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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 t

by 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.
  - GHFigs 17y ago
    depends typos and tries to correct them
    - hboon 17y ago
      Heh. Obviously it corrects typos but it doesn't have ESP yet. Those guys need to work harder!
- rjurney 17y ago
  The people do not want real qwerty keyboards on their mobile devices. Its not a replacement for a notebook computer.
  - mtinkerhess 17y ago
    A lot of people do want a physical keypad on their smartphones: look at the Blackberry, G1, or Pre. As for an iTouch netbook, the potential utility would be greatly improved with a couple of usb ports and bluetooth for keyboard, mouse, hard drive, etc. Apple said they wouldn't make a netbook that doesn't suck, and being able to type properly would go a long way toward not sucking. </speculation>
    - rjurney 17y ago
      I disagree. And when I say 'the People' I mean the overwhelming majority of consumers. They don't want a keyboard, they want a revolutionary user interface that actually suits a mobile device. The iPhone's OS is the best attempt at it so far. A netbook is not a mobile device. Its the wrong model.

by pxlpshr 17y ago

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.
- GHFigs 17y ago
  depends typos and tries to correct them
  - hboon 17y ago
    Heh. Obviously it corrects typos but it doesn't have ESP yet. Those guys need to work harder!
rjurney 17y ago
The people do not want real qwerty keyboards on their mobile devices. Its not a replacement for a notebook computer.
- mtinkerhess 17y ago
  A lot of people do want a physical keypad on their smartphones: look at the Blackberry, G1, or Pre. As for an iTouch netbook, the potential utility would be greatly improved with a couple of usb ports and bluetooth for keyboard, mouse, hard drive, etc. Apple said they wouldn't make a netbook that doesn't suck, and being able to type properly would go a long way toward not sucking. </speculation>
  - rjurney 17y ago
    I disagree. And when I say 'the People' I mean the overwhelming majority of consumers. They don't want a keyboard, they want a revolutionary user interface that actually suits a mobile device. The iPhone's OS is the best attempt at it so far. A netbook is not a mobile device. Its the wrong model.