There’s “something quite important” about Apple’s new MacBook Pro line, Jupiter Research analyst Michael Gartenberg blogs.
“Apple has added support for multi-touch to the MacBook Pro line, following up on the feature first seen in the MacBook Air. Apple seems pretty serious about this and has filed patents for even more advanced features,” Gartenberg writes. “The Net is going to be some rather interesting applications for the platform.”
“This is really important and underscores the changing nature in user experiences that consumers are likely to see over the next 12-18 months. It’s something that serves to drive the next wave of UI forward and gives Apple some strong differentiation in their products,” Gartenberg writes.
“I’ve already gotten quite used to it and I find it harder to use a non-multi touch enables trackpad on other PCs. This is important as it seems like something Apple is slowly incorporating into products across the line,” Gartenberg writes. [It’ll] be interesting to see how this makes its way into a future iMac.”
Full article here.
OS X 10.6 will probably focus heavily on this, standardizing these features across all applications. It will be more interesting to see how they integrate this technology into desktop Macs.
@ Jay-Z
Agreed. How bout we also get tabbed Finder windows in 10.6.
Also, if they could stop allowing applications to autonomously jump in front of apps you are working in, that would be a serious advancement too. Just like the old days.
…Probably with that new “non-“keyboard… or TouchBoard, where you’ll be able to choose if you wnat a complete or part gesture command with more, less or no virtual keyboard visible…
If it’s soooo important, why was it left out of the MacBook update? A mouse on a Mac beats this crap to death.
Speaking of multi-touch, I’d like to see Google Earth as a widget on the iPhone (or iPod Touch). That would be handy on vacation.
A TouchPad integrated into a keyboard would be a great idea!
@Yawn, your name bespeakes your comment. Multi-touch will probably come to the MacBook too, just wait.
It’s not meant to replace a mouse. It’s an enhancement to the UI that makes multi-touch gestures faster and more intuitive than the mouse, for certain functions. Yawn, you can use the mouse instead, go ahead, be my guest. Buy a Lenovo while you’re at it. Better yet, use their little red button in the middle of the keyboard to navigate. Or the arrow keys to navigate. Hey, it’s your UI choice!
I just hope we don’t see this getting ripped off and copied by Windows box makers, like every innovation before that Apple has brought to the market. It has always seemed that Dull’s way of doing R&D;is simply to copy Apple.
Apple has the better UI, by years. Please protect it, Apple!
I’d like to see some sort glowing sphere which howers in front of you which you can rotate and manipulate to control actions on the screen, until they add that sort of functionality I’ll pass.
I know it doesn’t have multi-touch, but my new tricked out macbook is on its way! The people at macmall said they were already backordered ( I got one of the last available), and that the new models were selling really quickly.
<b>Reclaimer</i> – A TouchPad integrated into a keyboard would be a great idea!
A USB multi-touch track pad en lieu of the Mighty Mouse would be an even better idea for the iMac and Mac Pro users out there. They might even sell a bunch to Windows and Linux users, too.
Damn, wish there was a preview page so you could check your tags.
“I’d like to see some sort glowing sphere . . . “
While you’re at it, the device should also vibrate, have variable suction settings and be able to handle copious amounts of viscous fluids.
Oh, and promptly return your phone calls.
“They might even sell a bunch to Windows and Linux users, too.”
True. Obviously, they’ll buy anything.
Yawn is right. And so is Mac 84.
a) it ISN’T that hugely “important” as all that
b) it WILL come to the MacBook, when the price is down and supply is up.
It may also make it to the iMac, or to the generic Mac keyboard, or to a finger-powered mouse-replacement pad … the last could be ready by MWSF’09! I don’t see “most users” having any need for such a thing, but I can see how many users – many of those here? – wanting such a thing … and that’s more important, right? It would sell reasonably well. It would give us bragging rights, for a bit. It would awaken new interest in potential switchers. All in all, a good thing for Apple and AAPL. But don’t expect it to become available for all as of “yesterday”. It’s an interesting thing that is quite useful for portables with some value for some desktops. Let Apple bring it in one line at a time, while the supply grows and the technology becomes familiar. Some switchers will not want to wait and will jump early grabbing up the more expensive models. That works for me. Does it work for you guys?
Dave
Forget a desktop multitouch add-on. Let us use our iPhone/Touch as the multitouch trackpad on our iMac. We’ve already seen the proof on concept.
“it seems like something Apple is slowly incorporating into products across the line,”
Do ya think?!
Ampar said:
While you’re at it, the device should also vibrate, have variable suction settings and be able to handle copious amounts of viscous fluids.
Oh, and promptly return your phone calls.”
Well, I thought you were talking about a wet/cry vac, right up until the phone call bit.
hmm… “wet/cry” that typo sounds better than what I meant to write, “wet/dry”!
Mental note: Buy a wet/dry vac but check its safety features first like quick power off and a friendly nozzle.
Thanks, KenC!