Any word on a Multi-Touch Gesture pad from Apple?

Posted:
in Future Apple Hardware edited January 2014
Hello.



After Apple bought Fingerworks and adapted their Multi-Touch technology into their touch-pads for the MBA and MBP, how long will it take Apple to release an external Multi-Touch Gesture pad for all the other Mac users?



I mean, Fingerworks (may be down) released several touch pads that could be used externally, so why not release one now?



That way they could hook up more people to the wonder and fun Multi-Touch brings to interacting with a computer, and maybe get some new customers for their existent Multi-Touch products like iPhone, iPod Touch, MBA and MBP.



What are your thoughts?

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 14
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Thoughts are... when we know, you'll know. Nobody beats Teh Steve... no one!



  • Reply 2 of 14
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by spinnerlys View Post


    how long will it take Apple to release an external Multi-Touch Gesture pad...



    They won't release a gesture pad. They will release a multi-touch tablet in 2008, and in 2010 they may release a multi-touch desktop keyboard (screen).
  • Reply 3 of 14
    mjteixmjteix Posts: 563member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    They won't release a gesture pad. They will release a multi-touch tablet in 2008, and in 2010 they may release a multi-touch desktop keyboard (screen).



    Maybe not, but then I won't mind for an identical user experience across all macs (and other devices) before 2010.



  • Reply 4 of 14
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by mjteix View Post


    Maybe not, but then I won't mind for an identical user experience across all macs (and other devices) before 2010.







    I doubt that above.
  • Reply 5 of 14
    fishyesquefishyesque Posts: 725member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    They won't release a gesture pad. They will release a multi-touch tablet in 2008, and in 2010 they may release a multi-touch desktop keyboard (screen).



    I do believe you mean 2009.
  • Reply 6 of 14
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Fishyesque View Post


    I do believe you mean 2009.



    I do believe you are correct. The time does fly. Thank you for correcting me.



    In that case I don't expect to see a touch screen desktop Apple keyboard until 2011, not that they won't let the Mac touch work with your desktop in that regard. The hackers will no doubt be hacking that functionality. Ultimately the touch keyboard needs to be more keyboard-shaped though. And it won't have Mac touch costs either.



    Apple touch keyboard?
  • Reply 7 of 14
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    I do believe you are correct. The time does fly. Thank you for correcting me.



    In that case I don't expect to see a touch screen desktop Apple keyboard until 2011, not that they won't let the Mac touch work with your desktop in that regard. The hackers will no doubt be hacking that functionality. Ultimately the touch keyboard needs to be more keyboard-shaped though. And it won't have Mac touch costs either.



    Apple touch keyboard?



    We've covered these concepts before, but I don't think it's possible to combine touch and keyboard functionality in a truly effective way until someone is able to ergonomically meld both functions without losing the best parts of both.
  • Reply 8 of 14
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by SpamSandwich View Post


    We've covered these concepts before, but I don't think it's possible to combine touch and keyboard functionality in a truly effective way until someone is able to ergonomically meld both functions without losing the best parts of both.



    I see what you're saying. But for some reason I could see it being a product which Steve can bullshit to us. And I'd like one cause it would be cool to have my keyboard change depending on the app I'm using, being able to bring one finger across the keyboard with no need for a mouse at all, drawing on my keyboard, having my Mac's dock replace the Function keys. The list goes on and on and on and on. I'd come in from a coffee break with "You have one new email, read now, read later?" on the keyboard while the big computer screen conserves energy. It would not just be cool, it would be amazing!!



    Dvorak? No problem, try prefs. Sure, you'd be faster typing on a physical keyboard but you may be surprised how fast you could get on this thing with practice, with all that advanced auto-correction it would have etc.
  • Reply 9 of 14
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    I'd like to see Apple replace the mouse with a gesture pad device, but they would have to deal with Wacom technology patents to do it right because over 50% of Photoshop / Painter users are wacom users, and almost everybody that is (or used to be) a Mac user uses Photoshop. Photoshop is our core demographic. Or the Mac used to the Photoshop core demographic. In any case having two 12x12 pads to one side of my keyboard isn't happening.
  • Reply 10 of 14
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker


    ...and almost everybody that is (or used to be) a Mac user uses Photoshop.



    Wow, that is so not true anymore.
  • Reply 11 of 14
    mr. memr. me Posts: 3,221member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Wow, that is so not true anymore.



    ... or ever in the history of the Mac, for that matter.
  • Reply 12 of 14
    onlookeronlooker Posts: 5,252member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post


    Wow, that is so not true anymore.



    What are you crying about? I adjusted my position to more correctly reflect what I meant by the end of the paragraph. Freaking busy body. Needless to say it's still a fact that any artist using a wacom weather it be at ILM, Weta, Dreamworks, PIxar, or any one using photoshop , painter, mudbox, ZBrush, Maya, etc, etc, etc.. isn't going to be pleased with a gesture pad that doesn't incorporate wacom functionality.
  • Reply 13 of 14
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker View Post


    What are you crying about?



    I'm not crying.
  • Reply 14 of 14
    wizard69wizard69 Posts: 13,377member
    Quote:
    Originally Posted by onlooker View Post


    What are you crying about? I adjusted my position to more correctly reflect what I meant by the end of the paragraph. Freaking busy body. Needless to say it's still a fact that any artist using a wacom weather it be at ILM, Weta, Dreamworks, PIxar, or any one using photoshop , painter, mudbox, ZBrush, Maya, etc, etc, etc.. isn't going to be pleased with a gesture pad that doesn't incorporate wacom functionality.



    While it may be useless to enter into the scrabble I have to also assert that artists are not a limiting factor in what Apple may or may not do with a keyboard. The simple fact is that Apple could easily offer up a keyboard with track pad that integrates well with Wacom devices. Artist have nothing to do with the reality that such a device would be approached positively by any number of users.



    Dave
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