“Apple is one of the major leaders in the multitouch space and yet, the company’s desire to bring a full-fledged touch-screen device to store shelves has stopped with the iPhone. In fact, the most it has done in bringing multitouch to its computers is offering the functionality in the track pad on its MacBook Air,” Don Reisinger writes for CNET.
“But simply offering multitouch on a trackpad isn’t enough to make consumers want to flock to Apple products instead of HP or Dell machines,” Reisinger writes.
MacDailyNews Take: Apple’s Mac sales are currently growing at 20 times that of the PC industry, Don. That’s a considerable amount of flocking.
Reisinger continues, “Apple needs to embrace the fact that many people prefer touch-screen technology and create a Mac that offers the same basic functionality found in the iPhone.”
“Innovation has been a key to Apple’s success over the past decade and without it, the company would be nothing more than another computer vendor. But by releasing a Mac that eclipses the functionality of the tablet PC and fully harnesses the power of multitouch in a way that no one has seen before, Apple can create the computing world’s first iPhone-like success,” Reisinger writes. “And in the process, Apple could single-handedly propel the computing market forward into a new era where vanilla products are the exception and establish itself as the de facto leader in innovation.”
MacDailyNews Take: Apple is already firmly established as the de facto leader in innovation, Don. As has been the case since the company’s inception.
Reisinger continues, “So what would it look like? Ideally, the computer could be controlled with the touch screen and if you prefer, you can type on it as well. For those who aren’t so keen on typing on a virtual keyboard, Apple’s touch-screen Mac should sport a physical keyboard that can be slid out. In terms of aesthetics, I’ll leave that up to Apple–I think it has proven to be quite capable in designing handsome products.”
Full article here.
MacDailyNews Note: We are working to develop new products that contain technologies that our competition will not be able to match. I cannot discuss these new products, but we are very confident in our product pipeline. – Apple CFO Peter Oppenheimer, during Apple’s Q308 Financial Results Conference Call, July 21, 2008
No touch screen desktop anything.
Pardon my lack of understanding but is it absolutely necessary that multitouch gestures be in contact with the screen in order to be effective? Could Apple not figure out a way of recognizing multitouch gestures ( by ichat cam for example) so as to use these commands within 6 inches or within 1 or 2 feet of the screen?
Imagine giving these commands by a wave of the hand IN FRONT of the screen. HMMMMMM!
Hmm.. a touch tablet to go the a keyboard and screen would be nice. Honestly, I don’t want my screen with lots of finger prints on it especially if I’m dealing with graphics. I’d rather use pen for those types of stuff… unless I’m doing finger painting and smudging I guess. But a touch interface for other programs like for music to move faders and controllers in addition to the screen would be very cool. Like the apps for the iPhone/iPod Touch.
Why is it that every innovation Apple comes up with MUST be integrated with a Mac? For years we’ve been hearing about a rumored tablet. Now with iPhone touchscreen technology all of these stories and rumors pop up about a touchscreen computer.
Apple DOES have a touchscreen, OS X – based computer. It’s called the iPhone.
another armchair product designer. it constantly amazes me how people who have no experience or expertise think that their opinions are worth something.
i bet he says “i don’t know anything about xxx but I know what I like”.
if you dont know anything about something, mate, keep it to yourself else you demonstrate your ignorance and arrogance to everyone else…
Apple are doing just fine without your “expert” advice thus far…
I think you’re correct in your guesses about the design of a flat/touch screen OS X comp, but I’ve got to say that I’ve enjoyed l.o.l. to all of the misunderstandings involved in other peoples responses. I hope you’re getting a laugh as well . . . but I doubt it. Good luck!
Really, the thing that makes the iPhone compelling and all other ‘smart’ phones lame is the experience. Apple did what no other company could do before, but create a fluid user experience that would resonate with users. They just didn’t replace the mouse click with a finger tap, they re-engineered the whole experience of human user interaction.
This is clearly the failure of the tablet PC. All they did was replace the mouse with a metal stick. Not very innovative. The UI is no different from a mouse interactive application. There is even a little pointer that follows the metal stick.
