Why no touchscreen??

[Slydude]

@AudioApe Could you spin your idea off into a new thread and explain a bit more about what you want to do? If I am understanding you correctly what you want may be at least partially possible. I don't want that discussion to get lost in this thread.

 

[ferrarr]

@AudioApe Could you spin your idea off into a new thread and explain a bit more about what you want to do? If I am understanding you correctly what you want may be at least partially possible. I don't want that discussion to get lost in this thread.

I think, he wants his phone to be a computer, so he can use his keyboard and monitor while at home, and then take his phone/computer with him. That was what I was thinking when I first read that post.

 

[KevinJS]

I think, he wants his phone to be a computer, so he can use his keyboard and monitor while at home, and then take his phone/computer with him. That was what I was thinking when I first read that post.

That's what I thought. With AppleTV and AirPlay mirroring, along with an Apple BT keyboard it's easily possible.

It would be even better if the Magic Trackpad had iOS support but it doesn't.

 

[itasara]

Randy, I do have an iPad. It's not the newest one it's the second one but even so I really use it I use my phone 96% of the time and my computer when I need to. More isn't better. I have so many apps already I don't know what to do with them. I have been deleting a few of them lately because of non-use. Not to mention they can take up a lot of property on either machine. I never did hook my iPad up to the Internet because I really don't take it out of the house. That's what my phone is for. maybe the newer iPads are more versatile but how are they like a computer? Like my phone, I still have to set things up on my computer that I cannot do on my phone or my iPad.

 

[Rod]

In the beginning of this thread I thought we were talking about the newly launched Surface Studio I cannot really beleive that anyone could compare a Surface Pro to a MacBook of any sort. As stated the Surface Pro is just a glorified tablet with a keyboard. If that was all I wanted I would get a BT keyboard for our iPad. If it's the Surface pro 4 ohop365 is talking about then although it may be faster than say the current MacBook Air its battery life is much shorter and it has less connectivity with only one USB-3 port.
On the other hand the Surface Studio (http://www.pcmag.com/review/349066/microsoft-surface-studio) is at least innovative and may well rival the iMac for artists architects and those working with visual media. The "hocky puck" device (I dont think you could call it a mouse) with it's multiple functions and the ability to tilt the screen into and almost horizontal position is unprecedented to me. Still you will have to deal with Windows 10 and that may be it's achilles heel.
As for the Surface Pro 4, it cannot even hold a candle to my 2015 rMBP with its HDMI port, 2 USB-3 ports 2 LB ports and card reader, it is a true portable workstation and the second I have owned.

 

[itasara]

I certainly wasn't talking about Surface Studio; in fact I have no idea what that is. I thought although it may have strayed a bit if the topic was on why Apple doesn't come out with a touchscreen for its computers. In fact since there are so many different opinions I would submit that Apple should come out with both and give us a choice and same with iPhones etc. They could probably sell enough or let people design their own actually before they even order them and have them made to their specifications.

 

[itasara]

Yodrak, if I have a computer with a touchscreen believe me I am sure I would enjoy it. Actually I don't find the Apple keyboard extremely wonderful. And flat keyboards are more difficult to use than the old-fashioned ones that used to be raised. I make a lot more mistakes of these keyboards. When I can I use my microphone (which does not always understand me) it is much quicker than typing where my fingers always are often when touching the wrong letters - particularly when I'm on my phone or iPad. I have an attached keyboard for my iPad but it's very easy not to hit the right key. I'd be much happier in general to have a touchscreen especially since every single link I go into I have to make it larger which is easy on my phone by spreading touch screen but I have type in the code on my computer and I still don't understand why Apple can't look into it Or give us a good reason why they won't develop it.

 

[ferrarr]

I still don't understand why Apple can't look into it Or give us a good reason why they won't develop it.

Apple does not have to. If enough users stop using their computers Apple will change to accommodate it, but, not enough users feel the same way as you. I prefer the separate devices and use them for different reasons. I have my iPad Pro with the Apple Pencil and I have my Mac mini for when I need it. I used to have a MBP, but now, I will use the iPad Pro in it's place.

