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anubis

macrumors 6502a
Feb 7, 2003
937
50
I've played around with some of the HP TouchSmart desktops, and came to the conclusion that a touchscreen desktop is little more than a gimmick as the concept now stands.

Pros: viewing photos becomes very intuitive (especially rotate/zoom) and kids love the hands-on feel.

Cons: I'm not too keen on holding my hands up to the screen for too long, especially for text entry; it wasn't very ergonomic. (As Lesser Evets has mentioned, there would have to be a design shift to touch-friendly levels-- which means eliminating the "iMac chin".) Precision work like Photoshop and sniping in FPS games seem better suited for off-screen controllers. And of course, keeping the screen clean would be a chore.

+1

This "rumor" is a bunch of BS.
 

zarusoba

macrumors 6502
Feb 3, 2006
321
0
Australia
People who complain about having to extend your arms to use the touch iMac, or neck hurting, or smudges, or whatever (if it's actually made) NEED to think different. Don't you know Apple know this? They are the people who came up with intuitive designs that made you love the Mac OS X, iPhone, iPod, etc.... you know!

Unlike other company, Apple designers doesn't just "hey, let's make a touch iMac. They will actually sit down and "design" it before sending it to the assembly line. Just like they won't put OS X or the iPhone OS into the tablet and call it a day.

Geezzzzz!

Exactly. They won't do this without redesigning the ergonomics.
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
People who complain about having to extend your arms to use the touch iMac, or neck hurting, or smudges, or whatever (if it's actually made) NEED to think different. Don't you know Apple know this? They are the people who came up with intuitive designs that made you love the Mac OS X, iPhone, iPod, etc.... you know!

Unlike other company, Apple designers doesn't just "hey, let's make a touch iMac. They will actually sit down and "design" it before sending it to the assembly line. Just like they won't put OS X or the iPhone OS into the tablet and call it a day.

Geezzzzz!

Well I'm inclined to think (hope) you're right about this particular case. We can't forget that Apple doesn't just do technology, but *implementation* of technology like no one else. There might be a silver lining to this after all.
 

Stella

macrumors G3
Apr 21, 2003
8,838
6,341
Canada
Although the idea sounds good, without a redesign of the Mac - using a touch screen mac will be very uncomfortable, like other people have already said.

I'm pretty sure that Apple have taken this into account and redesigned as necessary. I hope.

Simply adding multitouch to the existing iMac model - why - if its uncomfortable? Gimmicky. Re-design is necessary.

Myabe the keyboard will become optional, and have the screen like a book - or at a very tilted angle? Think big , unportable, tablet,
 

lightpeak

macrumors regular
Dec 1, 2009
124
0
BC, Canada
The Base would have to be a on swinging arm like a flat screen TV wall mount to pull it out and forward so you could touch when you want and have it back a bit when you don't or if it's not in use.
 

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,152
19,723
Come up w/ your own ideas, Apple, and stop stealing others. lol ;):p

http://www.hp.com/united-states/campaigns/touchsmart/

Just keeping the "Praise Apple" fanboys here humble. I wonder how they'd feel if HP sued Apple over this? Oh, wait... I know! :D

Now getting serious: Won't work. People are use to having their iMacs a good foot away from them at the far back end of the desk. Imagine how tired your arms would get having to stretch. Imagine how tired your eyes would get to have your iMac a few inches away from your face... besides awkward looking.

1.) Apple, along with their aquisition of Fingerworks, has been a pioneer of such multi-touch technology for many years. HP's implementation is more about gimmick, while Apple's is more about doing something useful. There is a big difference, which will be apparent once the tablet is released. Let's not kid ourselves: the only reason we haven't seen this sooner on Macs is because they wanted it on the tablet first. It has been in the works for a long time. And for what it's worth, there have been touch screens going back much further than HP's effort. Companies have only begun using them again recently because of Apple's successful use of the technology in the iPhone platform.

2.) Apple hires these employees known as industrial engineers. You see, their job is to design something that is beautiful and usuable. I can assure you that you're not the first one bright enough to take into consideration the concerns of using a capacitive touch screen on such a large scale. If they make something that is crap, Steve Jobs will give them hell until it works, and we won't see it for sale a day before that happens. Apple has changed the way people interact with computers before, from the mouse, to the click-wheel, to the multi-touch iPhone interface. I don't see how they couldn't do something similar with a desktop. Especially since going into the future, that seems like the easiest and most natural way to interact with a computer. Minority Report, Star Trek, Avatar? The future begins 2010.

Ok, now on to the tablet: https://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/19/apple-tablet-delayed-with-oled-model-planned-3g-possible/
According to their sources, Apple is working with Foxconn Electronics (Hon Hai Precision Industry), Quanta Computer and Pegatron Technology in the manufacturing of two different tablet PCs, one with a 10.6 inch TFT LCD while the other will have a 9.7-inch OLED panel. The reason for the delay is speculated to be related to the relatively high cost of the OLED panel itself which could bring the total cost of the device near $2000. Meanwhile, the 10.6 inch LCD device is estimated to cost around $800-$1000.

