Something I picked up from the Mac Rumors forums was that the jog/scroll wheel would be pressure sensitive with respect to vertical and horizontal scrolling: if you pressed down at the top, the scroll wheel would be used for vertical scrolling; if you pressed at the side of the wheel it would be used for horizontal scrolling.
okay, does ANYone here remember when i suggested this same idea on another thread several months ago, when i made the correlation that between the ipod's jog wheel that everyone loves, the column--view of the ipod and, well, every finder window, and such critical ilife apps like imovie that could benefit from an integrated jog wheel??? oh and how no other peripheral maker has thought to do this yet, so steve can lay claim to another innovation in personal computing design???
between this, and when i suggested that minimized dock icons be badged during the 10.1 days, i am confident of three things:
1. some apple enigineers/designers read these boards
2. they apparently take a good idea when they hear it
3. they obviously don't have my phone number so they could offer me a friggin' job already! you know, something classy like "junior visionary with penchant for techno-gadgets" or something like that. just pay me in stock options and apple apparel.
Imagine the scroll wheel on the mouse working like a steering wheel. Or, better yet, think of it as a "zoom wheel." In a more 3 dimensional GUI, you'd need the mouse movement for left & right and up & down PLUS some other control for "in & out."
This might all be connected to new interface functions in Panther.
okay, does ANYone here remember when i suggested this same idea on another thread several months ago, when i made the correlation that between the ipod's jog wheel that everyone loves, the column--view of the ipod and, well, every finder window, and such critical ilife apps like imovie that could benefit from an integrated jog wheel??? oh and how no other peripheral maker has thought to do this yet, so steve can lay claim to another innovation in personal computing design???
between this, and when i suggested that minimized dock icons be badged during the 10.1 days, i am confident of three things:
1. some apple enigineers/designers read these boards
2. they apparently take a good idea when they hear it
3. they obviously don't have my phone number so they could offer me a friggin' job already! you know, something classy like "junior visionary with penchant for techno-gadgets" or something like that. just pay me in stock options and apple apparel.
Yeah, I remember that, and so does vB search Anyways, I think this is a wonderful idea, and Rok, I think you should sue Apple for stealing your idea
You know, rok, that is actually a very good, well-stated idea. Saying it the way you did kinda makes sense and gets me thinking and smiling.
The iPod wheel is indeed fun and a breeze to master. To be able to do that in column view windows and to use in iMovie or whatever.
That's cool. And you're right: NOBODY has ever suggested anything remotely close to this, so Apple would definitely have another "did it first, did it best, did it coolest" feather in their cap.
According to reliable sources, Apple is planning on introducing a minor revision to the current Keyboard and Mouse.
Despite rumors to the contrary, the new devices will not bring more exotic features to the Apple accessories. According to reports, the new items will not support Bluetooth and the mouse will still only sport one button.
According to TMO Apple has filed two more patent applications :
One application shows Rotary Scroll Device On Keyboard:
Quote:
In another patent application, we do see something new from the company. Apple apparently thinks that the iPod dial is such a great device for accelerating scrolling that it looks like the company may be considering using it elsewhere. On September 26, 2002, Apple filed a patent application for a "Method and apparatus for accelerated scrolling." The abstract states:
Improved approaches for users to with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.
Illustration image included in patent application
Although the application generally deals with accelerating scrolling in graphical user interfaces by using the dial as an input device, Apple shows the dial may be found on keyboards. Also mentioned earlier on TMO through today's Devil's Advocate column, Apple filed for a patent for a rotary scrolling mouse device. It's important to note, however, that patent applications are not always granted, and that filing for a patent does not necessarily mean that Apple is intending to release a product based on the technology.
also, a jog wheel integrated intot he apple peripheral experience could be used across a myriad of apps and the system itself, including volume control, brightness/darkness control, fast forward/rewind in itunes, scroll through "rolls" of film in iphoto, zoom in/out in apps as well as on individual icon previews and the dock...
for instance, think about having all of your icons nice and small on the desktop, but if you need to see a beetter view of a single jpeg, instead of increasing the size of all your icons on the desktop for a one-off task (and having to visit the "Show view options..." inspector), you simply hover your cursor over the suspected icon, crank the preview up to 128 and check. when you move the mouse away from the icon, it snaps back to its original size. same holds for the dock. instead of having to "guess" which size icons would work best, or which level of magnification would suit the user now and in the future, they just hover, scroll to zoom, scrub back and forth, release and it snaps back.
also, if apple is truly moving forward with this "piles" idea (PLEASE find a different name, like "stacks" or something -- i don't want to tell anyone i know that the Mac has "piles"), you could then hover over a stack, wind the jog control to sift through the stack quickly without having to move the mouse. if you have a particularly deep "stack" of documents, you might run out of mouse pad/desk real estate trying to go through the contents, but if you were using a stationary jog wheel... well, you get the idea.
now i don't know how they will implement a jog wheel on a mouse while avoiding carpal tunnel or other such repetitive use cramping (that's for the industrial engineers to work out -- i'm just the idea man), but it sure seems that it would be a boon for a lot of tasks we are already doing regularly.
edit p.s.: you know, i just had a terrifying thought -- what if they brought BACK the PUCK MOUSE with a scrolling ring around the outside. god, i can hear the uproar now...
