Apple Testing Keyboard Case for Potential Release Alongside iPad 5

[SmoMo]

To me it seems that Apple is about halfway to completely merging their OS with iOS. Meaning one platform across their mobile and desktop devices.

I can foresee a future where Mac and iPads merge into one device. Your iPad will be docked and become your 'Mac' on your desk and be undocked to become your iPad. All with one touchscreen iOS-like interface.

The 2 platforms are already a lot closer than most people understand.
For example, when I wanted to re-compile an iOS App to run under OSX it only took a few hours, I was lucky in that I wasn't using a lot of iOS only functionality ( such as Image Picker ) but my point is that the OS is pretty much the same.

This wasn't always the case, iOS only got Automatic Reference Counting ( a form of garbage collection ) recently, and as I understand it iOS still has no virtual memory implementation.

--

And from the other side, running iOS in OSX, well that is pretty much done already because that's how the iOS simulator works, unlike an emulator which can run the code of another platform directly, the simulator needs a recompilation of the iOS project and supplies most of the iOS API in OSX format.

So I wouldn't be surprised if one day Apple announces that you can download and run iOS Apps on your Mac.
...Ok, I would be surprised, but only form a business point of view, technically it wouldn't be a surprise at all, but presumably the benefits just don't add up yet, not to mention User Interface problems with not having a touchscreen on your Mac.

--

But I don't think the iPads and Macs are going to merge anytime soon, perhaps before the Surface was launched things might have looked more optimistic, but now Microsoft have collapsed that wave function there doesn't seem to be much room to dream anymore.

I think the seeds of the future device is here already, and that is Airplay. I already have an App which uses iPads as 2nd ( or 3rd, 4th etc.. ) monitors for my Macbook.
I can sit in a cafe now with multiple-monitors, if I really want, and although the performance isn't quite there yet, if it gets 4 or 5 times faster then it will be indistinguishable from a real monitor plugged in.

It is as simple as that, once you have a wireless portable, hi-res display with its own battery, then why not have 2 of them, and the 2nd one can be a keyboard + touchpad.
Ok, so some tactile feedback wouldn't go amiss, but a multitouch keyboard which can change its appearance ( because it is also a screen ) might outweigh the lack of feedback to begin with.

And once you've got your portable screen, and portable keyboard/touchpad , then it doesn't really matter where you put the computer part.
Perhaps it is inside one of the screens ( the iPads ), maybe the computation/storage is distributed across both the screen/keyboard, maybe the computation is on your phone, or in fat little block you keep in your bag.
Maybe it is on your wrist.

The future is basically just that, Airplay, automatically connecting and setting itself up over Bluetooth, distributing computation to make use of what is available.

THEEND

----

You've probably got friends, like I have, that feel so sad with modern computing they can't open, and they pine for the days of PC tower cases where every part can be replaced by just twiddling a few screws.
What a shame, they tell me, that they can't open their iPad with breaking the screen because of glue.

..but I see it so differently, we aren't leaving the modular era of computing behind, we are just about to enter it.
I open my rucksack and inside I've got:
* spare USB battery that can charge iPhone/iPad/Any USB Device
* MiFi 3G wifi dongle hotspot
* Wifi HardDrive
* External BlueRay drive
* iPad
* Macbook
* Wireless Keyboard
* Wireless Touchpad

This is modular computing at its best, and is only going to get better, the only thing missing about the old PC Tower Box, is the box !
Maybe I'll gut out my old G5 powermac tonight, and put some aluminium shelves inside, y'know to store stuff on!

 

[whooleytoo]

Lol, where are all the "COPYERZZZZZZ" post?

Apple is clearly copying The Surface, but I'm sure the fanboyz will find a way to justify it.

But we all know when another phone with a finger scanner comes out everyone's going to be like "THESE PPL ALWAYS COPY APPLE!?!"

I don't know, almost from the first day I used my Smart Cover I posted I wished it had a keyboard in it; if it could be done without compromising the keyboard or adding bulk to the device. I very much doubt if the Surface was the first case with a built-in keyboard either.

