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More Touch Devices in the Future from Apple

Xander562 said:
No, I cant... People like to push buttons. Why do you think Apple changed from the touch-sensitive buttons of the 3G iPod to the clicky buttons of the 4G and 5G (click-wheel)? The same would go for a keyboard. It would be IMMENSELY frustrating trying to type on a completely flat, non responsive surface. Although I like the idea of it changing to a number pad or a mixing board. The problem would be with the keyboard.
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I agree-- I can tell by feel if a key hasn't responded when I've tapped it or if I've missed the key I want. This would put an end to touch typing.

Replacing the touchpad with an LCD and multi-touch would be slick though. Not sure how to change it from mousing to mixing-board modes depending on use, but I'm sure it could be done.
 
Macrumors said:
MacRumors Editor note: It seems obvious that Apple did not develop this "Touch OS X" to be used on the iPhone alone. The Touch OS X technology that is incorporated in the iPhone will almost certainly make its way into a touch iPod, and potentially into other handheld devices.
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Considering the prominence they put on the Multi-Touch technology (as revolutionary as the Mouse and Click Wheel?) I think it's obvious that Multi-Touch is the big hidden feature of Leopard. It's also likely the reason that there's been no mention (or hint!) of iLife '07.

It's possible that Apple have built Multi-Touch into 10.5 and are using that technology extensively for the UI in apps like iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, etc.

I don't think we'll ever get away from having a keyboard in front of our Macs, and it's more than likely that the mouse will stay around. But it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that when they announce 10.5 "With Multi-Touch!" they'll announce some hardware to go with it, like a Multi-Touch enabled iMac.

Sure would make Vista (and basically every PC on the planet) seem that much more retro. Like that Star Trek movie where they travel back to the 20th century and Scotty sits down in front of the computer and starts talking to it... the tech guy looks at him funny and points at the mouse and says, "Um, use that!" and Scotty laughs, picking up the mouse and speaking into the trackball...

Multi-Touch is going to put Apple way out front, and with competitors losing steam, it's easy to see why analysists are bullish on their expected performance... Along with Core Animation on the software side powering these things, it's looking more and more like The Future every day. Now where's my flying car?!?!?!
 
Yeah - agree! Imagine this on the next iMac - but interface'ing with a Wacom instead:

http://www.eirikso.com/2007/01/21/more-on-jeff-han-and-the-touch-screen/

rdas7 said:
Considering the prominence they put on the Multi-Touch technology (as revolutionary as the Mouse and Click Wheel?) I think it's obvious that Multi-Touch is the big hidden feature of Leopard.
It's possible that Apple have built Multi-Touch into 10.5 and are using that technology extensively for the UI in apps like iPhoto, iMovie, Pages, etc.
Click to expand...
 
rdas7 said:
But it's not too much of a stretch to imagine that when they announce 10.5 "With Multi-Touch!" they'll announce some hardware to go with it, like a Multi-Touch enabled iMac.
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The multi-touch trackpads on the MacBooks and MacBook Pros are twice the size of their predecessors, and no-one really noticed.
 
Touchscreen ipod is probable, the work is already done. I remember the patent for this interface described the device having more possible capabilities. (remote control, gps, portable game player)The remote would rock, button layouts and capabilities can be customized and updated through your mac. I could see this making it's way into a tablet/laptop. I could also see it on a new form imac, like the one that was just introduced by hp I think. I think this will be a great year for us, and it was already said above "Apple has just shown us the new interface"
 
I just had a thought, not sure how much sense it would make. If they made a laptop with the multi touch screen on the outside and a removable stand, it would be the tablet and the touch screen imac all in one. The big problem would be screen size, a 13" tablet would be nice, but a 13" imac would be less than great.
 
j33pd0g said:
I would like a full size touch-screen keyboard... Imagine how cool it would be to swap from keyboard layout to mixing board layout, or maybe just swap the place where your number pad is with special features/functions defined by whatever "app" you have open... the possibilities would be endless. Can't you read it now? Apple reinvents the keyboard!
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Some people will love that, others would hate it. That's just how it's going to be. I think it'll be kinda cool. Kinda like the computers in Star Trek and the LCARS interface. I'm waiting for a 3D display system like in minority report or the Matrix. I'd also like to see better speech recognition, like that in Star Trek. Just say what you want to do and it happens. Plus, you can say things different ways and not stuck to one way of saying it. Instead of having to say "Open xyz program", you could say that some times and other times "I want to use xyz program" or "I want to (do whatever a program does)" and it'll launch that program.

