Maybe Apple could do a hybrid OS that boots in iOS, but when a user taps/clicks an app it will either run as an iOS app or "port" (in so many words) over to an anything-from-minimal-to-full-power OSX desktop, depending on the resources needed.
It doesn't even need to be that complicated. Give the user the same general interface and start up iPad apps full screen as is done now. However give the user enough RAM and CPU horse power to keep the apps running in background, in other words eliminate the multitasking problem. That part of the machine would mostly remain iOS like. However that won't be good enough for many iOS/Mac users.
So you would need to offer more traditional UNIX like facilities. For example:
a "Finder" or file browser of some sort.
a terminal emulator.
scripting facilities such as BASH and especially Python.
the ability to install the vast trove of UNIX software out there including command line apps.
the ability to install drivers as needed (free the I/O ports).
run apps with true multitasking support not just a Apples blessed apps.
Note that none of these really require giving up the full screen nature of iOS apps. The Finder, a terminal emulator, even Pythons Idle could easily be reimplemented as iOS full screen apps. You really don't need to leave behind much of iOS's good features and frankly the jailbreak community has already demonstrated just how powerful iOS can be.
With a larger "laptop" like device, battery life is no longer the huge issue that has keep multitasking of user apps off of iOS. More importantly something as simple as Python support and a finder type app would vastly improve the user experience of an enhanced laptop iOS device.
Ahem.
In the end I can see many ways for Apple to deliver an ARM based "laptop" the above is just one example. The above example being a minimal impact way to enhance the iOS experience. Functionally this machine wouldn't be much different than current iOS machines to most users. The real multitasking wouldn't even be noticed in many cases. The only people using a terminal emulator, Finder and what ever else gets ported, would be those that really could use the features.
There are other ways of course but people can chew on this idea for awhile.
there are a few uses still for the click. When you restart or start up the Mac, you have to click to select your user account. I've tried tapping more times than i can count. Also, click-drag is still more intuitive and quicker than tap twice to move. I usually click and hold with left hand and drag with right. you can also two-finger scroll while click&hold with the other hand. Sure, OS X has implemented other ways to do this without having to click and/or hold/drag. but I've found it's quicker and easier for me to do it the conventional way.
In Mavericks, there is no need to click down for logging in at startup, at least with a Magic Trackpad. Tap to click was introduced for this functionality with Mavericks.
1) When the articles say 12" MacBook do they mean a 12" MacBook or just a 12" device within Apple's notebook line? I can see a 12" MBA arriving as 11" is a little small (especially at 16:9) and 13" somewhat convolutes the decision for many buyers with the new MBP designs. I am not sure we'll see the MB line come back as the MBA line seems to fill that space nicely.
2) Fanless is interesting. It's certainly possible with some of Intel chips but as an ARM-based system it's also possible now that they have the MAS providing they update the SDK and give a decent lead time for developers to recompile their apps for AArch_64. My guess is that they would at least consider if the average MBA user isn't needed heavy computing with large apps from slow-to-update 3rd-party vendors. That said, I'd think it's likely a lower-power x86_64 chip.
Re MBA screen size: yes, whilst I'm sure the 11" has plenty of fans, I would always advise someone to buy the 13", because it's ergonomically better. The problem with the 11" is that if you have it on a table, the top of the screen is very low and you are looking down too far at it. It also feels somewhat odd having the keyboard so close to the low screen. The 13" is a much more relaxed experience. I guess 12" might be a reasonable compromise.
Some time ago, I mused on this forum about a mobile device with a laptop form factor. Instead of traditional keys, it would use a glass "keypad" with tactile feedback. It would be more mobile (thinner and lighter) than the current MacBook Air. This could be it and it probably will be a Mac. The iPad is already taken care of. Apple knows folks will slap a keyboard cover on it if need be.
The MacBook Air will be removed from the Mac product line and this will be branded simply MacBook. It will be $999 and it will be the best selling Mac ever.
As another poster mentioned there exists Apple IP for tactile feedback "keypads". There also is IP for etching solar circuits on glass. The surface area of a buttonless "laptop" with a single sheet of glass with tactile feedback and a context aware keyboard/UI glass is the future. Apple wants to completely seal the device. (They also have IP for fusing glass (sapphire?) with Liquidmetal.) If used, such a keypad would eliminate a major source of damage-keyboard spills.
