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Patent For Configurable Input System Emerges

Ooooh, I get it. They're snapping hardware on it.

As long as I can use it as a tablet, I'll be happy.

-Chilton
 
Can i just mention something??

I'm a musician and am very well acquainted with notation software such as sibelius 4 and Finale. What on earth would be the point in having a piano keyboard interface?? The range can't really be more than an octave, which is rather useless when writing... And even then, just to use it as an imput method would be so much slower then just typing the names of notes. Now one can press the letter 'a' and an A (the note) will be displayed. When using such software, it's not the note imput that takes the time, it's the changing of note values, and adding instructions and markings to the score. for this, the piano keyboard would be useless. What, so every time you want to write a new italian tempo marking, you have to switch to a keyboard?? sucks.

Oh, and some people may say that it could midi record and notate what you play... but this rarely works well and even then you're stuck with the range of probs just over an octave.

Thoughts welcome.
 
Holy grail?

If executed right (and Apple usually does that), they may have gotten the holy grail in computer/portable device here. While I can see shortcomings like mentioned here (how to type in tracknames when the keyboard is replaced by a mixer), I think it would be great for musicians on the road. Mix together your projects with the mixer, swap the mixer interface with your ordinary keyboard, and edit tracknames. swap it again with the music keyboard to add a few additional tracks etc etc. While in no way better than dedicated hardware, it may just get the job done on the road.

I'd like to see these ideas worked out, and possibly some of them executed.
How about a re-release of the Newton, handwriting recognition of the next level on a widescreen or next gen video iPod?
 
As touch-based input, it would be amazing. As a physical swapping, not so much. Remember that you'd have to bring the modules with you if you wanted to use it on the go, which would defeat the purpose of having an internal component. At home, you're better off to have an external music keyboard/mixer/whatever, because it can be whatever size is most appropriate. If you use your computer with a mixer in place of the keyboard and then plug in an external keyboard, why not just use an external mixer? Sure, there are some people (DJs or whatever) that won't need to type while they use the alternate modules, but they're by far in the minority of an already niche market. Also, if you swap in a joystick in place of your trackpad, how would you close the lid? :D

Anyway, what would be nice (but a long way off) is a thin touch-sensitive OLED membrane of a keyboard. It accepts input and provides visual feedback, but can also provide tactile feedback by way of a series of pins underneath the membrane. The system could cause the pins to raise slightly, forming the outline of keys or perhaps bars for mixer controls or whatever. Like I said, a long way off, but that's the earliest that I can see this sort of idea actually being marketable.
 
matthewHUB said:
Can i just mention something??

I'm a musician and am very well acquainted with notation software such as sibelius 4 and Finale. What on earth would be the point in having a piano keyboard interface?? The range can't really be more than an octave, which is rather useless when writing... And even then, just to use it as an imput method would be so much slower then just typing the names of notes. Now one can press the letter 'a' and an A (the note) will be displayed. When using such software, it's not the note imput that takes the time, it's the changing of note values, and adding instructions and markings to the score. for this, the piano keyboard would be useless. What, so every time you want to write a new italian tempo marking, you have to switch to a keyboard?? sucks.

Oh, and some people may say that it could midi record and notate what you play... but this rarely works well and even then you're stuck with the range of probs just over an octave.

Thoughts welcome.
Click to expand...

I play guitar mainly, and although I can tap out melodies easily enough on a keyboard I am not proficient enough [yet] to play it a standard anywhere near my guitar playing. I also don't read/write notation (and have no particular desire to - call me a philistine if you wish!). So for people like me who want to be able to input/record notes live, it would sure beat mapping the notes to the qwerty-board. Presumably this idea could use something to make it velocity sensitive too. I think someone else mentioned using it to trigger stuff off in a live setting too. Plus this is ONE idea for something that could have many uses - if you don't see the point, fine, don't use it, you could use it for something else, like assigning pre-set value changes etc to already-input notes for example :)
 
maybe I'm just missing the point, but it seems to be a little inconvenient to have to have these overlays to put on the unit
 
Clive At Five said:
Unfortunately the patent specifically stated "Mechanical overlay" with no mention of a touch screen. I agree, that would be the way to go in order to implement it, but the patent says nothing of the sort.

-Clive
Click to expand...

OK yes this is for mechanical overlay not touch screen. Hasn't apple already got the equivalent patents for touch screen (at least in an ipod-like device)?
 
Porco said:
I play guitar mainly, and although I can tap out melodies easily enough on a keyboard I am not proficient enough [yet] to play it a standard anywhere near my guitar playing. I also don't read/write notation (and have no particular desire to - call me a philistine if you wish!). So for people like me who want to be able to input/record notes live, it would sure beat mapping the notes to the qwerty-board. Presumably this idea could use something to make it velocity sensitive too. I think someone else mentioned using it to trigger stuff off in a live setting too. Plus this is ONE idea for something that could have many uses - if you don't see the point, fine, don't use it, you could use it for something else, like assigning pre-set value changes etc to already-input notes for example :)
Click to expand...

OK whatever works for you. i was just making the point that with the current top of the range software, this would make no leaps. Unlike other programs which would benefit a lot (like the people who use final cut and were talking about volume mixers etc). With out current "best-of-line" music software, this is useless.
 
matthewHUB said:
Can i just mention something??

