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Apple Working on Advanced Gesturing and Multi-Touch Version of iWork

Touch sensitive on the back-side

Apple has a few patents pertaining to have touch sensitive areas on the back side of devices... http://gizmodo.com/259271/next-gen-ipod-patent-has-touch-surface-on-back

If you think about the way you hold a book or magazine, you do naturally place a few fingers on the back side to help support the object. It would not take much to say just swipe your finger to scroll up or down, or two or three fingers for other actions.

While it may not make a good input system for entering text, it could very well remove the need to constantly reach for the front surface to interact with it.

I'm willing to bet the tech for the magic mouse, will make its way onto the back side of the apple tablet for convenient and comfortable interaction.
 
Another use for the sensors on the back could be to determine how you are holding the device.

Let's say the sensors on the back read several fingers on both sides of the back of the tablet. Then the tablet knows you are holding and viewing it rather than using your fingers to make a selection on the front screen.
 
get it on a big screen!

I have found a fundamental frustration with Apple in its recent devices. You cannot easily get stuff out onto a projector.
You can make stuff - lots of content - stuff that looks great but to utilize the portability of the iPhone and iTablet you need decent video out possibiities - I do not mean component video I mean something easily adapted to a VGA port which is still the standard for projectors. I HATE lugging my laptop to a presentation when I should be able to run it off my iPhone...this is a no brainer and still has not happened!
 
currentinterest said:
It will be interesting to see the ports included in this thing. I doubt HDMI will be included, but it would be handy. Will it display full HD as do some of the CES announced laptops? Knowing Apple, probably not.
Click to expand...

Ports will cost extra. BT or WiFi link unit will have all the ports you could want (depending on which model you buy).
 
The problem with Apple is their keen eye on marketing. That is why I see this device as initially likely to be awesome but a little less than desirable. The do make some very good under-the-hood improvements to each iteration of the operating system, but in order to sell it, a new paint job is needed. Hence, this new device will have breath-taking glitz and glamour, but when it comes down to something that is truly useful across the board, that may take a while (and not a little while). All you have to do is look at the difference between the Newton MP 100 and the 120 (yes, it is different management, but it is still the same company with the same habits).
 
Interesting problem. I googled iPhone to VGA

doogle said:
I have found a fundamental frustration with Apple in its recent devices. You cannot easily get stuff out onto a projector.
You can make stuff - lots of content - stuff that looks great but to utilize the portability of the iPhone and iTablet you need decent video out possibiities - I do not mean component video I mean something easily adapted to a VGA port which is still the standard for projectors. I HATE lugging my laptop to a presentation when I should be able to run it off my iPhone...this is a no brainer and still has not happened!
Click to expand...

http://www.google.com/search?client=safari&rls=en&q=iphone+to+vga+projector&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8
 
MikhailT said:
Doubt speech will blow away touch interface or any other interface except for some small situations, like mobile and small interactive apps. Exactly how are you going to tell a computer to rotate an image to fit your needs? it takes longer to say "rotate 45 degree, no move it back 15 degree, move it sideway 10 degree" than it does to move your hand to get it done in one smooth motion or even your mouse will do the job well. You can't even draw with speech input either. Speech is good for textual input only, not for creative input. Touchscreen is the best way to go for creative input.

Disability is a major concern as well as privacy. What about people who can't talk with clear speech, accents, noisy environments or even deaf/hoh people? What about sensitive information at work?
Click to expand...

Thats why Apple have to offer a Cross section of ways were it is prudent to do so.
 
ChocoTaco said:
I don't see this as a first gen device. Especially when you factor in this iPhone and the long history of tablets already made by others. Then when you factor in the long history from this FingerWorks company.. this is more like the crowning jewel than the first little gem in the line.
Click to expand...

Sydde said:
This new device will have breath-taking glitz and glamour, but when it comes down to something that is truly useful across the board, that may take a while (and not a little while). All you have to do is look at the difference between the Newton MP 100 and the 120.
Click to expand...

