Apple Working on Advanced Gesturing and Multi-Touch Version of iWork

[MacRumors]

http://www.macrumors.com/images/macrumorsthreadlogo.gif (http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/09/apple-working-on-advanced-gesturing-and-multi-touch-version-of-iwork/)

The New York Times (http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/09/technology/personaltech/09reader.html) offers some additional tidbits that might come in the rumored Apple Tablet.

According to former Apple employees, Apple has been working on advanced multi-touch gesturing that was originally pioneered by Fingerworks. Apple acquired Fingerworks a number of years ago and has been leveraging their multi-touch technology in their latest products. This news shouldn't be particularly surprising for anyone who has been following Apple for the past few years.

The most interesting report from the article is that Apple is said to have "spent the past couple of years working on a multitouch version of iWork". Such a version of iWork would presumably allow the upcoming Apple tablet to be used for document creation rather than solely content consumption. It would also blur the lines between the functions of tablet and that of a more traditional laptop computer.

Apple is rumored to be introducing their tablet computer later this month.

Article Link: Apple Working on Advanced Gesturing and Multi-Touch Version of iWork (http://www.macrumors.com/2010/01/09/apple-working-on-advanced-gesturing-and-multi-touch-version-of-iwork/)

[andiwm2003]

i so hope that is true. it would make the tablet work for me. also i then expect pixelmator/photoshop et al. to follow.

[mikethebigo]

Just another way that the tablet will basically make every other device at CES seem obsolete. Apple remains just a bit ahead of the competition - I don't see any signs that Android is ready for Google Docs content creation.

[Sabenth]

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

[zed2]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

This could be cool. Touch for when your out and about and pair up with Bluetooth keyboard when at a desk.

[iDisk]

If Steve Allows iWork and XCode in the Tablet I'm buying it no matter what the price is.

iDisk

:apple:

[MacPhilosopher]

There are some interesting possibilities. No need to make guesses about things I don't know. Apple may just take this to the next level.

[miles01110]

I could see multitouch being useful for Keynote, but for Numbers and Pages it just seems like it would make things more complicated than they need to be...

[str1f3]

i so hope that is true. it would make the tablet work for me. also i then expect pixelmator/photoshop et al. to follow.

This is somewhat good news and I hope Apple does the same for the iPhone. It would seem that Apple is pushing it to eventually become a computer. I hope they would do the same for iLife.

The limiting factors of this becoming one's sole computer still remain. Storage will become an issue unless iTunes offers a subscription based service for music, TV and movies.

I see the tablet eventually becoming a full-blown computer but it may be 5 years away. The question of openness also remains an issue.

[JonHimself]

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

I think that iWork apps and some of the iLife apps could be reasonably expected to see their way the tablet OS. The current iPhone 3GS can do basic video editing, so with a more powerful processor/hardware the tablet will certainly at least be able to do the same and probably a little bit more (in terms of effects, transitions, etc). There are also some interesting audio manipulation applications that can run on the 3GS, same idea applied we might be able to see a Garageband tablet app.. not expecting multi-track recording or something fancy, but I wonder if the tablet would let you use some of the software music and record yourself playing piano?

I think we run into trouble when we start thinking we're going to see photoshop and other devices like that on the device. I'm not expecting that (though would be ok with it) but iWork/iLife Mobile would be great.

[wizard]

I just can't imagine a set of gestures and a touch system that would allow for anything other than extremely casual usage. What I can imagine is a suite of apps that don't look anything like the iWork suite we use today.


Dave

[rth231]

Advanced gesturing and multitouch in iWork??

4 finger swipe left: Bold
3 fingers up and thumb right: Underline
Double 2-thumb tap: Copy
Triple 2-thumb tap & pinky swipe diagonal down: Paste
Drag middle finger and thumb and tap index: Caps Lock
...

This must be that steep learning curve they we're talking about...

[flopticalcube]

I wouldn't want to the the bulk of my writing or ss work on a netbook, let alone a tablet, but I can see where it would be useful in conjunction with a desktop or full-sized notebook.

[itsbarry]

If Steve Allows iWork and XCode in the Tablet I'm buying it no matter what the price is.

iDisk

:apple:

If XCode is on the Tablet, I'm not getting a laptop. I plan on getting a 13" MacBook Pro for XCode and portability, but I'm going to get a Tablet as well. I highly doubt XCode would be on the Tablet, though.

:apple:

[jb510]

Tablet is such an illused word. The word has an existing meaning with existing products yet it is getting applied to a host of new products that don't fit the catagory. Perhaps the thing I like best about the term slate it that it suggests a new product catagory and we don't have to listen to the pundits waste air talking about whether it is or isn't a tablet or tablet computer or media device or whatever....

I for one don't really expect or need my iSlate to be a great content creation device, yes I'd like to be able to type on it to keep a journal/diary on it, butnultimately I need 10% of the functions of a full fleged computer.

I could easily see a multi-touch version of Photoshop, it'd just be an extension of what you do with all the exisiting tablets... Oh there's that word again, you know I mean like wacom tablets, right?

I could also see a multitouch version of logic that actually would perform like all that. Bogus software you see on TV shows (csi miami) grab chunks of audio sliding them around control levels with touch activated sliders. Imagine a pressure sensitive slider.

[DeeGee48]

QUOTE: "The most interesting report from the article is that Apple is said to have 'spent the past couple of years working on a multitouch version of iWork'. Such a version of iWork would presumably allow the upcoming Apple tablet to be used for document creation rather than solely content consumption".

:D AMEN! This is EXACTLY what I have been hoping for with the "iSlate". Let's all hope and pray that it's TRUE! It really NEEDS to be more than JUST a big iPod touch! Go :apple:!!! Separate yourself from the Windoze pack once again!!!

[Marx55]

iWork on the Apple Tablet will be nice, but the real killer is Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet.

[SydneyDev]

Wow, that's unexpected actually, that the Tablet would be used for real work. Sure, companies might write a company-specific app for one, but my assumption (at least) has been that consumers would always use it for (basically) entertainment purposes. Good on Apple if this is true.

[nagromme]

I liked that Apple patent where gesturing with your middle finger put the text into all caps. Pretty slick.

[talkingnewmedia]

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

I'm with you concerning the keyboard but my 13 year old daughter shocked my wife yesterday when she was texting with her Blackberry and turned to her to say "it's just so hard to text with this, it's so much easier with the iPhone".

I think the more you are used to typing on a screen the more natural it seems. But Zed2 is right, a Bluetooth keyboard solves the whole issue by offering you a choice between a physical keyboard and a virtual one (after all, the computer keyboard is actually a virtual keyboard compared to a typewriter, right?)

[Cinematographer]

iWork on the Apple Tablet will be nice, but the real killer is Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet.

That will take a few years I guess. If this rumour is true, it will probably make me switch from Office to iWork. :)

[zed2]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

If Steve Allows iWork and XCode in the Tablet I'm buying it no matter what the price is.

iDisk

:apple:

If XCode is on the Tablet, I'm not getting a laptop. I plan on getting a 13" MacBook Pro for XCode and portability, but I'm going to get a Tablet as well. I highly doubt XCode would be on the Tablet, though.

:apple:

I too would love to see Xcode on a tablet but a seriously doubt that will happen.

When I'm coding in Xcode I have dozens of windows open and multiple screens. I jyluat now sure you can do that on a small screen. It also means that the AppStore might be less effective as people will be able to install and run any bits of code.

[ildondeigiocchi]

The closer we get to Jan 27, the more tempted I get to purchase the tablet when it comes out. :apple:'s products are just so irresistable! :)

[RyanR.]

Well this is great!

This also gives me hope for iLife. Seeing how you really don't need a keyboard at all for those app's.

Now all I need is QB to either make a syncing app or the slate to be open!:D

[salvatorereda]

Acording to apple there is no tablet

[Cinematographer]

It would be nice if there was some kind of touch keyboard calibration and the keyboard would adapt itself to the size of the hands/fingers. :)

[cmaier]

I could see multitouch being useful for Keynote, but for Numbers and Pages it just seems like it would make things more complicated than they need to be...

"multitouch" is code for "suitable for tablet (and maybe iphone) interface." That is, bigger buttons, no menus, etc.

Acording to apple there is no tablet

No. The fact that they haven't announced it or confirmed it does not mean that they deny it.

[martint84]

This is starting to sound interesting...

My prediction:
Steve shows the tablet running a multitouch version of Front Row. It works and looks amazing. We all want one the same way the iPhone "had me at scrolling." Everyone is excited. He then presses the "home" button and our minds are blown because that was just one of a dozen apps. iWork, iPhoto, iCal, e-reader, some sort of back-to-my-mac/remote desktop app, and games are demoed. Ridiculous media partnership is announced bringing eBooks, subscription TV, etc. Standing ovation... Steve retires...

EDIT: HP, Dell, Microsoft, Google all $h*t their pants because Apple patents the ******* out of their ingenious new form of text entry, navigation, and gestures on a touch screen.

[ELScorcho9]

Advanced gesturing and multitouch in iWork??

4 finger swipe left: Bold
3 fingers up and thumb right: Underline
Double 2-thumb tap: Copy
Triple 2-thumb tap & pinky swipe diagonal down: Paste
Drag middle finger and thumb and tap index: Caps Lock
...

This must be that steep learning curve they we're talking about...

Don't forget the index-finger, pinky & thumb counter-clockwise turn double-tap ring finger combo for select-all.

[RyanR.]

This is starting to sound interesting...

My prediction:
Steve shows the tablet running a multitouch version of Front Row. It works and looks amazing. We all want one the same way the iPhone "had me at scrolling." Everyone is excited. He then presses the "home" button and our minds are blown because that was just one of a dozen apps. iWork, iPhoto, iCal, e-reader, some sort of back-to-my-mac/remote desktop app, and games are demoed. Ridiculous media partnership is announced bringing eBooks, subscription TV, etc. Standing ovation... Steve retires...

"You had ME at Steve shows the tablet!":p

[Lesser Evets]

Such a version of iWork would presumably allow the upcoming Apple tablet to be used for document creation rather than solely content consumption. It would also blur the lines between the functions of tablet and that of a more traditional laptop computer.

DUH.

What says a tablet isn't content creative? The tablet market is so variable. There is already the ModBook tablet which allows creativity. These articles make my eyes bleed.

And duh pt2: of course they are making iWork for the tablet. Sooner or later, tablets will be what our laptops are today. Apple is certainly going to try to get there first with a light, thin product with enough power to be more than a mere iPod.

Otherwise, why not just make a MaxiPod and call it a day??

-_-; seriously. They could have put out a MaxiPod years ago.

[cmaier]

DUH.

What says a tablet isn't content creative? The tablet market is so variable. There is already the ModBook tablet which allows creativity. These articles make my eyes bleed.

And duh pt2: of course they are making iWork for the tablet. Sooner or later, tablets will be what our laptops are today. Apple is certainly going to try to get there first with a light, thin product with enough power to be more than a mere iPod.

Otherwise, why not just make a MaxiPod and call it a day??

-_-; seriously. They could have put out a MaxiPod years ago.

Tablets - all tablets - are inferior for many types of content creation due to their lack of keyboards. Some are good for certain types of artistic work, though it helps if they are pressure sensitive and support pens. Some support external keyboards/input devices, which of course makes them as good as anything else.

However, in general, tablets are aimed toward content consumption, typically with subpar content creation input means.

[gibbz]

iWork on the Apple Tablet will be nice, but the real killer is Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet.

MS would actually have to be able to sell that particular version of Office.

[cmaier]

MS would actually have to be able to sell that particular version of Office.

Is that commentary on i4i or on the appstore review process?

[Cinematographer]

MS would actually have to be able to sell that particular version of Office.

What makes you think that's a problem? Do you think they are not capable of doing it? Or not allowed to do it?

[*LTD*]

Looks like Apple came to play.

[iDisk]

If XCode is on the Tablet, I'm not getting a laptop. I plan on getting a 13" MacBook Pro for XCode and portability, but I'm going to get a Tablet as well. I highly doubt XCode would be on the Tablet, though.

:apple:
:( I doubt it to


Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)



I too would love to see Xcode on a tablet but a seriously doubt that will happen.

When I'm coding in Xcode I have dozens of windows open and multiple screens. I jyluat now sure you can do that on a small screen. It also means that the AppStore might be less effective as people will be able to install and run any bits of code.

True but that would be cool to have it on there, as we both agree.

[Ultranote]

But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

Touch is a nice way to use audio apps . Especially if they are designed for (multi)-touch entry.

i.e. iPhone apps like TouchOSC & Looptastic or Jazzmutant's Lemur multitouch control surface.

[sampro]

If XCode is on the Tablet, I'm not getting a laptop. I plan on getting a 13" MacBook Pro for XCode and portability, but I'm going to get a Tablet as well. I highly doubt XCode would be on the Tablet, though.

:apple:

whats XCode?

[flopticalcube]

whats XCode?
Developer tools. (http://developer.apple.com/tools/xcode/)

[cvaldes]

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff
Nah, I wouldn't expect a tablet device to be able to do any heavy, complicated tasks. Consider the size, battery capacity, processing and graphics power, user input interface, etc., it would appear to be the wrong tool for those sort of intensive tasks.

My guess is that there would be a category of lightweight productivity and creative applications designed for the consumer (like iPhoto, maybe a simplified iMovie, simplified iWorks/office type stuff), rather than focus on "prosumer" applications like Logic, Final Cut, Photoshop, etc.

[Ironduke]

iWork could work really well if apple perfect "Speaking" input.

Imagine you create a text box tap on it to enable input, then tap a button that appears in the text box to speak the words, press it again to finish.

to compliment the speaking part you could have a small onscreen keyboard for characters like @ , £ $ etc.


could work:cool:

[cmaier]

iWork could work really well if apple perfect "Speaking" input.

Imagine you create a text box tap on it to enable input, then tap a button that appears in the text box to speak the words, press it again to finish.


could work:cool:

speech input is not practical for most people who have to do real work, and especially not for places where the tablet is most likely to be used (while commuting, flying, out in public, etc.)

[doctoree]

Apple remains just a bit ahead of the competition

Unfortunately, to change a slowly-acting market this isnt enough.

[dagamer34]

I just can't imagine a set of gestures and a touch system that would allow for anything other than extremely casual usage. What I can imagine is a suite of apps that don't look anything like the iWork suite we use today.


Dave

Why would they? It's like before the iPhone was released, expecting the iPod app to look just like iTunes, or iPhoto or Mail to be drag and drop equivalents.

[Robert M.]

Now this would be awesome!! I think they need to add stuff like this so it won't be just a "big iPhone" :cool:

[nicholasfukuoka]

What if the new surprise input method were a new evolution of typing using gestures rather than location on a keyboard. For example:

Simultaneous thumb-tap to enter typing mode. All letters represented by a finger tap, combination finger tap, or finger slide. Common words like 'the' could have their own combination as well. Simultaneous thumb-tap to exit typing mode.

Requires a learning curve but it completely eliminates the need for a visual keyboard or pressure feedback etc.

[Ultranote]

Now this would be awesome!! I think they need to add stuff like this so it won't be just a "big iPhone" :cool:

It surely can't be just a big iPhone. The iPhone interface is designed for a very small surface. It's unlikely that Apple would just upscale an iPod Touch or shrink a Mac. It's probably something different, interacting a lot with the iPhone and the Mac.