In less than 10 years, Apple has trained several generations of users to type on glass.
You're now looking at fanless, keyless, .5 inch thick Retina device with a 12" display, Intel ULP processor, and 15 hours of battery life-all under 2 pounds. It's Jony Ive's dream machine, all glass and aluminum exterior. I definitely fantasize about this.
Dream machine? 2 inches more than an iPad Air for twice the weight? I don't think so.
I need to run so this will be quick. I do believe though that people don't understand that Intels goal, probably pushed by Apple is chips suitable for tablets and other fan less devices. They really haven't made it there yet but it is a real goal.
That's an interesting question. My feeling is that Apple would want to continue the Mac brand even if they used ARM over Intel.
It is possible but I see it as a marketing nightmare. Keeping all Mac devices x86 for now keeps the natives from getting restless. I don't see the Mac brand going away, I just see an ARM based device encroaching on Mac OS's capabilities.
I don't think they would add a laptop to the iOS line because that means adding a mouse pointer and a many drivers for peripherals that iOS doesn't have.
Apparently mouse support isn't a problem, I haven't jail broken myself but that is what I hear. As for drivers, I understand, but Apple could take the same hard line attitude they currently have with iOS devices. You would still end up with a very salable device after all iPad sales have slowed. If the machine was so restricted I might be disinclined to buy one, it really depends upon the specifics. In any event there appears to be a big market for these "Internet" devices.
Plus, I believe Tim when he says they aren't going to do what MS did with the Surface by trying to create a "no compromise" device that is nothing but a compromise.
It is only a compromise if you believe it to be so! For many it would be another iOS device with additional capabilities. Very much an improved device.
The simplest and best solution of the two is to make OS X work on ARM and update their IDE to allow for compiling Mac apps for ARM.
In a way I could agree with this as I would absolutely love an ARM based, Mac OS, laptop. Obviously any technical restrictions are fading away real fast as ARM development continues. The problem I see is one of marketing and minimizing consumer confusion. It would be years before ARM would be good enough to replace all the x86 chips in Apples lineup, as such having two architectures supporting the same OS would be problematic. It would be far easier to extend iOS with more professional features.
That said, even simpler would be to continue using Intel chips even though they can save a lot of money with an ARM-based solution, but they could have saved a lot by not using the $250+ Intel chips in every Mac they've sold.
Well that is an idea that is something to consider. I just don't see Apple going this route for performance reasons. Let's face it Mac Book AIRs would be less inviting than they are now with significantly slower hardware. The line has matured into a very nice laptop.
The Mini is perhaps the place where Apple could best put this idea to work, as an entry level machine the base Mini should be cheap. That would allow Apple to add real differential between the base model and the up sell model. The one frustrating thing with the Mini is that there isn't a huge performance gap between the entry machine and the high performance one even though there is a huge price differential. I was actually hoping to see them address this in a Haswell based Mini by now. In this case the high performance machine would come with Iris Pro, for all I care the base machine could stay with the current series of processors.
In any event pulled the thread off track there! I really think Apple has a lot of options when it comes to ARM based devices. I think the least likely is the device I would most want, that would be an ARM based Mac OS laptop with no restrictions. Given that some modest tweaks to iOS could make for a very interesting machine.
It''s much easier to only tap than use much more force in order to click.
I usually click with the side of the thumb with my pointer and middle finger on the trackpad doing other functions so this any "time savings" (which I find questionable) from lifting my finger to tap as opposed to a simple application of pressure of an already placed digit is negated by the loss of additional functionality from the multitouch trackpad.
It doesn't even need to be that complicated. Give the user the same general interface and start up iPad apps full screen as is done now. However give the user enough RAM and CPU horse power to keep the apps running in background, in other words eliminate the multitasking problem. That part of the machine would mostly remain iOS like. However that won't be good enough for many iOS/Mac users.
So you would need to offer more traditional UNIX like facilities. For example:
a "Finder" or file browser of some sort.
a terminal emulator.
scripting facilities such as BASH and especially Python.
the ability to install the vast trove of UNIX software out there including command line apps.
the ability to install drivers as needed (free the I/O ports).
run apps with true multitasking support not just a Apples blessed apps.