 

[ArtOfWarfare]

Maybe one day the dication will be good enough that keybords really are not needed, but we are not there yet. If Apple truly is thinking about a 12" iPad, I cannot see how they would market this with a keybord.

Dictation will never be as good as a keyboard because in most settings where you need a lot written, it's considered rude to be making noise (IE, at work or in public.) The only thing that could improve on the keyboard that I can think of is some kind of direct brain to computer interface. DWIT meets WYSIWYG.

 

[Locoboof]

Apple Testing Keyboard Case for Potential Release Alongside iPad 5

This keynote is going to be a real dud if the iPads don't have TouchID, gold, no apple tv announced, no iWatch etc.

You just named everything I'm looking for as well. I'm not getting my hopes up though.I'm fully prepared not to see these implemented this year. Not a actual dud for me,but I little disappointment.

 

[dannys1]

"But if Apple did this I'd bet it would be better than Microsoft's implementation."

So typical - pooh-poohed when Microsoft puts it out BUT deemed brilliant when Apple takes it market.

The fanboyz rhetoric is tiresome, ain't it.

So is bad grammar and insisting in the use of "z"s all the time like its comical.

 

[RedOrchestra]

WELL @dannys1 - the fanboyz ARE a comical lot, ain't they?

 

[roadbloc]

So something Apple hasn't released, and may never release is a copy of Microsoft?

That's how it mostly works here when its the other way round.

 

[petvas]

I have to say, if I needed a keyboard then I want to have an OS that is designed to work with it perfectly. iOS isn't that OS (up until now at least), so my choice is OS X.
The best laptop for the job is a Macbook Air 11". It has a great battery life, is very mobile and is a real computer. There is no comparison to the fabulous iPad (which began as a consume content device).
When and if iOS matures enough to make working with a keyboard and productivity applications as good as in OS X, then an iPad keyboard will make sense.
I believe we have at least 3-4 years till iOS achieves that.

 

[Vodka]

"According to ex-Apple Developer Relations employee"

not sure if there's meaning to read after this line
maybe MacRumors should start interview EX Apple's janitors? they sure do know a lot too but no relation to what Apple's doing right now

 

[SusanK]

Bill Gates demonstrated tablet computers with Windows years before there was an iPad.

Winni, I'm asking for info, not being contentious. Did Bill Gates demo a tablet prior to Apple's Newton and MessagePad?

We had the last two iterations of the MessagePad. They were excellent devices. Handwriting recognition was very good. Cursive was quickly converted to text and easily printed via serial port.

Stylus entry much faster and more convenient that this one figure touchscreen picking I am doing now.

The MessagePad was discontinued as soon as Steve returned and streamlined the product line. I was down on Steve for a long time as a result.

I would love to have an updated device with handwritten stylus entry.

Thanks for any info.

 

[apolloa]

Lol, where are all the "COPYERZZZZZZ" post?

Apple is clearly copying The Surface, but I'm sure the fanboyz will find a way to justify it.

But we all know when another phone with a finger scanner comes out everyone's going to be like "THESE PPL ALWAYS COPY APPLE!?!"

Don't worry, if Apple launch a keyboard cover, plenty of idiots, I mean posters, on here will proclaim Apple invented the concept entirely and everyone has copied them

Still nice to see an actual rumour on here as opposed to some front page news story about an advert in a magazine!

 

[prehnra]

We can discuss this if and when it actually sees the light of day. Apple has a lot of prototypes, most of which never leave the lab and some which take years of evolution before they appear in public.

 

[Cyloncat]

Ouch, that's a huge condemnation of the Surface.

Huge and unwarranted. Also, it's important to distinguish between Surface and Surface Pro. Other than battery life, Surface Pro hit its mark and is doing well. But it's not an iPad competitor; it's up against the 11" MBA and various ultrabooks.

