Unused Adamo XPS prototypes reveal touchscreen trackpads, key-less keyboard
By Donald Melanson 
posted November 6th 2009 3:01PM
posted November 6th 2009 3:01PM
Dell certainly managed to cram plenty of inventive, even far-fetched touches into its Adamo XPS laptop, but it looks like it went even further out on a limb during the prototype stage, as PC World was able to discover during a brief hands-on time with a few cast off concepts. As you might expect, one of the ideas Dell toyed around with was a full-fledged touchscreen trackpad, which was apparently rejected because Dell couldn't justify the cost of the panel based how much people would actually use it. Another, possibly even more ambitious concept is one that would have completely replaced the traditional keyboard with a series of capacitive-touch buttons (pictured after the break), which would have allowed for a true zero-profile design, albeit at some potential expense to usability. Hit up the link below for a look at a few more prototypes.
I wonder if the optical trackpad worked in sunlight. The Mebius does not... at all.
No thanks. Keyboard keys are already thin enough... when you take the keys out of the equation entirely, you lose tactile response. I prefer to hear the click when my finger hits the key, and feel each key press down as I strike it with my fingertips.
Yet another craptastic slim notebook with shoddy intel graphics. I'll pass till Dell can figure out that for 2 grand, I dont want intel graphics.
I'll bet we see a lot of multitouch lcd or amoled touchpads in Windows 7 laptops and netbooks. Hopefully we'll see desktop keyboards again with built-in touchpads - however this time they'll be multitouch led's. We'll also see all kinds of multitouch mice substitutes - configured as led touchpads or mice/led--touchpad hybrids. I know I want one, if it proves workable and reliable. -- JohnH_in_OKC.