[BWhaler]

I love iWork. Love it.

The fact that it focuses on helping me make beautiful and effective documents without being a professional design is unbelievably valuable to me.

I hope we see iPhone support and continued enhancements to the Mac version.

If the Apple tablet exists, iWork on it would be a big motivator for me to buy it. I would worry about the potential of using iWork with no keyboard, but I still haver laptops and desktops for long typing sessions.

This is very exciting times...

[Bodhi395]

My main question is how will you input text on the tablet?

If you have a text editor program, you can use swipes and gestures for some things(like making text bold or copying), but the main bulk of it is entering text. Therefore I hope Steve has some revolutionary way to enter text, other then simply the virtual keyboard that is on the iphone. If he does have this up his sleeve, and it works really well, the tablet will be a huge success.

[iMacmatician]

The most interesting report from the article is that Apple is said to have "spent the past couple of years working on a multitouch version of iWork". Such a version of iWork would presumably allow the upcoming Apple tablet to be used for document creation rather than solely content consumption. It would also blur the lines between the functions of tablet and that of a more traditional laptop computer. As I've predicted for a long time…mobile version of iWork in the tablet.

I've also predicted iLife (I've been a bit less sure on that though) and an "extended" iPhone OS and associated apps (new and/or modified versions of existing ones) that give more editing (content creation) features than the current iPhone and iPod touch.

[Cougarcat]

Therefore I hope Steve has some revolutionary way to enter text, other then simply the virtual keyboard that is on the iphone. If he does have this up his sleeve, and it works really well, the tablet will be a huge success.

You are right, a plain old virtual keyboard would not work for iWork or any heavy text editing. But a tactile keyboard (http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/09/12/24/possible_apple_tablet_multi_touch_tactile_keyboard_detailed.html)could work great, as detailed in Apple's patent.

[jeznav]

If Steve Allows iWork and XCode in the Tablet I'm buying it no matter what the price is.

iDisk

:apple:


Same here...But I doubt XCode would run well on a mobile processor. If they did, I'd imagine programming might be literally dragging predefined 2D blocks of code onto the stack chain, linking members with wires, then gesturing it to the execute/compile zone area. Something like a redefined Quartz Composer but UI intuitive.

[mikethebigo]

Another thought... would this version of iWork FINALLY support auto-saving? I don't care how stable OS X is said to be, kernel panics in the middle of document creation have been a thorn in my side multiple times. The lack of this feature alone made me switch to Office 2008.

[NAG]

Another thought... would this version of iWork FINALLY support auto-saving? I don't care how stable OS X is said to be, kernel panics in the middle of document creation have been a thorn in my side multiple times. The lack of this feature alone made me switch to Office 2008.

You might want to look into fixing having KPs constantly first. That isn't normal.

[davidwarren]

Another thought... would this version of iWork FINALLY support auto-saving? I don't care how stable OS X is said to be, kernel panics in the middle of document creation have been a thorn in my side multiple times. The lack of this feature alone made me switch to Office 2008.

I think there are some stand alone programs that will get around this and make iWork auto-save, but they are not free, and from what I've seen, are a bit intrusive. I agree, iWork's achilles heel is the lack of auto save. I remember writing some long document once only for Pages to crash when I went to save it when I finished. Word's auto-save is not perfect, but it has saved my hide a few times.

[Sydde]

iPhone SDK currently runs $90.us, if Apple offers some form of XCode (iCode?) for the tablet, it will cost money and will start out somewhat less functional than the regular version. There will be only Cocoa app dev. I doubt it will be available in the first 12 months.

[Lesser Evets]

However, in general, tablets are aimed toward content consumption, typically with subpar content creation input means.

Yeah, you missed the point completely as if you didn't read the article or my reply.

This article is written as if the person exists in another dimension from reality. Or the writer isn't aware of what the market actually is. What that has to do with artwork or a classic style keyboard is immaterial. The point is document creation on any level. There are tablets that create and foster creation of document. I know several artists that use Modbooks to do their work. That's a tablet creating documents.

[LagunaSol]

I just can't imagine a set of gestures and a touch system that would allow for anything other than extremely casual usage.

I think some sort of finger-driven shapewriting system on a tablet could enable tablet apps that are just as effective (and powerful) as desktop apps.

[Boghog]

I think there are some stand alone programs that will get around this and make iWork auto-save, but they are not free.
You might want to check out ForeverSave Lite. It's free and does just what you want.

[AlmostThere]

My main question is how will you input text on the tablet?


I agree - and there are plenty of options. In addition to the tactile surface, Apple might have managed to make an elegant, effective slide out keyboard and there are laser / projection keyboards available. (I have seen some nice mock-up of such a device but Google is not being forthcoming right now).

For me, this is probably the key deciding feature that determines whether the rumored device will be an entertaining toy or something actually useful and productive. Effective text input is a main discriminant when it comes to usage and market. If they can get that into a tablet, it will represent a big step forward in mobile computing.

It is nice to have the hope of being wow-ed on the near horizon, either way.

[Berlepsch]

If iWorks will be running on the tablet, doesn't that mean that the slate gets the full-featured MacOS X like all Macs? Doesn't that also imply that it we will see version 10.7 soon, as the current version does not have sufficient support for the tablet?

Creating a new branch of the OS only for the tablet would take up a lot of manpower inside Apple, and Apple needed to convince developers to target the new platform as well. The mobile MacOS is probably too limited, and current iPhone apps probably look like **** on a 10-12" display.

If my guesses are right, I would expect that Apple will only announce the tablet in the next weeks with a production date later this year, just like they did with the iPhone earlier.

[cmaier]

Yeah, you missed the point completely as if you didn't read the article or my reply.

This article is written as if the person exists in another dimension from reality. Or the writer isn't aware of what the market actually is. What that has to do with artwork or a classic style keyboard is immaterial. The point is document creation on any level. There are tablets that create and foster creation of document. I know several artists that use Modbooks to do their work. That's a tablet creating documents.

I didn't miss the poster or your reply. I addressed that tablets can sometimes be used to create content. My point is that they are far superior at consuming content and less ideal for creating content, particular compared to other types of systems where users don't have to make compromises as far as input devices are concerned. If you feel like responding, fine, but don't be insulting.

[nicholasfukuoka]

I think my idea may be plausible, of Apple creating a new system of text input based on gestures. Basically reinventing the system of typing to be used on 21st century touch devices rather than typewriters.

[collegar.com]

I guess bluetooth to the iphone with the apple wireless keyboard is dead, would sell less tablets...

Not so dead!

http://bit.ly/7iqsRd

[BRLawyer]

Don't forget the index-finger, pinky & thumb counter-clockwise turn double-tap ring finger combo for select-all.

This reminds me of my cousin playing Street Fighter 15 years ago...he was good at it ;)

[iMacmatician]

If iWorks will be running on the tablet, doesn't that mean that the slate gets the full-featured MacOS X like all Macs? Doesn't that also imply that it we will see version 10.7 soon, as the current version does not have sufficient support for the tablet? iWork itself doesn't mean it will run Mac OS X, but I think that part of the article could just as easily mean touchscreen-optimized Mac OS X (apps) as well as iPhone OS (or similar).

The mobile MacOS is probably too limited, and current iPhone apps probably look like **** on a 10-12" display.That's probably why Apple told developers to adapt their apps for "full screen."

[bobsentell]

Is there a chance Apple could just be working on a Macbook Tablet ala HP? You can use it as a tablet or swing the screen around and use a keyboard.

I, personally, doubt it. But I would never use a touchscreen anything for document creation. But maybe other people would.

[gnasher729]

My main question is how will you input text on the tablet?

If you have a text editor program, you can use swipes and gestures for some things(like making text bold or copying), but the main bulk of it is entering text. Therefore I hope Steve has some revolutionary way to enter text, other then simply the virtual keyboard that is on the iphone. If he does have this up his sleeve, and it works really well, the tablet will be a huge success.

Suggestion: You hold the tablet with both hands, thumbs on the front, four fingers on the back. Touch-sensitive areas on front and back. You type with your fingers on the back of the tablet, with software adapting to your hand position and size, word prediction like on mobile phones, with thumbs used for selecting between multiple words and correcting errors.

Apple has probably come up with something better than I did.

[wizard]

If XCode is on the Tablet, I'm not getting a laptop. I plan on getting a 13" MacBook Pro for XCode and portability, but I'm going to get a Tablet as well. I highly doubt XCode would be on the Tablet, though.

:apple:

I'm note saying a 13" Mac Book won't work, just that the small screen will be fatiquing if you do a lot of coding. I have a 15" MBP and often wish for a larger monitor when coding.

As to XCode on the tablet that is an interesting thought. I don't think you would want to code big projects on the device but scripts would be nice. What I'm hoping for is that Apple ships the device with either a Python or Ruby environment for on device scripting. That would be great for those minor things that don't need Objective C.


Dave

[infowarfare]

iPhone SDK currently runs $90.us, if Apple offers some form of XCode (iCode?) for the tablet, it will cost money and will start out somewhat less functional than the regular version. There will be only Cocoa app dev. I doubt it will be available in the first 12 months.

Wrong. The SDK (and Xcode) is free. To join the developer's program to get your app on the App Store is $99. If Apple offers Xcode for their tablet, it too will be free.

[huntercr]

I really hope there's touch sensitivity on both sides of the device.... ( screen only one side though ) so you can type from behind. That would not only be very cool, it would allow you to hold the device and type with both hands.

[martint84]

I think Andy Inhatko pretty much sums it up http://bit.ly/4D1u30

The iPhone UI isn’t a desktop user interface where a pen takes the place of a mouse ... which is the model that previous smartphones followed. It was designed to be held in one hand and tapped with your thumb. Occasionally you’d use the index finger of the right hand to key things in.

You want to try to figure out the UI of the RAT (Rumored Apple Tablet)? Go get yourself a comic book, or any other rectangle that measures roughly 10” on the diagonal. Hold it as though you’re reading what’s on the surface.

You see the problem? Your fingers get in the way. Think about how big that surface is, too. That’s a lot of acreage to scan, looking for the right buttons to push.

While you’ve got it in your hands, imagine that it’s a sheet of thin steel. That’s heavy, isn’t it? Hard to hold up for long periods of time.

Think about how a user interface would have to incorporate those observations. Now imagine that you’ve been doing this experiment for four years and not four minutes.

[Bevz]

If Steve Allows iWork and XCode in the Tablet I'm buying it no matter what the price is.

iDisk

:apple:

Exactly what I was thinking...!

[csimmons]

For the masses, i believe a multitouch capable iLife would be the killer app for any Apple tablet. Apps like iPhoto, Garage Band and iMovie are perfect for a tablet. I would argue that this is the main reason we saw such massive changes to iMovie and iPhoto: to make them easier to use via touch. If you've ever played with ReelDirector on the iPhone, you would agree that iMovie would be absolutely SICK on a tablet computer.

Not only that, just the simple fact that most "normal" consumers don't use or even need a dedicated wordprocessing or spreadsheet app, yet almost all consumers use some sort of video or photo app.

My guess is that the killer apps for the rumored tablet will be iLife and iChat, provided there will be a front-facing camera on the tablet.

[macintoshi]

http://www.laptopreviews.org.uk/laptop-news-uk/samsung-transparent-screen-notebook-flaunted-ces/

interesting would be also, if apple would make such thing like samsung but as touchable touchscreen, it would be very impressive....

[kmiahali]

Multi-Touch iWork? I never thought I would see anything like this, but Apple continues to surprise me.

[Sydde]

... You want to try to figure out the UI of the RAT (Rumored Apple Tablet)? Go get yourself a comic book, or any other rectangle that measures roughly 10” on the diagonal. Hold it as though you’re reading what’s on the surface.

You see the problem? Your fingers get in the way. Think about how big that surface is, too. That’s a lot of acreage to scan, looking for the right buttons to push....

My thought is a thing or two that live on the back side. Imagine a hinged loop or two that you can slip your finger through to have a stable grip on the tablet. Swing it (them) out half-way and you have a way to set the tablet on a flat surface (easel props) for when you want to use a BT Keyboard. Swing one of them all the way around and you have a thumb loop, sort of like a painter's palette. This will not be the initial design, but it might show up in later versions.

[Rocketman]

When I'm coding in Xcode I have dozens of windows open and multiple screens.

Couldn't there be an environment or script to align perhaps 4 windows per view and switch to different views, spaces like? The main problem I have when programming is integrating 3-4 disparate source documents while editing the target document as well.

Back in the PC-AT days there were word processors that had 3-4 windows kinda like Eudora Inbox is for one instance. These were stacked vertically, not horizontally, but if you had a word processor that would let you set arbitrary window size and aspect ratio and have several styles of source documents, all within a main window, that would simplify viewing so much stuff on a limited screen size, perhaps 1280x768 or whatever.

On DOS for file views I used a program called 1Dir which was a side to side file lister for target discs, such as HD and FD, or whatever.

Rocketman

[Sydde]

must have bash

[jamesryanbell]

Apple is rumored to be introducing their tablet computer later this month.

Gee, I didn't know that. Haven't heard a thing. Thanks for the heads up. :D

[Sydde]

Gee, I didn't know that. Haven't heard a thing. Thanks for the heads up. :D

Are you spending too much time outside?

[SqB]

I think Andy Inhatko pretty much sums it up http://bit.ly/4D1u30

The iPhone UI isn’t a desktop user interface where a pen takes the place of a mouse ... which is the model that previous smartphones followed. It was designed to be held in one hand and tapped with your thumb. Occasionally you’d use the index finger of the right hand to key things in.

You want to try to figure out the UI of the RAT (Rumored Apple Tablet)? Go get yourself a comic book, or any other rectangle that measures roughly 10” on the diagonal. Hold it as though you’re reading what’s on the surface.

You see the problem? Your fingers get in the way. Think about how big that surface is, too. That’s a lot of acreage to scan, looking for the right buttons to push.

While you’ve got it in your hands, imagine that it’s a sheet of thin steel. That’s heavy, isn’t it? Hard to hold up for long periods of time.

Think about how a user interface would have to incorporate those observations. Now imagine that you’ve been doing this experiment for four years and not four minutes.


I'm really glad I'm not the only one who thinks that anyone waiting for a touchscreen KB is missing the boat. I have used Windows tablets for years and I can say that handwriting recognition is pretty good. I think if Apple were to work on it, they could perfect it.

I could also see voice recognition being a big part of this device. It's been said that it is part iPhone so you can imagine having in a bluetooth that will allow you not only to take calls, but also to interact with the device. Certainly nobody is going to hold up a device with a 10" screen to their ear, that would be as bad as owning a blackberry :p.

And before I get all the "the cellular is just for data" replies, just think about that for a minute. Why limit the functionality of the device when you already have the necessary phone bits created. Working while talking has been one of the highlights of the iPhone. I doubt they would give that away with this device.

[Pilgrim1099]

What if the new surprise input method were a new evolution of typing using gestures rather than location on a keyboard. For example:

Simultaneous thumb-tap to enter typing mode. All letters represented by a finger tap, combination finger tap, or finger slide. Common words like 'the' could have their own combination as well. Simultaneous thumb-tap to exit typing mode.

Requires a learning curve but it completely eliminates the need for a visual keyboard or pressure feedback etc.