Note that none of these really require giving up the full screen nature of iOS apps. The Finder, a terminal emulator, even Pythons Idle could easily be reimplemented as iOS full screen apps. You really don't need to leave behind much of iOS's good features and frankly the jailbreak community has already demonstrated just how powerful iOS can be.
With a larger "laptop" like device, battery life is no longer the huge issue that has keep multitasking of user apps off of iOS. More importantly something as simple as Python support and a finder type app would vastly improve the user experience of an enhanced laptop iOS device.
In the end I can see many ways for Apple to deliver an ARM based "laptop" the above is just one example. The above example being a minimal impact way to enhance the iOS experience. Functionally this machine wouldn't be much different than current iOS machines to most users. The real multitasking wouldn't even be noticed in many cases. The only people using a terminal emulator, Finder and what ever else gets ported, would be those that really could use the features.
There are other ways of course but people can chew on this idea for awhile.
I dig it. And if I might add:
7. Multi-touch interface as an expected functionality; that way you can do the ultra-thin clamshell cover with keyboard/touchpad. Of course provide the customary iOS touch screen, but having the ability to effortlessly switch between the two would be very useful.
8. Having multiple apps open side-by-side (not necessarily a Windows 8 "snap" feature, but probably along those lines) would also be useful.
9. As for the file search system, Apple is already doing the tag thing in Finder. Use tags to create file structure instead of imposing a traditional file/folder tree. That way apps like Photos, Videos, and the like remain the primary access, but a TagFinder (or whatever you want to call it) would provide additional search capability that could be used to launch a file into a specified app.
10. And the larger device would have more room for more memory.
I usually click with the side of the thumb with my pointer and middle finger on the trackpad doing other functions so this any "time savings" (which I find questionable) from lifting my finger to tap as opposed to a simple application of pressure of an already placed digit is negated by the loss of additional functionality from the multitouch trackpad.
You have a good technique. Probably comes from using laptops without mouse. I don't have it 'wired' in my brain to use the thumb - on simple mouse I'd used only 2 fingers.
Your method is effective, just not my habit. I prefer to work moving my hand over the trackpad - so that my hand wont' get to stiff. When you'd get a Carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrist, you'd be probably more inclined to do the same and also to use a tap to click . That's why I prefer it.
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin-left:40px;">7. Multi-touch interface as an expected functionality; that way you can do the ultra-thin clamshell cover with keyboard/touchpad. Of course provide the customary iOS touch screen, but having the ability to effortlessly switch between the two would be very useful.</p>
Very doable. One reason I ofTen quote "laptop" when discussing this device is because I don't see it as traditional Apple laptop exactly. What exactly it would be is up to Apple but when people look at a Mac Book Pro this isn't the machine I imagine.
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin-left:40px;">8. Having multiple apps open side-by-side (not necessarily a Windows 8 "snap" feature, but probably along those lines) would also be useful.</p>
I'm not sure this is required. It might work and there are certainly situations where it would be an advantage, but I have no problem at all with the using touch to slide or jump back and forth between apps. I works fine for me on an old iPad 3 so a much faster machine with globs of RAM would be fine.
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin-left:40px;">9. As for the file search system, Apple is already doing the tag thing in Finder. Use tags to create file structure instead of imposing a traditional file/folder tree. That way apps like Photos, Videos, and the like remain the primary access, but a TagFinder (or whatever you want to call it) would provide additional search capability that could be used to launch a file into a specified app.</p>
That I don't like at all!!????????????????????????
The problem is that tags aren't any easier to use than directories for organizing data. Placing all your data into one directory seems like long term suicide to me.
In any event Apple would have to extend the app API to allow access to a common store location on the iPads secondary store. Why this hasn't already happened is beyond me.
<p style="color:rgb(0,0,0);margin-left:40px;">10. And the larger device would have more room for more memory.</p>
We size does help but really there is no reason for iPad Air to ship with only 1GB of RAM. For this device though yeah you would need much more RAM. I'm thinking 4GB would be minimal.
($0.02)
Honestly I'm not even sure we would get this much from Apple. They seem to have stagnated a bit with the base iOS system. I was rather shocked at the lack of improvement to basic Apps in the iOS 7 release. More gloss than anything.
