I think it could be pretty cool you could program each key to launch a specific application or do a specific task. or you could re-arrange the keys in a non-qwerty fashion for people who don't have any qwerty keyboard experience. the possibilites don't stop there you could use it for a brand new iPod Newton (didn't apple buy a bunch of palm employees?) any application of touch screen displays could be put into use for the iPod or the newton or you could put it on the iMac etc...
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Apple 'Touch Finger LCDs'
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Maybe I don't know the product well enough, but wouldn't ePaper be a much more approachable direction? Low power, decent contrast for the use and relatively inexpensive especially compared LED. Just a though (I HAD IT FIRST, unless someone else did 
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mvelinder said:
As someone who writes a lot of equations in either Equation Editor (eeks) or LaTeX, the ability to have the keyboard automatically switch into 'math mode' according to the state of the software would be amazing. Typing along like normal in QWERTY mode, then, after typing $ in LaTeX, the keyboard changes to math mode, and lets me input all my characters without having to remember the right combinations, then, after the closing $, it goes back to QWERTY again. This would be sweet.
Or, say I'm typing a mail message at work to someone in French. I change the language of the document properties to french, and get the AZERTY keyboard automatically. This would be really nice.
The thing about cool new technology is not just that it could do something better than the way it's done now (mapping keyboard shortcuts, for example), but that it allows for completely new ways of thinking.
pdpfilms said:
Hmm...I don't know. It depends how well it's done. I know its slightly different...but if you believe the hype about the iPod Video with the overlay touchscreen scroll wheel then its the same kind of principle. Displaying the graphics for the controls based on what the user is doing.
As with everything I guess it's just is it implemented in a smooth sleek way, or a horrible clunky way. And...well...it's Apple so I guess we know the answer to that...
Optimus Keyboard
I think the OPTIMUS KEYBOARD can be a great help, especially in the PRO field . The idea is splendid, but the question is: WHAT WILL IT COST... ?
DeVizardofOZ
bigandy said:
I think the OPTIMUS KEYBOARD can be a great help, especially in the PRO field
. The idea is splendid, but the question is: WHAT WILL IT COST... ?DeVizardofOZ
I think they should slap on a bunch of those quick launch shortcuts and media playback buttons like my old HP, since that's obviously why people aren't switching.
The whole Optimus keyboard in a MBP would be pretty sweet, but you have to wonder why Optimus didn't build one to begin with. There must have been some challenges in the desktop keyboard, never mind a laptop version. Also, I'm guessing, it would take some power to drive all those little screens (even though theyre OLEDs). Unless you could turn them off while youre touch typing and didn't need them...that would be cool!
The whole Optimus keyboard in a MBP would be pretty sweet, but you have to wonder why Optimus didn't build one to begin with. There must have been some challenges in the desktop keyboard, never mind a laptop version. Also, I'm guessing, it would take some power to drive all those little screens (even though theyre OLEDs). Unless you could turn them off while youre touch typing and didn't need them...that would be cool!
