Apple launching 22-inch touchscreen iMac this year?
By Tim Stevens 
posted January 18th 2010 6:58AM
posted January 18th 2010 6:58AM
Sure, those new Core i7, 27-inch iMacs are lovely things (when they're working), but there's something missing: the sense of touch. That's coming soon, according to a report published in the Chinese Commercial Times. The new 22-inch model is said to slot in between current 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs, will use a capacitive touchscreen provided by Sintek Photronic, and unsurprisingly will be built by Quanta. Beyond that, and a supposed release before the end of the year, we know nothing -- but maybe we'll learn more at a certain press event next week?
lol, I bought 21.5" iMac yesterday from Amazon.
@armman I wouldn't feel bad if I were you, I think at this point touch is just a novelty in all-in-ones, and besides, the price would be higher than whatever you paid.
@armman
Agreed. touch-screens on these home computers are..pointless?
sorry, I cant see there being much use beyond a party trick.
@Prospero
“pointless” … lol nice pun… !!
(but no touch screens are totally not pointless, quite the opposite, its just that the software is not there for them yet…. 10.7 + a few years for it to catch up… always the way with any big technological hardware shift … though this is apple so im guessing that some of apple’s apps will make good use of it)
@cherryboom
Yeah but it's an iMac. What has that got to do with boardrooms?
Palm gestures...
@Facepalm it's patented from WebOS
@Facepalm
Palms are used for other kinds of gestures. I am talking about the Penis.
Arrgh i don't want to clean my screen every minute ! Can you imagine having a greasy 22' screen on your desk ? berk.
@SuperCharly
Seriously. I'd be cleaning mine all the time. It drives me nuts when someone touches my LCD monitor and it has a matte finish, I could only imagine how bad a touch screen would be.
I think touch screen computing has it's place but that place isn't on the desktop.
@SuperCharly
This whole touch thing is out of control. Why would I want finger prints on my screen.
@SuperCharly just clean your hands.
@SuperCharly
Yeah -- I just don't get the touchscreen wave when it comes to desktop computers. It makes sense for phones, or other special-purpose devices (such as hospital tablet PCs, or a home-control interface) but I've never needed nor wanted to interface through the screen ... beyond reading what's on it. Seems clunky and counter-intuitive.
@SuperCharly
Having to clean the screen is one thing but the real problem is having to keep your hand in the air for long durations of time. It may seem cool for a few seconds but you wouldn't want your hand hanging in front of the screen for too long.
Anyway, I don't mind if the main screen is also a touch screen as long as they also include a touch screen instead of the keyboard and mouse - Apple's mice aren't that good anyway.
@SuperCharly
Just Get a Windows Cleaner...
Pun Intended
@sintricate They should come with windscreen wiper :))
I can imagine the novelty of reaching out to the screen dies after the initial "WOW" has passed. This applies to both OSX and Windows 7.
"Beyond that, we know nothing".
Well, at least you won't have to wait anothe FIVE whole days before another Rumour roundup.
Breaking? Wow. Source: DigiTimes. Wow. Wow. Wow!
@Jakob I am getting the feeling *ANYTHING* Apple related is automatically "breaking" news for engadget.
Even if it gets public that mighty Jobs is wiping his ass just as everyone else.
Of course he might do it with dollar bills, which would change the importance :P
@hq Engadget gets its business from us clicking on articles. Articles featuring Apple get more hits than everything but MS flamebait (even if all you want to do is flame in the comments).
We all fall for it so Engadget = Win.
I dont know, it just doesnt sound like apple to have a touch desktop also i really dont see it being a better experience, especially with screens so big now you cant sit close enough to reach and touch !
@mark29
I'm sitting less than 2' from a 26" monitor. I can reach it fine but I'm sure I'd find it much easier to stick with the mouse/keyboard combo.
@mark29
Yeah, y'know, I'm really hoping that Apple wouldn't be stupid enough to release something like that, but then I realize they've already released an iPod without controls, not to mention MobileMe.
@armman a good place to check before buying a mac is http://buyersguide.macrumors.com
it has helped me and my friends sometimes.
fad
@cashclientel - word.
The only way a touchscreen on an AIO computer would be useful is if it is flat & tilt-able to a 10° or so angle with a simple, quick movement (so that drawing etc is more comfortable & you don't get "gorilla arms" after 2 mins).
And since none of them does this yet, so...
Maybe they should fix the current 27" screen issues before releasing something new that causes even more issues, but hey, I'm not an expert…
January 27: Apple stuns tech world by announcing Touchscreen iMac, reveals that Tablet was leak-hunting sting operation. MS seen weeping openly as it realises how much money it poured into competing with a product that never actually existed.
Blah. What is the point!? What is the point of adding a touch screen!? Reducing the prices would help...
I hate these touch desktop things. The LAST thing I want is finger print all over my lovely desktop screen...Keep it to the more portable solutions plx
One thing is fingerprints, the other thing is the weariness you'd get after countless of hours stretching your arm forward to to something you much more easily could do with a mouse. I call for bullshit.
A capacitive touchscreen in that size would likely be too expensive to make sense. Every other touchscreen PC uses an optical touchscreen.
I also don't see any advantage in navigating OSX with your fingers. After all, if that really did make sense, Apple would just release a regular tablet PC with vanilla OSX rather than taking years to make something completely different.
How about we wait till the as yet non existent tablet comes out before we start feeding the next round of rumours. Come on already this is ridiculous.
Um, No.
@Steve P Jobs
Kind of like this?
http://www.macrumors.com/2008/01/03/apple-creating-imac-like-docking-station/
The problem with touchscreen desktops isn't just cost or greasy screens, it's the not-inconsiderable amount of arm effort they'd involve to reach out to your screen all the time. Plus, the inability to use from any sort of distance.
Having said that, I do think that as people get more and more dependent on touch, moving a mouse around a desk and clicking will start to seem really weird. There's a challenge for designers in finding a way to tie your fingers more directly in with what's happening on screen in situations when the screen's not in your hand or lap. I'm guessing something involving a secondary wireless screen.
multi-touch era it's on with Apple, my question it's: "how to play game on multi-touch 22'' screen without a mice and keyboard ?"
When is Mac coming out with a 30" LED Cinema display!?!?
@boe Who is Mac?
@chabig He's a shiv I did time with in the state pen.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wgYgl4OodeY
@chabig
He may be talking about MAC, the cosmetics company. Beats me what that has to do with computers, though.
22 inch iPhone???
@Steve P Jobs
Yeah but what about the display resolution Steve?
I expect 720p from the tablet, but that won't look so hot in a 22inch display.
Guess the next thing in line for a touchscreen would be a 3D touchscreen television? :-P No, but seriously it would suck for your desktop to have touch as input method. I would only consider it, if they could make it capacitive and greaseproof (and not some grease resistive coating).
I know in certain instances, having a touch screen would be great, otherwise I would hate it. I'm just imagining that beautiful glass screen covered with greasy smudges from your fingers. No thanks. I have a hard enough time keeping my MBP's clean (which obviously I don't touch)
If true this is touchscreen iMac is really a dumb move, and I can't believe Steve Jobs would approve something so lame. Using the camera to read/interpret gestures, cool, touchscreen no.
Maybe it's the Apple Tablet we're all talking about?
1. Why would they make it just half an inch bigger then the 21.5
2. Touchscreen desktops is a stupid idea to even begin with
@fatslug So you're judging a (unreliably) rumoured product as an automatic failure? And no on is interested in Apple's computers? Simple question: Have you ever been out of your cave? I guess not, because then your username would be something different than "fatslug."