MacBook Pro + Wacom Intuos

This is more of a request for an experiment than a current problem. If you take a Wacom tablet, say, and Intuos 3 9x12, and hold it so that the writing surface is flat agains the back of the MBP display, can you then use the stylus to effectively write on the screen, like a tabletpc? obviously there would have to be rigid cover of some sort to prevent damaging the lcd, so ignore that for now. The question is, is the RF signal that is put out by the tablet, and reflected back by the pen, strong enough to go through the MBP display (twice)? It would be cool if someone could actually test this, so that we have some real empirical evidence rather than just conjecture. Thanks,

Celemourn

Passive digitizers, like those found on a pocketpc, work through direct pressure to the screen. Active digitizers, such as are used in wacom tablets and on tabletpcs actually emit RF energy which is absorbed and then re-emited by the pen, with little variations depending on whether the pen is pressed or not. Thats why you can 'hover' over the surface of a tablet and it Knows where the pen is.

The real stumper is, then, is the RF strong enouh to go through the aluminum of the MBP display housing (we know it can go through the LCD, since on TabletPCs the digitizer is located behind the lcd, but inside the case)? Hopefully someone who has both will see this thread and try the experiment.

if it does, it will be the ultimate in ghetto hardware hacks! Bit o' superglue, bit o' duct tape, Voila! TabletMac! :-P

there's always the option of removing the lid from the mbp display assembly (need to check with a tech, but it looks like a couple screws aught to do it), afix the digitizer, freshly removed from the tablet housing, to the back of the lcd, then manufacture a replacement lid. machine shop could do it for $30 I bet. would have to leave a hole for the usb cable to run to the side of the mbp, and it would end up being pretty clean. if the tablet digitizer fit that is.

anyone know where to get a 13"x8.16" graphics tablet?

hah hah hah ha!!!!!!!!! I've got the answer!!!!! Behold!: http://cgi.ebay.com/GTW-M275-14-1-TA...QQcmdZViewItem

now imagine that this is the display for the gateway cx210x, which is 14.0 wxga (sameish aspect ratio as the macbook). replacements for those will be available just like this soon. just wait a bit. byt the time a core2duo mbp is out I betcha.

so. MBP operates with the lid down, doesn't it?

no need at all to detect THROUGH the display, when you can just build a custom housing that slaps it on TOP of the closed display. not to hard to do with drivers I think, either. just rig it to use a function key, hit the key to go to tablet mode, then when you close the lid, poof! tablet display boots up! two advantages here: no nasty warenty voiding (can build a nice streamlined interface with dvi and usb to use the built in ports); if you're typing and need to switch all of a sudden to draw something, just close the lid, and you're drawing, then open it back up, and keep typing; the digitizers that gateway uses are actually not made by wacom. they are made by finepoint, and rather than emiting a signal which is reemited by the pen, the pen has a battery in it, which allows the digitizer to read all the time. about 10-20x less power consumption. better spent on good gpu anyway, ne? The only tricky part will be the electronics to convert from whatever interface the gateway display uses to a standard (or perhapse not so standard? super flat profile?) dvi and usb interfaces; finally, when installing winxp tablet edition, just use the drivers from gateway. oh, one bad point, there aren't any drivers yet for MacOS, though FinePoint reps have told me that they have a company working on one.

Hmmm, or, even better, rather than shutting off the tablet display, allow it to optionally run simultaneously...... wooo batery drain.