Only problem would be that if it's a separate keyboard, that would require a lot of bandwidth. Right now, keyboards just need to send 8 bits (16 for some places) for each letter and don't need to receive any info. But the touch screen keyboard would need to receive a lot of data since it doubles as a monitor. Plus, to send data, you'd need to send x and y coordinates of where you're pressing. USB2 might have the bandwidth, but we'll have to wait and see how it's implemented, if at all. Plus, it'll take a lot of work to implement it. You'd have to design what is displayed on the keyboard and what to do when each area is touched.
 
mrthieme said:
I just had a thought, not sure how much sense it would make. If they made a laptop with the multi touch screen on the outside and a removable stand, it would be the tablet and the touch screen imac all in one. The big problem would be screen size, a 13" tablet would be nice, but a 13" imac would be less than great.
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Why does it have to be both a laptop & iMac replacement? Maybe make a 13" inch one for on the road and a 20+" for desktop people.
 
What is so special about Multi-Touch??

What is so special about Multi-Touch?? Outside of the "pinch" and "reverse-pinch" gestures, how is Mulit-Touch different from a regular touch screen??
 
macintel4me said:
What is so special about Multi-Touch?? Outside of the "pinch" and "reverse-pinch" gestures, how is Mulit-Touch different from a regular touch screen??
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The difference is in the gestures and the design of the UI. Palms, Blackberries and Windows machines are limited to one tap, in one place, at a time. Allowing multiple touches at the same time increases the amount of functions available by a huge amount while also making those same functions easier and more intuitive. This also relates to the UI. Sure, anyone could make a touch screen phone that allows for multiple touches but making a UI intuitive and easy to use with just your fingers is a lot more difficult.
 
I don't know how Apple could justify not releasing more devices using the iPhone technology. They spent years developing it, it would be insane not to implement it, especially since for a true iPod all the work is almost done.
 
dllavaneras said:
I really want a tablet or a Macbook with this technology...
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I was thinking about that. I have a macbook, there are setting that rely on sensing whether or not you have two fingers on the trackpad. I'm kind of wondering if it can sense both fingers' motions independantly. Not a touch screen, but could still be useful in photoshop or some such app for rotating, zooming, etc. I don't know if it's feasible but it would be a pretty cool hack.
 
colossalman said:
I was thinking about that. I have a macbook, there are setting that rely on sensing whether or not you have two fingers on the trackpad. I'm kind of wondering if it can sense both fingers' motions independantly. Not a touch screen, but could still be useful in photoshop or some such app for rotating, zooming, etc. I don't know if it's feasible but it would be a pretty cool hack.
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You can zoom in and out of your screen by holding down Ctrl whilst moving your fingers. I discovered this by accident a little while ago. :)
 
ii like to feel something tangible, that gives resistance.
for example, i hav this laserkey laser keyboard thing, but you don't feel anything when you touch the surface, there's no feedback.
its weird thinkin that we've been developing tools for 1000s of years, and now were going back to using hands again (but in a completely different way)
 
tshakey said:
ii like to feel something tangible, that gives resistance.
for example, i hav this laserkey laser keyboard thing, but you don't feel anything when you touch the surface, there's no feedback.
its weird thinkin that we've been developing tools for 1000s of years, and now were going back to using hands again (but in a completely different way)
Click to expand...

i feel the same way i hate the feeling of not knowing
 
What would be really cool is if the touch screen had a little "give" to it in the area where you are pressing. I know that sounds crazy, but they've had "wearable" LCD technology for a while. If they could adapt that to make a screen that is on top of a grid that had some give to it, and work the touch screen technology on top of that, I think they'd have something that you couldn't resist toying with.

Kind of how people just like the feel of their iPod, it would be something you just liked holding.
 
Dr Who said:
You can zoom in and out of your screen by holding down Ctrl whilst moving your fingers. I discovered this by accident a little while ago. :)
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That came about in either 10.4.7 or 10.4.8. The same applies to all Mighty Mice using the scroll ball and zoom. Just go into System Preferences to enable it.
 
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