This has the capability to greatly expand the functionality of Apple's product lines:
Simply add a trackpad to the keyboard and use an iPad for its display.
Suddenly you have a device capable of being both the best tablet in world instantly switchable to being the best laptop in the world (by eliminating any hardware and software limitations currently inherent in each).
So what's not to like?
Why would we want laptops ergonomics, low repairability, and a device requiring desktop space? I had the Sinclair QL and the main benefit was easy storage (85 KB drives). The iPad keyboard is very close to this - if iPad was allowed to run macOS.
This article was originally published 2 1/2 years ago. The patent was granted today (!), but it's unclear to me what else in this article is new. Can someone clarify? Perhaps it would have been helpful to make that clear in the article itself.
So what is fundamentally different between this and the current Raspberry Pi 400, other than the Apple end products having higher end components? Well, that and the several hundred plus more dollars an Apple product would cost.
Nothing really, as you say, there have been similar devices running different operating systems on the market for years.
Computers don't need much space these days. It's really other components that generate much of the bulk. For notebook PCs: display, keyboard, battery. For mini desktop PCs: mostly the cooling system or expansion space, maybe the power supply if the manufacturer elects not to use an external power adapter. For tablets: the display and battery.
Even something like the Apple TV set top box's form factor is mostly determined by the size of the various ports (HDMI, Ethernet, etc.). The circuit board is very small.
PCs-on-a-stick have been around for many years. They are pretty limited in expandability, their primary use is something like a presentation-on-the-go device rather than a daily driver primary use PC.
I myself have a couple of Beelink mini PCs (based on Intel N95 & N100 CPUs) that are a little larger than the current Apple TV, again the chassis size is mostly governed by the various ports (USB-A, 2 HDMI, 1 Ethernet) plus the internal bay for an optional 2.5" SDD.
The main limitation of the keyboard based PC would likely be the fact that it realistically needs to have a wired connection to provide power and send display data. Beyond low-bandwidth peripherals like mice, it would still need a wire to provide to provide high-speed peripheral connectivity (like external drives).
Again, this is just a patent. The vast majority of Apple patents don't see the light of day as a shipping product.
However the biggest barrier to a keyboard-based PC is the simple fact that input devices (like keyboards, mice, trackballs) are highly personal. I certainly haven't liked all of Apple's various input device designs over the multiple devices I've used their products. Is Apple going to make keyboard-based Macs with 15-20 different keyboard styles? NO.
Heck, the number of SKUs would easily proliferate. Full 101-key (with numeric keypad), tenkeyless (TKL), and 60% styles, with 3 different key switch choices would result in 9 SKUs right off the bat. That doesn't even factor SoC variants let alone RAM and SSD storage configurations.
I had the first Atari ST with 512MB RAM. Later I bought the 1MB version. Both were computers in a small case with the keyboard. They were both very reliable and great computers for their time. It’s nonsense to say it would be less reliable. Almost all older computers were in the same case as the keyboard. Some people here might have heard of the best selling computer of its era, the Apple 11E?
so let’s not talk silliness here.
We don’t know if Apple will ever do this, but if they do, it will be just fine.
Amiga 1200 by Commodore? A very good computer in its time let down by bad management, and the Amiga 500 and the Amiga 600 weren’t bad either. All of the Amiga computers more popular in Europe/Australia at that time, they were more interested in gaming, music, creation, sound and video at the hobbyist/geek level (the Internet was just beginning), in Europe which were the strong points of the Amiga system even in the United States
Guitar Center and MIDI City used to carry Amigas, Atari computers, and Mac computers on the same storeroom floor at that time, also Next computer and SGI in particular were big in the creative areas everyone wanted to get their hands on them, but no one could afford them aside from companies, and very few Microsoft PCs were used in sound, video, graphic areas, and most people still didn’t own personal computers in the home and gaming on the PC still in its infancy.
As many have pointed out we’ve been down this road. Commodore 64, Apple II series, and many others. We don’t any more because it is a phenomenally bad idea. Even keyboards on laptops aren’t great, but we have no choice there. But for desktops, no. Keep them cheap and replaceable, and away from the expensive bits that store your data.