 

[chscag]

Right on. Apple does not have to justify anything as long as they're selling iPhones, iPads, and Macs. Besides, if you have problems typing with an attached keyboard for your iPad, what makes you think you'll do any better with a touchscreen computer? You need to stop in at a store which sells the MS Surface Pro or any Surface machine and play around with their attachable keyboard sometime. Then you can do a comparison.

 

[itasara]

I'm glad you are so organized and obviously have the means to get what ever toys you want. Steve Jobs had great insight and wanted a computer "for the rest of us" not a computer to make us beholden to it to the point where the company decides what the future will hold for electronics and the consumer will just go along with it. I think Job's message has been somewhat lost. I had great respect for him. I just don't feel the same for the current CEO. I think Apple will always do well for now anyway. There is believe it or not some life beyond the computer.,Obsolescence is not one of those values I treasure.

 

[Rod]

Has everybody forgotten that the trackpad on MacBooks do most of the actions mentioned as desirable on a touch screen, expanding and reducing images, dragging and selecting all without getting the screen dirty. And I might add a "real" keyboard with a positive feel. Lastly has anybody tried dictation on the Surface Pro? Dictation on my MBP worked almost flawlessly from the start and gets better the more I use it.
In contrast here are the steps required to setup Voice recognition on the surface Pro. http://www.lovemysurface.net/speech-recognition-on-surface/


Sent from my iPhone using Mac Forums

 

[dtravis7]

I certainly wasn't talking about Surface Studio; in fact I have no idea what that is. I thought although it may have strayed a bit if the topic was on why Apple doesn't come out with a touchscreen for its computers. In fact since there are so many different opinions I would submit that Apple should come out with both and give us a choice and same with iPhones etc. They could probably sell enough or let people design their own actually before they even order them and have them made to their specifications.

Did I read correctly above that it was also suggested an iPhone without a touchscreen? How would you launch apps? A millions buttons like that STUPID ugly phone (The Blackberry) with 100 buttons all over it? Everyone I knew with one hit buttons by accident and cursed at it! Grin.

I don't Curse BTW but that THING might just make me slip!

 

[itasara]

I do use sometimes use dictation on my MacBook Pro 17" and 2009. It is a little bit too slow but when I'm tired of typing it makes a difference. I have also Dragon dictate which I actually got for free in a special deal but I actually never used it as I discovered The built in dictation availability right after I received it. Manipulating the touchpad has not been the same thing as the touch screen. I actually would need a new touchpad. Mine works but some of it is not working: it's got a few problems and since my computer is so old I'm not going to replace it. I have a plug in touch pad that I did buy but like all other pieces of external equipment that I add to my computer I rarely use them which is why I prefer built in equipment. I move my computer all over the house depending on where I am and I don't want to have to worry about finding my pieces of external equipment to move with me. I don't need them all the time. I suppose for some it's no big deal but it just doesn't work for me.

I have my newer internal optical drive so if I want to put in a CD and bring that with me everywhere, I have it right there without carrying something extra. I suppose if I buy a new car and they don't have built-in CD players anymore, I'll have to bring along a portable CD player to plug-in if I have CDs I want to listen to and they aren't in my phone. Either way I found out last winter that plug-in adapters That are plugged in even if they are not connected to a device do a great job at draining the battery even when the car is off. A battery place where I bought my battery was able to figure that out for me bc my battery was good and the adapter was the only thing plugged in draining my battery. I had to get jumped when I was out because my battery died and it wasn't all that old either.

 

[Yodrak]

Yodrak, if I have a computer with a touchscreen believe me I am sure I would enjoy it.

I'm sure you would, until your touching arm either develops cramps from being held out in front of you for too long or the muscles in it develop to the point that one arm looks like Popeye and the other arm looks like Olive Oyl. But if you really want to be sure, why don't you buy a computer with a touchscreen and try it for a while?

Actually I don't find the Apple keyboard extremely wonderful.

I don't either, not the one that came with my iMac. So I bought a 3rd party one that I like a lot better.

