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Snow Leopard's 'Keyboard Viewer' Sparks Renewed Speculation Regarding Mac OS X-Based Tablet

9 to 5 Mac observed at the launch of Snow Leopard that the Keyboard Viewer feature found in earlier versions of Mac OS X has seen several changes that spark speculation that Snow Leopard may be showing hints of utility for touchscreen hardware such as Apple's much-rumored tablet computer. Notably, the Keyboard Viewer application, used to show keyboard layouts in various languages, can now be enlarged to a size that offers "finger sized" keys.


Image from Cult of Mac

Cult of Mac has picked up on the finding and extended the case to make a more complete argument for Snow Leopard as a touchscreen operating system. First, the report notes that in addition to the large Keyboard Viewer window, the option to activate the feature has been moved from the relatively obscure "International" section of System Preferences to the more prominent "Keyboard" section, hinting at movement toward considering the feature an input device.

The Mac OS has long contained a virtual keyboard, but previous versions were half-sized (see below). The old virtual keyboard was clearly not designed for actual typing, and was hidden away in the "International" tab of System Preferences. (Yeah, the keyboard could be enlarged by hitting the green button in the upper left of the folder toolbar, but still, it expanded to only three-quarter size).

The new virtual keyboard in Snow Leopard now lives under "Keyboard" in System Preferences, and is clearly put there as an alternative input method.

The virtual keyboard can be made as big as your screen -- 30-inches wide, if you have a big Cinema Display -- by dragging the window resizer at bottom left.

Cult of Mac also points to several new Dock features in Snow Leopard such as application-specific Expos functionality and large icons within Stacks as further indications of an evolution toward touchscreen-friendliness.

A multitude of rumors surrounding an Apple tablet launch later this year or early next year have sprung up recently, but little is known about Apple's software plans for the device. While the operating system would presumably be based on existing Apple technologies, sources have yet to come forward confirming whether the tablet will use a Mac OS X-based or iPhone-based operating system.

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32 months ago
More evidence that the tablet will be running Snow Leopard. Never mind logic being an arguement.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
There are other hints
- Possibly the Look of having the dock on the LHS, versus on the bottom, in line with the dark QT Player look
- QT Player, Dock, Expose etc becoming finger friendly
- Changes to the Apple.com website to become more finger friendly
- Icon view in iTunes, though i'd imagine come September 9th we;ll see more with a new iTunes.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
That's quite a reach.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago

More evidence that the tablet will be running Snow Leopard. Never mind logic being an arguement.


BUWAHAHA!

I loved all those people saying it won't and never will run SL. And all those people who will soon post about how tiresome these rumors are... why they care so much is a mystery.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
While my money is squarely on Snow Leopard being the (as yet, unannounced) conduit OS for Apple to formally start converging their device matrix (iPhone, iPod touch, Macs, Apple TV, iPad Tablet) from an application run time and developer tools perspective, the "evidence" cited by Leander Kahney is fairly weak.

As others have noted in discussions regarding this point, it's far more likely for Apple to iterate from their best practices approach to virtual keyboard (iPhone/iPod touch) than simply tweaking the virtual keyboard that has been part of Mac OS for years.

Btw, if interested, here is the expanded analysis of the forthcoming Apple iPad Tablet device.

Apple, the ‘Boomer’ Tablet and the Matrix
http://bit.ly/DwziS

Cheers,

Mark
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago

BUWAHAHA!

I loved all those people saying it won't and never will run SL. And all those people who will soon post about how tiresome these rumors are... why they care so much is a mystery.


It running the iPhone OS made no sense.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
the 30" cinema display is not 30" wide.

har.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
Just tried that on my G5 iMac with Leopard, I can get the "finger sized" one too, so looks like this isn't a new thing. Be quite good if I ever find the cash to put a mini and a touch screen into my car though...
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
How am I supposed to type and hold the thing? How am I supposed to see anything on the screen as I'm typing, editing Word documents?

Outside the fanboy market, this tablet is going to be a massive fail.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives
32 months ago
"[I]f you find it easier to use a pointing device than a keyboard, you can use an onscreen keyboard to enter text instead. It floats above other applications, so you can’t lose it, and it can be displayed small or large."

http://www.apple.com/macosx/accessibility/

So I am going with pretty weak "evidence" too.
Rating: 0 Positives / 0 Negatives

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