All these pics functions could easily be applied to this device too, as it's quite obvious by the pictures in this patent that this device is going to be larger than the current iPod. 6" x 3 and a half, or 7" x 4?
As Ireland said, this more or less turns the iPod into a multi-function multi-controller. Amazing... if positioned correctly, this little fella really could be the center of your home entertainment & communications universe... now, where did I put that damn remote/phone/mp3 player...
I don't see it. The edges seem much less easy to use than the surface. Scrolling through playlists would seem to necessitate lifting your finger over and over again. One-handed operation doesn't seem feasible. And the fact that you lift the thing by the edges would mean you'd be accidentally giving it input all the time.
I don't see it. The edges seem much less easy to use than the surface. Scrolling through playlists would seem to necessitate lifting your finger over and over again. One-handed operation doesn't seem feasible. And the fact that you lift the thing by the edges would mean you'd be accidentally giving it input all the time.
No way, this thing is going to be great... and don't you think Apple will have already thought of that? "...after a predefined time limit, the processing circuitry can begin to ignore that consistent touch data" - that solves the mis-touch input problem. I'm really excited about this patent because I was wondering how they'd get around having to actually touch a screen, which gets things messy. This will be great.
Well I'd just like to see it - at this point I really can't picture it. I'm sure Apple wouldn't release it if it truly sucked... on the other hand they did have the hockey puck mouse for how many years?
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them. Ever keep your iPod in an inner coat pocket? when a song your not in the mood for shuffles up. You can just reach in. Locate the edge of the wheel and click next. Since the wheel is offset from the center, you can tell the orientation of the ipod during the action. The prospect of this with nothing more than a flat slab? Useless. The ipod must then come out of the pocket. It must be visible to others while you do your thing. It's effortless interface just became a whole lot more cumbersome.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
I agree that a touch display player is really enticing. And a device that could to all the prospective tasks brought up above would be cool. But, only to gadget geeks willing to learn and memorize interfaces. This device just stepped away form the consumer crowd.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
Um, aren't we talking about a primarily VIDEO device here?
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them. Ever keep your iPod in an inner coat pocket? when a song your not in the mood for shuffles up. You can just reach in. Locate the edge of the wheel and click next. Since the wheel is offset from the center, you can tell the orientation of the ipod during the action. The prospect of this with nothing more than a flat slab? Useless. The ipod must then come out of the pocket. It must be visible to others while you do your thing. It's effortless interface just became a whole lot more cumbersome.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
I agree that a touch display player is really enticing. And a device that could to all the prospective tasks brought up above would be cool. But, only to gadget geeks willing to learn and memorize interfaces. This device just stepped away form the consumer crowd.
I do as you state all the time - locate the click wheel from the outside of my pocket and skip song or start over, etc.
However, I actually see this technology making such an action even easier. One could find a corner of the device (or even an entire side) to do the same action. If I want to skip a song, just click on the upper right corner or right side. Want to increase the volume, just rub the bottom of the device from left to right. I think that finding an edge or corner would be easier than finding the wheel.
I do think though, that I might miss the click wheel. Spinning your thumb to get through a large list is more efficient than an up/down or left/right action.
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them. Ever keep your iPod in an inner coat pocket? when a song your not in the mood for shuffles up. You can just reach in. Locate the edge of the wheel and click next. Since the wheel is offset from the center, you can tell the orientation of the ipod during the action. The prospect of this with nothing more than a flat slab? Useless. The ipod must then come out of the pocket. It must be visible to others while you do your thing. It's effortless interface just became a whole lot more cumbersome.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
I agree that a touch display player is really enticing. And a device that could to all the prospective tasks brought up above would be cool. But, only to gadget geeks willing to learn and memorize interfaces. This device just stepped away form the consumer crowd.
This is very true and I hope the physical click wheel will be there someway.
I'm pretty sure Apple is aware of that. Simplicity is their philosophy. So I would be very surprise with this patent becomes the final product.
