One of Apple’s recently revealed patent application may spoil the surprise over how we’ll interact with the Apple tablet. According to Apple Insider’s speculations, the patent applications imply that we’ll have a multi-touch gadget with tactile feedback.
Apparently this batch of patent applications is for a dynamic surface which can “create physical bumps or dots for the user to feel when it is in keyboard mode.” In theory, such a surface would allow you to orient your fingers better on the touchscreen for typing, but never interfere with other actions.
As usual, this is yet another neat tease about the lovely tablet which will fit into my handbag one day. Let’s hope it’s soon, because all the rumours, speculation and gossip are starting to drive me nuts. [Apple Insider]
matt
December 28, 2009 at 3:49 AM
cool, this is the next obvious and awesome step in touch screen design, they have already worked out a method of doing this but the bump pattern was sort of hard coded. if they could create one where the surface was dynamic and programmable, just as the colours of the pixels of the screen are programmable it would be awesome! so designers could still have the free reign to put buttons anywhere, but they would have a physical response as well, thus all the benefits of a touch screen, without the MAJOR draw back.
even I would buy one, and I hate apple.
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