6 ms·

The World's Greatest Netbook is soon to be upon us. Touch screen + OSX + mobile internet = dawn of ubiquitous computing for the masses. Be prepared.

• ori_b 17y ago
  Such obvious premature hype. For something not even mentioned in the article.
  • wmf 17y ago
    Indeed. One of the merits of this WSJ article is that it doesn't contain ridiculous speculation.
    • pxlpshr 17y ago
      Our web traffic for a free iPhone/Touch app suggestions quite the opposite. The device is already a PC in the most pockets of teenagers, it's only a matter of time really before screens get larger, and battery power is realized to its full potential. I don't expect WSJ to suggest investment or visionary strategies, they just report the news. I could be wrong about where Apple is headed, but what makes Apple (and startups) exciting to follow from my perspective is speculation on what amazing thing they'll do next. Let's not be a negative nacy, slashdot is that way >>>
      • lukifer 17y ago
        I'd say that future "iTouch" devices are going to compete more with the Kindle than the netbook market. Unless Apple has invented a magic new text input method, the lack of a touch-type keyboard makes it suck as a full laptop. Of course, Apple could something else up their sleeve (built-in stand and wireless keyboard?) Should be interesting to find out.
        • hboon 17y ago
          Apple was rumored to have acquired http://www.fingerworks.com http://www.fingerworks.com. They sell touch keypads and keyboards (TouchStream LP). I have a Touchstream LP (http://motionobj.com/blog/new-found-minimalism http://motionobj.com/blog/new-found-minimalism). It still works excellently after 6-7 years now. It's a flat surface keyboard with no physical buttons. Besides typing on it, a key thing you can do is gestures, like dragging/expanding out 5 fingers to zoom in, pinching the middle finger and thumb to cut (cut as in cut-and-paste). The gestures are configurable. A basic configuration is switching between Windows, Linux and OS X modes, since the gestures implicitly needs to invoke Cmd/Ctrl, etc. The built-in software (no installation required) depends typos and tries to correct them to compensate for the flat typing surface. If you use the iPhone and/or newer macbooks/macbook pros, you will recognise that some (I would say only the most basic so far) of this technology have made it there. So if they did acquire this excellent company (which sadly, cause the keyboard to be no longer available on the market, except ebay), it's reasonable to expect more usage of their technology, and its original form - keyboards and keypads. In its current form, you need quite a bit of practice to type well, but who knows how they can improve on it.
          • samwillis 17y ago
            They were acquired by apple in 2006. Its their technology that is the basis of all the multi touch stuff that apple is doing. http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/22/some-iphone-touchscreen-roots-splained-by-fingerworks-inventors/ http://www.engadget.com/2007/01/22/some-iphone-touchscreen-r...
            • hboon 17y ago
              The article only said "few doubt Apple snapped up the pair [co-founders]". It's a rumor. I think it's highly possible. But it's still only a rumor.
              • GHFigs 17y ago
                They've been filing patent applications assigned to Apple since early 2007. I think that's pretty conclusive.
• cturner 17y ago
  Usually I have no time for rumours, but I've got a feeling you're right on this one.