The physical wheel will be a virtual one (the patent include the description of it)
Apple is not going to give up the main feature that prevails its Ipod from competitors.
As you don't have any feedback from the clickwheel, I mean by touching it, there will be no difference if you use a virtual one on the screen (close to your thumb). It will be even better if you don't have to find it. Just click wherever on the screen and the wheel appear! Better...
The good idea is to combine touch screen and bezel control!
why not a tactile area for skipping songs or changing volume, etc - a textured section of one side [nobby, knurled, whatever] so you can operate this thing blindfolded. or a few areas of different textures. my main concern with the touchscreen was lack of a tactile interface.
as for scrolling through LONG playlists, just PRESS HARDER to scroll faster. it's supposed to sense that as well.
all of these "ultimate multi-function" posts are fogetting the most important part. ring ring.
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them.
And of course you would never want to look at a video player. Perish the thought.
Do you think that if the "true" video comes out they are going to stop selling the current iPods or just make the new ones more expensive and keep these too?
If they do keep the current "video" iPods then what would they call the new ones? iPod Video II ?
Maybe it is going to be some sort of an ultra portable.
This thing has all the potential in the world. My guess is that this wouldn't completely replace the current iPods unless (or until) they don't sell anymore.
As for the random input problem when picking up the device, I think one could either use the hold switch or perhaps the screen could (optionally) lock itself after a specified amount of time and then require some multi-touch operation to unlock it again (ie, touch two fingers in a certain spot or double tap a certain spot).
Do you think that if the "true" video comes out they are going to stop selling the current iPods or just make the new ones more expensive and keep these too?
If they do keep the current "video" iPods then what would they call the new ones? iPod Video II ?
Maybe it is going to be some sort of an ultra portable.
A 1st Gen iPod Video hasn't been released so it could be called the iPod Video (if Apple wanted). The iPod is branded (the) iPod. It just happens to play video
I'm hoping for an Ultra Portable though to be honest. This multi-point, touch sensitive bezel, magnetic sensor; Tablet, Video iPod, iPhone is going to be the squirrels left nut.
Why, you think the iRiver U-10 was the first thing to do that? All that is is four touch sensors, no big deal. This thing is different. In this patent the whole bezel is touch-sensitive, and pressure-sensitive, and it's motion-sensitive, and light-sensitive. The functions/input/gestures can change, the points that have sensors can change function and position depending on what function you have chose to do with the device. This is a much bigger deal, and is wholly different from four simple touch sensors.
Comments
Now that would be cool!
Newton's revenge! I want one now.
Imagine CoverFlow view + Motion Sensor !
Now that would be cool!
Newton's revenge! I want one now.
Who knows... maybe Steve'll revive the ghost of Newton for this one...
And replace the dock with a charging pad.
I don't see it. The edges seem much less easy to use than the surface. Scrolling through playlists would seem to necessitate lifting your finger over and over again. One-handed operation doesn't seem feasible. And the fact that you lift the thing by the edges would mean you'd be accidentally giving it input all the time.
No way, this thing is going to be great... and don't you think Apple will have already thought of that? "...after a predefined time limit, the processing circuitry can begin to ignore that consistent touch data" - that solves the mis-touch input problem. I'm really excited about this patent because I was wondering how they'd get around having to actually touch a screen, which gets things messy. This will be great.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
I agree that a touch display player is really enticing. And a device that could to all the prospective tasks brought up above would be cool. But, only to gadget geeks willing to learn and memorize interfaces. This device just stepped away form the consumer crowd.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
Um, aren't we talking about a primarily VIDEO device here?
