Technology The Apple Innovation

[Salar]

I have been a mac user for a few years and recently i bought the new macbook pro which i must say... is absolutely fucking unbelievable. Things have never been better when it comes to getting my work done. Whether it's connecting to works emails, using sun secure desktops to access the windows or unix servers, accessing wireless etc etc etc.

Anyway apple have always been well known for their innovation. Whether it's re-inventing the wheel like the ipod (though there were mp3 players around way before the ipod, ipod managed to dominate the market quickly with an easy UI) or whether it's the 100's of innovative features in it's OS (especially Tiger) which most people don't even know about. (it hurts when people think widgets are rip offs of google desktop).

Anyway so today i came across a patent that apple has passed whcih gave me more faith in the organisation. Something so simple that the idea can be revolutionary.
http://hrmpf.com/wordpress/99/apple-proposes-blank-ipodphonemacbook-just-add-buttons

the specific idea i like about this is:

which will make it so much easier for producers and DJ's to fuck around with music.

 

[Illuminattile]

Would it not be easier to have the surface of the laptop touch-sensitive, like the mobile phone designs someone posted up a while back? So if you're running Word it comes up with a touch-screen keyboard, then if you load up some music thing it comes up with a virtual touch-sensitive mixing deck? It would be a bit of a hassle to carry around and switch between all the various changeable faceplates.

 

[Salar]

It would be, the only problem with touch sensitive is... it's not that sensitive... or it's too sensitive. Unless they can master the technology, it would be a useless for it to be touch screen.
Have you ever typed on touchscreen keyboards. i don't know about you but when i type my finger hovers around the rest of the keys... on touch screen keyboards it's annoying as all fuck.
For production and dj's, say you have a midi keyboard... the same thing would be an issue, your fingers hovering over the keys. Or say you have a mixer as the touchscreen, doing quick crossfades will be a difficult task.

The idea is brilliant, but i don't think the technology is grand enough to take those things into consideration. Hence the failure of touchscreen keyboards (even the infrared keyboard seemed a little fucking annoying to me (the keyboard that projects the keys onto your desk)

 

[Hymnz]

the idea is nice. im not sure how well these will be received by the general public, but im sure they will find other uses, such as a 'pleasure module' which you can mount, along with re-usable screen shielding. haha

 

[S. Fourteen]

Apple is on the way out. I suggest everyone to switch over to Linux and get your Alienwear whatever. Don't buy anymore Apple products.

 

[ARon]

Whether it's re-inventing the wheel like the ipod (though there were mp3 players around way before the ipod, ipod managed to dominate the market quickly with an easy UI)

They jacked "their" UI from Creative. They lost in court and had to pay a crazy amount for the settlement. So yeah, Ipod has manged to dominate the market but... yeah.

But this is cool. I've seen a couple plans like this not neccessarily with Mac' either. Like one kid made his own rig with his MPC, kind of the same lookin, Ill try to find pics.

 

[PuffnScruff]

how is this really an innovation. i saw a video a year ago where a company had a prototype of some thing along the same idea but it was touch sensitive and looked like something out of minority report. it was even designed for people who do mixes in the box. as far as technology i think this is behind but as far as bringing it to a consumer level sure its probably ahead.

 

[3en]

Apple is on the way out. I suggest everyone to switch over to Linux and get your Alienwear whatever. Don't buy anymore Apple products.

lol :laugh:

 

[Eric]

how is this really an innovation. i saw a video a year ago where a company had a prototype of some thing along the same idea but it was touch sensitive and looked like something out of minority report. it was even designed for people who do mixes in the box. as far as technology i think this is behind but as far as bringing it to a consumer level sure its probably ahead.

Republican.