Like Morse Code? That idea of tapping and sliding fingers would probably make you look like a fool with people looking at you strangely wondering "WTF is he doing?". Second, touch typing is generally the fastest means of data entry. If you have taken typing class, you would know that doing the gestures PER letter would take an immense level of training to change the mode of data entry.

The QWERTY keys are a permanent fixture on today's keyboards, besides the DVORAK. It's easier to learn and recall with this skill. EDIT: In general, 30 WPM is standard (words per minute). But 30 gestural letters/words per minute is impossible.

And lastly, the gestures PER letter has been done a long time ago with Palm's Pilot PDA originally with the stylus pen in the 1990s.

[appleguy123]

This is starting to sound interesting...

My prediction:
Steve shows the tablet running a multitouch version of Front Row. It works and looks amazing. We all want one the same way the iPhone "had me at scrolling." Everyone is excited. He then presses the "home" button and our minds are blown because that was just one of a dozen apps. iWork, iPhoto, iCal, e-reader, some sort of back-to-my-mac/remote desktop app, and games are demoed. Ridiculous media partnership is announced bringing eBooks, subscription TV, etc. Standing ovation... Steve retires...

EDIT: HP, Dell, Microsoft, Google all $h*t their pants because Apple patents the ******* out of their ingenious new form of text entry, navigation, and gestures on a touch screen.
Why does Steve always have to retire? Unless by retire you mean leave that place, then it is slightly better.

[SandynJosh]

No. The fact that they (Apple) haven't announced it or confirmed it does not mean that they deny it.

They haven't also denied that in some East European castle they are growing an avatar of Steve Jobs.

[Sydde]

Like Morse Code? That idea of tapping and sliding fingers would probably make you look like a fool with people looking at you strangely wondering "WTF is he doing?". Second, touch typing is generally the fastest means of data entry. If you have taken typing class, you would know that doing the gestures PER letter would take an immense level of training to change the mode of data entry.

The QWERTY keys are a permanent fixture on today's keyboards, besides the DVORAK. It's easier to learn and recall with this skill. EDIT: In general, 30 WPM is standard (words per minute). But 30 gestural letters/words per minute is impossible.

And lastly, the gestures PER letter has been done a long time ago with Palm's Pilot PDA originally with the stylus pen in the 1990s.

How long does it take to learn standard shorthand? Why should it have to be per-letter gestures? Refer back to the rumor that suggested a "steep learning curve".

[nicholasfukuoka]

I almost hope it is something with a really steep learning curve.

That means they went through the thought process of, okay people have to learn a whole new system and change their thinking about this, and we may actually lose some customers in the process, but in the end this is the logical future of text input and in the long run it's worth it.

[JMax1]

This is starting to sound interesting...

My prediction:
Steve shows the tablet running a multitouch version of Front Row. It works and looks amazing. We all want one the same way the iPhone "had me at scrolling." Everyone is excited. He then presses the "home" button and our minds are blown because that was just one of a dozen apps. iWork, iPhoto, iCal, e-reader, some sort of back-to-my-mac/remote desktop app, and games are demoed. Ridiculous media partnership is announced bringing eBooks, subscription TV, etc. Standing ovation... Steve retires...

EDIT: HP, Dell, Microsoft, Google all $h*t their pants because Apple patents the ******* out of their ingenious new form of text entry, navigation, and gestures on a touch screen.

you brought up something I hadn't considered yet and I really like: remote desktop. Who really cares if it run osx or iphoneos if you can access whatever computer you have at home and whatever programs... If they make it right, it could really be very interesting!!!

[martint84]

you brought up something I hadn't considered yet and I really like: remote desktop. Who really cares if it run osx or iphoneos if you can access whatever computer you have at home and whatever programs... If they make it right, it could really be very interesting!!!

I honestly think that this is going to be the killer app. Apple's always looking for ways to get more people to purchase MobileMe and this could be huge. Imagine dropbox for your entire home library, something like lala for music, etc, etc. I haven't used LogMeIn on the iPhone yet, but that could be interesting on a tablet. The possibilities are endless.

EDIT: Also could be a way of saying, "This thing is already awesome. But if own a Mac as well, look what it can do."

[Maserati7200]

If iWorks will be running on the tablet, doesn't that mean that the slate gets the full-featured MacOS X like all Macs? Doesn't that also imply that it we will see version 10.7 soon, as the current version does not have sufficient support for the tablet? .
Not necessarily. It could be getting its own version of the OS, and an application doesn't mean a new OS. They could make iWork for the iPhone if they wanted under the same OS.

[3N16MA]

If Apple can throw in touch versions of iWork and iLife into the tablet I would be lining up to buy one. I don't want it to simply be a big media player with some apps and games. Being able to use iWork and iLife would make in complete and let it compete with netbooks and CULV based laptops while still being something different and innovative. The iPhone introduction has to be the best keynote Jobs has ever done. He looked like a little kid happy to showoff his new toy. I hope the tablet intro is somewhere near that level.

[wizard]

whats XCode?

It is a suite of tools for writing programs for Mac & the iPhone. Somewhat like Visual Studio from Microsoft. XCode is nice but I sometimes feel it is bleeding edge in the wrong places.

Best part about XCode - it is free! So if you are interested in programming it is a good value.


Dave

[MacTheSpoon]

I hope the article is wrong and that there aren't a slew of gestures you need to memorize for this thing. Multitouch is starting to give me unpleasant flashbacks to all the keystrokes you needed to memorize for command-line OSes, which Apple's GUI made obsolete back in the day, ironically.

Just give me handwriting recognition, a transflective screen, amazing battery life, and OS X: that's all this needs to be a solid product.

[Pilgrim1099]

How long does it take to learn standard shorthand? Why should it have to be per-letter gestures? Refer back to the rumor that suggested a "steep learning curve".

I learned to type more than 20 years ago and have been using the QWERTY form for this long. The tablet is most likely going to use a standard keyboard for this reason.

To learn gestures shorthand, you've probably already know it by now by tinkering with the ipod touch/iphone/macbook air, etc.

The longhand form was, as I remember it, done by stylus on the Palm by writing a letter on the 'writing area' pad. The PDA has to translate that gesture into actual letters. It may be good for simple short messages or note-taking especially coming from the Newton. However, when doing a large document in text, gestures make no sense and would take a long time to complete an entire paper or anything of lengthy matter.

If the gestures use actual movement that look like a letter, then it's not going to be a problem. But if they use an arcane form of multi-touch finger movement, it's going to look weird. The 'steep learning curve' being mentioned in the tablet news is coming from the strong possibility of using more advanced multi-touch movements to operate the system and menu interface. It's UI that's apparently the most advanced compared to iphone but we won't know until we SEE that in action.

I just have a problem with the idea of doing weird finger gestures for typing. Makes no sense. The only reason it would work is if you have a physical disability and can't use fingers nimbly in typing and have to use simplistic gestures to represent each letter and a few movements to complete a sentence. That means using ONE hand, not two.

EDIT: someone above me mentioned wanting handwritten recognition and I agree with this. This is more natural than using weird gestures with fingers to write. And if Apple doe'snt attach a stylus with it, expect 3rd party manufacturers to bring them out.

[jb510]

Tablet is such an illused word. The word has an existing meaning with existing products yet it is getting applied to a host of new products that don't fit the catagory. Perhaps the thing I like best about the term slate it that it suggests a new product catagory and we don't have to listen to the pundits waste air talking about whether it is or isn't a tablet or tablet computer or media device or whatever....

I for one don't really expect or need my iSlate to be a great content creation device, yes I'd like to be able to type on it to keep a journal/diary on it, I'd even like to go through photograhs and choose keepers and losers. Ultimately I need 10% of the functions of a full fleged computer.

I could easily see a multi-touch version of Photoshop, it'd just be an extension of what you do with all the exisiting tablets... Oh there's that word again, you know I mean like wacom tablets, right?

I could also see a multitouch version of logic that actually would perform like all that. Bogus software you see on TV shows (csi miami) grab chunks of audio sliding them around control levels with touch activated sliders. Imagine a pressure sensitive slider.

[wizard]

Why would they? It's like before the iPhone was released, expecting the iPod app to look just like iTunes, or iPhoto or Mail to be drag and drop equivalents.

The problem as I see it is that we have people here dripping like a school girl on her first date thinking iWorks on the tablet will be Judy like what is on the Mac. It's good to get excited but let's face it we are talking a whole new interface here. I just don't see a writer buying such a tablet to write something like War & Peace on it. Unless the interface is far more capable than I imagine the unit will only be useful for casual use. Even then a ten inch tablet doesn't leave much room for two handed usage.

The problem, as I see it, is that expectations are to high. It's not like I don't want to see drastic advancements in input, it's just that I don't see multiTouch doing it alone.


Dave

[huntercr]

My thought is a thing or two that live on the back side. Imagine a hinged loop or two that you can slip your finger through to have a stable grip on the tablet. Swing it (them) out half-way and you have a way to set the tablet on a flat surface (easel props) for when you want to use a BT Keyboard. Swing one of them all the way around and you have a thumb loop, sort of like a painter's palette. This will not be the initial design, but it might show up in later versions.

Nah, I like my idea I suggested earlier better... why have to move your hands to the front of the page? Why not have the touch actions be allowed to work on the backside as well?
Obciously, some of them would stay on the front side like shrink/grow, etc, but if you can articulate it, it should work on the back side. This would make typing a breeze.

[Bodhi395]

I really hope there's touch sensitivity on both sides of the device.... ( screen only one side though ) so you can type from behind. That would not only be very cool, it would allow you to hold the device and type with both hands.

I've heard this theory of typing on the back of the tablet, yet for the life of me I can't figure out how this would work!

How are you supposed to type on a flat surface where you can't see what keys you are typing? Maybe if the back had an actual keypad that you could feel it might sort of work, but even then it would take a long time to get used to. But Apple would never have such an inelegant solution as a physical keyboard on the back of their device. Therefore I don't think a flat touchscreen on the back of the tablet that lets you type is going to happen, and if it does its going to be a disaster.

[Sydde]

Nah, I like my idea I suggested earlier better... why have to move your hands to the front of the page? Why not have the touch actions be allowed to work on the backside as well?
Obciously, some of them would stay on the front side like shrink/grow, etc, but if you can articulate it, it should work on the back side. This would make typing a breeze.

Maybe there would be room enough in there for both of us?

[decson]

Ok, its a word with many meanings however, this could be the next stage of it from the iPhone.

I also hope that the UI is something to learn, at a guess it will be as intuitive as the iPhone OS, my mum even learnt that and she can't text on a nokia!

Every time I watch a sci fi film, there are no lap tops, its all about tablets, whether the data/processing is in a cloud or on the tool.. This perhaps, as are all the tablets used today in science, medical lines are steps in that direction (note no comment of windows tablets, they really don't get the shift or perhaps I have a jaded view..) are moving towards this..

I put a thread on the buyers section of this site, as at present i have an MBP which is heavily under used for its capabilities, an imac for more heavier tasks, and a mac mini for HTPC (got to love Plex lol)..

My question was should I sell the MBP now (before arrendale), I hate sitting on the sofa bent over my laptop, I want a device I can surf, do simple edit of documents, play with iPhoto, without having to have a lap top.. The iPhone is close but too small, underpowered, but its a start..

I want a device I can take when I go to work to read a book, edit photos, check my budget, etc on the tube, I already have to carry around a laptop for work (Windows) and I hate using it for personal reasons.. I don't want to carry two...

All of these stories, even if only a few are true, makes me think why do I want the MBP when this could be it. Perhaps you will be able to connect a blue tooth keyboard et al, however this actually maybe the future, as was the key board in its day. We are just used to it as the norm, or quite a few films are wrong lol...

Ok, perhaps letting my imagination go a bit. but before the iPhone launch did anyone really see a tool such as it? Imagine an app store?

Ok programmers and techies I hear you want the coding, but for day to day use of a tool ok lifestyle capability (ok sorry in online web management and marketing) which is more portable than a laptop even, an air... this for me, I hope (could be wrong) this may be it..

The tool is the base of course, the key differentiator will be two things

Capabilities (apps, locked or not)
Content


Apple has proven they can deliver these two (ok not as much as some of you would like), but this could be the next big thing..

Ok, put my imagination away, but, does anyone think using a keyboard is really natural? whats to say this won't just be that in a few years time....

This article has given me hope (if I needed it) that this won't just be a big touch for films and games, but something more... Perhaps I am wrong and this is a few years off still, but come on, I think change like this can be v good...

Ok nuff said!

G

[martint84]

Maybe this has been suggested before, but I haven't seen it. I took a dvd and held it in my hands. My initial instinct was to hold it in landscape mode. Immediately I realized that my 2 thumbs are in perfect position to type iPhone style. The only difference is... absolutely no cramping and room to adjust/resize the keyboard with plenty of room to spare. So Imagine this:

An iPhone style keyboard split down the middle and pushed to the sides with space in the middle. Now imagine typing a word/pages document with your thumbs, the window in the middle extending from the top of the screen all the way down to the bottom. Easily scroll the window up and down by just extending your thumb to the window in the middle. If you switch to portrait mode, the keyboard extends the entire bottom of the screen. Of course, you would be able to adjust the keyboard size under system preferences to fit your hands perfectly.

Steep learning curve may be due to the split keyboard...

[gnasher729]

I've heard this theory of typing on the back of the tablet, yet for the life of me I can't figure out how this would work!

How are you supposed to type on a flat surface where you can't see what keys you are typing? Maybe if the back had an actual keypad that you could feel it might sort of work, but even then it would take a long time to get used to. But Apple would never have such an inelegant solution as a physical keyboard on the back of their device. Therefore I don't think a flat touchscreen on the back of the tablet that lets you type is going to happen, and if it does its going to be a disaster.

You don't need to see your fingers. There's a thumb on the front, and four fingers on the back. So the software knows your hand position, and the natural position of your fingers. And when you type, it detects which finger moves how far away from its natural position, and that is what chooses the letters.

At the same time, the software has a huge dictionary built in. So if you try to type "quick", and your left little finger is somewhere between the Q and W position, then it picks Q because wuick isn't a word. And the software now knows which positions your fingers go for the letter "q" so it adjusts for that. You use your thumbs to correct any wrong guesses. This is almost the same as what phones do today with predictive texting.

With some good software behind it, this will not need _any_ learning curve. There _is_ an invisible keyboard at the back, and you don't need to learn where it is - it is where your fingers go and it changes when your fingers move. Only thing you need is to learn typing without using your eyes. That may be a learning curve for you, but it will also make you a lot faster.

And of course the OS can display a transparent keyboard together with your finger positions while you are typing. Your fingers in their natural position holding the tablet are on ASDF JKL; and when you type you see where your finger landed.

[sampro]

Developer tools. (http://developer.apple.com/tools/xcode/)

oh thanks for the reply! i cant wait for the macbook pro updates!

[Rocketman]

There some different gestures used on the most recent MacBooks as well as the iPhone and the Magic Mouse. Is there a list or catalog somewhere of all existing gestures?

I presume this tablet will come with API's for new gesture styles, but with as much history as Apple now has on gestures I presume they will keep what they have and add to it incrementally.

Are there some undeployed gestures used in unreleased versions of software currently under review?

Plus there are specific gestures deliniated in the Patents.

Rocketman

[JGowan]

iWork on the Apple Tablet will be nice, but the real killer is Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet.