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them. Ever keep your iPod in an inner coat pocket? when a song your not in the mood for shuffles up. You can just reach in. Locate the edge of the wheel and click next. Since the wheel is offset from the center, you can tell the orientation of the ipod during the action. The prospect of this with nothing more than a flat slab? Useless. The ipod must then come out of the pocket. It must be visible to others while you do your thing. It's effortless interface just became a whole lot more cumbersome.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
I agree that a touch display player is really enticing. And a device that could to all the prospective tasks brought up above would be cool. But, only to gadget geeks willing to learn and memorize interfaces. This device just stepped away form the consumer crowd.
I do as you state all the time - locate the click wheel from the outside of my pocket and skip song or start over, etc.
However, I actually see this technology making such an action even easier. One could find a corner of the device (or even an entire side) to do the same action. If I want to skip a song, just click on the upper right corner or right side. Want to increase the volume, just rub the bottom of the device from left to right. I think that finding an edge or corner would be easier than finding the wheel.
I do think though, that I might miss the click wheel. Spinning your thumb to get through a large list is more efficient than an up/down or left/right action.
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them. Ever keep your iPod in an inner coat pocket? when a song your not in the mood for shuffles up. You can just reach in. Locate the edge of the wheel and click next. Since the wheel is offset from the center, you can tell the orientation of the ipod during the action. The prospect of this with nothing more than a flat slab? Useless. The ipod must then come out of the pocket. It must be visible to others while you do your thing. It's effortless interface just became a whole lot more cumbersome.
Does one enhancement have to degrade another function? These designers need to mock this up. Then Put on a blindfold and step into a dark closet with this stuck in their pocket. Then try to use the damn thing. They will quickly realize what idiots they're being.
I agree that a touch display player is really enticing. And a device that could to all the prospective tasks brought up above would be cool. But, only to gadget geeks willing to learn and memorize interfaces. This device just stepped away form the consumer crowd.
This is very true and I hope the physical click wheel will be there someway.
I'm pretty sure Apple is aware of that. Simplicity is their philosophy. So I would be very surprise with this patent becomes the final product.
Apple is not going to give up the main feature that prevails its Ipod from competitors.
As you don't have any feedback from the clickwheel, I mean by touching it, there will be no difference if you use a virtual one on the screen (close to your thumb). It will be even better if you don't have to find it. Just click wherever on the screen and the wheel appear! Better...
The good idea is to combine touch screen and bezel control!
as for scrolling through LONG playlists, just PRESS HARDER to scroll faster. it's supposed to sense that as well.
all of these "ultimate multi-function" posts are fogetting the most important part. ring ring.
One MAJOR drawback to the whole touch sensitive display interface is it's lack of tactile feedback. With the current iPods You can find and use the controls without seeing them.
And of course you would never want to look at a video player. Perish the thought.
If they do keep the current "video" iPods then what would they call the new ones?
Maybe it is going to be some sort of an ultra portable.
As for the random input problem when picking up the device, I think one could either use the hold switch or perhaps the screen could (optionally) lock itself after a specified amount of time and then require some multi-touch operation to unlock it again (ie, touch two fingers in a certain spot or double tap a certain spot).
Do you think that if the "true" video comes out they are going to stop selling the current iPods or just make the new ones more expensive and keep these too?
If they do keep the current "video" iPods then what would they call the new ones?
Maybe it is going to be some sort of an ultra portable.
A 1st Gen iPod Video hasn't been released so it could be called the iPod Video (if Apple wanted). The iPod is branded (the) iPod. It just happens to play video
I'm hoping for an Ultra Portable though to be honest. This multi-point, touch sensitive bezel, magnetic sensor; Tablet, Video iPod, iPhone is going to be the squirrels left nut.
iRiver U-10?
Why, you think the iRiver U-10 was the first thing to do that? All that is is four touch sensors, no big deal. This thing is different. In this patent the whole bezel is touch-sensitive, and pressure-sensitive, and it's motion-sensitive, and light-sensitive. The functions/input/gestures can change, the points that have sensors can change function and position depending on what function you have chose to do with the device. This is a much bigger deal, and is wholly different from four simple touch sensors.