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2012 Macbook Air with Touchscreen?
- Thread starter Sensamic
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They could replace the current trackpad with a small touch-screen. That would allow context sensitive shortcuts (in a sidebar on the secondary screen). But you couldn't really mirror the main display, because that would mess with the mouse sensitivity.
A touchscreen on a laptop or desktop where the screen is roughly perpendicular to the keyboard makes no ergonomic sense. It forces you to use your hands in the worst possible position, bent backwards at the wrist, which is the fast track to carpal tunnel. And besides, if you want a touchscreen, that's what the iPad is for. And as others here have said, the mac notebooks have the best touchpad there is. It's the only touchpad I'm able to use and not miss my mouse. And it's really just as good as touching the screen directly without the adverse ergonomic consequences.
I seem to remember while watching the iPad announcement, Steve talked about touch screens and how they tried it on a laptop, But that it just wasn't comfortable. So I personally doubt that they will bring touch screen features to a laptop anytime soon.
Don't want a touchscreen mac. Maybe an option for say, a table surface display would be OK, but holding your arm up to point at a vertical screen = lame.
MacBook Air 2012
Think totally virtual keyboard but all in a regular laptop form.
Touch screen at the bottom, regular screen up top.
Replace the entire keyboard area with a second (touch) screen. The traditional keyboard and touch pad are replaced with a 'picture' of the same. (Kind of like the Nintendo DS - one screen is touch the other is not.)
The virtual keyboard 'screen' functions like the real one (like on an iPad) but it's in the correct place. The cool part is that's 'totally' customisable - a totally different keyboard (or whatever) for every different app.
So it 'looks' and 'works' and 'feels' like a regular MacBook Air, all with the input devices in the same place, except there's no physical keyboard. Less moving parts, thinner, lighter, cheaper to engineer, and AND with a 'totally' customisable virtual interface area.
If this is convergence, I like it.
Think totally virtual keyboard but all in a regular laptop form.
Touch screen at the bottom, regular screen up top.
Replace the entire keyboard area with a second (touch) screen. The traditional keyboard and touch pad are replaced with a 'picture' of the same. (Kind of like the Nintendo DS - one screen is touch the other is not.)
The virtual keyboard 'screen' functions like the real one (like on an iPad) but it's in the correct place. The cool part is that's 'totally' customisable - a totally different keyboard (or whatever) for every different app.
So it 'looks' and 'works' and 'feels' like a regular MacBook Air, all with the input devices in the same place, except there's no physical keyboard. Less moving parts, thinner, lighter, cheaper to engineer, and AND with a 'totally' customisable virtual interface area.
If this is convergence, I like it.
I don't think it would work good, though, ergonomically-wise. Having a virtual keyboard for extensive period of typing time, will be quite exhausting, even if it is located at the right place. Plus, the fact that there won't be the feel of real keys under your fingers, will slow down typing big time.
If anyone would try to make a real touch-ui for a laptop, he would have to design something really innovative and new, that will bypass the obvious problems. I don't know, maybe the only answer is already there and called iPad , as mentioned above.
If anyone would try to make a real touch-ui for a laptop, he would have to design something really innovative and new, that will bypass the obvious problems. I don't know, maybe the only answer is already there and called iPad , as mentioned above.
I think touchscreens on laptops are a bit of a waste of time, and the market seems to agree.
I think we'll only see that kind of functionality when we get a mba/ipad hybrid in the vein of the Transformer Prime, but that's about 5 years away if you want an Apple badge on it I reckon. I absolutely love the idea of a screen, when attached to a base, is a macbook air equivalent with a full os. Screen on it's own, tablet os with ridiculous battery life and shared assets with the full os.
Flat don't want a full os on a tablet, those who've clamoured for osx on a tablet for the past 10 years really haven't thought it through I suspect. Terrible terrible idea, I love my iPad but evangelists that claim tablets can or will be able to do everything laptops/desktops do with touch alone are talking out of their hat.
As for a virtual keyboard - uuuuurgh!
I think we'll only see that kind of functionality when we get a mba/ipad hybrid in the vein of the Transformer Prime, but that's about 5 years away if you want an Apple badge on it I reckon. I absolutely love the idea of a screen, when attached to a base, is a macbook air equivalent with a full os. Screen on it's own, tablet os with ridiculous battery life and shared assets with the full os.