This new report states 9.7" screen, and the old report above states the 9.7" screen is OLED. Could this be confirmation of OLED in the tablet? If so, I hope that all the outdoor viewing issues have been resolved. I also hope that it costs much less than $2000. I don't see many people buying at that price. I'm sure Apple knows that already, but then does a lower price pretty much guarantee a cheap OLED panel? Which means poor outdoor viewing. All of this nonsense leads me to believe that the tablet won't have OLED. I also don't see Apple fragmenting their tablet device into regular and pro versions this early in the game. Could it happen a couple years down the road? Sure, but not this soon. I'm expecting standard LCD. They would need magic OLED panels to make it a decent price that is viewable outdoors.
 

zedsdead

macrumors 68040
Jun 20, 2007
3,403
1,147
The Base would have to be a on swinging arm like a flat screen TV wall mount to pull it out and forward so you could touch when you want and have it back a bit when you don't or if it's not in use.

I agree. They would have to go back to something similar to the design of the G4 iMac.

I don't think this is happening anytime soon.
 

SeaFox

macrumors 68030
Jul 22, 2003
2,619
954
Somewhere Else
The report notes that the popularity of "all-in-one" computers like the iMac is surging, with unit sales set to double in 2010 as other competitors such as Dell ramp up their offerings.
That's because many of these other offerings have TV tuners built in. So you get a true multipurpose device.
 

ecualegacy

macrumors regular
Oct 3, 2009
119
0
Des Moines, IA
Screen-Cleaning-Technology.jpg


You saw it here first.


ROFL!!! Thanks soooo much for that pic! :D
 

AAPLaday

Guest
Aug 6, 2008
2,411
2
Manchester UK
I could imagine using it for shifting and moving app windows about like in Expose, and also for selecting most common used app menus like copy paste print etc. I imagine this could work really well if it is done well. There are times when i use a computer and have many windows open that i wish i could just reach out and resize and move them instead of having to use a mouse
 

SwiftLives

macrumors 65816
Dec 7, 2001
1,356
341
Charleston, SC
Until someone can answer why a touchscreen interface on a 20+ in. display would be better than a keyboard and mouse, it won't happen. Even as a supplement to the keyboard and mouse, I don't see the use for a touchscreen display. I don't think this rumor is very credible.
 

fat phil

macrumors 6502
Jul 11, 2008
438
0
I think a touch-screen iMac is a brilliant idea.

And all the better for getting rid of bingo-wings!
 

MikeELL

macrumors regular
Aug 18, 2006
127
1
Perth, Australia
What if touch OSX is the future of OSX?

Imagine this timeline:

Jan 27: Apple introduces Tablet(s) with touchscreen (+multitouch on back). Awesome new 3-D interface (touch the front of the screen you work on the foreground, touch the back and you work on the background). Awesome handwriting recognition. Camera thingy integrated into the screen as per their patent. Announces SDK for both tablet and iphone apps.

April/June/July: New iphone/ipod touch with multitouch front and back, integrated camera thingy.

Q3: Apple introduces new iMac - where the "chin" of the iMac is the dock for the detachable 22-inch tablet. Super thin so that it too can be taken around as a large tablet with same 3-D interface, multitouch front and back, sensing display, and handwriting.
Also introduce MacBook Pro line up with multitouch options. And Free standing displays (adjustable for ergonomic effect) for use with Mac Pros.

The important thing is that any big display is adjustable in much the same way as the lamp iMac so that it can be ergonomically used for touch in general and handwriting in particular.

Any takers?
 

blybug

macrumors 6502a
Aug 11, 2003
521
0
Galveston, TX
I'm thinking about virtual gestures, not on the screen. Gestures, waves, swipes could be in the air, sensed by the camera. Pinch/zoom, tap to select, etc could be on the screen.

Yes. This would be Apple's way of doing things...even to the point of having all the gestures be sensed by the camera or the screen itself within a certain range. Perhaps this is where that patent for the "camera" built into the pixels of the screen itself comes into play. Eliminates the smudgy screen problem which Steve wouldn't stand for (me neither!), and introduces a whole new level of cool.

Will the Tablet be the first to demo these gestures with its "surprising" interface?
 

*LTD*

macrumors G4
Feb 5, 2009
10,703
1
Canada
1.) Apple, along with their aquisition of Fingerworks, has been a pioneer of such multi-touch technology for many years. HP's implementation is more about gimmick, while Apple's is more about doing something useful. There is a big difference, which will be apparent once the tablet is released. Let's not kid ourselves: the only reason we haven't seen this sooner on Macs is because they wanted it on the tablet first. It has been in the works for a long time. And for what it's worth, there have been touch screens going back much further than HP's effort. Companies have only begun using them again recently because of Apple's successful use of the technology in the iPhone platform.