His "market" is essential to what Apple enterprise adoption there is.
Any arm mac won't be just announced, devs have to be given time to recompile. So I can't see this happening. Not now.
Not do I think ARM chips scale to desktop devices. The Mac Pro is where Apple is heading at the top end. Intel will have to be every where else.
Apple could use launch pad type UI to allow iPhone apps to run in Intel macs but.... iPhone apps will look lost on larger screens, won't have access outside their sandbox, etc. they could replace the dashboard widgets though. So that's possible.
I can see a 12" MBA arriving as 11" is a little small (especially at 16:9) and 13" somewhat convolutes the decision for many buyers with the new MBP designs.
Ever since the rumors of a 12" screen started, I thought instead of a big iPad Apple might reduce the number of laptop models by consolidating the 11" and 13" MBAs, maybe even the 13" MBP.
Ding ding ding! I believe you nailed it -- except the 13" MBP is here to stay; see below.
Since the price difference between the 11" and 13" MBA is only $100, it's really hard to justify going with the 11" on portability alone -- and paying for that portability with its small display. Could as well have priced it at $100 more than the 13", since price really doesn't play any role in the decision for the 11"; at least for me. It sort of is a Pro device; for those who need a full-size keyboard-equipped Mac with them at all times.
And the 13" is basically redundant. Anyone getting a 13" MBA today either hasn't done their homework comparing it to the 13" MBP; or is an idiot for skimping on the upgrades necessary to still be able to enjoy it a year or two down the road:
The only scenario where the 13" MBA is actually cheaper than the 13" MBP is when you're looking at the respective base models. But then you're stuck with 4 GB of RAM and a 1.3 GHz CPU; the 128 GB SSD might in fact be sufficient for many, as there's always external storage (but even that only really works when you're at your desk). Once you bring the specs up to 8 GB of RAM, which at $100 is a no-brainer, and the very reasonably-priced $150 CPU upgrade, you're already looking at $1349; and if you add to that the 256 GB SSD you're at $1549 -- $50 more than a 13" MBP with 8 GB of RAM, 256 GB SSD and a much faster CPU. Plus you're getting a retina display, and even a smaller footprint than the MBA's -- at the cost of a somewhat shorter battery life, and less than 18% more weight.
So if Apple were to consolidate the two into one 12" MBA, and reduce the bezel a little, that could be a very nice replacement for the 11"; preferably at the same $999. And for whom that is too small, there's the 13" MBP starting at $1299 (I had to check -- prices on retina MBPs really have come down!); soon to take the classic MBP's $1199 price point. So there really is no need for a 13" MBA, is there.
I am not sure we'll see the MB line come back as the MBA line seems to fill that space nicely.
I bet the name will return; quite possibly with this very sensible 12" notebook. One model, which surely will become the top-selling Mac (that the MBA is now), one name. The 'Air' has been around for 6 years now (it's been six years already? WTF?!), so it sure would be time for something new. Or in this case old. Well, different.
I know, quoting my own post; but for reference.
As I just wrote in a PM:
And with the 13" MBA being, as you also reckon, pretty much redundant to the 13" MBP, I bet we will see a 12" MBA replacement. Consolidating the line into one screen size, at Retina-level quality; possibly keeping the old 11" MBA around for a while, maybe even for as little as $799. Much like the classic MBP.
Although $899 is more likely.
The display on the current 11" MBA is a bit small for my taste; and a bit crappy. [That TN panel has to be the worst panel in Apple's current lineup by far.]
I just noticed that it is in fact 11.6"; so a 12" Retina display would be a perfect replacement, without compromising portability.
This will not only be a popular product, but the best selling Mac ever -- the new MacBook with Retina display. Mark these words.
Seriously who uses the press-down-anywhere to click?
When installing a new OS, click is required because the track pad drivers haven't been loaded yet. Presumably Apple will have to utilise a driverless touch sensor.
I think tags have the potential to replace the traditional folder/file system. Essentially, tags are a database built into the Finder. That has great power, and at the moment, Apple have only taken the first steps in incorporating tags. If they decide to go the whole hog and unify them within iOS, they could revolutionise how people organise things.
iPhones and iPads ARM SOCs have the fastest GPUs around with power to spare. (Imagination Technologies Power VR)
This device will most certainly not use Intel Chips.
