Latest crackpot rumor: Apple to add "touch finger LCDs"

All this buzz about the Optimus, multi-input touch systems, and Apple's touchscreen patents of late has really got people buzzing about the future of manual device input; but we're just not buying New Tech Spy's up and down assurances that Apple's going to be introducing something they're referring to as "touch finger LCDs," and that Apple also plans to eventually throw out numeric function keys as a result. Sorry, but you're going to have to do a little bit more than trumpet a rumor's absolute truth to convince us of even vague validity when it comes to something as absurd as Apple rumors.

[Thanks James]

[kal @ Feb 20th 2006 11:16AM]

Well....it sounds like a pretty cool idea to have an lcd screen on your touchpad.....but its just a rumor...and nothing more than that (at least for now...)

Now if they incorporated the lcd screens into their keyboard....

[jason sewell @ Feb 20th 2006 11:23AM]

I hope this rumor is false. I cannot stand touch screens of any kind. I prefer the original iPod with its rotating wheel to the newer iPods. Why? I like to be able to operate a device blindly. A mechanical interface provides tactile feedback -- you know when you've pressed a button or operated a control. A touch screen provides no such feedback. Heck, I even prefer the original ruby-bearing PowerBook Track-Ball to the Track-Pad of current machines.

But it does seem that Apple is moving in this direction. Take a look at the progression of the iPod and the Mighty Mouse towards solid-state interfaces.

(Not to mention grimy fingerprints on the LCD screen) No thanks.

[Gabe @ Feb 20th 2006 11:29AM]

Wow. Nice typeface - harkens back to the days of neon colors, checkerboards and awful legwarmers.

If you are going to generate a rumor, at least make it as much "Apple" as you can. The rendering is inaccurate ( the speakers are off) and again, that font. *shudder*

:)

[Ken R @ Feb 20th 2006 11:32AM]

I don't know about on a laptop, but I always thought a similar idea would be good on a game controller. That way learning new games would be easier, because the buttons could change to look like the action they do.

[JT @ Feb 20th 2006 11:48AM]

Finally, a great idea to propel notebook prices back over $4.000! Seriously though, not in the next 5 years.

[Todd Bartz @ Feb 20th 2006 11:52AM]

feels like complexity...
i doubt apple would go there. They haven't even added the second button to the laptops yet!

[WebMetricsGuru @ Feb 20th 2006 11:52AM]

The idea is not so far fetched - alternate imput devices allow more options to interact with the computer in different ways.

Case in point, Wild Divines's interactive Bio-Feedback interface (www.wilddivine.com) currently serves as a dedicated interface for the BioFeedBack game - but it could also serve as a way for disabled people to interface.

The idea being - if you can tap into someone's state - you can interact with that state - not just use the computer keyboard as input and the screen and speakers as output.

[BlueLightBandit @ Feb 20th 2006 11:55AM]

I just checked the crystal ball over here and I saw what looked like an LCD keybord, one that could have a US std. keyboard, and the switch to an asian script style keyboard with the flip of a single swith. Not to mention programmable keys for "Xtreme" gaming boards, a writing/signing implementation for editing documents "by hand." Then there's these whole shenanigans about a backlit keyboard as well, but that's just ridiculous.

[Saif @ Feb 20th 2006 12:03PM]

MacBook DS? It could sell.

[Robert @ Feb 20th 2006 12:06PM]

If Apple applies for patents involving touch screen displays, including the patent on a display screen with integrated camera(s), why isn't this pure speculation without some merit. Apple may never use such patents, as has been the case with some in the past; but the numerous cross referencing patents of late all involve this type of interface. Here is a link to the main one.

http://www.macsimumnews.com/index.php/archive/apple_patents_display_leap_frog_concepts_for_touch_sensitive_displays1/

The same website has the others as well.

[Ellie @ Feb 20th 2006 12:20PM]

I had a toshiba laptop that had an lcd touchpad, and I loved it. I figured out how to put my own picture into it, and it had a little calculator and program hotkey thing in it which I didn't use much but liked.

It would be something really cool, especially with multitasking on a laptop with limited space. Say you were trying to calculate something and the window with the numbers was in front, you could just open up a calculator on the touchpad and do your business. Also, if you wanted to jot down a quick note or something, you could use a stylus.

As far as tactile or touch inputs, ya, with the ipod, I don't think I could stand that. However, with an ipod you would expect to use it in situations where you would not be looking directly at it such as in your pocket. And I can still use my clickwheel blind in my pocket, it's not that hard when you're pretty much just adjusting volume and track forward/backward. However, this new ipod concept with just the touch screen seems as stupid as the m:robe (if you've tried to use you you'd understand).

However, on a laptop, in theory you aren't ever going to be in a situation where you won't ever be able to see the touchpad. you aren't going to be keeping it closed in a bag and try to adjust stuff, if you can think of a situation go for it but I don't see enough of an issue with a touch pad to warrent a brush off of something that could really offer a lot of interesting new functions.

[jeff @ Feb 20th 2006 12:22PM]

Sounds about on par for apple's poor marketing team right now: "check out the new feature! it's called "touch finger LCDs!"

horrible name... much worse than "Macbook Pro"

this one just looks like another meaningless rumor. one of those "wouldn't it be neato?" things without any real consideration to how it would look, design, ergonomics, etc. That's a very flashy and worthless (and probably fragile) idea i'd expect to see from HP or Sony or something. Apple rarely goes for the "this is neato but most likely worthless and frustrating" approach.