That will take a few years I guess. If this rumour is true, it will probably make me switch from Office to iWork.

I think NOT having MS Office on the device is awesome. First, it'll convert a lot of PC people to the a slick version of iWork and perhaps whet their appetite to switch.

Second, when the switching starts, MS will take the initiative to create a :apple: Tablet version of Office.

Win win for consumers

[cmaier]

I think NOT having MS Office on the device is awesome. First, it'll convert a lot of PC people to the a slick version of iWork and perhaps whet their appetite to switch.

Second, when the switching starts, MS will take the initiative to create a :apple: Tablet version of Office.

Win win for consumers

You just wrote that not having MS Office on the tablet is good, because it means we will get a version of MS Office on the tablet.

Makes sense to me.

[MacDaddy901]

This was from years ago. I sure the multitouch they were referring to is the trackpads.

[Journojulz]

But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff
You are a musician and can't see exciting potential in a 10-digit multi touch tablet interface?

The virtual instrument potential alone is virtually limitless.

Imagine being able to control 10 simultaneous synth/samplers each with the sensitivity of a theramin......

[blackcrayon]

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

You just reminded me that it would be really nice if it worked with Logic and other audio apps - as a Mac peripheral. Having the mixing desk on a remote window on the tablet while you're working on your primary monitor. Might even be cool for remote setups by giving you an extra "audio controls" (or video controls) display while your main sequence or movie is on your laptop display. Similar to some apps already available for the iphone, but made much more practical by a larger screen.

[odedia]

Geez Apple, how about making a version of iWork that actually works with additional languages? Hebrew is totaly useless on iWork, I can't write in Hebrew properly, and I sure can't open Word documents with Hebrew. Same for Arabic, by the way.

[elfin]

I think Apple is going after the game consoles. The Tablet will be accompanied by a big gaming push. The Touch and the iPhone showed that mobile gaming can be a money maker.

[Bodhi395]

You don't need to see your fingers. There's a thumb on the front, and four fingers on the back. So the software knows your hand position, and the natural position of your fingers. And when you type, it detects which finger moves how far away from its natural position, and that is what chooses the letters.

At the same time, the software has a huge dictionary built in. So if you try to type "quick", and your left little finger is somewhere between the Q and W position, then it picks Q because wuick isn't a word. And the software now knows which positions your fingers go for the letter "q" so it adjusts for that. You use your thumbs to correct any wrong guesses. This is almost the same as what phones do today with predictive texting.

With some good software behind it, this will not need _any_ learning curve. There _is_ an invisible keyboard at the back, and you don't need to learn where it is - it is where your fingers go and it changes when your fingers move. Only thing you need is to learn typing without using your eyes. That may be a learning curve for you, but it will also make you a lot faster.

And of course the OS can display a transparent keyboard together with your finger positions while you are typing. Your fingers in their natural position holding the tablet are on ASDF JKL; and when you type you see where your finger landed.

First of all, I hope you are right and typing on it will be as easy as you say.

But, it seems like while in theory the computer recognizing your finger positions and being able to tell what keys you are intending to press seems like it will work, I'm not sure it will work that easily in reality. I can see it making alot of mistakes and really making people mad trying to type on it.

I also know from experience that predictive typing in alot of cases does not work. I sure wouldn't really want to use it to type long papers or documents, although its sort of useful for texting and emails.

I think we all are so accustomed to the qwerty keyboard that changing that to some revolutionary type of input device will be a hard sell. In the long run it might be better, but intially I can see a back lash against it.

I guess we'll all find out in a few weeks what Apple has in mind.

[diehldun]

I think NOT having MS Office on the device is awesome. First, it'll convert a lot of PC people to the a slick version of iWork and perhaps whet their appetite to switch.

I have both... and if Word is not available there is practically no way in hell I will purchase this device. No comparison, sadly.

[davidwarren]

If there is some version of iLife, I bet it will have an sd card reader in addition to the docking port.

[cmaier]

If there is some version of iLife, I bet it will have an sd card reader in addition to the docking port.

Doubt it. iDisk support and, if we're lucky, shared disk support.

[Eriamjh1138@DAN]

Just some ideas:

A big tablet could recognize printing or handwriting as it is swiped across the screen.
A big tablet could allow for "Fisher Price" sized keyboards that are easier to use than a simple touch keyboard. Maybe they will be scalable so more "content" can be seen at the same time?
A big tablet has unlimited interface possibilities that can be made custom for any app, game, etc. If Apple designs some basic interface guidelines from the start for developers, games can enjoy some consistency in controls, something the iPhone lacks (but could soon gain).

My take: Apple's tablet isn't going to be anything new in hardware. What will be new will be what it does, how one works with it, and what we think a tablet really is.

They haven't been working for years on a tablet design. They have been working on how to use it. It's like the guy who wanted a way of moving a cursor on the screen and invented the mouse.

Maybe I'm full of it... but I can't wait to see what everyone will likely say "duh!" when it is revealed, but no one thought of it first.

[meeksdigital]

iWork on the Apple Tablet will be nice, but the real killer is Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet.

or neo office.

screw microsoft lol

[str1f3]

I have both... and if Word is not available there is practically no way in hell I will purchase this device. No comparison, sadly.

It all depends on what you need it for. I could say that you may not even need iWork at all when MS debuts their free ad-based version of Office.

Most, I would assume, just need to type up basic Word docs and Pages does provide that functionality.

[MacSimoPark]

WTF Apple... do you think you could possible fix the basics, first?

Like how you get this every other time you sort...

[powers74]

I liked that Apple patent where gesturing with your middle finger put the text into all caps. Pretty slick.

*golf clap*

But if this is indeed true, then it looks like I will never be getting a laptop. MacPro + iSlate + iPhone = perfect combo.

[Zeos]

Folks, it's no mystery that Apple intends the tablet to be an EXTENSION to your current Mac or Macbook. Scientists, artists, engineers, everyone will be able to carry this tablet around to access all of their stuff on their main computer. Think cloud computing. Everything Apple is doing is bringing us to this point of integrating our computer life. It might not be perfect with round 1, but just watch and see how Apple presents this.

[cvaldes]

Folks, it's no mystery that Apple intends the tablet to be an EXTENSION to your current Mac or Macbook. Scientists, artists, engineers, everyone will be able to carry this tablet around to access all of their stuff on their main computer. Think cloud computing. Everything Apple is doing is bringing us to this point of integrating our computer life. It might not be perfect with round 1, but just watch and see how Apple presents this.
I believe your basic premise that the tablet complements your other Apple devices is correct but your target audience is wrong.

This is a *consumer* device. It is all about Joe Consumer accessing mass media and App Store offerings. It has little to do with esoteric interest groups like scientists and engineers (although I'm sure many of them will find the device useful).

The device is for the iPhone marketplace. That is where the growth is.

Ever since the App Store came online, I find myself using my MacBook far less. It's the primary choice for certain tasks (photo editing, HD video editing, etc.), but there are a lot of things I prefer to do on my iPod touch. Your computer is will become more of a specialty use item.

[John McCollum]

You don't need to see your fingers. There's a thumb on the front, and four fingers on the back. So the software knows your hand position, and the natural position of your fingers. And when you type, it detects which finger moves how far away from its natural position, and that is what chooses the letters.

At the same time, the software has a huge dictionary built in. So if you try to type "quick", and your left little finger is somewhere between the Q and W position, then it picks Q because wuick isn't a word. And the software now knows which positions your fingers go for the letter "q" so it adjusts for that. You use your thumbs to correct any wrong guesses. This is almost the same as what phones do today with predictive texting.

With some good software behind it, this will not need _any_ learning curve. There _is_ an invisible keyboard at the back, and you don't need to learn where it is - it is where your fingers go and it changes when your fingers move. Only thing you need is to learn typing without using your eyes. That may be a learning curve for you, but it will also make you a lot faster.

And of course the OS can display a transparent keyboard together with your finger positions while you are typing. Your fingers in their natural position holding the tablet are on ASDF JKL; and when you type you see where your finger landed.

I can't imagine that Apple would create a system that could only be operated by those who know touch-typing. I type 80 words a minute, but many other people I know still do hunt-and-peck.

I travel a lot in other countries and see many keyboards where each key represents multiple potential characters; each stroke is modified by function and control keys. I can't imagine that most people typing on those keyboards have memorized all of the combos -- they have to look occasionally.

In short, I think that you'll still need to have an option that at least mimics a physical keyboard that one can look at while typing.

[Sydde]

Of course no one has considered the obvious touch use: the power switch will be like on some older systems, a switch under a smooth surface. Except, the surface will be an oval depression in the screen's border area, containing an elaborate sensor that, if you want, can restrict access to your tablet based on thumb-print recognition. No password authorization required. Look for this in rev. E.

[melchior]

there is no doubt that iwork lacks a lot of advanced features many require in MS office.

the thing is though, you're not going to be doing advanced scripting or layout on the tablet. mostly it would be display and editing.

[cvaldes]

there is no doubt that iwork lacks a lot of advanced features many require in MS office.

the thing is though, you're not going to be doing advanced scripting or layout on the tablet. mostly it would be display and editing.
One of the few sane comments from all of the tablet speculation threads.

You are part of a rare group of individuals here.

[Zeos]

I believe your basic premise that the tablet complements your other Apple devices is correct but your target audience is wrong. This is a *consumer* device. It is all about Joe Consumer accessing mass media and App Store offerings. It has little to do with esoteric interest groups like scientists and engineers (although I'm sure many of them will find the device useful).

True, Apple must target the masses since that is where most of the cash is. But working with a large national engineering company that has recently made the moved to Macs, we've been assured by Apple that their future products will not leave business and Education behind. I'm sure their future products will be developed primarily with Joe Consumer in mind, but also with some thought given to business utility. The potential of the "Slate" is getting a lot of interest in business.

[crash8130]

I can't imagine that Apple would create a system that could only be operated by those who know touch-typing. I type 80 words a minute, but many other people I know still do hunt-and-peck.

I travel a lot in other countries and see many keyboards where each key represents multiple potential characters; each stroke is modified by function and control keys. I can't imagine that most people typing on those keyboards have memorized all of the combos -- they have to look occasionally.

In short, I think that you'll still need to have an option that at least mimics a physical keyboard that one can look at while typing.


I was actually thinking something similar to this. Two buttons on each side where your thumbs are and eight buttons one the back..One for each finger.. this would allow for typing. all though you would have to learn what each button is, I think you could eventually type very fast like this. I dunno just an idea. Can't wait to see what they have done.

[DoNoHarm]

this whole tablet thing is so exciting. It's like star trek. All their computers were touchscreens!

[Maserati7200]

You just wrote that not having MS Office on the tablet is good, because it means we will get a version of MS Office on the tablet.

Makes sense to me.
I lol'd

[cmaier]

this whole tablet thing is so exciting. It's like star trek. All their computers were touchscreens!

Not until TNG, IRC. The original series was all knobs and sliders.

[drmacnut]

My prediction:
Steve shows the tablet running a multitouch version of Front Row. It works and looks amazing. We all want one the same way the iPhone "had me at scrolling." Everyone is excited. He then presses the "home" button and our minds are blown because that was just one of a dozen apps. iWork, iPhoto, iCal, e-reader, some sort of back-to-my-mac/remote desktop app, and games are demoed. Ridiculous media partnership is announced bringing eBooks, subscription TV, etc. Standing ovation... Steve retires...

EDIT: HP, Dell, Microsoft, Google all $h*t their pants because Apple patents the ******* out of their ingenious new form of text entry, navigation, and gestures on a touch screen.

That was well put, martint84! Well put indeed, highly amusing, and highly plausible too!

To the other person who inferred that Pages and Numbers would not be good on a tablet Mac, I disagree: modified for the tablet format, both apps would be great, just as the whole iLife suite would be. What a natural fit iWork and iLife would make for an "iLife" device! Just think: Apple's been testing parts of iWork in the "cloud" this past year; MobileMe development has been a big push for the company; WWAN 3G wireless internet support is now native in Snow Leopard; there has been increased testing and deployment of multi-touch in MacBook/Pro and mouse; and so on. There's more too, but these things all seem to be testing aspects of future portable computing, tablet-style!

[spillproof]

If Apple did work hand writing recognition into iWork for the tablet and you could use a stylus pen, there is a 90% chance I would buy it.

I guess bluetooth to the iphone with the apple wireless keyboard is dead, would sell less tablets...

Not so dead!

http://bit.ly/7iqsRd

Your link doesn't work, but 3PM are stepping up to the plate with hard keyboards. At least that is what Ion, with the iType (http://www.ionaudio.com/itype), wants you to believe at CES.

[huntercr]

I've heard this theory of typing on the back of the tablet, yet for the life of me I can't figure out how this would work!

How are you supposed to type on a flat surface where you can't see what keys you are typing? Maybe if the back had an actual keypad that you could feel it might sort of work, but even then it would take a long time to get used to. But Apple would never have such an inelegant solution as a physical keyboard on the back of their device. Therefore I don't think a flat touchscreen on the back of the tablet that lets you type is going to happen, and if it does its going to be a disaster.

you would "see" you fingers on the other side.. they would show up as shadows when they touched the screen. ( or better yet, transparent screens like the demo device someone just posted ).
It would be tricky that's for sure. Since I was thinking you would have total multitouch on front and back, you could just stick with front only if you wanted and then try out the back side if you were feeling more "advanced" maybe?

I dunno. We'll find out in a couple of weeks what Apple has in store!


Charles

[dernhelm]

Why does anyone think XCode would be ported to run on an ARM processor? This is just plain crazy. You could get gcc running (if they supported Terminal) but XCode?

But even if porting XCode was "free" (meaning easily accomplished and simple), Apple wouldn't do it. For one thing, it is barely usable on a 13" widescreen monitor (hard enough on a 17" monitor). On a 10" device? It would be horrific. For another, Apple wants to use devices like iPods, iPhones, and this new tablet to spark sales of their other Macintosh computers.

This device will not be considered to be a notebook computer replacement if it is running an ARM processor. There is just too many things that won't run on it, with no simple port.

What Apple is banking on, is that there are a lot of people that are currently buying notebook computers, because that's all the industry is offering, but that's not what they really want. There are a lot of people buying notebooks with no intention of coding, or photoshopping, or editing home movies on them. That stuff doesn't matter, they just want to see their media (movies, music, photos, books, magazines, newspapers, etc.), put together simple presentations, and surf the web.

Apple plans on giving them that device in a way that no one else can. When they do, the collective moan from the ubergeeks will ring out saying: "But I can't replace my Macbook with it because it doesn't do 'X'". To which I reply, this device really isn't for you anyway.

[ravenvii]

you would "see" you fingers on the other side.. they would show up as shadows when they touched the screen. ( or better yet, transparent screens like the demo device someone just posted ).
It would be tricky that's for sure. Since I was thinking you would have total multitouch on front and back, you could just stick with front only if you wanted and then try out the back side if you were feeling more "advanced" maybe?

I dunno. We'll find out in a couple of weeks what Apple has in store!


Charles

Maybe it'd work like, you put your fingers wherever, and that will be your "home" position, and you just start typing, and the computer would be smart enough to figure out which letter you're "hitting" (if you move your left index finger upwards and tap, that'd be a "r", and if you move your right middle finger down, it'd be a "," and so on.