 

[dumbmonkey]

How about something really new

All very interesting. I see, and at times agree with, both sides. I think it would behoove Apple to at least have one model that has touchscreen. Create a version of recent MacBook with a touchscreen at least as an experiment of whether it is worth it or not. Also they wouldn't loose too much ground if it should determine that it was time to create a computer with a "better" touchscreen.

But actually, I propose a more drastic, big change that Apple would be better positioned to introduce to the world. I lead with a question. Anyone know what has happened to the Phorm morphing, tactile "keyboard" by Tactus? This is the "keyboard" that is created on a flatscreen through tactile bubbles, keys using a special chemical and electric charges through a special film. This idea would also be a better choice for that company than what it had been doing before it "disappeared." This year, Tactus was supposed to have created and sell the iPad Mini case to bring their Phorm keyboard to market. Now, there isn't anything about this iPad case or the "touchscreen keyboard." Granted when it was introduced this year at the 2016 CES, it didn't get great reviews mostly due to it's "clunkiness" which leads to my suggestion later. The company still has something on its website about a screen that feels more natural like a pen to paper when using a stylus on a touchscreen. Yawn. I think they were biting off more than they could chew to fit it to an iPad mini or an iPhone. They should am for something with a bigger form factor that would be more fogiving to house any extra equipment to run the touchscreen keyboard.

What I propose is a laptop computer with a touchscreen (also a model with just a normal non-touchscreen) with the other side of the clamshell, which would traditionally be the keyboard, another touchscreen but with the Phorm morphing keyboard.

The Phorm touchscreen keyboard would adjust to the specific app or function you were using on the computer - much like how the new Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro adjusts. So you would still have the traditional keyboard created on the touchscreen when using word processors. It would then change to create the buttons and trackpad that would best for using apps such as those for painting, photo editing, or music/video editing. Then game vendors could create their own type of keyboard/buttons or dials specific for their games - like the Touch Bar does.

You could take it one step further and build it so that you could flatten out the laptop and use it as one big touchscreen or "HD monitor" or second monitor. Granted, this form factor would require some kind of creative new hitch to allow the screeen and "touchscreen/keyboard" to "click" or "slide" together to make it more of a seamless screen. So, maybe save this for another generation if it had enough interest.

In all, I believe this would be good for Apple because it was creating something completely different and "revolutionary" as it likes to do. Also, it would provide a little bit of a test market for touchscreen computers. This creation could be even better for Tactus "Phorm" to get its product out there to attract more money to really make it more viable on an iPad or iPhone type device.

Because I mention similarities to the Touch Bar does it mean that I think that is where Apple is going? No, but I think it would be pretty cool if it did.

Just a thought.

 

[Slydude]

That's an interesting idea. Don't think I had heard about that specific idea. I'm going to have to think about that a bit more. I can see some potential technical hassles as well as possible cost issues but if it's ever built i'm going to see if the mods/admins will pass the hat and buy me one.

Just a thought to inject into the thread. It's not specific to the touchscreen issue specifically. It's more a thought about Apple innovation in general.

Apple has certainly made a number of technical innovations over the years and I won't deny that. It seems to me though that the products that have been top sellers for Apple have been more evolutionary but taken to an extent that came to be considered revolutionary. Here are a few examples of what I mean:

1. There were several mp3 players prior to the iPod. They didn't invent the concept but they certainly refined it to get to a point where it became a must have device for many people.
2. Ditto for the iPhone. Many of our forum members had phones (both dumb and smart) for some time before the iPhone. They didn't invent the smartphone concept but certainly revolutionized it in many ways. Need I remind you what the Palm phones and Blackberry were like.

I'm sure you can think of other examples but I'm going to stop for now an wait for the villagers with torches and pitchforks to appear.

 

[dumbmonkey]

Slydude, here are links related to my post.
Phorm Tactile Keyboard:
60 minutes with Phorm for iPad mini, its founder, and the advent of physically responsive touchscreens | AppleInsider

Tactus Technology, which is supposed to be the company that created it or formed around it.
tp://tactustechnology.om (outdated link removed)

 

[dumbmonkey]

All very interesting. I see, and at times agree with, both sides. I think it would behoove Apple to at least have one model that has touchscreen. Create a version of recent MacBook with a touchscreen at least as an experiment of whether it is worth it or not. Also they wouldn't loose too much ground if it should determine that it was time to create a computer with a "better" touchscreen.