It will use ARM CPU and Power VR GPU and Flash for storage.
The keyboard and trackpad will be context sensitive on a sapphire glass slab.
It will run iOS with a modern laptop UI that borrows heavily from the iPad Air iOS 7 paradigm.
It will be 64 bit and super efficient and iCloud integrated.
It will run iOS applications that exist today.
That, you basically want a iPad 12". And what you are describing is a Hybrid of Desktop and Tablet.
For that? You can get a Windows 8 Tablet aka Surface.
Broadwell will bring major Efficiency enhancement to its Iris GPU. Expecting a 50% increase in GPU resources while doubling the performance.
I still dont think it will match the performance of its previous gen MBA given only the 50% of previous TDP. That is a very tall order. Unless of coz there is a what's described a Pizo Fan in this thread above or something clever engineering of heat dissipation.
??? No "press-down-click then drag" to highlight required at all. (Not even on this idiot PC laptop I'm stuck with right now, and its trackpad and related drivers are barely ready for prime time.)
Use "tap-and-a-half"; Tap twice, but don't let your finger lift from the trackpad on the second tap, then drag your finger to the end of the section you want highlight. For that matter, "tap-and-a-half" has worked on Apple mice since long before the first trackpads showed up.
Are you running Mavericks? Both my MBA 11" and my Mac Mini with Magic Trackpad run Mavericks, and this method won't work.The word only highlights if I double-tap and lift my finger off. If I do the "tap-and-a-half" the word won't highlight, and nothing happens if I drag my finger to try to highlight other words.
I have two alternative solution to this method:
1) Double-tap to highlight the first word. Then hold down the shift-key and single-tap on another word and it will highlight every word in between. But this method is too tedious!
2) Triple-tap to highlight the entire sentence. But this method you can't choose the specific words you want to highlight.
Quote:
Originally Posted by macxpress
More like it will just make you very angry. You can't speak for others...
You don't create or edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations for work or school? This is a productivity function that I've used every day ever since school, university, and now work. Regardless if you're on a Mac or PC, I'm pretty sure millions of people do this on a daily basis.
Quote:
Originally Posted by pmz
You're showing your lack of a clue...pretty heavily.
I highlight plenty of sentences every day. I never click the track pad. Ever. Magic.
Try writing something more constructive or helpful. Don't BS unless you've got proof to back-up your claim.
Quote:
Originally Posted by sirozha
When the multitouch trackpad came out in 2008 on MacBook Air, the way to highlight a sentence and to drag an object was a double tap with hold after the second tap with dragging without letting go after the second tap-and-hold. A couple years layer, Apple came out with a three-finger tap and drag for that purpose. When they did, they obsoleted the double-tap-hold-and-drag method. It can still be enabled, but it's not listed as a gesture in the Trackpad preference pane anymore; instead, it's in the accessibility preference pane.
My first Mac was a 2008 MacBook Air, followed by a 2008 unibody aluminum MacBook 13", followed by a 2009 unibody aluminum MacBook Pro 15". Therefore, I learned my drag using the double-tap-hold-and-drag method. I think the three-finger-tap-and-drag was first introduced in Lion. When I upgraded, I lost my favorite way to do dragging, and I spent some time trying to figure out why it didn't work anymore. Then I found it in the Accessibility preference pane. I tried the three-finger-tap-and-drag method, but didn't like it.
I have seen people who used Macs before 2008 click on the trackpad with one hand and while holding down the trackpad, use the other hand to drag. It looks really strange and outdated to me. I'm sure those who started using Macs with Lion, prefer the three-finger-tap-and-drag method, and consider the double-tap-hold-and-drag method as weird and outdated too.
Thank you! Your post was the most helpful for me. Although your solution doesn't work in Mavericks, because there is no such setting in accessibility preference, it gave me some ideas to play around with the trackpad setting and I eventually found the solution to this problem.
To do it, you have to enable "Three finger drag" on the trackpad. To highlight, just single-tap without lifting your fingers, then highlight.
Who would have known?!!! The setting description says "Three finger drag. Move with three fingers." WTH?! I guess Apple expects us to figure it out ourself that this function also highlights text?!