Again, Sydde...we're on the same page. While we may not see as many hardware failures (possibly) with this 'third-gen' device since it rests on the shoulders of the iPhone and iPod touch, I believe we'll also be presented with the limitations of those devices. I feel like initially, the tablet will operate as if it were an iPod Touch XL and it might take, as you say, a third or fourth release of the tablet to really give us the kind of revolutionary utility everyone is theorising about.
 
mac1984user said:
Again, Sydde...we're on the same page. While we may not see as many hardware failures (possibly) with this 'third-gen' device since it rests on the shoulders of the iPhone and iPod touch, I believe we'll also be presented with the limitations of those devices. I feel like initially, the tablet will operate as if it were an iPod Touch XL and it might take, as you say, a third or fourth release of the tablet to really give us the kind of revolutionary utility everyone is theorising about.
Click to expand...

Am sure apple will do the better device than all others,but it will not be the first device they did.It will not at all include all my needs,4 that am sure.Unless it comes with a bigger screen than 10 inches and make PS4 and iWork fully usable,and includeing a dvd drive at least and a fully OSX!Thats the reason i wouldn't buy it:)The Future of computing is a big tablet at least 13 inches with a dvd rom integrated and not for the pocket,but for in a sleeve!Thats my opinion, unless i don't see this,i will go for quad core 17 inches,witch is the best for me,maybe with 16gb of ram?Who knows,but with a 512GB SSD Harddisk 4 sure;)greetz
 
str1f3 said:
I don't think that this is just some content consuming device otherwise there is no point to having iWork on it. I think that this is eventually where the Mac OS is headed. This tablet will be initially underpowered but it will be considerably moreso in the years to come.

If this is just a device for consuming media, Apple will have hard time selling it in an economy with a 10% unemployment rate and unofficial rate that is twice as high. It is relatively easy justifying the price of a Mac and iPhone. It would be very hard to justify what is essentially a luxury device.
Click to expand...

The device would be less than the current MacBook, but it will also do less. Right now, consumers must kick out nearly $1000 for a device that does so much more than they need, and probably less elegantly.

Myself, I want a laptop with XCode, and Photoshop because it is what I do. My wife? She doesn't do that kind of work. She does light content creation (iWork is MORE than sufficient) and consumes media. If I buy her a MacBook, I am probably spending $400 more than I need to, and she has to deal with a _computer_.

If the interface on this thing is right, and it can output to standard projectors elegantly, and it costs $600-$800 Apple has just _saved_ me money. In addition, if it has an App store where useful Apps can easily be added to the device relatively cheaply, then I win and my wife wins too.
 
doogle said:
I have found a fundamental frustration with Apple in its recent devices. You cannot easily get stuff out onto a projector.
You can make stuff - lots of content - stuff that looks great but to utilize the portability of the iPhone and iTablet you need decent video out possibiities - I do not mean component video I mean something easily adapted to a VGA port which is still the standard for projectors. I HATE lugging my laptop to a presentation when I should be able to run it off my iPhone...this is a no brainer and still has not happened!
Click to expand...

I haven't seen a projector made in the last 8 years that didn't also support composite inputs. Generally the iPod composite cable is good enough for what you need.
 
mjtomlin said:
Apple has a few patents pertaining to have touch sensitive areas on the back side of devices... http://gizmodo.com/259271/next-gen-ipod-patent-has-touch-surface-on-back

If you think about the way you hold a book or magazine, you do naturally place a few fingers on the back side to help support the object. It would not take much to say just swipe your finger to scroll up or down, or two or three fingers for other actions.

While it may not make a good input system for entering text, it could very well remove the need to constantly reach for the front surface to interact with it.

I'm willing to bet the tech for the magic mouse, will make its way onto the back side of the apple tablet for convenient and comfortable interaction.
Click to expand...

Hmmm. You know that makes a lot of sense. I was trying to think of all the patents over the past couple years that might apply to the tablet, and that one would make sense. It makes it easier to navigate on such a device because otherwise holding it with one hand while swiping with the other could be problematic on a 10" device as that has always been a complaint of tablets (holding with one hand and interacting with the other).
 