Two reliable sources confirm that Apple is near completion on a cordless Bluetooth mouse. The information we received is minimal. We know that the mouse will be rechargable when not in use via a FireWire connection and that Apple hopes to ship with the introduction of (970) PowerMacs.
recharge over FW?? so if its busy recharging, can u still use it? would a mouse really need that much bandwidth? i mean, my palm has no issues recharging over usb...
Maybe the mouse could use an iPod dock. It would be kind of cool for apple to have a universal charger. And the scrolldial doesn't have to be finger operated; the scrolldial could be on the SIDE of the mouse, for thumb use. That would render the mouse righties-only, though.
Theere's no innovation here, if you read it properly it's not rotary at all, it tilts. All it is is a variant on a joystick - like the old IBM "nipple in the keyboard".
It's efectively the same as the little four-way control "sticks" on PlayStation controllers.
"the user can manipulate the disc 182 side to side ? for horizontal scrolling 184 and the user can manipulate the disc 182 backwards and forwards as shown ? for vertical scrolling 186. Another advantage of the invention is that pressing down on the disc for clicking does not cause the disc to rotate, i.e., since the motion of the disc is orthogonal to the direction of clicking (button press) the user can press on the disc itself to activate the button."
"Tilt" it left, it moves left, tilt it back, it moves down... how would you decide the direction if it were actually rotating?
Theere's no innovation here, if you read it properly it's not rotary at all, it tilts. All it is is a variant on a joystick - like the old IBM "nipple in the keyboard".
It's efectively the same as the little four-way control "sticks" on PlayStation controllers.
"the user can manipulate the disc 182 side to side ? for horizontal scrolling 184 and the user can manipulate the disc 182 backwards and forwards as shown ? for vertical scrolling 186. Another advantage of the invention is that pressing down on the disc for clicking does not cause the disc to rotate, i.e., since the motion of the disc is orthogonal to the direction of clicking (button press) the user can press on the disc itself to activate the button."
"Tilt" it left, it moves left, tilt it back, it moves down... how would you decide the direction if it were actually rotating?
I dont think it works this way. I think it is supposed to work more like a trackpad. You drag down, the window scrolls down, up - you scroll up, sideways - you scroll sideways etc. You can also use it as a dial for scrolling long documents fast and other uses that can be programmed spesific for each app. For video editing you can use it as a jog-shutte control fx. I think the joystick model is way too limited and slow to be of any real use.
The direction problem is no problem at all. To scroll down you turn the dial with the clock and up when you scroll against the clock. There could also be some sort of option for this in the controle panel.
If Apple made it work this way it could open for new features like gestures on the "mouse-scrolldial trackpad" in addition to the button function. Gestures could also easily be added by the user by teaching the computer gestures and telling it what function to perform. Just some ideas to think about.
Comments
Originally posted by NETROMac
You'd still be able to use the scrollwheel
Oooops! I meant the scroll-dial
between this, and when i suggested that minimized dock icons be badged during the 10.1 days, i am confident of three things:
1. some apple enigineers/designers read these boards
2. they apparently take a good idea when they hear it
3. they obviously don't have my phone number so they could offer me a friggin' job already! you know, something classy like "junior visionary with penchant for techno-gadgets" or something like that. just pay me in stock options and apple apparel.
This might all be connected to new interface functions in Panther.
Originally posted by rok
okay, does ANYone here remember when i suggested this same idea on another thread several months ago, when i made the correlation that between the ipod's jog wheel that everyone loves, the column--view of the ipod and, well, every finder window, and such critical ilife apps like imovie that could benefit from an integrated jog wheel??? oh and how no other peripheral maker has thought to do this yet, so steve can lay claim to another innovation in personal computing design???
between this, and when i suggested that minimized dock icons be badged during the 10.1 days, i am confident of three things:
1. some apple enigineers/designers read these boards
2. they apparently take a good idea when they hear it
3. they obviously don't have my phone number so they could offer me a friggin' job already! you know, something classy like "junior visionary with penchant for techno-gadgets" or something like that. just pay me in stock options and apple apparel.
Yeah, I remember that, and so does vB search
The iPod wheel is indeed fun and a breeze to master. To be able to do that in column view windows and to use in iMovie or whatever.
That's cool. And you're right: NOBODY has ever suggested anything remotely close to this, so Apple would definitely have another "did it first, did it best, did it coolest" feather in their cap.
According to reliable sources, Apple is planning on introducing a minor revision to the current Keyboard and Mouse.
Despite rumors to the contrary, the new devices will not bring more exotic features to the Apple accessories. According to reports, the new items will not support Bluetooth and the mouse will still only sport one button.