I had the first Atari ST with 512MB RAM. Later I bought the 1MB version. Both were computers in a small case with the keyboard. They were both very reliable and great computers for their time. It’s nonsense to say it would be less reliable. Almost all older computers were in the same case as the keyboard. Some people here might have heard of the best selling computer of its era, the Apple 11E?
so let’s not talk silliness here.
We don’t know if Apple will ever do this, but if they do, it will be just fine.
Expectations have changed. People want input devices that they like, not the sole model offered by the PC manufacturer. Forty years of a free market have given people more choices over the years. We aren't going back to the Apple IIe's built-in keyboard just like we're not going back to the Ford Model A, Motorola Star-Tac or the Princess rotary telephone.
I assume your daily driver computer in 2024 is not the Atari ST.
Those old consumer computers weren't designed for the amount of usage that today's devices are subjected to. And manufacturers are driven by different factors these days. They don't build PCs like tanks anymore because they know the typical usage lifespan isn't that long. A manufacturer could probably build a similarly reliable keyboard today in the same size and form factor, but people want lighter, smaller, thinner devices.
I am damned glad my Mac mini isn't the same size as the Apple II+. And yes, I'm also glad I can plug in a keyboard I actually like typing on, not forced to use the one Apple picked for me.
This is a good example of a technologist who can't see the forest for the trees. Inventions don't exist in a vacuum. The Atari ST might have been a great device in its time but that era has passed.
I had the first Atari ST with 512MB RAM. Later I bought the 1MB version. Both were computers in a small case with the keyboard. They were both very reliable and great computers for their time. It’s nonsense to say it would be less reliable. Almost all older computers were in the same case as the keyboard. Some people here might have heard of the best selling computer of its era, the Apple 11E?
so let’s not talk silliness here.
We don’t know if Apple will ever do this, but if they do, it will be just fine.
Expectations have changed. People want input devices that they like, not the sole model offered by the PC manufacturer. Forty years of a free market have given people more choices over the years. We aren't going back to the Apple IIe's built-in keyboard just like we're not going back to the Ford Model A, Motorola Star-Tac or the Princess rotary telephone.
I assume your daily driver computer in 2024 is not the Atari ST.
Those old consumer computers weren't designed for the amount of usage that today's devices are subjected to. And manufacturers are driven by different factors these days. They don't build PCs like tanks anymore because they know the typical usage lifespan isn't that long. A manufacturer could probably build a similarly reliable keyboard today in the same size and form factor, but people want lighter, smaller, thinner devices.
I am damned glad my Mac mini isn't the same size as the Apple II+. And yes, I'm also glad I can plug in a keyboard I actually like typing on, not forced to use the one Apple picked for me.
This is a good example of a technologist who can't see the forest for the trees. Inventions don't exist in a vacuum. The Atari ST might have been a great device in its time but that era has passed.
But consider that in many other parts in the world, the need for something really portable may dictate an old solution for a current problem, half of the world today still doesn’t have a adequate personal computer, a smartphone or a Chromebook, isn’t good enough there will be other shapes and sizes to come in the future when it comes to personal computers and only a company that controls both the OS and the hardware design can make that happen, Apple definitely has to be open towards creating something useful in that area after all look at what happened to Motorola, IBM, Kodak Xerox, and Intel when they closed their eyes to the future.
So, 1 key breaks and you have to take the whole computer in?
Yup. like putting the whole computer in a screen. Or putting the whole computer in a folding clam shell case with keyboard and screen.
Application seems more of a question - HTPC would be awesome, but then you need to think about power & video out, which kills it. Office use @ first blush seems cool, but then you have to consider anti-theft.
As much as i hate the failure of hinges and screens over the years, for a corporate setting the computer in the monitor is the way to go. Other use cases would probably benefit more from computer-in-an-HDMI-plug rather than in a keyboard. It is, however, not aesthetically pleasing.
This actually could be very useful for hospitals, clinics, or other businesses where cost and security/privacy are factors. In a hospital setting it could also reduce pathogen spread by having one device per person, rather than the current situation which is basically a computer orgy, with dozens of people using the same computer each day. It's also a huge pain in the ass to log into secure networks (eg hospital networks), with a long authentication process that looks like it was invented in the 90s, which could easily be fixed by a quick Touch ID press. It would be so nice not to have to use crappy windows computers at every hospital and clinic I work at. Save me, Apple!
