Apple Working on Multi-Touch Mac?

[MacRumors]

An Apple Job listing (noted on Engadget) reveals that Apple is indeed working on multi-touch Mac hardware.

They are looking for a reliability engineer supporting Multi-touch panel development with Mac and iPod hardware groups. The job itself seems to involve high level quality assurance testing, but the involvement of the Mac hardware group seems to confirm that Apple is working to incorporate multi-touch technologies into future Macs.

This progression has been widely expected since the iPhone was first released, but this is the first (possible) indication from Apple.

9to5mac had previously suggested that the Apple sub-notebook might incorporate some of these features, but no further details have become available, so the timeframe for this integration remains speculative.

Article Link

[psychofreak]

I'm desperate to try this out, assuming its coming

Up until now, all the touch devices (bar the iPhone) I've used have been rubbish, and I think Apple are the people to change that...Jeff Han has shown me that multitouch on a big scale can be awesome...

[Eidorian]

A yawn for me.

It's interesting but not a sale for me.

Sate the masses Apple.

[plumbingandtech]

I'll be sure and quote you later.

[~Shard~]

Originally Posted by plumbingandtech

I'll be sure and quote you later.

Yeah, that sounds like a potential "Thread 500"-ish quote to me too...

[Eidorian]

Originally Posted by ~Shard~

Yeah, that sounds like a potential "Thread 500"-ish quote to me too...

I believe it was directed at me.

Then again I don't expect anyone to have a memory like mine.

[RRK]

Originally Posted by plumbingandtech

I'll be sure and quote you later.

I heard that.

[rockstarjoe]

My idea:

The device will be about the size of a piece of letter paper (maybe 8x10"). It will be a touchscreen only, with no physical keyboard, similar to the iPod touch and iPhone. It will run a full version of Leopard, but with special touchscreen features like a pop-up keyboard (a la Touch and iPhone). It will have an iPod style port at the bottom and one USB port.

Included will be a special dock that will hold the device at an angle (similar to the angle of an open laptop screen). The dock will have an extra USB port, allowing you to connect a keyboard and mouse, and a network plug. Along with Wi-fi, the device will have Bluetooth so that you can use a Bluetooth keyboard and mouse.

So essentially you could set it up on your desk like a small laptop and do "real" productive typing / mouse related tasks, and when you are on the go you can handle everything via touchscreen.

What do you think?

[~Shard~]

I think ithis is very cool news, and a logical progression for the personal computing industry. Why use external devices such as mice and keyboards when you can use your own digits?

For anyone who hasn't seen it, here is the Han demo of multi-touch technology on a larger scale.

[bs6268d]

ooo intersting but I want a new MacBook nowwwwww!


or maybe the rumor smaller macbook

[ntrigue]

There's been a great deal of interest in a tablet Apple for MacWorld. This article would suggest that the tablet form-factor is more likely for June at the earliest. Additionally, why would I invest in a tablet when this position will produce a much more comprehensive device? Did Apple intend to develop this product internally and fail?

[ezekielrage_99]

Apple have released an iPhone and iPod Touch that use touch screen technology it just stands to reason that the next logical move would to incorporate this into their computer line somehow.

If an iPhone is the next logical step for the iPod to go in then I think we will eventually see a touch screen Mac.

[SciTeach]

Coming when...MWSF 2009? 2010?

[iMikeT]

Wow, I never thought I would see this coming.

[ChrisA]

"Hi, I'm Steve and welcome to my weekly podcast, Super-secret Apple Rumors." (huge laughs) "I have some pretty good sources inside Apple, and the next iPod is going to be HUGE, an 8-pounder with a 10-inch screen … See you next week."

The above quote was from Steve's 2006 keynote. Perhaps he knew then that Apple would be selling a 10 inch version of an iPod Touch by 2008. Ok let's hope it's lighter than 8 pounds but the development hardware in the lab in 2006 likely was 8 pounds. Maybe he was not joking

Or maybe the joke was that he was telling the truth and no one would believe it at the time.

[MacAddict1978]

Aside from tablets, I could see this being useful in a non-consumer fashion such as kiosks and information desks and the like. Kiosks often incorporate really odd keyboards.

On a consumer front, I would cringe at everyone touching the screen! I HATE when people feel the need to do that. Especially on laptops. It's just wrong!

However, it would make for one kick ass game of collapse.... <g>

[MacinDoc]

I believe Apple canned the Newton at the time because the technology was not available to make the device very useful. Subsequently, SJ said on a number of occasions that the time was not right for a tablet. Now, Apple has the hardware and software technology to produce a tablet that functions much more intuitively than anything currently available. You might even say that the iPhone and iPod Touch were largely a testing ground for the technology that, as it matures, will find its way into Newton II. IIRC, at a keynote in the past year, SJ said that Apple was working on its most exciting products ever (I know, typical Apple marketing...)

