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didn't apple acquire BumpTop?

Sounds perfect for this.

edit:
Google acquired bumptop.
oops
 
I don't see myself using this on a daily basis. It's putting too much stress on certain areas of the human body.
 
It looks like something from the basketball iMac days! I can't believe it made it to Patently Apple, much less MacRumors. (Slow news week Arn?).

And as already noted, mechanically infeasible for something like a 27" iMac.

If you want to "transition" between mouse and touch, you'd just put your 27" iPad (no more physical strain than using a pencil) in a stand like this… (much more Ive-like)

ipad-stand-business-card-holder-1.jpg


Not that I could imagine why you'd want to stand the thing up. It's taken us years to get to a full touch Mac OS, why go back?

[btw, if you want an iPad stand for less than $1, check out the full article.]
 
This would make a killer POS device.. to bad no one makes any good POS software for the mac yet, just a few crappy half assed attempts.

I agree this could open up a whole new industry for Apple. Not only POS machines, but useful for dental and medical applications as well. No good software yet? Developers, GET BUSY!! :D
 
Why do you touch your screen? If you're showing somebody something, surely you can just point, then you don't have to clean off any prints?!?

I have this image in my head of him cleaning his screen, but as he does so he holds on to the screen to avoid the mac moving and gets finger prints in the opposite corner. He then notices the finger prints, puts the cloth in the other hand, and repeats. Honestly I'm amazed he finds the time to fit in a job :D
 
it would be great if the stand holding the monitor could be controlled with a keyboard shortcut when in the vertical position and then via the touch interface when resting in front of you. I'm thinking of a motorised arm that remembers your favorite position
 
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SDMacFTW said:
This would make a killer POS device.. to bad no one makes any good POS software for the mac yet, just a few crappy half assed attempts.

I agree this could open up a whole new industry for Apple. Not only POS machines, but useful for dental and medical applications as well. No good software yet? Developers, GET BUSY!! :D

I don't think Apple is interested in any market other than consumer electronics. I can't see them designing hardware for niches like this.
 
The articulating arm on this mac seems like the perfect form for a touch-based imac screen. Notsumuch the big round base computer, but the screen for sure.
 

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Wow, I was just thinking how wonderful the iPad would be if it could dock to some sort of home station like depicted in this and act as a Mac and then be able to seamlessly switch to iOS and use it while still connected to the base (by moving the screen down and facing up, like in the patent) and then be undocked for mobile usage. Apple has got to stop invading my brain.
 
I think this will be a great idea as long as you get the option to disable the touch screen feature for certain users / software
 
What is not in the picture is the position of the head. Thinking about it alone provides sufficient pain in my neck.

That's the problem. Horizontal, or near horizontal screens would be horrible to use for any extended use. Vertical, or near vertical input devices are equally bad. Trying to combine the two into one device isn't going to work that well.

It might be fine for occasional, short-term use; but it's not going to replace the typical workstation.

What works for a small device you can hold in one hand and use with the other, won't work for a more 'fixed' desktop device.
 
Hmm.. What I envisioned was slightly different.

Mac mini with a slide-able (and detachable ?) touch screen on the top running iOS and the core of the mini running OS X. Looking at the size of the new mac mini, I am thinking this is quite possible.

Haven't thought much about how the two inputs would react with the monitor. Somehow never liked the idea of using a big monitor as a touch screen though I am sure Apple will find a way to present it in a good way.
 
I´d rather see an iTouch keyboard with tactile feedback touch screen which does two things:
1. A fully customizeable keyboard, different apps, different layouts with a switch to normal keyboard.
2. Embedded iOS, integrated battery to use it as an stand alone iOS device, also for iTV remote control and so on.
 
What are the practical applications for a home user of having a touch screen OS in a big stationary desktop computer such as the iMac? Seems better suited for a portable if you ask me.
 
Why not just have both modes active all the time? Why do I have to lay the monitor down to be able to touch it?

I think that it would be frustrating to be doing something and you move the screen just a bit and the mouse and keyboard don't work all of a sudden, etc.

If both modes are always active, this is the same as any touch screen PCs on the market already.
 
I'm still not sold on the dual OSes. That means every program on your computer will have to be OSX and iOS compatible in order to function properly or else when you switch modes, your programs will either crash or won't function properly.

Why not add touchscreen capabilities to OSX? It can already do multi-touch gestures on the trackpads, so adding touchscreen functionality won't be far off. And we also have a touchscreen based mac now in the form of the Axiotron modBook. If a third party vendor can modify existing macBooks for touchscreen input without the need for dual OSes, surely Apple can also.
 
That is something I wouldnt be able to take as well
Hope this doesn't happen or screens get some great feature

iWindshield Wiper anyone?

I'm still not sold on the dual OSes. That means every program on your computer will have to be OSX and iOS compatible in order to function properly or else when you switch modes, your programs will either crash or won't function properly.

I'm fairly certain apple wouldn't be that stupid. Apps not aware of such a feature would most likely not notice when you switch modes. It would most likely still require a keyboard/mouse to use, and function as if you hadn't switched modes.
 
I'm fairly certain apple wouldn't be that stupid. Apps not aware of such a feature would most likely not notice when you switch modes. It would most likely still require a keyboard/mouse to use, and function as if you hadn't switched modes.

You ignored the fact that an OSX based touchscreen mac can AND has been done without any need for iOS. Dual OSes is the solution to where there was never a problem.
 
As a designer, I love the potential of this. We work just like the old days on a drawing board, moving stuff around with our hands. But better.
 
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