I think Epic & their monolithic, stone age competitors are the bigger issue with the COW designs & access - without the software, fancy hardware is useless.
Purple-top wipes (anti bacterial/viral/fungal) on every COW & wiping it down after use. I see less end-user concern with disinfecting when they use a "personal" device rather than a communal one. Better adherence to practicing universal precautions does help.
In terms of login, it is what your admin will pay for. Plenty have badge-scan logins with minimal complexity - so it is the $$ for systems implementation weighed against the $ for end user's time.
All that said, i would love to see more sleek COWs and touch ID or face recognition. Bed-side phones/devices seem so dirty as, outside of the NICU, i have never witnessed any kind of proper, inter-patient cleaning of them.
You would hope this patent doesn’t go through, due to the preexisting computers that used this form factor, as well as the obviousness of it. Problem is, though, our patent system is and has been for some time, a complete joke.
Patents aren’t given for ideas. They’re given for implementations of ideas. You can’t get patents for undetermined concepts. That’s why patents are so specific in some areas and somewhat vague in others. If each company solved a specific problem that an earlier company didn’t, with their patent, a new patent incorporating the old patent plus the new one is allowable. It’s pretty common, actually.
The concept of obviousness isn’t simp,e. To you, it’s obvious, ecause it’s been done and you think; “Well, that was obvious”. But it wasn’t, until someone finally thought of it. Then it seemed as though it was. Obviousness means that to someone experienced “in the art”, it would be seen as something to do. But the problem is that there can be hundreds of thousands of people experienced in the art who didn’t think of it. So was it obvious, not necessarily.
as I pointed out, Apple’s 11E was one, the Commodore 64 was another, as someone else pointed out and there were a bunch of others. The Sinclare, the TI, etc. But they were all very different and some were patented. If Apple’s design has some crucial new element in it that advances the design, then it could be patentable. Saying that it’s not is like saying that since TI invented the very first microprocessor, Intel shouldn’t have been allowed to invent their own. Or Zilog, or anybody else, because they are all processors.
I had the first Atari ST with 512MB RAM. Later I bought the 1MB version. Both were computers in a small case with the keyboard. They were both very reliable and great computers for their time. It’s nonsense to say it would be less reliable. Almost all older computers were in the same case as the keyboard. Some people here might have heard of the best selling computer of its era, the Apple 11E?
so let’s not talk silliness here.
We don’t know if Apple will ever do this, but if they do, it will be just fine.
Expectations have changed. People want input devices that they like, not the sole model offered by the PC manufacturer. Forty years of a free market have given people more choices over the years. We aren't going back to the Apple IIe's built-in keyboard just like we're not going back to the Ford Model A, Motorola Star-Tac or the Princess rotary telephone.
I assume your daily driver computer in 2024 is not the Atari ST.
Those old consumer computers weren't designed for the amount of usage that today's devices are subjected to. And manufacturers are driven by different factors these days. They don't build PCs like tanks anymore because they know the typical usage lifespan isn't that long. A manufacturer could probably build a similarly reliable keyboard today in the same size and form factor, but people want lighter, smaller, thinner devices.
I am damned glad my Mac mini isn't the same size as the Apple II+. And yes, I'm also glad I can plug in a keyboard I actually like typing on, not forced to use the one Apple picked for me.
This is a good example of a technologist who can't see the forest for the trees. Inventions don't exist in a vacuum. The Atari ST might have been a great device in its time but that era has passed.
I don’t think you’re up to date in computers. By far, the most popular computers are notebooks. You know, with built in keyboards and screen, neither of which can be replaced by another in the case. So, yes people sure do want computers with built in keyboards.
Comments
Computers don't need much space these days. It's really other components that generate much of the bulk. For notebook PCs: display, keyboard, battery. For mini desktop PCs: mostly the cooling system or expansion space, maybe the power supply if the manufacturer elects not to use an external power adapter. For tablets: the display and battery.
