iMac MultiTouch concept

[albeik]

"This was a quick 3 day project for my 3D reel. Not trying to reinvent the iMac, just making a concept Ad."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l-d_CHY92Aw

Owner's Site: http://www.dogsolitude9.com/imac/

 

[anim8or]

Awesome....

Very nice work, would be quite cool if such a mac came to light, maybe a little less like the iphone, but i like what you have done here!

thumbs up

 

[dom7]

I think that would be amazing, but I don't think even Leopard will be ready to use Mutli-Touch to its full capacity.

P.S. Great job, on the video.

 

[LeviG]

Same issue as a lot of the other concepts, ergonomics have been forgotten again. Also its going to be unstable when you press on the screen as there is no weight on the legs.

As to it taking 3 days, would have said it should have taken less but I suppose it depends on how much time they spend doing CAD.

 

[neven]

Wirelessly posted (iPhone: Mozilla/5.0 (iPhone; U; CPU like Mac OS X; en) AppleWebKit/420+ (KHTML, like Gecko) Version/3.0 Mobile/1C25 Safari/419.3)

A simple experiment: if you can get your hands on a Wacom Cintiq (a tablet screen), prop it up vertically, like a computer screen. Try using it for 5 minutes.

 

[D1G1T4L]

Would LOVE that design! The stand is the only thing I'm up in the air with but the iPhone design with MultiTouch would be nice!

 

[Chaszmyr]

This is the best concept/mockup I've seen in a very long time.

 

[aswitcher]

The higher res version of their website is very nice. Even without the touchscreen I like it allot for a new iMac.

 

[suneohair]

Um, whats up with the green power light!? That is not Mac-like! Give us our precious white!

 

[youngestchild]

"wouldn't it be nice if the makers of the iphone ... also made a computer"

how many people have been thinking that recently!?! ... i hope we only have to wait three more days and not two more years (as the ad suggests).... !!

noice lookin' ad though...

 

[puckhead193]

cool ad. I liked the music. Is animation hard to pick up? I would love to try it one day; too bad the software is way to much to "play" with.

 

[LimeiBook86]

A simple experiment: if you can get your hands on a Wacom Cintiq (a tablet screen), prop it up vertically, like a computer screen. Try using it for 5 minutes.

Yeah I was able to try one a store once, it was such an odd feeling. I couldn't even imagine having my arms bent over the display for so long, which is why I just got a regular tablet (besides the Cintiq's huge price).

A flat touch-surface on a desk would be much better... and would make for much less straining on your arms.

...although I love the extra USB port on the back. I hope the new iMacs have that!

 

[Chaszmyr]

The point wouldn't be to use multitouch as the only way to interact with the computer, but it would be very cool to be able to just reach up and move a window out of the way or something like that.

 

[neven]

The point wouldn't be to use multitouch as the only way to interact with the computer, but it would be very cool to be able to just reach up and move a window out of the way or something like that.

I keep hearing that, but to make that argument, you assume that it makes sense for Apple to build in a very expensive screen and write some very sophisticated software for it (and presumably extend this functionality to the rest of their computers) just so you could occasionally move a window out of the way by fingering it rather than using the mouse.

The cost of multi-touch is such that if they ever implement it in a computer, it'll be a persistent, overwhelmingly useful (and cool!) technology - otherwise, why bother?

iPhone has a touch screen not because it's occasionally more convenient to use it, but because it's the ONLY way to use an iPhone. This solves the problem of having a (relatively) large screen in a (relatively) small device, so it's worth the extra cost. Putting multi-touch in a vertical iMac wouldn't solve any problem while raising the price significantly.

 

[Digital Skunk]

I personally hate when designers make mockups for future products out of existing products... that is that PC laziness that Apple left behind years ago. The iPhone would never make a good iMac or another device for that matter, other than an iPod which I hear won't even happen. Having an iPhone posing as an iMac is just too much iPhone/product hype for any given technology era/year. Give it a rest.

I do like the interface though... it is a great way to look at where Spaces, resolution independence, and Multitouch may be going in the next five years or so. Being able to move your entire environment in a semi-3D space that expands and shrinks to your liking... sounds nice.

I keep hearing that, but to make that argument, you assume that it makes sense for Apple to build in a very expensive screen and write some very sophisticated software for it (and presumably extend this functionality to the rest of their computers) just so you could occasionally move a window out of the way by fingering it rather than using the mouse.

The cost of multi-touch is such that if they ever implement it in a computer, it'll be a persistent, overwhelmingly useful (and cool!) technology - otherwise, why bother?

iPhone has a touch screen not because it's occasionally more convenient to use it, but because it's the ONLY way to use an iPhone. This solves the problem of having a (relatively) large screen in a (relatively) small device, so it's worth the extra cost. Putting multi-touch in a vertical iMac wouldn't solve any problem while raising the price significantly.

Very well said. Knowing Apple, if they intro a new multitouch device of any form (iPod, MacBook, iPhone Nano, etc.) it won't be just a simple add-on for convienience... it will saturate the entire UI and controls. If they put it in an iMac say goodbye to the keyboard and mouse... if they stick it in a MacBook say hello to the Mac Tablet. This would suck for many video editors and power users that get through apps by memorizing a plethora of short cuts.

 

[twoodcc]

man, that ad was awesome. great job with the video.

you convinced me that the imac is worth buying again (of course, it doesn't exist yet )

 

[rainmanbk]

My only problem with it is the stand! I don't like that it's that dinky little bar. Basically take the current iMac stand, make it black, and put a silver trim on it. It will look almost the same, but make the stand look less cheap.

 

[Chaszmyr]

I keep hearing that, but to make that argument, you assume that it makes sense for Apple to build in a very expensive screen and write some very sophisticated software for it

What makes you think multitouch is expensive, much less "very expensive?" The screen itself does not have the touch sensitive capability, but rather that is added by a layer being added between the panel and the surface of the device. I've seen no evidence to suggest that that part is particularly expensive. Admittedly, then they'd probably have to add a hard layer over the top, but I'm thinking this would all cost them $50 or less, which is not very expensive on a $1500 machine. I think fingerprints on your iMac are more of an issue than the price it would production costs of multitouch/

 

[zub3qin]

The iMac Multitouch concept that you created is not too far from the actual new iMac.... and I like yours a lot better.

I think you should seriously try and get in touch with Apple- if they haven't contacted you yet. You could offer a lot of design ideas to them.