Just an idea I'm throwing out there, no one really knows what Apple will come up with, though.

[mdriftmeyer]

WTF Apple... do you think you could possible fix the basics, first?

Like how you get this every other time you sort...

Possibly, but I digress.

What reproducible scenario are you inferring?

what ownership read/write permissions are on your files and in you basic system configuration for security?

644? 611?

Are you parent folders 755? 711?

What suid do you have on your files?

[huntercr]

Maybe there would be room enough in there for both of us?

Yes, sorry I chose that phrasing poorly. I can see a lot of practical benefit to your idea too.

[melchior]

you guys are getting crazy with your behind the screen keyboard ideas. it's way too esoteric. try holding a book that weighs about a kilogram or so (based on a 10" cover) and try to imagine typing on the back.

this will not happen. it will be an on-screen keyboard. this is guaranteed by the success of the keyboard on the iphone. what we will see slow and steady development of, as indicated by this article years of patents and acquisitions is increasing use of gestures.

if you want to look to the future, look to minority report style developments. the idea is to make things easier and more efficient, not harder.

[Ironduke]

speech input is not practical for most people who have to do real work, and especially not for places where the tablet is most likely to be used (while commuting, flying, out in public, etc.)

maybe thats the difficult part we have told about, training the device to your voice.

Its about time advances were made in voice technology.

[melchior]

maybe thats the difficult part we have told about, training the device to your voice.

Its about time advances were made in voice technology.

just after i railed against you all for your crazy ideas, may i propose that while the likelihood highly sophisticated voice input is inevitable, it's just not marketable to the mainstream. however, as direct neural interface control rapidly picks up pace, this is the future you are looking for.

edit: and this will be a commercial product much sooner than you many anticipate.

[cmaier]

maybe thats the difficult part we have told about, training the device to your voice.

Its about time advances were made in voice technology.

You misunderstand my point. People who type or use manual input devices have some modicum of privacy. Having to speak aloud eliminates any privacy. For many professionals vocal input is an absolute impossibility.

[Master Chief]

Acording to apple there is no tablet
Right. And there was no iPhone either...

[melchior]

Right. And there was no iPhone either...

or intel macs. :apple:

[niji]

although apple seems to be putting all its effort into on-screen keyboard techniques, i wonder how a model could be made with a physical keyboard that is sliding out from/retracting back into the main body, such as is on many slider keyboard mobile phones.

iWork: current version is '09. it sounds credible that a new version would come out in late january.

[Shodan]

Shame they did not implement this before hand when we have had Multitouch for the past two years..?

Kind of annoying.

[cmaier]

Shame they did not implement this before hand when we have had Multitouch for the past two years..?

Kind of annoying.

You need everything immediately?

[kennycheng93]

Don't tell me we will need to buy iWork separately if we buy Apple Tablet.

[str1f3]

What Apple is banking on, is that there are a lot of people that are currently buying notebook computers, because that's all the industry is offering, but that's not what they really want. There are a lot of people buying notebooks with no intention of coding, or photoshopping, or editing home movies on them. That stuff doesn't matter, they just want to see their media (movies, music, photos, books, magazines, newspapers, etc.), put together simple presentations, and surf the web.

Apple plans on giving them that device in a way that no one else can. When they do, the collective moan from the ubergeeks will ring out saying: "But I can't replace my Macbook with it because it doesn't do 'X'". To which I reply, this device really isn't for you anyway.

If this is your belief then it will cater to a very, very small crowd unlike the iPhone. It will not only be ubergeeks that have a problem with this. The average user generally has basic apps which are necessary for them. And yes, photo and video editing are two of them. When you mention that these people want to watch their movies, this also include home movies which they edit. These can be replaced by third party apps though the concerns of the openness of the OS will also come into play.

I don't think that this is just some content consuming device otherwise there is no point to having iWork on it. I think that this is eventually where the Mac OS is headed. This tablet will be initially underpowered but it will be considerably moreso in the years to come.

If this is just a device for consuming media, Apple will have hard time selling it in an economy with a 10% unemployment rate and unofficial rate that is twice as high. It is relatively easy justifying the price of a Mac and iPhone. It would be very hard to justify what is essentially a luxury device.

[melchior]

If this is your belief then it will cater to a very, very small crowd unlike the iPhone. It will not only be ubergeeks that have a problem with this. The average user generally has basic apps which are necessary for them. And yes, photo and video editing are two of them. When you mention that these people want to watch their movies, this also include home movies which they edit. These can be replaced by third party apps.

I don't think that this is just some content consuming device. I think that this is eventually where the Mac OS is headed. This tablet will be initially underpowered but it will be considerably moreso in the years to come.

The question I have is how open will this OS be considering Apple has shown recently that they'd completely lock down an OS.

basic video editing is likely and possible, such as already on the iphone. but you can't expect final cut to run. at least not in the near future.

this is to be a consumer device for primarily for consuming. yes that means playing back and basic edits of videos and photos, but do you really want to be encoding on a machine that's not powerful enough to run a fully powered os x?

it won't be a replacement for creators, but could be for consumers.

[Friscohoya]

http://www.fingerworks.com/gesture_guide.html


As recently as two days ago this link worked and referenced numerous fingerworks gestures that were in existence back in 2007 when Apple acquired them. It has now been shut down. I smell some track covering. Not that I dont think its obvious that the new tablet will feature advanced multitouch, I think that this change to the fingerworks website is further evidence.

It will take a bit of time to learn this new feature "language". But this will represent the start of a new revolution in computing.

[CQd44]

You need everything immediately?

Might've given them time to implement it and work out the kinks.

[str1f3]

basic video editing is likely and possible, such as already on the iphone. but you can't expect final cut to run. at least not in the near future.

this is to be a consumer device for primarily for consuming. yes that means playing back and basic edits of videos and photos, but do you really want to be encoding on a machine that's not powerful enough to run a fully powered os x?

it won't be a replacement for creators, but could be for consumers.

The average user or even ubergeek doesn't need Final Cut or Photoshop. Those are for people who need it for work and not play. If iMovie, Acorn or Pixelmator were moved to this platform then that should be enough.

Regardless of Apple's intentions it will be a computer because of the App Store apps. The most important question is how locked down will this platform be. This nonsense of locking people into the App Store will have to end.


Looking at any sci-fi movie tells you that gesture-based controls on touscreens future. I'd hate for Apple's version of the future resembling 1984 rather than Star Trek.

[cmaier]

Don't tell me we will need to buy iWork separately if we buy Apple Tablet.

Why not? You had to buy it separately for your Apple Mac.

[aswitcher]

iSlate with OSX supporting iWorks and decent virtual keyboard. Sold. This is what I want to replace my MBP.

[MikhailT]

Don't tell me we will need to buy iWork separately if we buy Apple Tablet.

Why not? You had to buy it separately for your Apple Mac.


I think there'll be basic iWork Mobile for the slate. That's something they'll need to push to get people to buy the tablet. Then again, basic and full version are one more version that they don't want to do.

The only thing I want in iWork is...OneNote type of app. That'll be the killer app for me on both Macs and iSlates.

[AidenShaw]

Possibly, but I digress.

What reproducible scenario are you inferring?

what ownership read/write permissions are on your files and in you basic system configuration for security?

644? 611?

Are you parent folders 755? 711?

What suid do you have on your files?

But Apples are supposed to "just work".

Why are you asking the Unix geeky questions?

[kennycheng93]

I think iWork will support handwriting. I'm not sure if people prefer virtual keyboard or handwriting. I personally like handwriting more.

I hope on Jan. 26th or 27th, Apple will update MBP, MBA, announce iSlate, iLife 10 and iWork 10.

[neutrino23]

I think my idea may be plausible, of Apple creating a new system of text input based on gestures. Basically reinventing the system of typing to be used on 21st century touch devices rather than typewriters.

Maybe they will try to reintroduce Gregg Shorthand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_shorthand

[Hunabku]

i could see that voice recognition would be key for productivity apps on a tablet - because typing will always be a challenge - i.e. tweaked neck, etc.

Now it seems like decent voice recognition is happening with servers. Dragon iphone server-based dictation is pretty good, especially as it requires no training (unlike the desktop version). I've got no experience with google voice but i assume its comparable to dragon's.

I always thought it would be a great use of apple's multi-billion dollar stash to invest some of it in pushing the edge of voice recognition. But alas the lack of cutting-edge software/hardware or even rumors indicate that this is probably not the case.

It would be awesome if apple designed a chip specifically to boost voice recognition to the next level. Perhaps a chip/software would work with servers to even push it further. Well it should be interesting to see how :apple: deals with text on a tablet -> heres to hopin you'll surprise me steve.

[currentinterest]

It will not be OS X as we know it on Macs, but a Mobile OS using specially built gesture friendly software for productivity apps. Little, if any current software will work unless it is an App built to Mobile OS X specifications, and yes it WILL be sold through the App store. Some developers and a few consumers don't like this, but it is the easiest way to buy and sell software ever invented.

[Marx55]

In relation to the above comments, it is true that there are Microsoft Office alternatives that are much better (interface). But the problem is that the world has a standard, which sadly is the horrible Microsoft Office.

That is why it is so important that the Apple Tablet runs Microsoft Office. That is why it has been so important that the Mac runs the also horrible Windows. Sadly, you need it sometimes and such feature makes million of PC users to switch to Mac as well.

Concerning Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet, you need it for compatibility with the Windows world when dealing with complex (not necessarily long) documents with fonts, backgrounds, colors, tables, pictures, animations, etc.

There are incompatibilities between Microsoft Office for Mac versions, there are also incompatibilities between Microsoft Office for Windows versions, and there are of course incompatibilities between Microsoft Office for Mac and Windows. But they are far less than between Microsoft Office and other developers/packages.

Sad but true. That is why, as much as I HATE all Microsoft horrible products, I need them in my Mac. Just for compatibility with the world.

[MacFly123]

Aaahhhh, how long has it been since I predicted this? A year or two :confused::confused: :D

I just hope the multi-touch gestures and chords don't get too crazy with this interface because some of finger works ideas were overly complicated and poorly implemented!

I will also predict right now that the 'SURPRISING' way the user will interact with iSlate, will be advanced multi-touch and chords! So let it be written! :D

[greygray]

Could this mean Apple is going to give the Tablet a touch optimized OS X?

[MacFly123]

Could this mean Apple is going to give the Tablet a touch optimized OS X?

Here we go again! :rolleyes:

YES, they already have created it. It is called iPhone OS, perhaps you have heard of it!

[melchior]

Aaahhhh, how long has it been since I predicted this? A year or two :confused::confused: :D

I just hope the multi-touch gestures and chords don't get too crazy with this interface because some of finger works ideas were overly complicated and poorly implemented!

I will also predict right now that the 'SURPRISING' way the user will interact with iSlate, will be advanced multi-touch and chords! So let it be written! :D

that's hardly a prediction at this point.

Could this mean Apple is going to give the Tablet a touch optimized OS X?

and neither is this.

[whiteboytrash]

Thank-you. Excellent post.

When I watch Ballmer at CES using the HP tablet he looked so awkward in using it. Trying to hold the edges without mistakenly touching the surface is hard work. Also as you point out if you holding the device with one hand means you only have one hand free for input. Works much better on a smaller device whereby you can hold the device without losing the use of both hands. I'm really not sure how they're going to overcome these input issues. Therefore I think the formfactor will be much different than a basic rectangle.

I think Andy Inhatko pretty much sums it up http://bit.ly/4D1u30

The iPhone UI isn’t a desktop user interface where a pen takes the place of a mouse ... which is the model that previous smartphones followed. It was designed to be held in one hand and tapped with your thumb. Occasionally you’d use the index finger of the right hand to key things in.

You want to try to figure out the UI of the RAT (Rumored Apple Tablet)? Go get yourself a comic book, or any other rectangle that measures roughly 10” on the diagonal. Hold it as though you’re reading what’s on the surface.

You see the problem? Your fingers get in the way. Think about how big that surface is, too. That’s a lot of acreage to scan, looking for the right buttons to push.

While you’ve got it in your hands, imagine that it’s a sheet of thin steel. That’s heavy, isn’t it? Hard to hold up for long periods of time.

Think about how a user interface would have to incorporate those observations. Now imagine that you’ve been doing this experiment for four years and not four minutes.

[snowleopard48]

i so hope that is true. it would make the tablet work for me. also i then expect pixelmator/photoshop et al. to follow.

I personally hope that logic studio will be available for the tablet. I can see people using mainstage on their tablets when performing live, or writing music in logic pro.

I think apple will make an external display specifically for the tablet, so that when you plug the screen in, the tablet becomes a keyboard, with a virtual mouse (this could be a large circle, that you move your finger in, and tap to click) and this would make the input method a bit similar to the macs we have today.

:apple:SnowLeopard48:apple:

[Nic0]

iSlate with OSX supporting iWorks and decent virtual keyboard. Sold. This is what I want to replace my MBP.

If it has a video output, it will also replace my MB unibody :)

I just watch movies and make Keynote presentation with it, so an iSlate will be perfect

[Thex1138]

Looks like the Apple foot soldiers are out in force now....
There seem to be a few 'ex-employees' spreading rumors this-n-that...

[ELScorcho9]

Maybe they will try to reintroduce Gregg Shorthand.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregg_shorthand


I think we were all hoping it would come to some sort of shorthand input method.

[melchior]

If it has a video output, it will also replace my MB unibody :)

I juste watch movies and make Keynote presentation with it, so an iSlate will be perfect

it will be funny if the islate if the first apple computer to have hdmi out.

that being said, a lot of the processor intensive applications people are demanding, their software for photo, video and music production should expect to see more in the way or remote software that takes advantage of fast wireless networking rather than processor cycles.

[catsick]

If i was making a 7-10 inch slate type thing I would not go for thumb control on the slate like the iphone, what makes most sense to me would be to have at least some of the gestures done by your fingers on the back of the slate as you hold it , holding with both hands my apple remote keyboard is going to give you two thumbs that can each cover a small part of the front , but 8 fingers able to do all sorts of things on the back, plus they dont obscure or smear the screen, just a thought and remember you heard it here first :)

[chris.stone]

My prediction for an Apple tablet spec

10-13 inch multi-touch screen display
2gb ram
120-250gb solid state hard drive
2x usb 2.0 in put
mini DVI out
bulit-in iSight cam
external superdrive from mac book air can be used to install software
an optional stylus can be used (stylus could have a built in microphone?)

next versions of iLife and iWork will offer support

Loigc and Final Cut will not work on the device

some form of apple drawing tool to take advantage of the touch screen (sketchpad???)

[Nic0]

My prediction for an Apple tablet spec

10-13 inch multi-touch screen display
2gb ram
120-250gb solid state hard drive
2x usb 2.0 in put
mini DVI out
bulit-in iSight cam
external superdrive from mac book air can be used to install software
an optional stylus can be used (stylus could have a built in microphone?)

next versions of iLife and iWork will offer support

Loigc and Final Cut will not work on the device

some form of apple drawing tool to take advantage of the touch screen (sketchpad???)