Oh is that why the double-tap to drag is in the Accessibility section of the System Preferences app? I always use double-tap if I want to drag. The 3-finger drag seems so awkward and inaccurate. I still usually use the mechanical button for highlighting stuff though since it's very precise.
I think tags have the potential to replace the traditional folder/file system.
I don't see it. At least not now, the tags system is more of a distraction when it comes to organizing or finding things on your drive. Worst you would have to use it consistently. Imagine searching for a year old file where you forgot the tags applied to it. If nothing else a traditional file system allows you to narrow things by date.
Essentially, tags are a database built into the Finder. That has great power, and at the moment, Apple have only taken the first steps in incorporating tags. If they decide to go the whole hog and unify them within iOS, they could revolutionise how people organise things.
Or turn people's devices into hopeless messes that can't be navigated in traditional manners. I've yet to even use tags on my Mac because they are far more trouble than they are worth.
Comments
So you would need to offer more traditional UNIX like facilities. For example:
- a "Finder" or file browser of some sort.
- a terminal emulator.
- scripting facilities such as BASH and especially Python.
- the ability to install the vast trove of UNIX software out there including command line apps.
- the ability to install drivers as needed (free the I/O ports).
- run apps with true multitasking support not just a Apples blessed apps.
Note that none of these really require giving up the full screen nature of iOS apps. The Finder, a terminal emulator, even Pythons Idle could easily be reimplemented as iOS full screen apps. You really don't need to leave behind much of iOS's good features and frankly the jailbreak community has already demonstrated just how powerful iOS can be.With a larger "laptop" like device, battery life is no longer the huge issue that has keep multitasking of user apps off of iOS. More importantly something as simple as Python support and a finder type app would vastly improve the user experience of an enhanced laptop iOS device.
In the end I can see many ways for Apple to deliver an ARM based "laptop" the above is just one example. The above example being a minimal impact way to enhance the iOS experience. Functionally this machine wouldn't be much different than current iOS machines to most users. The real multitasking wouldn't even be noticed in many cases. The only people using a terminal emulator, Finder and what ever else gets ported, would be those that really could use the features.
There are other ways of course but people can chew on this idea for awhile.
In Mavericks, there is no need to click down for logging in at startup, at least with a Magic Trackpad. Tap to click was introduced for this functionality with Mavericks.
Re MBA screen size: yes, whilst I'm sure the 11" has plenty of fans, I would always advise someone to buy the 13", because it's ergonomically better. The problem with the 11" is that if you have it on a table, the top of the screen is very low and you are looking down too far at it. It also feels somewhat odd having the keyboard so close to the low screen. The 13" is a much more relaxed experience. I guess 12" might be a reasonable compromise.
Dream machine? 2 inches more than an iPad Air for twice the weight? I don't think so.
You're a niche market.
Well that is an idea that is something to consider. I just don't see Apple going this route for performance reasons. Let's face it Mac Book AIRs would be less inviting than they are now with significantly slower hardware. The line has matured into a very nice laptop.
The Mini is perhaps the place where Apple could best put this idea to work, as an entry level machine the base Mini should be cheap. That would allow Apple to add real differential between the base model and the up sell model. The one frustrating thing with the Mini is that there isn't a huge performance gap between the entry machine and the high performance one even though there is a huge price differential. I was actually hoping to see them address this in a Haswell based Mini by now. In this case the high performance machine would come with Iris Pro, for all I care the base machine could stay with the current series of processors.
In any event pulled the thread off track there! I really think Apple has a lot of options when it comes to ARM based devices. I think the least likely is the device I would most want, that would be an ARM based Mac OS laptop with no restrictions. Given that some modest tweaks to iOS could make for a very interesting machine.
I've tried tap to click and it's not as functional or easy to use. With a mechanical click, you can control drag and click 100% independent.
Not as functional or easy to use? It's much easier to only tap than use much more force in order to click.
Hey, what are you writing - What is 'drag and click'? When would you use it?
I know 'click and drag'. Which I actually use while tapping as '3 fingers tap and drag'. It's much easier that way!
I usually click with the side of the thumb with my pointer and middle finger on the trackpad doing other functions so this any "time savings" (which I find questionable) from lifting my finger to tap as opposed to a simple application of pressure of an already placed digit is negated by the loss of additional functionality from the multitouch trackpad.