But actually, I propose a more drastic, big change that Apple would be better positioned to introduce to the world. I lead with a question. Anyone know what has happened to the Phorm morphing, tactile "keyboard" by Tactus? This is the "keyboard" that is created on a flatscreen through tactile bubbles, keys using a special chemical and electric charges through a special film. This idea would also be a better choice for that company than what it had been doing before it "disappeared." This year, Tactus was supposed to have created and sell the iPad Mini case to bring their Phorm keyboard to market. Now, there isn't anything about this iPad case or the "touchscreen keyboard." Granted when it was introduced this year at the 2016 CES, it didn't get great reviews mostly due to it's "clunkiness" which leads to my suggestion later. The company still has something on its website about a screen that feels more natural like a pen to paper when using a stylus on a touchscreen. Yawn. I think they were biting off more than they could chew to fit it to an iPad mini or an iPhone. They should am for something with a bigger form factor that would be more fogiving to house any extra equipment to run the touchscreen keyboard.

What I propose is a laptop computer with a touchscreen (also a model with just a normal non-touchscreen) with the other side of the clamshell, which would traditionally be the keyboard, another touchscreen but with the Phorm morphing keyboard.

The Phorm touchscreen keyboard would adjust to the specific app or function you were using on the computer - much like how the new Touch Bar on the new MacBook Pro adjusts. So you would still have the traditional keyboard created on the touchscreen when using word processors. It would then change to create the buttons and trackpad that would best for using apps such as those for painting, photo editing, or music/video editing. Then game vendors could create their own type of keyboard/buttons or dials specific for their games - like the Touch Bar does.

You could take it one step further and build it so that you could flatten out the laptop and use it as one big touchscreen or "HD monitor" or second monitor. Granted, this form factor would require some kind of creative new hitch to allow the screeen and "touchscreen/keyboard" to "click" or "slide" together to make it more of a seamless screen. So, maybe save this for another generation if it had enough interest.

In all, I believe this would be good for Apple because it was creating something completely different and "revolutionary" as it likes to do. Also, it would provide a little bit of a test market for touchscreen computers. This creation could be even better for Tactus "Phorm" to get its product out there to attract more money to really make it more viable on an iPad or iPhone type device.

Because I mention similarities to the Touch Bar does it mean that I think that is where Apple is going? No, but I think it would be pretty cool if it did.

Just a thought.

I forgot to mention that there are rumors that Apple is buying or at least working very closely with the Sondor which makes "E-Ink" Keyboards (http://appleinsider.com/articles/16...ear-to-spring-from-single-questionable-source). This is just a normal keyboard with the keys having the ability to change their representation based on the app you are using. I say skip it and go with the Phorm keyboard. Apple used to be a little more open to trying new things and then quietly brushing them under the carpet if they didn't do so well - but they would at least make sure the product worked (or mostly worked) before it brought it to market. I respect both these aspects of Apple - or at least the Steve Jobs's Apple.

 

[itasara]

Like the idea and I did mention that in one of my posts and Apple should make more than one kind of keyboard and iPhone satisfy us he might be more conservative and don't like to major changes and those who prefer to have something totally new and are able to buy own devices just for the sake of having a new devices.

 

[itasara]

There was an article this morning in the paper that Apple has a 7.1% of the global PC market in the last quarter. The new Mac book Pro entry level starts at A raised price $1499. And of course it has Ports which are not compatible with most other recent hard drives or lightning cables to charge the iPhone. Apple does not dominate the market share; it says Windows operating system still dominates it and that Apple is becoming more popular with the use of iPhones and iPads but Google is closing in on apple with their chrome operating system laptops which are much cheaper and a more powerful although they are lower in hard drive space. Current dedicated Apple users such as we are here, will probably stay with Apple because it's a pain to switch, or back to schoolers may pick windows a chrome book is a much cheaper price two to $300. This was a summary or synopsis of the article from USA Today by a person named Jefferson Graham. The name of the article is probably on The Internet: "new, slim Macs carry heftier price Than rivals"