It will be mini displayport, not mini DVI

[MikeELL]

I think I remember an Apple patent a while back that described handwriting recognition - but was much more sophisticated than trying to recognise what a stylus was doing on the screen. There was no stylus involved - it was a case of "place your hand on the screen and imagine you're holding a pen, now write". It worked by recognising the pad of the index finger and the side of the hand resting on the screen. This is the most intuitive solution I can imagine and it would be THE killer app if it was good. It's also something that would be "surprising" and something that Steve could be "very happy with"

Incidentally, the ability of content creation on the tablet would cannibalise even further from the plain white MacBook. Given Apple's habit of taking stuff away even as they give new products - I would say this gives further weight to my speculative predictions (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9012353#post9012353) that the tablet will be the next generation MacBook.

[ricksbrain]

From beststuff.com regarding Fingerworks stuff before they were bought by Apple:

"Our TouchStream gesture keyboards pack a lot of power," explains Jeff Green, FingerWorks Mac-Products Sales Manager. "People are amazed by all the things a hand gesture user interface provides. We have a large number of easy- to-use gestures that cover just about every common computer operation. Users don't have to reach for hot-keys because gestures are faster and easier to do. Reaches for the touchpad are also eliminated because the pointing function always stays with the fingers. With our new gesture customization utilities, users are able to map any gesture to any function in their favorite application, and our XWinder utility allows users to move and resize windows in one step with hand rotation."

One MacNTouch user commented: "This technology is so cool; I'm surprised Apple didn't come up with it first. It's really nice not having to move my hands off the keyboard to reach for the touchpad anymore, and I just love the gestures. One thing's a little weird though -- typing is done in complete silence -- it's like one of those keyboards you see on Star Trek. "

Here's the MacRumors link for the keyboard circa 2007. Now imagine such a thing popping up as a software keyboard. Seems... Apple.

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/11/01/apple-researching-touch-surface-keyboard/

:eek:

[MikeELL]

Just found this link which I thought was worth reposting. This is where they got up to with the Newton before it was canned. Pretty impressive. It would be even more impressive if you didn't have to use a stylus:

http://homepage.mac.com/weeno/.Movies/newtonsayhello.mov

[zed2]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

My prediction for an Apple tablet spec

10-13 inch multi-touch screen display
2gb ram
120-250gb solid state hard drive
2x usb 2.0 in put
mini DVI out
bulit-in iSight cam
external superdrive from mac book air can be used to install software
an optional stylus can be used (stylus could have a built in microphone?)

next versions of iLife and iWork will offer support

Loigc and Final Cut will not work on the device

some form of apple drawing tool to take advantage of the touch screen (sketchpad???)

It will be mini displayport, not mini DVI

Nope it's more likely to be via the iPod dock which apple have set as their default niw

[Pilgrim1099]

I remember this page very well a few years ago and have seen images of hand diagrams showing advanced gesture movements. A good friend of mine who worked for IBM back then bought the multi-touch keyboard for his PC and he was very happy with it. The reason the keyboard is in such a niche industry was designed, I believe, originally to relieve people with carpal tunnel's/tendonitis by combining the trackpad and keyboard into one unit.

They had to take the page down right before they got bought out and moved their company within Apple as a new division.

Anyway, I strongly believe the tablet/slate will have more advanced multi-touch techniques that will be EXACTLY the same as the original Fingerworks keyboard, not seen or done on iphone/ipod touches. The keyboard will be the standard QWERTY as usual either as an Ion hard keyboard flipped over on top of it OR as a 'virtual keyboard'. I'm betting it's virtual just like the iphone/ipod touch and other touchscreen devices.

The advanced multi-touch techniques are also used to access hotkeys and shortcuts to get the job done. Now imagine all Photoshop hot-key/shortcuts, within 3 to 5 years, using multi-touch shortcut commands. That's extremely plausible and applicable.

http://www.fingerworks.com/gesture_guide.html


As recently as two days ago this link worked and referenced numerous fingerworks gestures that were in existence back in 2007 when Apple acquired them. It has now been shut down. I smell some track covering. Not that I dont think its obvious that the new tablet will feature advanced multitouch, I think that this change to the fingerworks website is further evidence.

It will take a bit of time to learn this new feature "language". But this will represent the start of a new revolution in computing.

[Pilgrim1099]

Are you suggesting we put our hand on the trackpad, pretending to hold a pen and write? One problem with this idea is that you have to MOVE your hand from left to right just like on paper to formulate a sentence naturally.

It makes no sense to just keep your hand still and "write" because it's counter-intuitive.

I think I remember an Apple patent a while back that described handwriting recognition - but was much more sophisticated than trying to recognise what a stylus was doing on the screen. There was no stylus involved - it was a case of "place your hand on the screen and imagine you're holding a pen, now write". It worked by recognising the pad of the index finger and the side of the hand resting on the screen. This is the most intuitive solution I can imagine and it would be THE killer app if it was good. It's also something that would be "surprising" and something that Steve could be "very happy with"

Incidentally, the ability of content creation on the tablet would cannibalise even further from the plain white MacBook. Given Apple's habit of taking stuff away even as they give new products - I would say this gives further weight to my speculative predictions (http://forums.macrumors.com/showthread.php?p=9012353#post9012353) that the tablet will be the next generation MacBook.

[Pilgrim1099]

That's exactly what it is. Besides, the MacNTouch keyboard was quite expensive at the time. I think it cost close to between $250-$300. And yes, they were AHEAD of Apple on this. If I'm not mistaken, someone else wanted to buy FingerWorks out but Apple decided to make that move quickly. I can't remember exactly but it was a minor story behind the acquisition. When Apple saw what FingerWorks did, they wet their pants and were impressed, and envious in the same time wishing they had developed this originally.

The TouchStream LP was made for the Windows platform and they also designed a Mac version of it. Now, ask yourself this:

"Why did'nt Steve Jobs implement a hard keyboard with multi-touch just like TouchStream on the MacBook Pros or other laptop products??"

Think about it. With flat, hard keys with multi-touch, when you close the lid, you don't have to worry about scratching the glass like the old laptops did when standard keys had to be squeezed in. And plus, no need to worry about keys 'wearing out' over time.

They had FingerWorks right there in their hands in 2007. They could have transitioned that technology to get rid of standard keys to reduce maintenance or manufacturing expenses. Don't get me wrong. He could have done this last year but I'm betting that IF he's that smart enough to see this opportunity, it's a matter of when he's going to either use 'virtual keyboards' or multi-touch keyboards (a la TouchStream) on future laptops.

If he wakes up and smells the coffee, that is. It would be fantastic because it would benefit a lot of users who have cramped hands or have bouts of carpal tunnel's. After all, it would be a sense of corporate responsibility to make things better and productive for us.

From beststuff.com regarding Fingerworks stuff before they were bought by Apple:

"Our TouchStream gesture keyboards pack a lot of power," explains Jeff Green, FingerWorks Mac-Products Sales Manager. "People are amazed by all the things a hand gesture user interface provides. We have a large number of easy- to-use gestures that cover just about every common computer operation. Users don't have to reach for hot-keys because gestures are faster and easier to do. Reaches for the touchpad are also eliminated because the pointing function always stays with the fingers. With our new gesture customization utilities, users are able to map any gesture to any function in their favorite application, and our XWinder utility allows users to move and resize windows in one step with hand rotation."

One MacNTouch user commented: "This technology is so cool; I'm surprised Apple didn't come up with it first. It's really nice not having to move my hands off the keyboard to reach for the touchpad anymore, and I just love the gestures. One thing's a little weird though -- typing is done in complete silence -- it's like one of those keyboards you see on Star Trek. "

Here's the MacRumors link for the keyboard circa 2007. Now imagine such a thing popping up as a software keyboard. Seems... Apple.

http://www.macrumors.com/2007/11/01/apple-researching-touch-surface-keyboard/

:eek:

[TraceyS/FL]

They had to take the page down right before they got bought out and moved their company within Apple as a new division.

It did work a few days ago (it was the 6th) - dang, i had to get up and do something and didn't save it.

I agree that it is "strange" that it is gone now..... (actually, in looking at my history it was "gesture_keymap" that was posted before, and it's now gone too.)

All i have is this mini screen snap from the cache.... and gee, you can't see jack on it! LOL!!

[zedsdead]

I am getting pretty excited by the Tablet, but I don't see myself using it instead of a laptop. I may get it for other reasons, but iWork would have to be pretty amazing on it to get me to stop carrying my Macbook Pro to work.

I really never understood why Apple doesn't include iWork for free when someone purchases a new Mac. It would add to the adoption rate of iWork rather than having a trial expire and then they just buy Microsoft Office (I have both, but I use iWork for almost everything).

[Pilgrim1099]

That's the one I saw :). I think they were afraid to reveal any surprises but it's really old news to those who owned the TouchStream keyboards. Those who owned the keyboards are ahead of the iphone and 'touchscreen' generation and have greater familiarity with it.

I suspect that if Apple wakes up and smells the coffee, they should seriously consider implementing the 'hard keys' on the laptops and with new 'bumps' that Steve Jobs was talking about for 'haptic feedback', if I understand this right. It can be done. Otherwise, ten years from now, the tablet could replace their laptop line entirely possibly.

They could develop separate haptic feedback keyboards for iMac and Mac Pros as well. Why not, right? DITCH the Magic Mouse and use the combo "TouchStream" version.

EDIT: Case in point, Wacom's Bamboo Touch is a sign of that general direction where things are going in the industry. It's a touchpad for finger gestures when operating Photoshop or other applications and it can also be used to draw/illustrate designs or manipulate imagery. That's why I think Magic Mouse is pointless when a 'touch' keyboard makes more sense.

It did work a few days ago (it was the 6th) - dang, i had to get up and do something and didn't save it.

I agree that it is "strange" that it is gone now..... (actually, in looking at my history it was "gesture_keymap" that was posted before, and it's now gone too.)

All i have is this mini screen snap from the cache.... and gee, you can't see jack on it! LOL!!

[cmaier]

I think we were all hoping it would come to some sort of shorthand input method.

I hope not.

[Rocketman]

I think a big part of the "magic" most people are missing is the back of the device will be like a magic mouse. It's where your fingers are anyway, it is an entirely new paradigm as compared to any mass-marketed product, and thus would require a "learning curve".

Touch sensitive rear cover. Hence the debate over what material it will be. I am betting it interferes with radio signals, like a screen door does.

Some of the older tablet patents showed an optical drive door in the center of the back of the device. If this device had a dock connector in the center of the back, it would "hang" on the dock like an iMac does from its stand. The dock could have all the physical connections needed. Or there could be an Airport/Apple TV type box it talks to by wifi.

Scoop Rocketman

[TraceyS/FL]

I think a big part of the "magic" most people are missing is the back of the device will be like a magic mouse. It's where your fingers are anyway, it is an entirely new paradigm as compared to any mass-marketed product, and thus would require a "learning curve".

Touch sensitive rear cover. Hence the debate over what material it will be. I am betting it interferes with radio signals, like a screen door does.

Scoop Rocketman

I hoping they go out on the limb with this - i can see the debate on whether the "real world" is ready for such a thing going on for the last few years. Something like that would take a pretty big leap of faith that the general population would adopt it. I think that today, with the amount of small touch screen devices - we are there.

One can really hope so anyway!

[Vulpinemac]

i can see how its great for documents with text and such like but i still do like a physical keyboard. Would be interesting to see how you would work photoshop. But my main area is music and i cant see many audio apps such as logic working that well with all this gesture stuff

A simple question for you: Would you record your music on a boombox tape recorder? If not, then why would you even want to try doing high-end audio on such a limited device as even the so-called iSlate is going to be? Your commentary lacks common-sense logic.

This is somewhat good news and I hope Apple does the same for the iPhone. It would seem that Apple is pushing it to eventually become a computer. I hope they would do the same for iLife.

The limiting factors of this becoming one's sole computer still remain. Storage will become an issue unless iTunes offers a subscription based service for music, TV and movies.

I see the tablet eventually becoming a full-blown computer but it may be 5 years away. The question of openness also remains an issue.

You seem to miss what market a device like this should fill--the space between a smart phone and a full-fledged desktop computer. Basically, a good tablet/slate device should handle the portable data-entry niche where it can then synchronize with a stationary desktop either wirelessly or through a docking device. Envision a job site foreman who carries this on (or as part of) his clipboard, having access to engineering drawings and inspection forms for gestural and touch input. Using either a finger or a specific type of stylus, handwritten notes could be added and, if another of Apple's patent applications is true, converted to textual notations in that same documentation.
Finally, do you really want 'openness?' I would think that apps written specifically for such a device's OS and features would be superior to those written for a generic device.

I wouldn't want to the the bulk of my writing or ss work on a netbook, let alone a tablet, but I can see where it would be useful in conjunction with a desktop or full-sized notebook.

Which is exactly where a tablet/slate device should be.

iWork on the Apple Tablet will be nice, but the real killer is Microsoft Office on the Apple Tablet.

As I commented on another thread, you don't want a full OFFICE on such a device. What you want is something like Works, which gives you the basic capabilities without all the fluff and bloat that Office (whether MS, Star or Open) contains. As someone else mentioned, at least for now, capacity is the limiting factor, and to get Solid-State storage capacity, you're going to be spending some money--at least for now. I expect the first couple versions of Apple's device will probably top out at 80GB or so. While that may sound like a lot, if you stuff a full version of Office, your music library and some of the other apps people have mentioned here, that 80 Gig will be swallowed up in no time. Just as an example, my own music library alone takes over 78 Gig. Obviously I wouldn't even want to put my full library on a portable device like that. For one thing, the battery would hardly be able to play for 41 days straight.

[MisterMe]

...

I really never understood why Apple doesn't include iWork for free when someone purchases a new Mac. It would add to the adoption rate of iWork rather than having a trial expire and then they just buy Microsoft Office (I have both, but I use iWork for almost everything).If a buyer wants to pay the premium that Microsoft charges for Office:mac over the price of iWork, then the buyer wants Office:mac. Look. The success of Apple computers depends in large measure on a healthy developer community supporting its platforms.

The original Mac shipped with MacWrite and MacPaint. Many elements of the developer community and some commentators howled like banshees in protest. OTOH, Apple must ensure that its customers have access to the tools to do useful work. It's a balancing act. If no third party is willing to develop the software the take advantage of the capabilities of the Mac, then Apple steps in to fill the breech.

Microsoft is the largest Mac developer outside Apple. Apple does not intend to drive Microsoft away. iWork does not compete with Office:mac. If the day comes when it does, then for whatever reason it will be a bad thing.

[macuser154]

If this is true, does it mean that the Tablet will run Full OS X?

[cmaier]

If this is true, does it mean that the Tablet will run Full OS X?

If you mean mac os x, no.

[Vulpinemac]

Tablets - all tablets - are inferior for many types of content creation due to their lack of keyboards. Some are good for certain types of artistic work, though it helps if they are pressure sensitive and support pens. Some support external keyboards/input devices, which of course makes them as good as anything else.

However, in general, tablets are aimed toward content consumption, typically with subpar content creation input means.

You are both right and wrong here. Yes, all current tablets are inferior--not because of the touch technology, but because the operating systems used and the applications installed were not written with the touch interface in mind; they all use the touch as a pointing device, not as a true interface in itself.

You're definitely wrong about how tablet devices are aimed, too. You make the assumption that since iPhones, ebook readers and other similarly-sized devices are currently made for that niche, then all such devices can only be used in that niche. That's like saying smart phones are only good for enterprise use. Open your mind and look at where such a device could really be used. You might be surprised.

