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Patent For Configurable Input System Emerges

I think it's an extremely powerful feature, assuming external peripherals will work just fine in conjunction with the switch out pads.

Having hot-swappable modules with a USB keyboard/mouse gives laptops an entirely new appeal. I think this opens a whole new avenue of interest in the 17" laptop due to the large interface potential in a portable unit.
 
DamoRed said:
Could be interesting trying to play music with that 'keyboard' :eek: :D

MacBookConfigInput.png
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Certainly looks like it might be what it's for. Little piano keyboard and a mixing console. Looks like something people would use for live performances or traveling. Don't think the keys would repace my keyboard, but the mixing desk looks pretty good.
 
I don't think this one's comin' around. I think this is one of those CYA patents. Carrying around mulitple modues along with your machine doesn't seem to have that Apple elegance.
 
As a music teacher, I think it would be a great development, but unfortunately, I don't think it would be beneficial to anybody but "Garage Bandies", and even then, I don't think it would be very useful. I would still need the full function of my regular keyboard while doing these other things.

I can't imagine have something that would truly be configurable and useful. I'm sure it would work with Garage Band and if it worked for another program, then great. The keyboard would have to be compatible with Finale and Sibelius if it was going to make an impact on the music education or composition world.

I think this is just another PATENT... don't hold your breath for this one.
 
... missing the point...

donlphi said:
... I don't think it would be very useful. I would still need the full function of my regular keyboard while doing these other things...
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Assuming this does come to fruition - I think you're missing the point. I don't believe for a moment it would be designed as a reasonable substitute for a full-size keyboard. I think it's for being able to lay down a few notes when working on some tracks on the road. Then come home and have a full-sized set up you can plug in to.

Think "in addition to" not "replacement for"...
 
Wow.

rowanhall said:
sorry but i think its daft... i dont want to have to carry around loads of overlays...

not the first time i've seen overlays, the commodore 64 had a music keyboard overlay.

would oled keys not be a lot better such as the ones used on the optimus keyboard concepts??
http://www.artlebedev.com/everything/optimus/
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WOW. Now THAT is friggin' brilliant. That photoshop keyboard set-up? ::drool::

Brilliant.
 
BlueRevolution said:
Not gonna happen. For starters, how do you type in names for your audio tracks when you've got your keyboard swapped for a mixer? :)

Still, neat idea.
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Look at the diagram again. The mixer could be placed below the keyboard, where that trackpad and wrist rests would normally be....

Clive At Five said:
oh, HELL no. Please don't tell me you're serious. Can you actually imagine someone carrying around a portfolio of these plates to lay on their computer? That's worse than an 8" floppy!!!

Unbelievable.

I pray this never sees the light of day.

-Clive
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I doubt people would carry them around. I think this is more about offering customized MB/MBP input interfaces for specific educational or professional purposes.
 
racebit said:
I almost find it more likely that an oled keyset, similar to this would be stuck in a mac before a entirely touchpad interface, but then again, I'm not an apple exec.
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That would be cool. What would make it cooler is intead of having individual keys, have it be one giant touchscreen like a Ninitendo DS or (even better) like they have on Star Trek.

Something else that would be cool would be a braille keyboard. I'm not blind, but this could really help for those people who are. Heck, there probably is one already. That added w/ Mac OS X's Voiceover technology would really help! And if someone somehow created a braille keyboard that changes like the OLED keyboard, that would be even better!
 
MacinDoc said:
If the bottom half of the device is a touchscreen, you don't have to use physical overlays. You could expand on the concept of the Nintendo DS.
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I think the point is to make it tactile. To have buttons that actually push down, sliders that actually slide, knobs that actually turn, etc. The innovation here is that a *lot* of people have thought of 2 different concepts:

1) Keyboard overlays, where the input device is still a keybard, you're just customizing the functions of the particular keys
2) Video touchscreen-based interface like the Nintendo DS, early Treos, etc.

The point is, this would have a touch sensitive interface (one big trackpad), and the *physical* overlays would give a tactile feel, but the functionality would actually be engineered and programmed as interactions with this giant trackpad. That's something I haven't seen before and I commend Apple for patenting it.
 
As a grain of salt, readers are reminded that Apple routinely patents technology that never makes it into shipping products.

Yeah, but no, but yeah, but no, but yeah.

Though, how great would it be to have a deck overlay for mixing music? I'd be in heaven.
 
I say they just make the entire area a touch screen rather then touch pad. Then it could just display the configuration you desire. But the patent looks cool too.

Edit: Oops, it's been mentioned.
 
notjustjay said:
Um... this has been done before.

Not in a laptop, no, but I definitely remember keyboards where you could buy the bottom "shell" and the key "insert" boards separately. There was a regular QWERTY keyboard, and then for gamers, special key layouts suited to whatever game you were playing.

(pauses to do a websearch)

Ideazon's Zboard, that's the one. www.ideazon.com
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Thats just an overlay, thats not exactly what this patent is saying. Its more like something like this keyboard: ErgoDex where you can rearrange a set of keys anywhich way you want on the keyboard. So, you cam make a regular QWERTY keyboard or a WQERTY keyboard or just have all the letters go around in a circle. Thats more of what they are talking about in this patent.
 
This may have been mentioned...

but i couldn't get past the third page.

I think this might be more in reference to a tactile feedback surface that can display the keys under it. There is a very simple and rudimentary form of this on some alpine head units, but I also saw a prototype version of this type of input that was very impressive at a tradeshow in louisiana.

The screen actually provides physical feedback when touched that makes it feel like pushing a button or moving a slider... It was rather impressive.

If apple has gone much farther with this tech this could very well be a vague application for using that type of technology.

It would also make sense with some of the iPod and gestures interface patents we have seen recently.

just an idea.

Simply because i don't think apple is going to take their entire idea of simplicity and turn it into a giant bag of crap you have to tag along with you.
 
Doesn't anyone remember the 1989 Mac Portable? The trackball could be switched for a keypad on either the right or left of the keyboard.
portable.gif
Apple_MacPortable_System_s1.jpg
 
Sorry I already own this one..

Its got a ALPHA input that swaps for a Piano Key layout or an interactive touch input reading area.... Its also really cheep and sturdy so my 3 year old loves it.

15mflpbus1_v1_m56577569830496052.jpg
 
guzhogi said:
That would be cool. What would make it cooler is intead of having individual keys, have it be one giant touchscreen like a Ninitendo DS or (even better) like they have on Star Trek.
Click to expand...

I don't think that could ever happen, not with today's technology.

To find out why, go to your microwave and see how quickly you can "type" into its keypad. Or, next time you renew your vehicle license plate registration, see how well you can type your address on the kiosk touch screen (assuming a kiosk like ours in Ontario).
 
Peace said:
It's a great inovative concept.One that could actually be popular and work.
Click to expand...

Don't know.. I know some mobile phones that have a keypad as overlay for a touchscreen.. though this keypad is not exchangable. However, the idea isn't all that new.
 
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