5 ms·

Lately I've been wondering about the reasoning behind these hellish flat keyboards, and then I thought of the Touchbar and the following popped into my head: th

by oliv__ 8y ago

Lately I've been wondering about the reasoning behind these hellish flat keyboards, and then I thought of the Touchbar and the following popped into my head: the ultra flat keyboards are just a segue into a new form factor with a full screen, tablet-like glass bottom half replacing the keyboards altogether. The current situation is just apple's way of getting everyone one step closer, while they work their way up (or rather down) to that goal. Does this make sense to anyone else?

biggerfisch 8y ago
You're not the only one to think of this! Here's an article about a patent they claimed earlier this year: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/27/17058616/apple-patent-oled-screen-keyboard-macbook-pro-touch-bar https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/27/17058616/a...
modwilliam 8y ago
They've been trying to make things thinner / lighter, and they're trying to do that to the keyboards as well
eugeniub 8y ago
Frankly, no. There are already a few laptop-form-factor-devices out there with a flat panel for a keyboard, and the experience is terrible. If a glass bottom was really the way to go, Apple wouldn't have moved towards physical iPad keyboards by promoting the smart keyboard covers for iPad Pros.
- npunt 8y ago
  Disagree. Smart Keyboard is a great/necessary stopgap. Two screen mode would add a lot of expense, a significant UX redesign, and probably just incorporated into the device itself rather than an accessory, making the iPad an entirely different form factor. We're far away from that reality.
npunt 8y ago
Yes, a two screen device seems like the direction things are going in maybe 2-3 generations. Figuring out haptics seems to be the key (so to speak). This won't happen until after the ARM transition (and OLED), since they'll probably want to standardize the screen thickness between both halves, and be able to open it lie-flat.
- pokemongoaway 8y ago
  I've heard this argument a lot... Basically all that needs to happen is to "figure out haptics." 1) what's the evidence that haptics could give anyone the same level of productivity without the z-vector of mechanical keyboards? 2) I don't see how this is an argument. It is more an obfuscation. It is like saying, cancer is basically solved, we just need to figure out the wjwjrnc (where 'wjwjrnc' is defined as "cure"). There is no reasonable excuse from Apple for decreasing the quality and desirability of their laptops and desktops from the point of view of so many of their customers. Cues soapbox on corporatists vs capitalists

by oliv__ 8y ago

biggerfisch 8y ago

You're not the only one to think of this! Here's an article about a patent they claimed earlier this year: https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/27/17058616/apple-patent-oled-screen-keyboard-macbook-pro-touch-bar https://www.theverge.com/circuitbreaker/2018/2/27/17058616/a...

modwilliam 8y ago

They've been trying to make things thinner / lighter, and they're trying to do that to the keyboards as well

eugeniub 8y ago

Frankly, no. There are already a few laptop-form-factor-devices out there with a flat panel for a keyboard, and the experience is terrible. If a glass bottom was really the way to go, Apple wouldn't have moved towards physical iPad keyboards by promoting the smart keyboard covers for iPad Pros.

npunt 8y ago
Disagree. Smart Keyboard is a great/necessary stopgap. Two screen mode would add a lot of expense, a significant UX redesign, and probably just incorporated into the device itself rather than an accessory, making the iPad an entirely different form factor. We're far away from that reality.

npunt 8y ago

Yes, a two screen device seems like the direction things are going in maybe 2-3 generations. Figuring out haptics seems to be the key (so to speak). This won't happen until after the ARM transition (and OLED), since they'll probably want to standardize the screen thickness between both halves, and be able to open it lie-flat.

pokemongoaway 8y ago
I've heard this argument a lot... Basically all that needs to happen is to "figure out haptics." 1) what's the evidence that haptics could give anyone the same level of productivity without the z-vector of mechanical keyboards? 2) I don't see how this is an argument. It is more an obfuscation. It is like saying, cancer is basically solved, we just need to figure out the wjwjrnc (where 'wjwjrnc' is defined as "cure"). There is no reasonable excuse from Apple for decreasing the quality and desirability of their laptops and desktops from the point of view of so many of their customers. Cues soapbox on corporatists vs capitalists