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Cool!

I can see many benefits to develop from this. Maybe not on an iMac, but a larger iPad with iMac or Mac Pro power from a designing stand point.

Yes, keep the use of a mouse and/or keyboard for the comfort side of things. But when it comes to intricate design, a mouse is just a pain to use. A Wacom tablet has been around a while and some still use it, but you're pretty much drawing blind folded. If you could use a type of stylus or a finger and draw/edit directly on the screen that would make detail work sooooo much easier and faster.

I think this is a good direction. Who says the iMac will still be a desktop monitor/computer? It could be like the iPad maybe with a popout easel for use as a freestanding monitor (maybe not as cheesy as that, but you get the picture), while still keeping your "all in one" desktop component.
 
I wouldn't mind an iOS-type OS on an iMac as long as it had some more features of a full-fledged desktop OS. As in:

-Multiple Users
-Printing
-Some kind of file system
-More apps of a creative side (ie movie editing, word processing, programming, etc.) instead of just media consuming apps

Note: this list is not exhaustive; there are many more features I'd like that I just can't think of at the moment.

Plus, some games/apps will need to be done, specifically those that need the accelerometers. I don't think people would want to swing around a 20/30 pound computer. But that would be a good way to make more money; people keep breaking them so they'll have to pay for repairs/new ones.



I doubt 10.7 will be such an overhaul. Probably more like Mac OS X 11.0 or a totally new naming scheme.

iMac or not, iOS 4.1 better support printing. Such a glaring omission, and honestly with the hardware/software advancements since the original iPhone, other than maybe (Adobe) Flash, it's really the only minus left.
 
I like the iPad but I still feel more at home with the Mac. Maybe that will change, over time using the iPad may feel more natural and so perhaps over time there will be a gradual transition.

However, like most people here, I think this will be over a number of years, not in the near future. I've sometimes wondered what Apple might have up their sleeves for OS XI. Maybe that will mark more of a hybrid between OS X and iOS, but that's probably looking 5-10 years ahead.
 
Then again, maybe it's this patent...

Remember this design? Maybe they THOUGHT it was a touch enabled iMac, but just the iPad in a dock that looked like an iMac:

imac-dock3.jpg


Something like this could be feasible now that the iPad is out. Throw in the rumored MagicPad and the Magic Mouse, along with a slim keyboard, and voila, a touch enabled iMac-like computer.

Just a thought.
 
OK....this is how its going to work. Latest Mac Mini, HDMI, $600, hooked into your big LCD, persistant interent of course.

Now here is the killer part....launch an iPhone/iPad/iPod app which in turn starts iOS on the Mac Mini and BOOM, you are hooked into the whole Apple app store eco system, a whole new world of games....WHICH, I might add, can tap ino the dramatically more powerful hardware of the Mini's CPU and GPU.

So... state of the art bluetooth control, iPhone 4 running custom joypad controller app, latest Mac Mini and its hardware benifits, instant access to the app store, latest games on demand....think about it. All this could be ours within 2 - 3 months. PS3, Nintendo etc look out!

Also
https://www.macrumors.com/2010/...strike-source-for-mac-os-x/
 
I know my boss would be thrilled...

but frankly, I'm a mouse/keyboard gal and don't need to get any closer to my iMac than I already am.

I hope this isn't case because I'd hate to see the great computers that Apple produce be reduced to hybrid iMacs and other like-minded prosumer type machines. May this just remain a rumor.

While I like the Jetsons, I don't need computers like theirs.
 
Remember this design? Maybe they THOUGHT it was a touch enabled iMac, but just the iPad in a dock that looked like an iMac:

imac-dock3.jpg


Something like this could be feasible now that the iPad is out. Throw in the rumored MagicPad and the Magic Mouse, along with a slim keyboard, and voila, a touch enabled iMac-like computer.

Just a thought.

:D Yes, give me an imac doc where I can auto sync my ipad / mac os x and run both traditional os x software and ipad apps from the mac. That would be cool and definately looking forward to. I would love to not have to worry about syn'cing ever again. maybe this is also why we have not heard anything about iwork or iLife 10 yet. I mean it is getting pretty late in the year and they are not out with it yet.
 
nagromme said:
iOS and Mac OS will merge. Very slowly over the years. Eventually,This sounds great to me! I can imagine Photoshop
don't count on adobe products pal, Apple wants you to use Apple products and grab to your seat ... I bet it will be just one way to install apps... The AppStore pro. We are screwed.
 
That's a very old render. I doubt MacAllen made it. Plus, why would you want a transparent display on a desktop? I can almost understand it on a window, but on a desktop it just looks like ****.

but it's all about what appears in that window,and sort of disappears when not in use, anyway it all just conjecture, not cast in stone, chill, it's just discussion ,yes???;)
 
I just don't see people wanting to have their arms up like that to use a desktop computer. It works so well on the iPad cause you can use it where your hands are already sitting (in your lap). But this...doesn't strike as being very practical at all.
 
My prediction: we are many, many years from a fully touch screen interface iMac. It's just not there yet. It works well on a phone but would not work well on a device with a similar form factor as the current iMac.
 
iOS on iMac

We hope, Jobs said - many different iOS products later this year...
 
apple will do anything to sell more apps and make more money..

its all about money now.. sad..
 
As is the norm for most rumored Apple products... it's been done before to some extent. In this case, a company in Valencia, CA, humorously called Troll Touch (wonder if they hang out on forums much?) performs touchscreen upgrades to virtually any Mac product. As I understand it, the majority of their customers are businesses that use touchscreen iMacs as point of sale machines, equipped with the [/url="http://www.xsilva.com"]Lightspeed POS[/url] software. And no, POS does not stand for what you call your '79 Ford Pinto.

I could see there being a strong market for systems like these, especially considering the markup Apple could put on them. I've worked heavily with Radiant POS systems which run XP Embedded and used a few other XP Pro software packs and CE based devices - most of which crashed on a weekly basis. When running a retail/restaurant business, the last thing you want is to lost precious time and customers due to a faulty system. Macs have a great reputation with not crashing, so I can see why a smart business owner would see the advantage of investing in a few of these.

As for incorporating iOS in there, I could see it being a very light "embedded" version of OS X that would be great for running on smaller, less powerful computers - much like XP Embedded. Kind of like what it is already, except capable of being run on other hardware platforms.

And finally, I could see an iMac-based Surface-like Mac. You know, tabletop computing and all. Not as much market, but pretty dang cool, even if Microsoft has done it before. We all know Apple's always trying to one-up Microsoft.

Be as it may though, I couldn't see Apple pumping out a consumer-level touchscreen iMac. For anything other than light, 15 minute usage, it would be a real pain. I couldn't see many non-business owners buying one. I'm putting my money (har har) on seeing an Apple produced iMac POS either running OS X or a slightly beefed up form of iOS. What do you think about the name OS X$?
 
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