Even something like the Apple TV set top box's form factor is mostly determined by the size of the various ports (HDMI, Ethernet, etc.). The circuit board is very small.
PCs-on-a-stick have been around for many years. They are pretty limited in expandability, their primary use is something like a presentation-on-the-go device rather than a daily driver primary use PC.
I myself have a couple of Beelink mini PCs (based on Intel N95 & N100 CPUs) that are a little larger than the current Apple TV, again the chassis size is mostly governed by the various ports (USB-A, 2 HDMI, 1 Ethernet) plus the internal bay for an optional 2.5" SDD.
The main limitation of the keyboard based PC would likely be the fact that it realistically needs to have a wired connection to provide power and send display data. Beyond low-bandwidth peripherals like mice, it would still need a wire to provide to provide high-speed peripheral connectivity (like external drives).
Again, this is just a patent. The vast majority of Apple patents don't see the light of day as a shipping product.
However the biggest barrier to a keyboard-based PC is the simple fact that input devices (like keyboards, mice, trackballs) are highly personal. I certainly haven't liked all of Apple's various input device designs over the multiple devices I've used their products. Is Apple going to make keyboard-based Macs with 15-20 different keyboard styles? NO.
Heck, the number of SKUs would easily proliferate. Full 101-key (with numeric keypad), tenkeyless (TKL), and 60% styles, with 3 different key switch choices would result in 9 SKUs right off the bat. That doesn't even factor SoC variants let alone RAM and SSD storage configurations.
so let’s not talk silliness here.
Guitar Center and MIDI City used to carry Amigas, Atari computers, and Mac computers on the same storeroom floor at that time, also Next computer and SGI in particular were big in the creative areas everyone wanted to get their hands on them, but no one could afford them aside from companies, and very few Microsoft PCs were used in sound, video, graphic areas, and most people still didn’t own personal computers in the home and gaming on the PC still in its infancy.
What was old becomes new again?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amiga_1200 Amiga 1200
I assume your daily driver computer in 2024 is not the Atari ST.
Those old consumer computers weren't designed for the amount of usage that today's devices are subjected to. And manufacturers are driven by different factors these days. They don't build PCs like tanks anymore because they know the typical usage lifespan isn't that long. A manufacturer could probably build a similarly reliable keyboard today in the same size and form factor, but people want lighter, smaller, thinner devices.
I am damned glad my Mac mini isn't the same size as the Apple II+. And yes, I'm also glad I can plug in a keyboard I actually like typing on, not forced to use the one Apple picked for me.
This is a good example of a technologist who can't see the forest for the trees. Inventions don't exist in a vacuum. The Atari ST might have been a great device in its time but that era has passed.
Or putting the whole computer in a folding clam shell case with keyboard and screen.
Application seems more of a question - HTPC would be awesome, but then you need to think about power & video out, which kills it.
Office use @ first blush seems cool, but then you have to consider anti-theft.
As much as i hate the failure of hinges and screens over the years, for a corporate setting the computer in the monitor is the way to go.
Other use cases would probably benefit more from computer-in-an-HDMI-plug rather than in a keyboard. It is, however, not aesthetically pleasing.
Purple-top wipes (anti bacterial/viral/fungal) on every COW & wiping it down after use.
I see less end-user concern with disinfecting when they use a "personal" device rather than a communal one.
Better adherence to practicing universal precautions does help.
In terms of login, it is what your admin will pay for.
Plenty have badge-scan logins with minimal complexity - so it is the $$ for systems implementation weighed against the $ for end user's time.
All that said, i would love to see more sleek COWs and touch ID or face recognition.
Bed-side phones/devices seem so dirty as, outside of the NICU, i have never witnessed any kind of proper, inter-patient cleaning of them.
as I pointed out, Apple’s 11E was one, the Commodore 64 was another, as someone else pointed out and there were a bunch of others. The Sinclare, the TI, etc. But they were all very different and some were patented. If Apple’s design has some crucial new element in it that advances the design, then it could be patentable. Saying that it’s not is like saying that since TI invented the very first microprocessor, Intel shouldn’t have been allowed to invent their own. Or Zilog, or anybody else, because they are all processors.