Nah, I wouldn't expect a tablet device to be able to do any heavy, complicated tasks. Consider the size, battery capacity, processing and graphics power, user input interface, etc., it would appear to be the wrong tool for those sort of intensive tasks.

My guess is that there would be a category of lightweight productivity and creative applications designed for the consumer (like iPhoto, maybe a simplified iMovie, simplified iWorks/office type stuff), rather than focus on "prosumer" applications like Logic, Final Cut, Photoshop, etc.

Think about what you just said here. iPhoto, iMovie, even iWork are streamlined, simplified versions of much more complex software. A tablet/slate with iLife and iWork installed would almost perfectly fit the niche of truly portable computing over and above the content consumption market that so many commenters here want to restrict it into.

speech input is not practical for most people who have to do real work, and especially not for places where the tablet is most likely to be used (while commuting, flying, out in public, etc.)

As a writer, I could strongly disagree with you here. I don't get my story ideas by just sitting in front of a keyboard all day; in fact, most of my ideas come to me in dreams and the quickest way to get these down is by having a voice recorder close to hand. Now, if that voice recorder happened to have the ability to convert speech to text (something I don't yet expect, by the way) then this device would be almost perfect for my needs.

What if the new surprise input method were a new evolution of typing using gestures rather than location on a keyboard. For example:

Simultaneous thumb-tap to enter typing mode. All letters represented by a finger tap, combination finger tap, or finger slide. Common words like 'the' could have their own combination as well. Simultaneous thumb-tap to exit typing mode.

Requires a learning curve but it completely eliminates the need for a visual keyboard or pressure feedback etc.

A very nice idea, but how many of us know how to read/write in Braille? I could see this device as potentially able to read Braille input in the way you describe, but unless you're blind, you're right that the learning curve would be steep.


My main question is how will you input text on the tablet?

If you have a text editor program, you can use swipes and gestures for some things(like making text bold or copying), but the main bulk of it is entering text. Therefore I hope Steve has some revolutionary way to enter text, other then simply the virtual keyboard that is on the iphone. If he does have this up his sleeve, and it works really well, the tablet will be a huge success.

For one thing, if the iPhone's virtual keyboard scales with screen size (as it does in some apps between Portrait and Landscape orientation,) then the virtual keyboard may be all you need for casual, short-term typing. I would also expect (and others have expressed this idea as well) that Apple's Bluetooth keyboard or maybe a USB keyboard will be compatible as well, considering the overall concept of this device. However, it seems you've missed the fact that Apple has patented (or an application for one, anyway) the means for a device to read strung-together characters (handwritten?) and recognize them as words rather than single characters, something like the way you are taught to touch-type by thinking the word, not the spelling. Hunt and peck may be good enough for some people, but with computers becoming as ubiquitous as they are in the modern world, touch-typing is not just for secretaries any more.

The point is that Apple's device (almost certainly to be announced on the 26th/27th) may allow for virtual keyboard, real keyboard and handwriting input. The first and last are practically certain, the second a good possiblity.

[cmaier]

As a writer, I could strongly disagree with you here. I don't get my story ideas by just sitting in front of a keyboard all day; in fact, most of my ideas come to me in dreams and the quickest way to get these down is by having a voice recorder close to hand. Now, if that voice recorder happened to have the ability to convert speech to text (something I don't yet expect, by the way) then this device would be almost perfect for my needs.


Well, as a fellow human being who is forced to share said commuter train, plane, etc. with you, I would appreciate if you keep your ideas to yourself. If I want to be subjected to them I'll buy your book. I don't want to have to listen to you speak them aloud while trapped with you in an enclosed space.

[Vulpinemac]

Well, as a fellow human being who is forced to share said commuter train, plane, etc. with you, I would appreciate if you keep your ideas to yourself. If I want to be subjected to them I'll buy your book. I don't want to have to listen to you speak them aloud while trapped with you in an enclosed space.

You seem to be assuming that Voice to Text is all I want. I agree with you that there's a time and place for everything--that includes Voice to Text. On the other hand, at the projected size of the face of this device, a virtual keyboard would serve for all those times when voice won't.

[cmaier]

You seem to be assuming that Voice to Text is all I want. I agree with you that there's a time and place for everything--that includes Voice to Text. On the other hand, at the projected size of the face of this device, a virtual keyboard would serve for all those times when voice won't.

I am making no such assumption about what you want. You responded to my comment about text-to-speech being inappropriate in many places by saying you disagreed with me. Hence I responded on that point.

[zed2]

Wirelessly posted (Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU iPhone OS 3_1_2 like Mac OS X; en-us) AppleWebKit/528.18 (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/4.0 Mobile/7D11 Safari/528.16)

If this is true, does it mean that the Tablet will run Full OS X?

In the same way as the iPhone does. It runs a BSD based os which has roots in OSX but has been customized for the iPhone hardware an UI. If you jailbreak the iPhone then you get all the unix access and so forth.

The slate will be the same it will be BSD based but customised for the slate. Where we get access to the underlying OS or not will remain to be seen. I suspect not!

---Zed

[LagunaSol]

But Apples are supposed to "just work".

Ah, the ever-tired, ever-bogus argument that the superiority of Apple products over Microsoft's implies perfection (or that they can't be tweaked by power users who so choose).

Is there a standard list of talking points the Winbots are issued by Redmond HQ? Wait, I think I hear your fax machine ringing now.

:rolleyes:

P.S. the period should appear inside the quotation mark.

[cmaier]

Ah, the ever-tired, ever-bogus argument that the superiority of Apple products over Microsoft's implies perfection (or that they can't be tweaked by power users who so choose).

Is there a standard list of talking points the Winbots are issued by Redmond HQ? Wait, I think I hear your fax machine ringing now.

:rolleyes:

Costs more
Doesn't "just work"
Less choice
Form over function
Unacceptable for business
Not "open" like Windows
Snobbish status symbol
Cult of Steve
Not as good as alternatives because fewer features, but brainwashed "fanbois" can't see through RDF


P.S.: the period-before-quotes thing was discussed in the NY Times recently. Apparently in England they prefer quote followed by period, and that's been catching on in the U.S. due to the use of computers, but I can't remember why. Something to do with detecting the end of a sentence more easily.

[LagunaSol]

Costs more
Doesn't "just work"
Less choice
Form over function
Unacceptable for business
Not "open" like Windows
Snobbish status symbol
Cult of Steve
Not as good as alternatives because fewer features, but brainwashed "fanbois" can't see through RDF

You forgot "Starbucks." :)

P.S.: the period-before-quotes thing was discussed in the NY Times recently. Apparently in England they prefer quote followed by period, and that's been catching on in the U.S. due to the use of computers, but I can't remember why. Something to do with detecting the end of a sentence more easily.

Using "loose" instead of "lose" (and many other such gaffes) also seems to be catching on in the U.S. due to the use of computers, but that doesn't make it right. ;)

[flopticalcube]

Using "loose" instead of "lose" (and many other such gaffes) also seems to be catching on in the U.S. due to the use of computers, but that doesn't make it right. ;)
Placing the period inside a quoted phrase, as opposed to a quoted sentence, is strictly an American phenomenon. It comes from the days when periods were lost during type setting so they were place before the quotes to remain secure. The rest of the world took its chances with loosing the period. It depends on your perspective as to whether is "right". :D

[cmaier]

Placing the period inside a quoted phrase, as opposed to a quoted sentence, is strictly an American phenomenon. It comes from the days when periods were lost during type setting so they were place before the quotes to remain secure. The rest of the world took its chances with loosing the period. It depends on your perspective as to whether is "right". :D

Right, now I remember. The article I read said that's why Americans are beginning to switch back - no more typesetting due to computers.

p.s.: "loosing." LOL.

[Shodan]

Might've given them time to implement it and work out the kinks.

Exactly.

I could have certainly used Multitouch on my Air, many a time over.

[flopticalcube]

Right, now I remember. The article I read said that's why Americans are beginning to switch back - no more typesetting due to computers.

p.s.: "loosing." LOL.
I wondered if anyone would catch that. :D

[AidenShaw]

Right, now I remember. The article I read said that's why Americans are beginning to switch back - no more typesetting due to computers.

Glad to hear that it's OK. As a programmer (including HTML) it feels more natural to have the "Begin"/"End" tags (the initial capital and the period/question/exclamation/whatever) as the first and last characters of the sentence.

A compiler would barf on

string message="The semicolon ends a statement;"

;)

[HSJR]

i can not imagine how would it looks like; apple shows great design for all it's products; definitely the apple multitouch would be among the awesome notebooks.

[ChocoTaco]

Sorry if this has already been posted. Thought I saw someone say they wished they had saved this.. if so -- luckily I did!



http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab226/MadMax8311/chocotacoApple/01425sz1i2312000.gif?t=1263150520

[Tomsche]

The thing that most are missing here is the OS. This imaginary product must have a completely new OS in order to make an impact. If the iPhone has a proximity sensor, why couldn't that technology be used as another input device? The sensor could allow various forms of motion in front of the screen as input -- a 3-d input device.

I was also taken with the hand-held computers that were waved around in the movie Avatar. Could this be the ultimate pre-announced product placement? Steve Jobs: "Everyone loves the special features on DVD movies. Let me show you an outtake from a scene in Avatar. Now zoom in on that logo right there. . ."

I would also expect an absolutely perfect application of handwriting recognition, but if this product is anything more than imaginary, a new OS for it is a must.

[Jayomat]

while pages and numbers could already be too complicated, considering you want nearly 50% of its features implemented, to use, keynote could be great because most presentations are already "thrown together" by the use of drag&drop, which is easily realized.

[Tomsche]

The thing that most are missing here is the OS. This imaginary product must have a completely new OS in order to make an impact. If the iPhone has a proximity sensor, why couldn't that technology be used as another input device? The sensor could allow various forms of motion in front of the screen as input -- a 3-d input device.

I was also taken with the hand-held computers that were waved around in the movie Avatar. Could this be the ultimate pre-announced product placement? Steve Jobs: "Everyone loves the special features on DVD movies. Let me show you an outtake from a scene in Avatar. Now zoom in on that logo right there. . ."

I would also expect an absolutely perfect application of handwriting recognition, but if this product is anything more than imaginary, a new OS for it is a must.

[TraceyS/FL]

Sorry if this has alrady been posted. Thought I saw someone say they wished they had saved this.. if so -- luckily I did!


Thanks bunches!!!! :cool:

[Ironduke]

Sorry if this has already been posted. Thought I saw someone say they wished they had saved this.. if so -- luckily I did!



http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab226/MadMax8311/chocotacoApple/01425sz1i2312000.gif?t=1263150520

You can actually do alot of that on the magic mouse.

[jeznav]

I think we were all hoping it would come to some sort of shorthand input method.I hope not.

Why not?
SL/iPhone/iPod Touch support Chinese handwriting input.
Whats wrong with not having the tablet transcribing shorthand? You don't have to use it if you don't like it.

[kiljoy616]

After watching some of the tablets companies have come out, They look nice, but seem to have nothing new that a laptop can't do, and just seem lame and not very well thought out.

If apple comes out with one, I feel that its like the iphone is going to bring in a new paradigm shift. :D

[cmaier]

Sorry if this has already been posted. Thought I saw someone say they wished they had saved this.. if so -- luckily I did!


The inordinate complication is due to lack of coping with the z-axis. For example, imagine how much more simple copy and paste would be if the device could sense distance over the glass. To copy, simply grab the selection and pull it away from the screen. To paste, reverse the gesture. Etc.

Why not?
SL/iPhone/iPod Touch support Chinese handwriting input.
Whats wrong with not having the tablet transcribing shorthand? You don't have to use it if you don't like it.


I must have misunderstood the context of the commentary - my understanding was the proposal was that the new input method was some sort of shorthand. My objection is that computers should adapt to me, not vice versa.

[koobcamuk]

iWork beta is actually very good. Something I would consider going back to once I start earning a proper wage!

Right, now I remember. The article I read said that's why Americans are beginning to switch back - no more typesetting due to computers.

p.s.: "loosing." LOL.

American's typically cannot spell well and they suffer from many grammatical issues.

[I WAS the one]

If that tablet will never be able to do any Mac functionality it will be a waste of time. Imagine having the most revolutionary device that can do wonders and it's locked so you can only use it for simple tasks and... Damn! that's what's going on with the iPhone!

never mind. I will be working a way to jailbreake the tablet soon...

[Pilgrim1099]

You got it right there :D. Those are exactly the advanced multi-touch features I saw. I expect most of them to be on the tablet/slate product. This is probably the "deep learning curve" Apple is referring to.

Sorry if this has already been posted. Thought I saw someone say they wished they had saved this.. if so -- luckily I did!



http://i866.photobucket.com/albums/ab226/MadMax8311/chocotacoApple/01425sz1i2312000.gif?t=1263150520

[Pilgrim1099]

You can actually do alot of that on the magic mouse.

(ahem) No you can't. The Magic Mouse is limited to a few multi-touch features. I've tried it out at Small Dog Electronics-Apple Reseller where I live at. It can only do 5 finger swipe commands. Look it up:

http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/

Apple should've gone ahead with a multi-touch keyboard with a built-in trackpad.

[str1f3]

(ahem) No you can't. The Magic Mouse is limited to a few multi-touch features. I've tried it out at Small Dog Electronics-Apple Reseller where I live at. It can only do 5 finger swipe commands. Look it up:

http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/

Apple should've gone ahead with a multi-touch keyboard with a built-in trackpad.

If you download MagicPrefs but, you're right, this way more elaborate.

[ricksbrain]

Wow, those are a lot of gestures! I suspect that you'd be able to proceed without using these with the opportunity to learn more as time goes on, but this seems at first glance to be fairly complex. It's another language, really.

Can't wait to see how they pull this off.

[gibbz]

Is that commentary on i4i or on the appstore review process?

What makes you think that's a problem? Do you think they are not capable of doing it? Or not allowed to do it?

Yes, I am talking about MS patent infringement (http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091222/ap_on_bi_ge/us_microsoft_patent)

Tue Dec 22, 1:44 pm ET
WASHINGTON – A federal appeals court on Tuesday upheld a $290 million judgment against Microsoft Corp. and issued an injunction that will prevent the sale of its popular Word software.

The court injunction is set to go into effect Jan. 11. Microsoft has said such a bar would prohibit the sale of all currently available versions of Microsoft Word and Microsoft Office.

Microsoft had appealed a Texas jury verdict in favor of i4i Inc., a Toronto company. The jury found recent versions of Microsoft Word infringed on a software patent.

Microsoft has said that it and the public will both suffer if Word goes off the market while the company devises a workaround. The court said the decision does not affect copies of the programs sold before the injunction goes into effect, so Microsoft can still provide technical support to the old versions even if they infringe on the patent. .

[Pilgrim1099]

If you download MagicPrefs but, you're right, this way more elaborate.

MagicPrefs is probably the only workaround to produce such desirable command features. I believe if you used Photoshop's Zoom command and then use the pinch movement as an 'assigned key', it would work.

Otherwise, the Magic Mouse's default standard would be just those five swipes.

