Apple's Multi-Touch Designer Describes His Inspiration, More to Come?

[wobudong]

How about a simpler advance like...

...Merely speeding up the sync function, for example; speeding up the (Me)Mail function and the associated "services" that take too long. Perhaps more servers for the $99/year fee would be a nice touch. I'm not opposed to multi-touch functions, but I sure would like to see some basic improvements made.
I guess that's the prime reason I just cancelled my $99 automatic annual fee 'service' to Apple, tossed Safari and now use Firefox and Camino as a secondary browser. More and more, Apple seems to storm into the future, leaving basics behind.

 

[Benguitar]

Multi Touch Macs sometime soon?


Somehow I don't think thats actually a good idea.

I think it could be a good idea, as long as they configure the "typing" situation out.

For instance the "MacBook Wheel" looks like it will be a HUGE pain to type with. If Apple were to make a "MacBook touch" I think that it would be best if you had more than one option for a keyboard,

1. Touch Area where you wish to type and virtual keyboard comes up like featured on the iPhone/iPod touch
2. Extrenal touch screen keyboard *as seen here*
3. USB/BlueTooth Apple Keyboards

http://s229.photobucket.com/albums/ee180/Benguitar2/?action=view&current=Sequence-21709-1031PM.flv

 

[thisguyukno]

This may be true, but it's also the reason why only some tiny fraction of 1% of humanity knows how to play the piano. Hell, only one out of every five or so of the "techies" I meet even knows how to type. Most just use two or three fingers.

The ideal world where people learn to compute in as complicated and expressive a way as they use a piano is a few hundred years off me thinks. You need a whole better race of humans for such Utopian ideas to really work.

It's all about productivity and options. All multi-touch gestures have the option to turn off. You don't have to use it. But for those of us who do, and who feel that this will make us xx% faster in our daily lives, who want to learn new skills that will improve our computer experience -- we'll be that much more ahead of the competition. With Darwinism comes a better human race.

 

[powers74]

touch

All I know is that ever since I got my Intuos2 off eBay a couple weeks ago I barely use my wireless Logitech.

 

[JoeDMD]

Motion sensitive is the way to go for a vertical screen

I agree about the tactile possibilities for a tablet.
Where I think people miss the boat is crying for a touch screen on a notebook or desktop. There's a use for vertical touch at wall mounted kiosk displays, but as a normal way of interacting with a desktop its nuts. Ergonomically, your arms can take no more than a couple of minutes of reaching out to a vertical screen.
I think people got way too taken in by the Tom Cruise interface in Minority Report.

Ever use a Wii?

 

[Saladinos]

I'm still not sure that Multi-touch has any place amongst the typical desktop paradigm we're used to (mouse and keyboard). Apple will have to redefine the desktop if they want multi-touch to be in it IMO. I have no idea what that will look like, but that's why they have all these full-time engineers dreaming it up.

It works on the mobile because there's no standard input paradigm. There are all kinds of models with rollerballs, joystiqs, buttons...etc. It's also immature enough of a market that people are accepting of changing the input paradigm. It also makes sense on mobiles where surface space is of such a premium. Nobody really got it right before - companies experimented with all kinds of screen and button sizes.

It looks like Fingerworks was a fantastic acquisition though. Great forward-thinking on Apple's part. Those guys were really pioneers of touch technology. Now they have some of the people most experienced with the technology adding to their products (and patent portfolio) as well as the acquired IP from FW. Touch is gaining enough momentum that Apple really could redefine the desktop, but this time they're smart enough to recognise it and protect their IP.

I would like to see Apple create a plain multi-touch panel with a display underneath. Just create the board, and let software developers think of clever things to do with it. You could do all kinds of things - create a keyboard, piano, game pad, eReader, whatever. Like a mini MS Surface, controlled by your computer so it can be thin and portable like the BT keyboard. Maybe with RFID technology. The size I'm thinking of is about the height of a DVD case and the width of the wireless alu keyboard, with about the same thickness. Possibly communicating via WiFi or some UWB technology. Built-in battery, recharged by docking one side to a strip that is fixed on your desk to raise it for keyboard use.

 

[twoodcc]

great, can't wait to see what comes next! hopefully a mactablet of some kind

 

[Turmoil]

I like what multi-touch I've used so far. It's amazing how addictive it becomes. Two button scroll. Oh yeah.

But most important; wouldn't it be great to be a "Gesture Algorithms Engineer" - sounds like you'd flind new ways to flip people off for a living!

 

[kas23]

Multitouch is great. But, what I want us cut and paste for the iPhone. They hire this very creative smart engineer, buy up all his patents, but Apple can't think of a few simple gestures to implement c/p. Oh, I must be dreaming, I guess c/p would produce a new revenue stream.

 

[kdarling]

I agree about the tactile possibilities for a tablet.

Of course, there have been touch tablets available for many years. With the exception of vertical and enterprise apps, they haven't done too well. It's really tough to tap out real work on a touchscreen vs. using a keyboard and mouse.

Ergonomically, your arms can take no more than a couple of minutes of reaching out to a vertical screen.
I think people got way too taken in by the Tom Cruise interface in Minority Report.

Indeed, Cruise had to take lots of breaks during those scenes, because his arms would get tired.

Touch has its place, but not everywhere. Same goes for voice.

 

[iPhoneJoe]

a multi-touch Mac Tablet would be great

 

[AUFan]

I could see a TouchTrackPad, similar to the one currently in MBP's, to replace the mouse for most ordinary computing tasks. Opening/Closing, switching between documents etc. In theory, it would also speed up other tasks, like rotating pictures, if you could just make a contextual hand gesture vs. having to find and click a button. Coupled with a regular keyboard, it'd be a step towards integrating multi-touch into "normal" desktop computing.

 

[BTW]

Hope they aint gonna to make a multitouch keyboard or some crap like that.

Actually that would be kind of cool. Think of it like sign language. Instead of spelling your words you'd gesture them on a keyboard sized pad.

I could see Apple ditching the physical keyboard for a touch sensitive display that would be software driven and could have infinite keyboard layouts. Would I want one? Maybe not right away since it is all in what you're used to. I'm used to tactile feedback. The younger generation may not care so much.

 

[iMaggot]

I can't wait until they have an entire keyboard that is multitouch. My Fingerworks pad is starting to go and I need a replacement.

A multi-touch keyboard ?, are you mad lol.

 

[grapes911]

A multi-touch keyboard ?, are you mad lol.

Nope. Been using a Fingerworks one for a while now. It really needs to be replaced, but since Apple bought Fingerworks they don't sell them anymore. Apple has to release one at some point.