What was so revolutionary is that the mouse is dead on the iPhone. In a handheld device, this is easier to pull off. But for a whole computer to adopt this concept is a new challenge in itself. Where MS failed is where Apple needs to succeed. And simply introducing a laptop what tries to replace the mouse with a finger and not develop the experience to go with that would be as much of a failure as the Moto ROKR. Man, was that a joke!
The people at XOs are on the right path but they still have a long way to go.
I imagine that when Apple releases the TouchBook, this will be a revolutionary device where the human interaction is unparalleled. Or at least I hope.
I have to laugh out loud.
Microsoft failed to establish a market for tablet computers, so tablet computers have no market.
What bullshit.
If Microsoft made the first adding machine we might still be using an abacus.
Apple could do the Tablet Computer right, if Steve wanted one.
To FreddyThePig,
I don’t think that a 24″ touchscreen Mac will ever be marketed as a laptop computer any more than an iMac is marketed as such. Do you know anyone who has tried to use a 24″ (or any other size) iMac as a laptop computer? Why on earth would you then put a 24″ touchscreen computer in your lap??? For that purpose, you will probably need a (touchscreen) MacBook. The 24″ computer is for your desk (I thought this was rather obvious).
The general categories (desktop, portable/notebook, sub-notebook) will probably remain, as people will continue to need larger screen real estate when at their desks, and lightweight device when away from it.
Oh, and about the smudges; when you write on paper, leaf trhough a book/magazine, handle your daily work at a desk, do your fingers leave smudges? How do you solve finger-smudging problem in daily life? Perhaps the occasional hand washing might be enough, wouldn’t you agree?
Who in their right mind would ever want to have a touch screen upright, at arm’s length??? —predrag
This is exactly the point. Anyone who tries to use a device like this (vertical touchscreen) will quickly develop upper back, neck and shoulder strain. A truly absurd idea when you push past the “gee whiz” reaction and consider what it would actually be like to use such a device. “Welcome to Repetitive Stress City—Home of the Touch-Screen iMac.”
Unless I missed it all the posts, I’m surprised that no one has used the word that describes what you and Predrag are discussing. The reason touchscreen monitors won’t replace keyboards for regular computer interaction.
Ergonomics.
Wrist and forearm support is critical in typical, everyday computer usage. It isn’t hard to foresee that having to lift up one’s entire arm to properly use a touchscreen monitor is going to become (literally) a real drag in a very short time. I would guess that most people will get tired in less than half an hour.
Now… a keyboard with a touch screen surface on the other hand, yeah, that will work.
I agree – touchscreen on desktop is bad ergonimics. I don’t think I like it even if its horizontal on my desk as PreDrag describes.
I *do* like the idea of using touchscreen versions of the keyboard and mouse.
@HMCIV
Took the words right out of my mouth, y’did. Flock’im!
Has anyone else noticed that the only application there seems to be for multi touch on anything bigger than an iPod is moving random pictures around.
Here it is. The full Mac OS X in your pocket:
http://www.ilounge.com/index.php/gallery/image_med/15417
We need it for full blown NATIVE Keynote and PowerPoint presentations at our University. And we need thousands. And we need them now. Because even the MacBook Air is too large and heavy for us.
In a math class I’m in, our instructor uses a laptop that was donated by HP. I don’t believe it is officially on the market yet, but she has one.
You can flip the top section of the laptop around and close it. So it instantly switches to a tablet computer, with what looks like a 13″ to 15″ display, or a laptop with a full sized keyboard.
She can connect the tablet to a projector, and using a pen (part of the system), she can display presentations and write on the presentations in real time. It digitizes her handwriting, and lets her edit what she’s written if need be.
Slick as can be. Should Apple offer something similar? Well, not if Apple doesn’t mind being outclassed. I mean, it’s not just the technology, it’s the implementation. As long as the construction is solid (so that the computer doesn’t break in time when doing things like flipping the lid around), I’d say it’s too bad this thing can’t run OS-X. It’s that nice. Yes, Apple should make something like it, IMHO.
Should Apple release a touchscreen Mac? Yes, they can.
But are they sure people will buy it? I don’t think so. I won’t!
Fairings