2.) Apple hires these employees known as industrial engineers. You see, their job is to design something that is beautiful and usuable. I can assure you that you're not the first one bright enough to take into consideration the concerns of using a capacitive touch screen on such a large scale. If they make something that is crap, Steve Jobs will give them hell until it works, and we won't see it for sale a day before that happens. Apple has changed the way people interact with computers before, from the mouse, to the click-wheel, to the multi-touch iPhone interface. I don't see how they couldn't do something similar with a desktop. Especially since going into the future, that seems like the easiest and most natural way to interact with a computer. Minority Report, Star Trek, Avatar? The future begins 2010.

Ok, now on to the tablet: https://www.macrumors.com/2009/11/19/apple-tablet-delayed-with-oled-model-planned-3g-possible/


This new report states 9.7" screen, and the old report above states the 9.7" screen is OLED. Could this be confirmation of OLED in the tablet? If so, I hope that all the outdoor viewing issues have been resolved. I also hope that it costs much less than $2000. I don't see many people buying at that price. I'm sure Apple knows that already, but then does a lower price pretty much guarantee a cheap OLED panel? Which means poor outdoor viewing. All of this nonsense leads me to believe that the tablet won't have OLED. I also don't see Apple fragmenting their tablet device into regular and pro versions this early in the game. Could it happen a couple years down the road? Sure, but not this soon. I'm expecting standard LCD. They would need magic OLED panels to make it a decent price that is viewable outdoors.

Very well stated.
 

fat phil

macrumors 6502
Jul 11, 2008
438
0
Until someone can answer why a touchscreen interface on a 20+ in. display would be better than a keyboard and mouse, it won't happen. Even as a supplement to the keyboard and mouse, I don't see the use for a touchscreen display. I don't think this rumor is very credible.

I kid you not that when I first got my unibody macbook, I would occasionally reach out to touch the screen before catching myself.

The canny attraction is gestures rather than actual interaction. Just to be able to swipe between Spaces instead of using the damned keyboard would do it for me. I love the MBP trackpad; it's my favourite new feature without question, and choice can only make iMacs more desirable rather than less.
 

Trexznl

macrumors member
Jan 14, 2009
98
0
The Netherlands
You guys aren't using your imagination.

A 22" inch TouchiMac of course won't be used in the current form and would be really sucky.

I imagine it to be like a big tablet on a stand. So that the biggest part of the screen is underneath your hands, like a laptop keyboard. And then you can change the angle of the device between parallel to the surface, and being upswept.

That way it'd be quite useable.
 

VenusianSky

macrumors 65816
Aug 28, 2008
1,290
47
Until someone can answer why a touchscreen interface on a 20+ in. display would be better than a keyboard and mouse, it won't happen. Even as a supplement to the keyboard and mouse, I don't see the use for a touchscreen display. I don't think this rumor is very credible.

A touchscreen is better than a keyboard and mouse for specific applications and uses. I don't think it is out to replace the regular usage of a keyboard and mouse, but rather target a specific (niche) market. Maybe interactive learning applications for children or a photo library for an event planner. I personally have no use, nor does many people here it seems, but there is a market out there for it.
 

akadmon

Suspended
Aug 30, 2006
2,006
2
New England
Stop :apple:! This type of design in an ergonomic disaster!!!

The only way I can envision it working is if the iMac is actually laying flat (or almost flat) on its back. ( i.e. something akin to MS Surface). Otherwise, a far better option is to bundle the iMac with a keyboard equipped with a large (say 7") LCD trackpad.
 

Hellhammer

Moderator emeritus
Dec 10, 2008
22,164
582
Finland
We won't see touchscreen iMacs anytime soon. Your arm would be so full of pain after 10 minutes of use. A touch keyboard I can see happening this year but seriously, touchscreen computers are useless for normal use.
 

macduke

macrumors G5
Jun 27, 2007
13,152
19,723
Well I'm inclined to think (hope) you're right about this particular case. We can't forget that Apple doesn't just do technology, but *implementation* of technology like no one else. There might be a silver lining to this after all.

I couldn't agree with you guys more.

HP's process: let's add a touchscreen to our all-in-one iMac ripoff!

Apple's process: how can we fundamentally change how people interact with their computer, while making it easier, intuitive, and less time consuming?

As a side note, as the iPhone has become more popular, there have been more and more Windows users on this site. Its getting a bit annoying how they love their iPhones, but love bashing Apple's other efforts, which have a lot to do with what made the iPhone possible. They can have their crappy HP TouchSmart TM2T or whatever, I just don't want to hear about it all day long. This is MACrumors.

Interesting quote from that HP model's description:
A convertible multitouch tablet that runs on Intel CULV and can be used as a slate or conventional laptop.

I doubt they would even be calling this a "slate" if that wasn't the rumored name for Apple's tablet device.
 

wgbit

macrumors newbie
Jan 18, 2010
1
0
i think if apple can make sure of the hardware durability (flickering screen, mobo problem and others), this will be a good start for advancement, otherwise, just another crazy toy to play with.
 
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