Apple Refining the Touch Screen Interface? Evidence for a Tablet Mac?

Throughout 2005, Apple continued to apply for numerous touch-screen technology patents. These patents aren't simply attributable to the rumored touch-screen iPod. Many of the patents have shown Mac OS X elements and interfaces.

The most recent addition was filed in September 2005 and called "Operation of a computer with touch screen interface". Again, individuals at Apple appear to be spending a lot of time on the potential interface for users of a touch screen device. The patent describes the the possible advantage of touch screens by being able to "glean much more information about a user's actions" than from conventional keyboards.

The methods described are intriguing in that it appears that there could be a level of refinement to the touch interface that has not been present in previous devices. Again, Apple describes the utility of offering a multi-touch capable display which can process multiple figures and gestures to provide additional information.

The authors describe a number of interesting potential techniques to gather more information from the user operating the virtual interface (keyboard and GUI elements on the screen)

- Both pressure and time of screen presses could also be used to interpret action and intention by the users. (Chart)
- In one example, the user might be required to hold down on a "delete" button longer than is required to activate the "keep" button for an item. The delete function requiring more time to ensure that data is not accidentally erased. (Picture)
- Gestures are described to provide additional "hidden" functionality. For example, in describing an on-screen keyboard, a user could press on the letter "e" and then stroke the finger in a particular direction away from the letter to invoke a special variation (such as ). (Picture). Of historical interest, individuals at Apple had done research into similar point/flick gesture interfaces in 1994 ("T-Cube: a fast, self-disclosing pen-based alphabet") when researching alternative input methods for the Newton.
- Additional gestures may be required to activate special functionality... "wiggle" is given as an example. Again, the Newton allowed users to erase text by simply performing a zig-zag "crossing out" gesture over the text. (Quicktime Movie).

While patent applications do not necessarily mean these technologies will turn up as shipping products, it's clear a significant portion of research at Apple involves touch-screen technology. Rumors of a Tablet Mac last peaked in 2003 with a traditionally reliable source of information pointing to a Mac OS X tablet at that time:

(2003) My sources sketch the following picture: A device that superficially resembles a large iPod with an 8-inch diagonal screen, lacks a keyboard, packs USB and FireWire ports, and runs Mac OS X along with a variety of multimedia goodies.

Steve Jobs was skeptical of the success of the Tablet form factor in 2002. Indeed, the Tablet PC's have not been a great success, but with Microsoft/Intel's introduction of the Ultra Mobile PC form factor, the market may see a renewed interest in tablet devices.

As a final interesting hint, in July of 2005 a small company called FingerWorks cryptically posted that they had ceased operations as a business. Multiple reports indicated that the company had been sold, but details were scarce. According to individuals close to the company, Apple had indeed purchased the company and related technology/patents. At the time, FingerWorks had offered advanced input devices, including a multi-touch product called iGesture Pad which allowed users to use Gestures to interface with their Mac. At the time it was thought that Apple was interested in touch and click-wheel related technology for the iPod, but the Gesture/MultiTouch technology may have been an important part of the acquisition.

Top Rated Comments

Staffroomer Avatar
236 months ago
This sounds like the future of computing to me. Seriously, I don't think keyboards and mice are going to be around forever. It'll be interesting to see how things play out..

I reserve the right to be totally wrong and change my mind about this at any given time though.

How postmodern of me. :p
Score: 1 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

reset password request iphone

Warning: Apple Users Targeted in Phishing Attack Involving Rapid Password Reset Requests

Tuesday March 26, 2024 4:34 pm PDT by
Phishing attacks taking advantage of Apple's password reset feature have become increasingly common, according to a report from KrebsOnSecurity. Multiple Apple users have been targeted in an attack that bombards them with an endless stream of notifications or multi-factor authentication (MFA) messages in an attempt to cause panic so they'll respond favorably to social engineering. An...
iPhone Home Screen Gradient Blank Spaces 1

Sources: iOS 18 Lets Apps Be Placed Anywhere on Home Screen Grid

Sunday March 24, 2024 1:33 pm PDT by
iOS 18 will give iPhone users greater control over Home Screen app icon arrangement, according to sources familiar with the matter. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, to ensure there is some uniformity, our sources say that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18. For example, we expect that the update will introduce...
iPad Pro 2024 Landscape Camera Feature

New iPad Pro Again Rumored to Feature Landscape Front-Facing Camera

Monday March 25, 2024 5:43 am PDT by
The next-generation iPad Pro will feature a landscape-oriented front-facing camera for the first time, according to the Apple leaker known as "Instant Digital." Instant Digital reiterated the design change earlier today on Weibo with a simple accompanying 2D image. The post reveals that the entire TrueDepth camera array will move to the right side of the device, while the microphone will...
sonoma desktop wwdc

Apple Releases macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 With Fix for USB Hub Bug

Monday March 25, 2024 10:10 am PDT by
Apple today released macOS Sonoma 14.4.1, a minor update for the macOS Sonoma operating system that launched last September. macOS Sonoma 14.4.1 comes three weeks after macOS Sonoma 14.4. The ‌‌‌‌macOS Sonoma‌‌ 14.4‌.1 update can be downloaded for free on all eligible Macs using the Software Update section of System Settings. There's also a macOS 13.6.6 release for those who...
maxresdefault

Apple Announces WWDC 2024 Event for June 10 to 14

Tuesday March 26, 2024 10:02 am PDT by
Apple today announced that its 35th annual Worldwide Developers Conference is set to take place from Monday, June 10 to Friday, June 14. As with WWDC events since 2020, WWDC 2024 will be an online event that is open to all developers at no cost. Subscribe to the MacRumors YouTube channel for more videos. WWDC 2024 will include online sessions and labs so that developers can learn about new...
Generic iOS 18 Feature Purple

iOS 18 Will Finally Bring This Android Feature to iPhone

Monday March 25, 2024 6:42 am PDT by
iOS 18 will allow iPhone users to place app icons anywhere on the Home Screen grid, according to sources familiar with development of the software update. This basic feature has long been available on Android smartphones. While app icons will likely remain locked to an invisible grid system on the Home Screen, our sources said that users will be able to arrange icons more freely on iOS 18....
apple maps 3d feature

Apple Maps May Gain Custom Routes With iOS 18

Tuesday March 26, 2024 3:10 pm PDT by
Apple may be planning to add support for "custom routes" in Apple Maps in iOS 18, according to code reviewed by MacRumors. Apple Maps does not currently offer a way to input self-selected routes, with Maps users limited to Apple's pre-selected options, but that may change in iOS 18. Apple has pushed an iOS 18 file to its maps backend labeled "CustomRouteCreation." While not much is revealed...
iphone reasons to upgrade

Apple Outlines 'Reasons to Upgrade' Your iPhone on New Website

Monday March 25, 2024 12:53 pm PDT by
Apple today added a "Why Upgrade" section to its website, which is aimed at encouraging customers with older iPhones to upgrade to a newer model. The website allows customers to compare the iPhone 11, 11 Pro, 11 Pro Max, 12, 12 mini, 12 Pro, and 12 Pro Max to the iPhone 15, iPhone 15 Plus, iPhone 15 Pro, or iPhone 15 Pro Max. Each comparison shows what new features someone with an older...