Apple applies for patent - Multiple personas for mobile devices

[kiwi]

Multiple personas for mobile devices
June 12, 2003
United States Patent Application

http://appft1.uspto.gov/netacgi/nph...uter"&OS="apple+computer"&RS="apple+computer"

Over at the Register...

http://www.theregister.co.uk/content/39/31702.html

"Apple has filed for a patent that suggest the company is working on a new mobile device capable of supporting multiple users. Either that or it's cunningly trying to outflank Microsoft's lead on fast multi-user switching by retrospectively patenting the technique as its own.

Almost as interesting as the patent's content is the name of its lead inventor: Steve Capps, erstwhile Mac OS Finder co-designer and more recently Microsoft's Windows UI architect. Capps is also remembered as the designer of the UI used in Apple's Newton PDA. That gives you an idea of the application's heritage......."

There's more....

 

[Abstract]

PDA maybe? I doubt they would ever get into the PDA market OR the mobile phone market. Too much competition in both areas, and Sony does it well with their Clie. I don't see much use for it on a mobile phone.

 

[MacManDan]

According to the Register, they're just making an addendum to a patent that Apple already holds from way back in 1995 (possibly to include fast user switching?). This patent is actually nothing very new, they're just changing the wording a little bit. I don't think this is very telling of a PDA or mobile phone device or anything ..

 

[arn]

this has been discussed (somewhere on this site)

it appears to be a continuation on an old patent and is related to the Newton

Added:

Ah... I see what they are saying now... trying to outpatent Microsoft?

arn

 

[Pancake]

Am I happy 'cuz they're sticking it to "The Man", or unhappy 'cuz they're trying to position themeselvs as "The Man"?

 

[BaghdadBob]

Does this have sonmething to do with having your iPod synch with your home folder/act as it and switching to your profile when you plug it into a mac..."iPal"?