IF we're talking about the use of thumbs on the side to scroll up or down, then it might make sense. But not typing with text which is counter-intuitive.

mjtomlin said:
Apple has a few patents pertaining to have touch sensitive areas on the back side of devices... http://gizmodo.com/259271/next-gen-ipod-patent-has-touch-surface-on-back

If you think about the way you hold a book or magazine, you do naturally place a few fingers on the back side to help support the object. It would not take much to say just swipe your finger to scroll up or down, or two or three fingers for other actions.

While it may not make a good input system for entering text, it could very well remove the need to constantly reach for the front surface to interact with it.

I'm willing to bet the tech for the magic mouse, will make its way onto the back side of the apple tablet for convenient and comfortable interaction.
Click to expand...
 
Actually, you can do that with the iphone. I was at an art show recently a few weeks ago exhibiting the art of video games in VT and there is this one iphone game "Spider" made by a VT programmer. He had the iphone on the table and on the wall above it was a projected image. I don't know how they did that but looking at the set up, it appears they used a cord from the bottom of the iphone to a laptop underneath the table, I think. There is a way to do this by conversion.

EDIT: Dernhelm above me said something about a composite cable which I think is probably correct. That's what you may need to hook it up to the projector with some form of RGB cable or whatnot. The projection of Spider came out fine on the wall as a 'demo'.

doogle said:
I have found a fundamental frustration with Apple in its recent devices. You cannot easily get stuff out onto a projector.
You can make stuff - lots of content - stuff that looks great but to utilize the portability of the iPhone and iTablet you need decent video out possibiities - I do not mean component video I mean something easily adapted to a VGA port which is still the standard for projectors. I HATE lugging my laptop to a presentation when I should be able to run it off my iPhone...this is a no brainer and still has not happened!
Click to expand...
 
Smooth move Apple

I mentioned in one of the questions of the forum that a tablet for me was also to help me take / maintain / exchange notes , numbers and charts during management meeting... If this rumor stands and I have little doubt about this one, then this is a great move.

I have used Iwork since its first version (i have to admit, I am still frustrated with Numbers... But Pages and Keynote are really great tools to work with on both persona and professional levels) and the move to a Tablet is the way to go... I also have MS Office and I do not see myself using it on a tablet unless they come with a program that is more intuitive, reactive and FAST...

Imagine: a Apple Tablet connected to a HD projector in a meeting room... Taking notes on the tablet (stylus?)...

Anyways... That was my 2cts...
 
I was considering purchasing the next revision of the MacBook Air, but with all this tablet fiasco making the rounds, I am patiently waiting to see what happens. Having a tablet with higher capabilities than the iPhone with a bigger screen area sounds like a product I can get behind, iWork Touch would be icing on the cake.
 
That is indeed good news.
The recent rumors of a reader/games machine/video player did not get me excited at all.
It needs to be a productivity machine for me to consider a purchase.
I trust that Apple will deliver :)
 
iMacmatician said:
iWork itself doesn't mean it will run Mac OS X, but I think that part of the article could just as easily mean touchscreen-optimized Mac OS X (apps) as well as iPhone OS (or similar).

That's probably why Apple told developers to adapt their apps for "full screen."
Click to expand...

True, but if full screen could also mean "look good at higher resolution because the next iPhone will have a higher res screen."

Just saying...

Personally, I'd like the tablet to be a modern version of the Newton; a device that was ahead of its time. I still have my MP100.
 
Screens...

Sorry if this has already been discussed, but, talking of screens, might there be any relationship between the tablet and this report on Apple's patent for a docking idea back from 2006/8?

https://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/03/apple-creating-imac-like-docking-station/

Seemed a bit bizarre at the time, when I tried to imagine clonking my MBP in there with one hand and never dropping it, but a tablet would be a different story entirely.
 
Portable home folder

PS: If the tablet docked (as above) this would also solve the portable home folder problem...
 
cichlids said:
Seemed a bit bizarre at the time, when I tried to imagine clonking my MBP in there with one hand and never dropping it, but a tablet would be a different story entirely.
Click to expand...

You're right that does seem a bit weird for a laptop. But a tablet would make it look just like and iMac with tablet inside as the screen ^^. Funny concept but it could work...
 
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