I believe that the Mac tablet will be a reality. It may not come at MWSF 2008, but I suspect we will see it by MWSF 2009 at the latest.

[mikeinternet]

maybe the touchscreen will not be intended to replace but to supplement a keyboard and mouse (at least at first).

think of an imac that works great how you know it and love it, but you can also just touch it whenever.

*just thinking out loud. i'm sure apple would not do anything so lame. just saying that i think it will take a transition.

[FX120]

Originally Posted by MacAddict1978

Aside from tablets, I could see this being useful in a non-consumer fashion such as kiosks and information desks and the like. Kiosks often incorporate really odd keyboards.

You mean like those 'U-Scan' self checkout things at the supermarkets these days?

I swear a lot of people on this forum are like "Wow! Touchscreen technology!That's something totally new and has never been used anywhere, just imagine how this could change our lives!!!"

Touch screens have been around for years, and are becoming very common on just about anything other than desktop computers. Industrial automation, cash registers, refrigerators, GPS systems, bus stops, ATM's, literally they are everywhere.

Ultimately the reason they aren't on everyones desks these days isn't because the technology hasn't been available, because it has been for years. It's because when you're sitting at your desk, you don't want to have to lift up your arms and touch the screen when you can move your mouse a half of an inch in a quarter of a second, and accomplish the same task. Prime example is the touchscreen HP computer. Fun to play with for about 5 minutes before you arms get tired. Most touch screen devices you will run into have the display at just above waist height so it is at a natural level to use when you're standing up.

Touch screens are great in places where a mouse just isn't practical. But otherwise they're only fun for casual use.

[Clive At Five]

Originally Posted by MacRumors

The job itself seems to involve high level quality assurance testing...

Quality assurance testing... Stop me if I'm reading too much into this, but wouldn't this imply that the bulk of the development has already been done and they're working on tweaking?

*licks chops*

-Clive

[MarlboroLite]

I don't see the point of incorporating multi-touch in computers unless it's a tablet. The use of a mouse and keyboard are MUCH more efficient and productive than touching around all over the place and moving your arms. I never quite got the tablet fascination with some people....but there is a market for that and that is the only way I see multi touch being implemented by Apple....

[ChrisA]

Originally Posted by MarlboroLite

I don't see the point of incorporating multi-touch in computers unless it's a tablet.

What if the trackpad on the typical notebook computer were replace with an iTouch screen?
You would not be doing multi-touch on a 30 inch ACD screen. On the desktop you could have a small tablet, like what Wacom makes and it could replace the mouse.

Actually being left handed. I can write with my left hand using the wacom pen and use the mouse with my right hand. All current macs already allow you to have both working at once.

[godslabrat]

Originally Posted by MarlboroLite

I don't see the point of incorporating multi-touch in computers unless it's a tablet. The use of a mouse and keyboard are MUCH more efficient and productive than touching around all over the place and moving your arms. I never quite got the tablet fascination with some people....

IAWTP. HP offered a touch-based computer around this time last year, and it was really cool for about five minutes, then most people using it went back to using the kb+mouse to get any serious work done. My main complaint about Tablet PCs is that the hinge that allows the screen to swivel around always seems to be an expensive accident waiting to happen. For this reason, I am hoping that Apple has another solution in mind besides an Apple-Brand tablet, competing with the likes of Toshiba and Lenovo.

I'm not totally dismissing the concept. As I've said before, I'd be very interested in a PDA-type device that would give me Wifi and Word in my pocket. So far, this hasn't been ruled out as a possibility. But, if the screen size is anything more than 10", I might as well get a Macbook.

[ckurowic]

Originally Posted by MarlboroLite

I don't see the point of incorporating multi-touch in computers unless it's a tablet. The use of a mouse and keyboard are MUCH more efficient and productive than touching around all over the place and moving your arms. I never quite got the tablet fascination with some people....but there is a market for that and that is the only way I see multi touch being implemented by Apple....

Indeed. The same way I feel. There is NO WAY you can use a touch screen faster than a mouse and keyboard. Lets move our ENTIRE ARM to the screen, slide things around, etc. OR lets type 120 WPM and move the pointer across the screen with a mouse in less than a quarter inch.....

Originally Posted by Decrepit

You could use it when the occasion warranted it. Otherwise, it's out of the way.

It's only a little data that needs to move to the computer from the pad, so BT would offer plenty of bandwidth.

I'd buy it.

Of course you'd buy it. Ugh.