds stupid, but its true. My Arch firm bought 5 of them - well becase you'd think that a screen that you can write on would be perfect for people that draw? Well they don't quite work that way. The current crop of Tablet PCs are so focused on battery life (so it can be portable) they had to use centrino processors and sacrifice performance....They are not graphic-intensive friendly and usually the screens are terrible! For the most part the Tablet PCs were designed for people to walk around an fill out forms and make check-lists (Drs, lab workers, people taking inventory, etc) and some limited free-hand writing.

For design professionals a wacom type separate tablet is way better and way more practical (much more accurate). I apple could do it right that would be great.

[FaasNat]

Not. Happening. Ever.
Isn't that similar to what Jobs said about video on the iPod?

[Epicurus]

Having a touch screen (I'll ignore the other tablet aspects for a moment) in a laptop, especially in the 17" PowerBook/MacBook Pro, would appeal to a lot of design specialists. Whoever has really gotten attached to a Wacom tablet certainly misses it on their laptop. Thinking just about convertible tablets, where the regular laptop features are not lost, Apple has some room to innovate.

An ultraportable slate design would be pushing it a bit (and would really be disappointing if it didn't have an optical drive). While I can understand wanting a really small computer, it could not be that hard to put a keybord in there and make it a full featured laptop.

I have no doubt that within a few years Apple will finally get around to pushing its Inkwell technology with full force. For now Apple is rightly focusing on spreading the iSight throughout its product lines.

If Apple rolls out some sort of hybrid iSight/touchscreen using its newly patented Integrated Sensing Display (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?t=172972), then I can see this being a big product announcement best saved for MacWorld 2007 when we get the next major MacBook revisions. We've all been waiting for a form factor/case design update, and this might be it. I trust Apple to make a big splash when it jumps into the Tablet market. Imagine if the entire MacBook/MacBook Pro protable lineup became tablets overnight!!!:D :D :D

[FaasNat]

ACK. Apple would take in even more of the education market too.
Yeah...well at least somewhat. I hear back at my old high school, the students are required to pick up tablet PCs so that forces them to use Windows. I think if Apple came out with a tablet PC, they'd swith the students to running OS X. They were a big Mac school before (students all picked up iBooks -- part of the school fee, like buying the textbooks) till the tablet issue.

[FaasNat]

Hmmm....if Apple does make a tablet PC, I guess we'll finally make good use of that Inkwell technology in OS X....

[Detlev]

It's quite obvious that Apple will be installing air bags in their hardware, hence the accelerometer. You fall asleep in front of your machine, it will detect your sudden and irregular movement and WHAM. This should cut down in AppleCare calls from MacRumor zeolots who fall asleep and spill their cappachino on their keyboards while reading every post in rumor threads that promise to deliver the mythical Apple tablet.

Very controlled benchmark tests will then show that Apple has created the fastest and best looking airbag deployment system available. Apple legal will shortly thereafter post changes to the user licenses of affected hardware stating that they will not take responsibility for head/neck injuries caused by the speed of their processors.

[EricNau]

It's quite obvious that Apple will be installing air bags in their hardware...
39839


:p :D

[4np]

Most of you are speculating on a tablet pc or something; but perhaps it's an eBook device? Or even the next-generation iPod? Move it to the right to shift to go to the next song, image or video. Draw a circular motion in the air to raise or lower to volume, etc ;)

[ioinc]

As for this so called "rumor," I am calling bogus. Steve knows there isn't any real market for tablet PCs yet, so why bother now? Maybe in a few years.


Why would apple wait for the market to exist.

It is for Apple to create a market.... not enter it once it has already been created.