One application shows Rotary Scroll Device On Keyboard:
In another patent application, we do see something new from the company. Apple apparently thinks that the iPod dial is such a great device for accelerating scrolling that it looks like the company may be considering using it elsewhere. On September 26, 2002, Apple filed a patent application for a "Method and apparatus for accelerated scrolling." The abstract states:
Improved approaches for users to with graphical user interfaces of computing devices are disclosed. A rotational user action supplied by a user via a user input device can provide accelerated scrolling. The accelerated nature of the scrolling enables users to scroll or traverse a lengthy data set (e.g., list of items) faster and with greater ease. The amount of acceleration provided can be performed in successive stages, and/or performed based on the speed of the rotational user action. In one embodiment, the rotational user action is transformed into linear action with respect to a graphical user interface. The resulting acceleration effect causes the linear action to be enhanced such that a lengthy data set is able to be rapidly traversed.
Illustration image included in patent application
Although the application generally deals with accelerating scrolling in graphical user interfaces by using the dial as an input device, Apple shows the dial may be found on keyboards. Also mentioned earlier on TMO through today's Devil's Advocate column, Apple filed for a patent for a rotary scrolling mouse device. It's important to note, however, that patent applications are not always granted, and that filing for a patent does not necessarily mean that Apple is intending to release a product based on the technology.
for instance, think about having all of your icons nice and small on the desktop, but if you need to see a beetter view of a single jpeg, instead of increasing the size of all your icons on the desktop for a one-off task (and having to visit the "Show view options..." inspector), you simply hover your cursor over the suspected icon, crank the preview up to 128 and check. when you move the mouse away from the icon, it snaps back to its original size. same holds for the dock. instead of having to "guess" which size icons would work best, or which level of magnification would suit the user now and in the future, they just hover, scroll to zoom, scrub back and forth, release and it snaps back.
also, if apple is truly moving forward with this "piles" idea (PLEASE find a different name, like "stacks" or something -- i don't want to tell anyone i know that the Mac has "piles"), you could then hover over a stack, wind the jog control to sift through the stack quickly without having to move the mouse. if you have a particularly deep "stack" of documents, you might run out of mouse pad/desk real estate trying to go through the contents, but if you were using a stationary jog wheel... well, you get the idea.
now i don't know how they will implement a jog wheel on a mouse while avoiding carpal tunnel or other such repetitive use cramping (that's for the industrial engineers to work out -- i'm just the idea man), but it sure seems that it would be a boon for a lot of tasks we are already doing regularly.
edit p.s.: you know, i just had a terrifying thought -- what if they brought BACK the PUCK MOUSE with a scrolling ring around the outside. god, i can hear the uproar now...
Two reliable sources confirm that Apple is near completion on a cordless Bluetooth mouse. The information we received is minimal. We know that the mouse will be rechargable when not in use via a FireWire connection and that Apple hopes to ship with the introduction of (970) PowerMacs.
Scrolldial, bluetooth, both ???
Originally posted by NETROMac
Now it's a bluetooth mouse! From Looprumors
Scrolldial, bluetooth, both ???
What about their iPhonePodMouse?
It's efectively the same as the little four-way control "sticks" on PlayStation controllers.
"the user can manipulate the disc 182 side to side ? for horizontal scrolling 184 and the user can manipulate the disc 182 backwards and forwards as shown ? for vertical scrolling 186. Another advantage of the invention is that pressing down on the disc for clicking does not cause the disc to rotate, i.e., since the motion of the disc is orthogonal to the direction of clicking (button press) the user can press on the disc itself to activate the button."
"Tilt" it left, it moves left, tilt it back, it moves down... how would you decide the direction if it were actually rotating?
Originally posted by Clive
Theere's no innovation here, if you read it properly it's not rotary at all, it tilts. All it is is a variant on a joystick - like the old IBM "nipple in the keyboard".
It's efectively the same as the little four-way control "sticks" on PlayStation controllers.
"the user can manipulate the disc 182 side to side ? for horizontal scrolling 184 and the user can manipulate the disc 182 backwards and forwards as shown ? for vertical scrolling 186. Another advantage of the invention is that pressing down on the disc for clicking does not cause the disc to rotate, i.e., since the motion of the disc is orthogonal to the direction of clicking (button press) the user can press on the disc itself to activate the button."
"Tilt" it left, it moves left, tilt it back, it moves down... how would you decide the direction if it were actually rotating?
I dont think it works this way. I think it is supposed to work more like a trackpad. You drag down, the window scrolls down, up - you scroll up, sideways - you scroll sideways etc. You can also use it as a dial for scrolling long documents fast and other uses that can be programmed spesific for each app. For video editing you can use it as a jog-shutte control fx. I think the joystick model is way too limited and slow to be of any real use.
The direction problem is no problem at all. To scroll down you turn the dial with the clock and up when you scroll against the clock. There could also be some sort of option for this in the controle panel.
If Apple made it work this way it could open for new features like gestures on the "mouse-scrolldial trackpad" in addition to the button function. Gestures could also easily be added by the user by teaching the computer gestures and telling it what function to perform. Just some ideas to think about.
Originally posted by NETROMac
From MacRumors
Eventhough this sucks, it would make sense to change the color scheme if they will do a redesign for the 970.