Apple to Launch iOS-Enabled iMac With Touch Interface?

[NT1440]

And Apple never made much profit until iOS hit the scene.

🙄

Come on.

 

[iGrip]

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 ****.

In addition, the keyboard curves in the wrong direction. It would be mucho painful to use.

 

[bear912]

If that becomes the future (it is starting to feel that way a bit), then I'll be switching back to Windows full time.

And I'd probably switch to Linux.

 

[Ruahrc]

I'm just going to throw this very quick (and shoddy) rendering I made into the mix, portraying a possible "tabletop" iMac.

This is a good example of why a tabletop iMac just won't work. The "touching plane" is probably a foot off the surface of the table/desk upon which the computer sits. Which means if your current desk is at a good and proper height for your chair, you're either going to have to sit a foot higher or lower your desk a foot to keep that optimum reach. Doing either of these means your desk is now a foot too low. If you have a pad of paper there, or a cup of coffee, anything- it's going to be a nightmare to keep getting it.

This may work if you built a special table for it and used it standing up, like a kiosk. But then it would only really be useful for goofing off briefly, and not doing anything serious. Who is going to stand for several hours continuously to use the computer?

Touchscreen iMac to me really just sounds like spec-lust and not a practical reality.

 

[neesley]

Imagine you lived in the 1500s and someone showed you two computers. If you had zero prior computer experience, would you pick a touch based computer... or would you pick one where you move some arrow shaped icon with a 2nd device called the mouse.

We're very used to using a mouse, but it's definitely not the most natural way to interact with a computer. It's not easy either. I've seen old people that never could figure out how to double click without moving the cursor 50 pixels from where they wanted to click.

Great comment!

 

[scottness]

This is a good example of why a tabletop iMac just won't work. The "touching plane" is probably a foot off the surface of the table/desk upon which the computer sits. Which means if your current desk is at a good and proper height for your chair, you're either going to have to sit a foot higher or lower your desk a foot to keep that optimum reach. Doing either of these means your desk is now a foot too low. If you have a pad of paper there, or a cup of coffee, anything- it's going to be a nightmare to keep getting it.

This may work if you built a special table for it and used it standing up, like a kiosk. But then it would only really be useful for goofing off briefly, and not doing anything serious. Who is going to stand for several hours continuously to use the computer?

Touchscreen iMac to me really just sounds like spec-lust and not a practical reality.

An ergonomic nightmare. My body hurts just thinking about it.

 

[albusseverus]

This is getting out of control. Here's your touch iMac.

Nothing more complicated than a big ar$e iPad, higher at the back than at the front for viewing angle. Ergonomically less complex than a pencil and paper.

I'm more interested in how to cool the thing, but the music electronics industry have been making keyboards and powered mixers for decades, so somebody knows how.

 

[Jesse Smith]

Any one see this in da newest iMac??!!! Didn't think so, thank goodness!!! I'll freakin stick to da keyboard!!

 

[albusseverus]

Any one see this in da newest iMac??!!! Didn't think so, thank goodness!!! I'll freakin stick to da keyboard!!

Anyone see the Magic Touchpad released without explanation? just wait.
It's no Wacom Tablet…

This was only a speed bump. I believe Apple will release Touch Macs (already ™Apple Inc.) as an additional product line along side standard Macs, to ease the transition.

There will always be keyboards, for keyboard shortcuts if not the obvious bulk text entry. Half the work done by pro-applications (not just Apple's) is done with keyboard shortcuts. It's the mouse that's done for. Apple finally perfect the mouse, and they kill it.

 

[ravenvii]

Anyone see the Magic Touchpad released without explanation? just wait.
It's no Wacom Tablet…

This was only a speed bump. I believe Apple will release Touch Macs (already ™Apple Inc.) as an additional product line along side standard Macs, to ease the transition.

There will always be keyboards, for keyboard shortcuts if not the obvious bulk text entry. Half the work done by pro-applications (not just Apple's) is done with keyboard shortcuts. It's the mouse that's done for. Apple finally perfect the mouse, and they kill it.

I think the Magic Mouse is transitory too. To get people used to using touch on the desktop.