3 ms·

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,

by lukifer 18y 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 18y 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 18y 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 18y 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 18y ago
      They've been filing patent applications assigned to Apple since early 2007. I think that's pretty conclusive.
- GHFigs 18y ago
  depends typos and tries to correct them
  - hboon 18y ago
    Heh. Obviously it corrects typos but it doesn't have ESP yet. Those guys need to work harder!
rjurney 18y ago
The people do not want real qwerty keyboards on their mobile devices. Its not a replacement for a notebook computer.
- mtinkerhess 18y 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 18y 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 lukifer 18y ago

hboon 18y 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 18y 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 18y 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 18y ago
    They've been filing patent applications assigned to Apple since early 2007. I think that's pretty conclusive.
GHFigs 18y ago
depends typos and tries to correct them
- hboon 18y ago
  Heh. Obviously it corrects typos but it doesn't have ESP yet. Those guys need to work harder!

rjurney 18y ago

The people do not want real qwerty keyboards on their mobile devices. Its not a replacement for a notebook computer.

mtinkerhess 18y 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 18y 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.