Surface (non-Pro) has its problems finding a market. Surface 2 (available tomorrow) fixes many of the original's problems, including screen quality, performance, app ecosystem, operating system (8.1 is a big advance over 8).

I'll be picking up a Surface 2 tomorrow; we'll see how it goes. The new Touch Cover 2 and Type Cover 2 are also improved (backlighting, sensitivity). I'll go for the Type Cover 2 in purple.

I'm less sure about rushing out for a new iPad; my iPad 3 is doing fine. I'll upgrade eventually, probably after the first of the year.

 

[jclardy]

A wireless secondary display....iPad DS!

 

[RedOrchestra]

You just named everything I'm looking for as well. I'm not getting my hopes up though.I'm fully prepared not to see these implemented this year. Not a actual dud for me,but I little disappointment.

Don't set your daily hurdles to high - sheesh!

 

[nagromme]

Last time I checked, the Surface products were not the first with detachable keyboards -- so they're not copying Microsoft so much. Microsoft just has the most marketing dollars behind their push, and is the most recent "new" thing with it.

If I recall correctly, right after the iPad came out, there were some third-party keyboard cases that started cropping up, long before the Surface was even a thing. I know there were a few models of those before the Surface came out, mostly made by Belkin, Logitech, et al.

If I'm mistaken on timing on that, then we should remember ASUS beat them both to the punch, since the Transformer Android line had the snap-in keyboards at their first release.

Apple usually takes an idea, improves it, and iterates on it until it's a great experience. That's not necessarily a bad thing, it's very hard (and rare) to come up with something perfect out of thin air, but iterating and improving something that already exists is much more feasible, and shouldn't be frowned upon.

Exactly.

Logitech's Ultrathin Keyboard for iPad pre-dated the Microsoft Surface keyboard: snap-on, magnetic (using Apple's Smart Cover system), with real physical keys, and available in 3 colors. (Unlike Microsoft's physical-keys version which I think is only in black?)

What Logitech did better then Microsoft: the stand mechanism--less awkward than the Surface kickstand, and very usable in a lap.

What Microsoft did differently that some may consider better than Logitech: the keyboard uses the tablet's own battery instead of its own, and the keyboard has a trackpad in case you like your OS to be confused as to whether it's touch based or not.

(I plan to get a Logitech keyboard cover, and if Apple makes one I'd consider it too--but I'm highly skeptical.)

 

[Yvan256]

The topic of discussion should be the features you think or wish this cover will have, not "Apple is only copying company XYZ".

We all know Apple usually copies, but they add value and/or usability in the process. Because having a feature is pointless if it's a PITA to use.

 

[Locoboof]

Don't set your daily hurdles to high - sheesh!

Lol.... I've just been looking forward to this keynote for a long time.

 

[SmoMo]

So is bad grammar and insisting in the use of "z"s all the time like its comical.

But the "z" is not supposed to be the same as an "s". The "z" is a hard sound, wile the "s" is much softer, try saying the words out loud to hear the difference.

* Fanboys
* Fanboyz

They are supposed to sound different, just like when you say words you pronounce them differently to add nuance and secondary meaning.
I know it seems like language is racing away at the moment, and perhaps you feel like you are struggling to keep up, but this is just because the Internet has made it so easy for people to communicate, that we are writing so much more than we were 10 or 20 years ago.

Sure, people used to send letters to each other, but consider how many words you type per day, and compare that to the old days when you had to drag an ink-filled tube across some flattened tree-pulp!

What happens when the human race writes more? The languages evolve faster, and this is seen most readily in newly formed abbreviations and added layers of nuance.

The grammar is also evolving, but the changes are often harder to spot and commonly mistaken for errors.
There is a simple test you can perform to spot this, and stop yourself appearing like an old fuddy-duddy, just ask yourself 'do I understand what the author meant', if you do then great, if not then it may well be an error after all.

 

[Chatter]

Lol, where are all the "COPYERZZZZZZ" post?

Apple is clearly copying The Surface, but I'm sure the fanboyz will find a way to justify it.