It doesn't even need to be that complicated. Give the user the same general interface and start up iPad apps full screen as is done now. However give the user enough RAM and CPU horse power to keep the apps running in background, in other words eliminate the multitasking problem. That part of the machine would mostly remain iOS like. However that won't be good enough for many iOS/Mac users.
So you would need to offer more traditional UNIX like facilities. For example:
- a "Finder" or file browser of some sort.
- a terminal emulator.
- scripting facilities such as BASH and especially Python.
- the ability to install the vast trove of UNIX software out there including command line apps.
- the ability to install drivers as needed (free the I/O ports).
- run apps with true multitasking support not just a Apples blessed apps.
Note that none of these really require giving up the full screen nature of iOS apps. The Finder, a terminal emulator, even Pythons Idle could easily be reimplemented as iOS full screen apps. You really don't need to leave behind much of iOS's good features and frankly the jailbreak community has already demonstrated just how powerful iOS can be.With a larger "laptop" like device, battery life is no longer the huge issue that has keep multitasking of user apps off of iOS. More importantly something as simple as Python support and a finder type app would vastly improve the user experience of an enhanced laptop iOS device.
In the end I can see many ways for Apple to deliver an ARM based "laptop" the above is just one example. The above example being a minimal impact way to enhance the iOS experience. Functionally this machine wouldn't be much different than current iOS machines to most users. The real multitasking wouldn't even be noticed in many cases. The only people using a terminal emulator, Finder and what ever else gets ported, would be those that really could use the features.
There are other ways of course but people can chew on this idea for awhile.
I dig it. And if I might add:
7. Multi-touch interface as an expected functionality; that way you can do the ultra-thin clamshell cover with keyboard/touchpad. Of course provide the customary iOS touch screen, but having the ability to effortlessly switch between the two would be very useful.
8. Having multiple apps open side-by-side (not necessarily a Windows 8 "snap" feature, but probably along those lines) would also be useful.
9. As for the file search system, Apple is already doing the tag thing in Finder. Use tags to create file structure instead of imposing a traditional file/folder tree. That way apps like Photos, Videos, and the like remain the primary access, but a TagFinder (or whatever you want to call it) would provide additional search capability that could be used to launch a file into a specified app.
10. And the larger device would have more room for more memory.
($0.02)
I usually click with the side of the thumb with my pointer and middle finger on the trackpad doing other functions so this any "time savings" (which I find questionable) from lifting my finger to tap as opposed to a simple application of pressure of an already placed digit is negated by the loss of additional functionality from the multitouch trackpad.
You have a good technique. Probably comes from using laptops without mouse. I don't have it 'wired' in my brain to use the thumb - on simple mouse I'd used only 2 fingers.
Your method is effective, just not my habit. I prefer to work moving my hand over the trackpad - so that my hand wont' get to stiff. When you'd get a Carpal tunnel syndrome in your wrist, you'd be probably more inclined to do the same and also to use a tap to click
. That's why I prefer it.
Cheers.
The problem is that tags aren't any easier to use than directories for organizing data. Placing all your data into one directory seems like long term suicide to me.
In any event Apple would have to extend the app API to allow access to a common store location on the iPads secondary store. Why this hasn't already happened is beyond me. We size does help but really there is no reason for iPad Air to ship with only 1GB of RAM. For this device though yeah you would need much more RAM. I'm thinking 4GB would be minimal.
Honestly I'm not even sure we would get this much from Apple. They seem to have stagnated a bit with the base iOS system. I was rather shocked at the lack of improvement to basic Apps in the iOS 7 release. More gloss than anything.
His "market" is essential to what Apple enterprise adoption there is.
Any arm mac won't be just announced, devs have to be given time to recompile. So I can't see this happening. Not now.
Not do I think ARM chips scale to desktop devices. The Mac Pro is where Apple is heading at the top end. Intel will have to be every where else.
Apple could use launch pad type UI to allow iPhone apps to run in Intel macs but.... iPhone apps will look lost on larger screens, won't have access outside their sandbox, etc. they could replace the dashboard widgets though. So that's possible.
I know, quoting my own post; but for reference.