I'm a musician and am very well acquainted with notation software such as sibelius 4 and Finale. What on earth would be the point in having a piano keyboard interface?? The range can't really be more than an octave, which is rather useless when writing... And even then, just to use it as an imput method would be so much slower then just typing the names of notes. Now one can press the letter 'a' and an A (the note) will be displayed. When using such software, it's not the note imput that takes the time, it's the changing of note values, and adding instructions and markings to the score. for this, the piano keyboard would be useless. What, so every time you want to write a new italian tempo marking, you have to switch to a keyboard?? sucks.

Oh, and some people may say that it could midi record and notate what you play... but this rarely works well and even then you're stuck with the range of probs just over an octave.

Thoughts welcome.
Click to expand...

USB piano tie?
 
BlueRevolution said:
Anyway, what would be nice (but a long way off) is a thin touch-sensitive OLED membrane of a keyboard. It accepts input and provides visual feedback, but can also provide tactile feedback by way of a series of pins underneath the membrane. The system could cause the pins to raise slightly, forming the outline of keys or perhaps bars for mixer controls or whatever. Like I said, a long way off, but that's the earliest that I can see this sort of idea actually being marketable.
Click to expand...

What prevents the entire "base" of the laptop from being able to detect touch input like an iPod scroll wheel - but instead of up, down, left, right and "around," it's a keyboard, and gaming pad, a PDA, a DJ pad, video editing, medical field, education, whatever? Each different input configuration controlled by whatever application you're using.
Dunno, just rambli'...

One nice result would be no marred screens form raised keys (tho that may have been remedied by these latest sunken MacBook keyboards).

Then there is the tactile factor... which is still important (I think). I use a Treo 650 and while I have the option to dial numbers via touch screen, I almost always (like 99% of the time) opt for the teeny tiny little numbers in the QWERTY keypad. Not 100% sure why, but I think it does have a lot to do with the tactile quality of the QWERTY vs. the absolute zero tactile aspect of the touch screen.
 
i have a huge doubt that it's going to be used on a mac. apple did it so other companies won't profit from creating an invention like that. sorta like: "ours idea first, you can't do it"

if it's used, however unlikely it is, I will gladly welcome it. i mean, you can put a piano keyboard, scratchboard, numberpad, touchscreen, flight-simulator joysticks, calculators, thumbprint verification, customizable palm-rest, etc.
 
Wouldn't mind toting

I for one wouldn't mind toting a few input devices along with me.... I already have a bag for the laptop that is a carryall with an internal sleave a lot like this one:

15030_1_3


And a wacom tablet is already bigger than an equivalent keyboard replacement... all the added electronics that would be redundant for this concept.... so I'd be saving space. You could probably fit 3 flat inputs in a bag like that, might get a little heavy but no worse that a reference book.
 
for those of you worried about how to input text etc. when a piano keyboard (for example) is on the touch-sensitive pad... in the pictures the touch-pad thing is at least twice the size of the add-on, meaning a big section of unused touchy-space-goodness, used for Inkpad integration or another input. a keyboard and a mixer... that would be sweeeeet.

Also think of the possibilities for school implementation. Some kid craps up his keyboard? just get another add-on out. music lessons? piece of cake with the integrated piano keyboard and mixer. science lessons? optional scientific calculator add on.
whats really cool is you could even have widget like things that can be as small or big as they need to be, to create a truly seamless and intuitive computing experience.

Amazing. Truly Amazing. This is why I love Apple.
 
for Pros and the Kids.

I think this is a great idea, but not for everyone.

It would work very well on the 15" or 17" pro models, which would be great for field work. I shoot short films a few times a year, and it would be great to have an edit deck in the field. Im guessing Photoshop users and DJs giving live performances would love it as well. Plus it would provide Apple with a bit of distinction between the macbook & macbook pro lines. Maybe Final Cut Studio would ship with the attachment, aperture might ship with the tablet etc. And it can either ne half the size of the mackbook base (so you keep the keyboard section) or full size and you just have an area or function on the insert for handwrittern text regognition (so you can still name files, add titles etc).

But I can definitely agree with a previous post about education. We arent that far off from having every school pupil with a laptop. Instead of carrying around coursebooks for different subjects, all your class texts will be on your school network or laptop, and what you would carry instead would be a a tablet insert for art class, an edit deck for music & media class, etc.

Great thinking apple!
 
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
Click to expand...

It may not be for the user to swap out. Think about it from a manufacturing standpoint. It would drastically reduce their own costs for making devices that are built and configured for a particular task. It would also make it possible for 3rd party hardware people to build their own specific device around the iPod platform but with their own input devices instead. Except for the form factor, it wouldn't look anything like an iPod

This is interesting because with this patent, Apple is essentially saying that the scroll wheel, while great for music players, may not suffice as an input device for everything they want to build. So they ask themselves, "if that is the case, how can we reduce our R&D while simultaneously building the most usability into our future products?" This is one way that could happen.

I do agree, however, that the application where the user could "swap" face plates (essentially) and turn their iPod into a mixer, is a little farfetched. If I truely needed both devices, I probably would simply buy two iPods. Between the input pads, software, and hassle, you'd have a hard time convincing me that it there would be a large cost-savings.
 
hob said:
People seem stuck on the idea that you would physically have to swap plates of input boards....

C'monnnnn...

It's Aaaaaapppplllleee!

It'll be touch-screen for sure.
Click to expand...


The patent specifically states that it is a set of "hot-swappable mechanical control interfaces." "Mechanical" does not suggest touch-screen to me.

Edit: Or to others, who have already made that point. Apologies.....
 
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