But we all know when another phone with a finger scanner comes out everyone's going to be like "THESE PPL ALWAYS COPY APPLE!?!"

Try growing up - its kinda fun sometimes .

 

[Xerotech]

So, Microsoft actually did something right?

 

[xensaenigma]

ONCE AGAIN, Apple no longer leaders NOW only followers - just playing catch-up.

For Apple to "catch-up" to Microsoft, the iPad 5 would have to lose close to one billion dollars... ouch!!!

 

[6836838]

Says who and why?

SJ's Keynote of the very first iPhone

 

[zonemster]

new cover

We confirmed with the support team in EU that Apple will introduce a new cover, all though they have not confirmed if it will be a keyboard or multi display cover

 

[xensaenigma]

The 2 platforms are already a lot closer than most people understand.
For example, when I wanted to re-compile an iOS App to run under OSX it only took a few hours, I was lucky in that I wasn't using a lot of iOS only functionality ( such as Image Picker ) but my point is that the OS is pretty much the same.

This wasn't always the case, iOS only got Automatic Reference Counting ( a form of garbage collection ) recently, and as I understand it iOS still has no virtual memory implementation.

--

And from the other side, running iOS in OSX, well that is pretty much done already because that's how the iOS simulator works, unlike an emulator which can run the code of another platform directly, the simulator needs a recompilation of the iOS project and supplies most of the iOS API in OSX format.

So I wouldn't be surprised if one day Apple announces that you can download and run iOS Apps on your Mac.
...Ok, I would be surprised, but only form a business point of view, technically it wouldn't be a surprise at all, but presumably the benefits just don't add up yet, not to mention User Interface problems with not having a touchscreen on your Mac.

--

But I don't think the iPads and Macs are going to merge anytime soon, perhaps before the Surface was launched things might have looked more optimistic, but now Microsoft have collapsed that wave function there doesn't seem to be much room to dream anymore.

I think the seeds of the future device is here already, and that is Airplay. I already have an App which uses iPads as 2nd ( or 3rd, 4th etc.. ) monitors for my Macbook.
I can sit in a cafe now with multiple-monitors, if I really want, and although the performance isn't quite there yet, if it gets 4 or 5 times faster then it will be indistinguishable from a real monitor plugged in.

It is as simple as that, once you have a wireless portable, hi-res display with its own battery, then why not have 2 of them, and the 2nd one can be a keyboard + touchpad.
Ok, so some tactile feedback wouldn't go amiss, but a multitouch keyboard which can change its appearance ( because it is also a screen ) might outweigh the lack of feedback to begin with.

And once you've got your portable screen, and portable keyboard/touchpad , then it doesn't really matter where you put the computer part.
Perhaps it is inside one of the screens ( the iPads ), maybe the computation/storage is distributed across both the screen/keyboard, maybe the computation is on your phone, or in fat little block you keep in your bag.
Maybe it is on your wrist.

The future is basically just that, Airplay, automatically connecting and setting itself up over Bluetooth, distributing computation to make use of what is available.

THEEND

----

You've probably got friends, like I have, that feel so sad with modern computing they can't open, and they pine for the days of PC tower cases where every part can be replaced by just twiddling a few screws.
What a shame, they tell me, that they can't open their iPad with breaking the screen because of glue.

..but I see it so differently, we aren't leaving the modular era of computing behind, we are just about to enter it.
I open my rucksack and inside I've got:
* spare USB battery that can charge iPhone/iPad/Any USB Device
* MiFi 3G wifi dongle hotspot
* Wifi HardDrive
* External BlueRay drive
* iPad
* Macbook
* Wireless Keyboard
* Wireless Touchpad

This is modular computing at its best, and is only going to get better, the only thing missing about the old PC Tower Box, is the box !
Maybe I'll gut out my old G5 powermac tonight, and put some aluminium shelves inside, y'know to store stuff on!

ARC is NOT a form of garbage collection at all.