[mac1984user]

There are many cool features I'd like to see on a rumored tablet from apple (the ability to switch between e-ink and standard LCD is kind of a pipe dream), but my GREATEST hope for software on the tablet would be a program (maybe a 'Pages' port from iWork) in which you could handwrite notes and then have the option to convert those notes into text. I would find this so useful in a meeting where it's sometimes easier to jot a few things down than bother typing and formatting all in one go. If my notes were automatically converted into text once I was finished writing them, I could then go back and edit a full-fledged document on a regular laptop/desktop. If the tablet offers nothing else but this (and the random bell and whistle, of course), then I'm sold. No matter the price.

NOTE: I just spent 20 hours trying to get three different versions of Windows to work on a Toshiba laptop yesterday (apparently certain models get fatal errors with Windows 7) and I finally had to say ***** it and install Ubuntu. My poor girlfriend. She needed it so badly as well. Never again. I've learned my lesson and will pay any price for an Apple product. Give me back my Macintosh LC. That worked! Hope this tablet does too (I'm in the market for a MacBook Pro to replace my TiBook - hope this 27 Jan release offers up more than just the fabled Slate-intosh).

[Sydde]

The nice thing about the Newton was that it worked better (for me) with the sloppiest cursive chicken-scratch you could muster. The downside, of course, was the very limited space you had to write in. It was just not as natural as writing on paper. If it were practical, I would be happy to learn classical or Apple shorthand to get the most out of this device (assuming it is a package that appeals to me). But what we are really all hoping for is options. Sometimes I would prefer to use a standard keyboard (preferably with my weird custom mapping if possible), sometimes scribbling works just fine. Good quality speech-to-text might be handy at other times, but I would not count on that, at least as a built-in. In fact, the first release of this thing, if it is at all what we are sort-of expecting, will probably be an "oooh, ahhh, cool, but not really for me" for most of us. The fourth or fifth one should be very attractive (if any of us still have jobs and money).

[mac1984user]

Exactly, Sydde. That's precisely what I was thinking. Many of us may have set the bar a bit too high for a first generation device. Your reckoning is spot-on. The tablet will be flashy, but perhaps not such a significant leap to warrant dropping the cash on a first-gen device.

[ChocoTaco]

Exactly, Sydde. That's precisely what I was thinking. Many of us may have set the bar a bit too high for a first generation device. Your reckoning is spot-on. The tablet will be flashy, but perhaps not such a significant leap to warrant dropping the cash on a first-gen device.

I disagree with this.. because from what I have heard Jobs has had this thing ready to go many times and chose not to. This is why I don't see this as a first gen device. Especially when you factor in this iPhone and the long history of tablets already made by others. Then when you factor in the long history from this FingerWorks company.. this is more like the crowning jewel than the first little gem in the line.

[melchior]

I disagree with this.. because from what I have heard Jobs has had this thing ready to go many times and chose not to. This is why I don't see this as a first gen device. Especially when you factor in this iPhone and the long history of tablets already made by others. Then when you factor in the long history from this FingerWorks company.. this is more like the crowning jewel than the first little gem in the line.

i beg you to review the history of apple's first-gen products....

[bclark525]

I think we all are so accustomed to the qwerty keyboard that changing that to some revolutionary type of input device will be a hard sell. In the long run it might be better, but intially I can see a back lash against it.

I guess we'll all find out in a few weeks what Apple has in mind.

it's software don't forget. Use the qwerty keyboard or learn the new input method both are options.

[bclark525]

After reading thousands of these posts on this and different thread discussions it seems that the tablet is increasingly becoming more vivid and concrete. It will be almost indistructable so I don't have to worry about spilling coffee on it or when I take it to the construction site have
to worry about dust and dirt. It will be large enough to present reasonable drawings and other information and be able to transfer that information wirelessly to other devices. iWork will definitely be part of it and predominately through drag and drop allow me to "publish" text and pictures and movies to anyone on the web. Forget anything that needs a stylus that can be lost. A haptic tactile keyboard front and back is a possibilty but a standard qwerty keyboard is also available.

[melchior]

it's software don't forget. Use the qwerty keyboard or learn the new input method both are options.

in theory yes, but we are talking about apple...

After reading thousands of these posts on this and different thread discussions it seems that the tablet is increasingly becoming more vivid and concrete. It will be almost indistructable so I don't have to worry about spilling coffee on it or when I take it to the construction site have
to worry about dust and dirt. It will be large enough to present reasonable drawings and other information and be able to transfer that information wirelessly to other devices. iWork will definitely be part of it and predominately through drag and drop allow me to "publish" text and pictures and movies to anyone on the web. Forget anything that needs a stylus that can be lost. A haptic tactile keyboard front and back is a possibilty but a standard qwerty keyboard is also available.

i'm glad we were able to sort out that confusion ;)

[Vulpinemac]

i beg you to review the history of apple's first-gen products....

Which is why I agree with Choco; Apple's tablet won't be a 1st-gen device, but rather a third- or fourth-gen. Based on the history I've read, the iPhone/iPod Touch qualify as third-gen. Again, it's a case of reviewing the history. Even the 1st-gen iPhone was significantly superior in many ways to the devices it went into competition with. It may not have had the software to meet enterprise needs, but it met the consumers' needs very well.

[Solinus]

If Apple wants the iSlate to succeed it must work with PCs (just like the iPod and iPhone). Now if you are a PC owner, how do you edit documents you created on the iSlate with iWork? You could use MS Office but ideally you want a copy of iWorks running on your PC. Just like seven years ago when Apple ported iTunes to the PC, January could see the launch of iWork for Windows.

[cmaier]

If Apple wants the iSlate to succeed it must work with PCs (just like the iPod and iPhone). Now if you are a PC owner, how do you edit documents you created on the iSlate with iWork? You could use MS Office but ideally you want a copy of iWorks running on your PC. Just like seven years ago when Apple ported iTunes to the PC, January could see the launch of iWork for Windows.

PC users are not clamoring for iWork for windows. More likely apple will have some sort of web version.

[Ironduke]

(ahem) No you can't. The Magic Mouse is limited to a few multi-touch features. I've tried it out at Small Dog Electronics-Apple Reseller where I live at. It can only do 5 finger swipe commands. Look it up:

http://www.apple.com/magicmouse/

Apple should've gone ahead with a multi-touch keyboard with a built-in trackpad.

Have you tried magic prefs?
pinches, Taps, Swipes.


Sorry funboys but I dont want to learn a new language (sign language for computers) to make this tablet work well.

Implement speech as an option apple

[Solinus]

PC users are not clamoring for iWork for windows.
Once Apple releases iWork for the iSlate, people will want to edit iWork documents on their PCs.

More likely apple will have some sort of web version.
But is a web version really good enough?

[Pilgrim1099]

Have you tried magic prefs?
pinches, Taps, Swipes.


Sorry funboys but I dont want to learn a new language (sign language for computers) to make this tablet work well.

Implement speech as an option apple

Someone mentioned Magic Prefs, but at the store where I tried it out, the mouse was set to standard default. The Wacom Bamboo touch, however, did a nicer job as an alternative to the Magic Mouse. You can rotate or use pinch zoom without having to use preferences, from what I've seen.

But the Magic Mouse is a bit limited to such commands. I don't want speech on the tablet to make commands. That's for 'Trekkies'. They can go ahead, dress up in Trek costumes with a Star Fleet badge and talk to the tablet and pretend they're Scotty starting with "Computer. . . ."

Speech can be optional as an accessible tool for those who have a disability with their hands or those confined to the wheelchair with limited arm movement. The problem is that the tablet is designed to be held with one or two hands, or lain on the table surface or propped up "easel style".

But the 'deep learning curve' is the advanced multi-touch from the famous Touch Stream keyboard. That's my prediction.

EDIT: by the way, I'm sure Apple will install a tutorial app to teach you how to use the advanced touch features to train you and you can learn it over and over til it's mastered.

[cmaier]

Once Apple releases iWork for the iSlate, people will want to edit iWork documents on their PCs.


But is a web version really good enough?

You have it all turned around. People want to edit Office documents on their slate. iWork on Slate is there to allow them to do that (assuming it's there). No one cares about iWork-native file formats and support for iWork on PCs. People want to be able to view and edit the documents they already have, that they are given by other people, or that they generate from their existing desktop machines. Almost all of these are either generated by Office, or are carefully saved so as to be compatible with Office. iWork is a non-factor in the Office market, even taking into account macs, and even taking into account the boost in sales that came from tying it to snow leopard upgrades.

You ask if a web version is good enough - the real point is that iWork isn't good enough.

[applesupergeek]

Have you tried magic prefs?
pinches, Taps, Swipes.


Sorry funboys but I dont want to learn a new language (sign language for computers) to make this tablet work well.

Implement speech as an option apple

Most people prefer to learn a new interface (and trust me the apple interface learning curve is not steep) than to look like morons talking to an inanimate object.

Of course if you habitually talk to your tv, your fridge, boiler and dishwasher you might opt for the later.

[applesupergeek]

You ask if a web version is good enough - the real point is that iWork isn't good enough.

Well that's just like your opinion man. Iwork is far superior to office in everything but a few options in word and of course excel. A lot of people I know including myself have switched exclusively to iwork, sorry to see you are still on the wrong train.

[cmaier]

Well that's just like your opinion man. Iwork is far superior to office in everything but a few options in word and of course excel. A lot of people I know including myself have switched exclusively to iwork, sorry to see you are still on the wrong train.

You're completely missing the point. It has nothing to do with the quality of the apps. Keynote is better than powerpoint in almost every way. Pages and Numbers are quite good for what they do (albeit nowhere near as complete as Word and Excel).

The point is 99% of the world has to deal with Office documents, and iWork is not 100% file compatible. Further, the people that RELY on these programs for their daily work cannot, usually, afford to be even a tiny bit incompatible. Until Apple either achieves 100% compatibility (including VBA - yeah, even Mac office doesn't have that now, but even MS saw the error in not including that) or until the world moves to open file formats (including notoriously slow industries like law and medicine), iWork is not going to cut it. It's good enough to view documents on a tablet while on the go while doing light annotation, but most people can't rely on it.

And, since the thing that started this was the contention that for some reason PC users are going to want iWork so that they can be compatible with their tablets, I stand by my point - PC users, instead, want their tablet to be compatible with what they use every day, which is Office.

[ChocoTaco]

If Apple wants the iSlate to succeed it must work with PCs (just like the iPod and iPhone). Now if you are a PC owner, how do you edit documents you created on the iSlate with iWork? You could use MS Office but ideally you want a copy of iWorks running on your PC. Just like seven years ago when Apple ported iTunes to the PC, January could see the launch of iWork for Windows.


Great post, Solinus. This gets into an idea that I had awhile ago that I think could be truly revolutionary.

Look at it like this... Google wants to make an operating system that is web based that I believe you would use on a Windows machine and would essentially be your primary OS.

So what this essentially means is that in the future, as I see it, we will have multiple operating systems running simultaneously on one machine. This will give us the best of all worlds. We could have all the benefits of a Windows machine and an Apple machine on one PC or in this case one system of PC.

I would like to see the tablet as a device that could work like a parasite - a PC body snatcher if you will. You connect your tablet to your primary Windows PC and the tablet works as the ultimate keyboard input device AND allows you to control and "tame" your Windows PC.

The Windows PC is cheap and powerful and has tons of software that can be used that you can't use with a Mac. But because Windows machines are so difficult to use and so unreliable it is impossible to work with them. But what if the iSlate could connect to your Windows machine and control it and work with it so you didn't have to AND allowed you to have both the great elements of a Windows machine and a Mac at the same time?

It's just an extension of Windows users using iPods really.

[RyanR.]

Once Apple releases iWork for the iSlate, people will want to edit iWork documents on their PCs.


But is a web version really good enough?

iWork already has a web version, granted it a beta. It's been out for a year or so. Beta=field research ;)

the closer we get to the 27th the more I want the first slate. please be open, please be open:D crosses fingers

[gnasher729]

You have it all turned around. People want to edit Office documents on their slate. iWork on Slate is there to allow them to do that (assuming it's there). No one cares about iWork-native file formats and support for iWork on PCs. People want to be able to view and edit the documents they already have, that they are given by other people, or that they generate from their existing desktop machines. Almost all of these are either generated by Office, or are carefully saved so as to be compatible with Office. iWork is a non-factor in the Office market, even taking into account macs, and even taking into account the boost in sales that came from tying it to snow leopard upgrades.

You ask if a web version is good enough - the real point is that iWork isn't good enough.

So you are basically saying that Microsoft has a monopoly in the word processor market? Well, that particular fight (Microsoft vs. rest of the world) is basically in its penultimate phase. Microsoft forced the horrible OOXML "Standard" on the world (which is neither open, nor XML, nor a standard, but just a tool to fight the Open Document standard with the side effect of damaging ISO's reputation), in a few years all governments will have figured out that there are no OOXML implementations, and then everything will switch to Open Document format.

[cmaier]

So you are basically saying that Microsoft has a monopoly in the word processor market? Well, that particular fight (Microsoft vs. rest of the world) is basically in its penultimate phase. Microsoft forced the horrible OOXML "Standard" on the world (which is neither open, nor XML, nor a standard, but just a tool to fight the Open Document standard with the side effect of damaging ISO's reputation), in a few years all governments will have figured out that there are no OOXML implementations, and then everything will switch to Open Document format.

And when that day happens, there will be much rejoicing. Hasn't happened yet, though.

[Povilas]

The point is 99% of the world has to deal with Office documents, and iWork is not 100% file compatible.

Please... Documents created with Microsoft Office for Windows are not 100% compatible with documents created with Microsoft Office for Mac and vice versa.

[cmaier]

Please... Documents created with Microsoft Office for Windows are not 100% compatible with documents created with Microsoft Office for Mac and vice versa.

That's absolutely true. That's why vmware/parallels sell so many copies. In my case I have to check that docs I create on my MBP work on Windows before I send them to a client or to a partner.

The fact that their tiny incompatibilities between Mac Office and Windows Office, however, doesn't mean that suddenly the much more substantial incompatibilities between iWork and Windows Office suddenly become non-problematic, so I don't understand the point you are trying to make.

[DCBass]

Whatever this thing turns out to be, I hope above all else that it is a standalone device. Meaning, it needs to have a user-accessible file system, and it needs software to be able to create rich documents: iPhoto, iMovie, keynote, pages, numbers, etc.*

This is different from the*iPhone, which can be used as a standalone device (phone, web, app-toy). However, usage expectations are higher when you have more usable space, and there's really no excuse for not doing so.*

Essentially, it should not have to dock with a mac or pc.

If you already have a comp that has all of your stuff in iTunes (music, video, apps), it would simply use Home Sharing instead of syncing like an iPhone or iPod.*Ideally, you could use this method to exchange any kind of file (PDFs, docs, photos, etc) with any other comp. *Maybe this is what the rumored iguide thing is. *

Lastly, if they are going to make a version of iWork for this, I really hope they introduce a OneNote-like program as the new 4th part of the suite. This would be a killer productivity app for a device like this, and if this leverages their Ink tech, I know a few people who would buy it immediately.*

Heck if this thing is everything that it could be, I might rethink my pending mbp purchase in a few months.*

…

Nnnaaaahhhhhh…

[Mr. Gates]

Well that's just like your opinion man. Iwork is far superior to office in everything but a few options in word and of course excel. A lot of people I know including myself have switched exclusively to iwork, sorry to see you are still on the wrong train.

There are several trains , ....all going to different locations in life. Some haul important information,......some , just manure. :):):)