Flat don't want a full os on a tablet, those who've clamoured for osx on a tablet for the past 10 years really haven't thought it through I suspect. Terrible terrible idea, I love my iPad but evangelists that claim tablets can or will be able to do everything laptops/desktops do with touch alone are talking out of their hat.
As for a virtual keyboard - uuuuurgh!
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I got laughed out of another thread for wondering about a touchscreen MBA and replies like 'They already have one, the iPad.'
How in the world is a touchscreen MBA the same as an iPad?
Three key differences:
- OSX
- Physical Keyboard
- Much more powerful hardware
MBA Touch would be something comparable to the Lenovo x220t. I would buy that in an instant.
How in the world is a touchscreen MBA the same as an iPad?
Three key differences:
- OSX
- Physical Keyboard
- Much more powerful hardware
MBA Touch would be something comparable to the Lenovo x220t. I would buy that in an instant.
Who said you only have to have a vertical screen on a laptop?
Review here: http://www.notebookcheck.net/Review-Lenovo-ThinkPad-X220T-4298-2YG-Convertible-Notebook.60217.0.html
Does it matter?
If you're trying to imply the starkly non apple look, then of course that's not what you inferred my post did you?
Think of an MBA where you can twist the screen around and fold it like in that picture. And no, I don't assume what Apple can or cannot do.
Tried using one of those all in one devices with touch screen before.
My impressions:
Does not work in a desktop environment.
with a fixed position monitor, it was both awkwards and really uncomfortable to be reaching accross my desktop space to interact with the screen.
Using that screen at arm's length made my arm grow tired quickly, in which i found myself constantly resorting back to the mouse.
Nobody wants to be constantly cleaning and scrubbing their screen every 10 minutes. I don't want to be smudging up the screen which i'm working on (is that a 0 or a fingerprint swirl?). Squinting through fingerprints when working in an excel document isn't a fun experience.
Touch has a lot of practical applications where space is limited or when you're showcasing. It works for tablets and phones. It doesn't really work well for desktops. Laptops Might be a better fit, but depends on implementation
We've seen "netvertibles" or "tabletesque" laptops for a few years. in the last 10 or so i've seen IBM release some touch screen laptops with the swivable screen.
They were all heavier than their normal counterparts. Felt clunky, and were far from what we expect in modern industrial design.
However, I Think Lenovo might have something with their "Yoga" announced at CES. This could work with touch screen.
http://www.gizmag.com/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-13/21073/
My impressions:
Does not work in a desktop environment.
with a fixed position monitor, it was both awkwards and really uncomfortable to be reaching accross my desktop space to interact with the screen.
Using that screen at arm's length made my arm grow tired quickly, in which i found myself constantly resorting back to the mouse.
Nobody wants to be constantly cleaning and scrubbing their screen every 10 minutes. I don't want to be smudging up the screen which i'm working on (is that a 0 or a fingerprint swirl?). Squinting through fingerprints when working in an excel document isn't a fun experience.
Touch has a lot of practical applications where space is limited or when you're showcasing. It works for tablets and phones. It doesn't really work well for desktops. Laptops Might be a better fit, but depends on implementation
We've seen "netvertibles" or "tabletesque" laptops for a few years. in the last 10 or so i've seen IBM release some touch screen laptops with the swivable screen.
They were all heavier than their normal counterparts. Felt clunky, and were far from what we expect in modern industrial design.
However, I Think Lenovo might have something with their "Yoga" announced at CES. This could work with touch screen.
http://www.gizmag.com/lenovo-ideapad-yoga-13/21073/
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Steve also was against paying a dividend on AAPL stock.
Apple is becoming a very different place with Tim Cook in charge....Personally I don't think a MacBook Air with a touchscreen is a good idea, and I wouldn't want to pay the premium they would charge for it.
off topic but we use these at my office and they suck large time
handy for certain types of jobs like if you want to spin the screen around to show someone a slide or something but like all touch screen laptop/tablets the stupid on screen keyboard always wants to pop up when not wanted/needed
Touch screens: They make things simpler, right? As long as we're going for simpler, how about this? http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/