[gnome @ Feb 20th 2006 12:50PM]

Sily name indeed, not so innovative either, but quite nifty...

[Justin @ Feb 20th 2006 12:51PM]

Sweet. This puts us one step closer to LCARS.

[calc.exe @ Feb 20th 2006 1:05PM]

Toshiba had a lcd touchpad on their Satellite 5105 back in 2002...

http://www.pcworld.com/news/article/0,aid,87143,00.asp

[david @ Feb 20th 2006 1:22PM]

apple just seems to be loading up the macBook with so many extra hardware features. i think they're just taking away from the flawless simple design they started out with. personaly, i'll be disappointed if this shows up on the MacBook

[Eli @ Feb 20th 2006 1:37PM]

Speaking of the Optimus, it's late February and we have yet to hear anything else from them.

Dare I say...vapor?

[Brando @ Feb 20th 2006 2:41PM]

hahah MacBookPro DS..... that would make it like...... 5000$ at its lowest.,,,,

[ranron @ Feb 20th 2006 2:51PM]

Step one to touchpad upgrade is Apple should admit the fact that two button mouse is better than one (and therefore incorporation two buttons on the MacBook).

[Jazzay @ Feb 20th 2006 4:03PM]

^I'm a proud owner of the Toshiba Satellite 5105 with the cPad, still works great, 1600x1200 15" screen, she's still a beaute. Nice speakers on it too, the cPad is a very cool feature, shame it wasn't incroporated into more things. Unfortantly, after sending it in for repairs (overheated/melted videocard, long story) the cPad nor the touchpad works, theres still a background on it and its still backlit (thats right, its backlit and you can put different backgrounds on it, so cool) and I cant figure out for the life of me how to install which drivers in what order to get it to work again. Very cool design, and for the naysayers with theyre preferance towards tactile feedback, this really isnt that bad, the only time you use the touchscreen functions is while looking at it, theres no reason not to, i guess it might be handy to be able to open applications (one of the different uses for the cPad, application launch and a simple calculater/numpad) but oh well. The 5105 can also play CDs without booting up, just pop a CD in and press Play (it also has media functions on the front) such a nice laptop. Highres, cPad, CD playing without booting into windows, years before anything similar was used in other brands. Toshiba was an innovater with this sucker, I still use it on a daily basis.

[Nick @ Feb 20th 2006 7:55PM]

Jazzay (#16), how much does Toshiba pay you to troll this forum? That little paragraph you got there sounds like it rolled right out of a marketing dweeb's mouth, adjusted for generation gap. (hint: it's a feature checklist)

[CyberDV8 @ Feb 20th 2006 8:16PM]

All this guy did was to draw up the idea I had posted in the Whirlpool forums 1 day before. I don't think it's coincidence because of time frame involved.

http://forums.whirlpool.net.au/forum-replies.cfm?t=469264&r=7221057#r7221057

[Anonymous @ Feb 20th 2006 9:17PM]

The Optimus keyboard is still in development. However, the developer has put out a 3-key OLED keypad for sale. yes, it ain't a full keyboard, and it costs an arm and a leg for just 3 keys, but its here...

And why doesn't Apple just buy Optimus and be done with it? OLED keyboards on an Apple? Hmmm....

[Evan Nelson @ Feb 21st 2006 5:11AM]

ROFLPWNED. Whoever that person was that reported the rumour originally to the interwebs fails at life. XD

[christopher @ Feb 21st 2006 11:01AM]

Calm yourselves. This is no different than putting the touch screen from a PDA where the touchpad might be.

-C

[papercutninja @ Feb 21st 2006 11:13AM]

Apple DS?! Sweeeet.

[minik @ Feb 21st 2006 12:23PM]

Plenty of people already mentioned the Apple DS, but they didn't mention the secret company that now owns both Apple and Nintendo which accounts for the Apple style of design infiltrating Nintendo products(DS Lite, Revolution's white version) and vice versa (Apple DS)

its SEGA!

[macboyx @ Feb 21st 2006 12:49PM]

Well the only thing that I find amusing and potentially true about this is that Steve Jobs HATES Fucntion keys. I remember when reading "The Second Coming of Steve Jobs" that once some one asked Steve to sign a keyboard that was Post Jobsian and he actually pried off the function keys before he would. He hates 2 button mice and look where that's gotten us :)

[tim Bottman @ Feb 21st 2006 5:31PM]

It sounds like Apple would need to buy some patents from the nintendo dualscreen.

[lds.applemac.jobseeker891983 @ Feb 21st 2006 8:04PM]

All Rumors here are False!

What is Really happening?
The True iPhone(s) is(are) Coming.

True, Apple is sick of the 1-button mouse, but I don't think anything is going to change on notebooks for a while, anything that not instanly upgradable anyway.

What is Coming is the True Apple Branded iPod iPhone or iPDA (iNewton?), they are going to attach the functionality of the ipod nano to a consumer phone which they will market to other companies (Cingular, of course, but also Verizon, T-Mobile, and poosibly even as cheap as Sprint). (i'm aware of trolls!)


It's either this, or an Intel mac mini with DVR functionality and improved FrontRow interfacem to includde a good HD Digital TV Tuner. Too soon for any new Laptops, esp with this kind of interfaces.