As I just wrote in a PM:
Although $899 is more likely.
Mark these words.
Seriously who uses the press-down-anywhere to click?
When installing a new OS, click is required because the track pad drivers haven't been loaded yet. Presumably Apple will have to utilise a driverless touch sensor.
Only a few would want their old software to work on w new computer??? No way!
Wrong, wrong and wrong...
iPhones and iPads ARM SOCs have the fastest GPUs around with power to spare. (Imagination Technologies Power VR)
This device will most certainly not use Intel Chips.
It will use ARM CPU and Power VR GPU and Flash for storage.
The keyboard and trackpad will be context sensitive on a sapphire glass slab.
It will run iOS with a modern laptop UI that borrows heavily from the iPad Air iOS 7 paradigm.
It will be 64 bit and super efficient and iCloud integrated.
It will run iOS applications that exist today.
That, you basically want a iPad 12". And what you are describing is a Hybrid of Desktop and Tablet.
For that? You can get a Windows 8 Tablet aka Surface.
Broadwell will bring major Efficiency enhancement to its Iris GPU. Expecting a 50% increase in GPU resources while doubling the performance.
I still dont think it will match the performance of its previous gen MBA given only the 50% of previous TDP. That is a very tall order. Unless of coz there is a what's described a Pizo Fan in this thread above or something clever engineering of heat dissipation.
??? No "press-down-click then drag" to highlight required at all. (Not even on this idiot PC laptop I'm stuck with right now, and its trackpad and related drivers are barely ready for prime time.)
Use "tap-and-a-half"; Tap twice, but don't let your finger lift from the trackpad on the second tap, then drag your finger to the end of the section you want highlight. For that matter, "tap-and-a-half" has worked on Apple mice since long before the first trackpads showed up.
Are you running Mavericks? Both my MBA 11" and my Mac Mini with Magic Trackpad run Mavericks, and this method won't work. The word only highlights if I double-tap and lift my finger off. If I do the "tap-and-a-half" the word won't highlight, and nothing happens if I drag my finger to try to highlight other words.
I have two alternative solution to this method:
1) Double-tap to highlight the first word. Then hold down the shift-key and single-tap on another word and it will highlight every word in between. But this method is too tedious!
2) Triple-tap to highlight the entire sentence. But this method you can't choose the specific words you want to highlight.
More like it will just make you very angry. You can't speak for others...
You don't create or edit documents, spreadsheets, or presentations for work or school? This is a productivity function that I've used every day ever since school, university, and now work. Regardless if you're on a Mac or PC, I'm pretty sure millions of people do this on a daily basis.
You're showing your lack of a clue...pretty heavily.
I highlight plenty of sentences every day. I never click the track pad. Ever. Magic.
Try writing something more constructive or helpful. Don't BS unless you've got proof to back-up your claim.
Quote:
When the multitouch trackpad came out in 2008 on MacBook Air, the way to highlight a sentence and to drag an object was a double tap with hold after the second tap with dragging without letting go after the second tap-and-hold. A couple years layer, Apple came out with a three-finger tap and drag for that purpose. When they did, they obsoleted the double-tap-hold-and-drag method. It can still be enabled, but it's not listed as a gesture in the Trackpad preference pane anymore; instead, it's in the accessibility preference pane.
My first Mac was a 2008 MacBook Air, followed by a 2008 unibody aluminum MacBook 13", followed by a 2009 unibody aluminum MacBook Pro 15". Therefore, I learned my drag using the double-tap-hold-and-drag method. I think the three-finger-tap-and-drag was first introduced in Lion. When I upgraded, I lost my favorite way to do dragging, and I spent some time trying to figure out why it didn't work anymore. Then I found it in the Accessibility preference pane. I tried the three-finger-tap-and-drag method, but didn't like it.
I have seen people who used Macs before 2008 click on the trackpad with one hand and while holding down the trackpad, use the other hand to drag. It looks really strange and outdated to me. I'm sure those who started using Macs with Lion, prefer the three-finger-tap-and-drag method, and consider the double-tap-hold-and-drag method as weird and outdated too.
Or turn people's devices into hopeless messes that can't be navigated in traditional manners. I've yet to even use tags on my Mac because they are far more trouble than they are worth.