Pictures of Possible New iMac Design (Touch Screen Speculation)

[mpw]

Well--assuming that you think it's a poor design--how would you change it so that it would be a good design?

Well one of the issues skunk's mentioned is the footprint, so I guess he'd put the thing on a stand to reduce this...er...kinda like Apple have. It's almost like they spent time thinking it through.

Like I said before the design just isn't suited to the iMac market segment. I still say a touch-screen iMac could work as an EPOS system, but this would be better served using a standard design iMac and building the desk around it.

I think a company called TrollTouch do touch-screen's for Macs, but they're not cheap. You also have to consider who would want iMac functionality in a retail environment? Not big enterprises as their staff wouldn't have any use for it, so again your market is very limited.

 

[mrthieme]

Godbless, I'm hoping that you're right about Apple bringing out multitouch in one or more macs, but I doubt this idea would fit the bill. I would say most likely in a notebook or tablet. If it were a desktop, it would have to be similar to the g4 imacs, with a screen that moves down to the tablet position, but can still be used in a normal fashion. I've been trying to learn some basic 3d modeling, and will post a pic if I can. How do you like solidworks?

 

[GodBless]

Well one of the issues skunk's mentioned is the footprint, so I guess he'd put the thing on a stand to reduce this...er...kinda like Apple have. It's almost like they spent time thinking it through.

How could you comfortably use a touch screen for hours and hours (like this) unless it was at a comfortable angle for your arms and hands? The large footprint of a multi-touch desktop will be an unchangeable feature and will just have to be accepted in the future--I guarantee it.

Like I said before the design just isn't suited to the iMac market segment. I still say a touch-screen iMac could work as an EPOS system, but this would be better served using a standard design iMac and building the desk around it.

You are forgetting that Apple is an innovative company. Apple needs to take this leap forward. It will benefit us all. Multi-touch technology is for the end-user--it's like DOS to GUI. When Apple implements a touch screen computer design it will not be anything like today's touch screen computers--it will be much, much better.

I think a company called TrollTouch do touch-screen's for Macs, but they're not cheap. You also have to consider who would want iMac functionality in a retail environment? Not big enterprises as their staff wouldn't have any use for it, so again your market is very limited.

Limited market? Limited uses? Are you joking? The newest and best way of interacting with computers is through touch multi-touch technologies. Have you watched the videos that I posted? These will prove to you that touch screen computing will overtake the way that computers are used as a standard just like the GUI overtook DOS. Stop living in the way things are now and think about the future--the touch screen future.

 

[GodBless]

Godbless, I'm hoping that you're right about Apple bringing out multitouch in one or more macs, but I doubt this idea would fit the bill. I would say most likely in a notebook or tablet. If it were a desktop, it would have to be similar to the g4 imacs, with a screen that moves down to the tablet position, but can still be used in a normal fashion. I've been trying to learn some basic 3d modeling, and will post a pic if I can. How do you like solidworks?

SolidWorks is absolutely great and the best thing I've ever used for 3D modeling. The only problem is that it is a Windows only program.

 

[Scarlet Fever]

while touchscreen would be great for everyday tasks, such as posting on MR, playing iTunes content etc., it would be very difficult to work with in other environments, such as extended typing, and gaming.

I think the public are ready for some touch interfaces, but we still need a keyboard.

 

[giganten]

Nice idea , but I don't think the "new iMac" will look like this.

 

[GodBless]

while touchscreen would be great for everyday tasks, such as posting on MR, playing iTunes content etc., it would be very difficult to work with in other environments, such as extended typing, and gaming.

I agree. But some games would work better with touch screen--others would work better with the keyboard and others with the mouse and yet others with a combination. There are already mouse only, keyboard only and both mouse and keyboard games today and adding touch screens only gives us more options. I don't like games though but I think productive simulation would be a better thing to talk about and is similar enough to games that my description above applies to how we could productively benefit from multi-touch technologies.

I think the public are ready for some touch interfaces, but we still need a keyboard.

Exactly. When the mouse was introduced the keyboard was still needed. When the multi-touch screen computer is introduced both the mouse and the keyboard will not necessarily still be needed (since a touch screen can both display a keyboard to be typed on and can let you click on things with your finger like a mouse pointer) but both the keyboard and the mouse will have superior uses in some cases and will probably come standard with most computers in the future. In certain cases a keyboard and mouse will not be present at all (like at some types of restaurants and other stores and public places).

 

[mpw]

...You are forgetting that Apple is a... ...company...

...Limited market? Limited uses? Are you joking?...

No, I'm not joking. I agree with you that the touch-screen market will grow, but as you say Apple is a company and it needs it products to make money, right now I don't think a touch-screen iMac would make money.

Maybe a touch-screen MacPro is more likely as I can image professional applications , where the PC is not used as an all-purpose machine, like many iMac's taking on the 'entertainment' role once the emails have been sent and surfing been done.

 

[GodBless]

No, I'm not joking. I agree with you that the touch-screen market will grow, but as you say Apple is a company and it needs it products to make money, right now I don't think a touch-screen iMac would make money.

That's like predicting that the first Mac ever that was introduced in 1984 wouldn't be successful before it was released. I don't think that you are seriously thinking about how multi-touch computers will have a major affect on the way that we use our computers and I still don't think you have watched this video. Also I would take to heart the real message of my post--not your edited excerpt that changes the meaning of my post.

Maybe a touch-screen MacPro is more likely as I can image professional applications , where the PC is not used as an all-purpose machine, like many iMac's taking on the 'entertainment' role once the emails have been sent and surfing been done.

Why use it for entertainment alone? Like Jeff Han said in the video (that I posted a link to in this post--here it is again in case you missed it)--managing data and naturally using the computer will be much, much easier with the multi-touch technologies that will overtake the future of computing.

 

[mrthieme]

Here's a quick little idea for the model I described above, showing it in both positions.

 

[mpw]

That's like predicting that the first Mac ever that was introduced in 1984 wouldn't be successful before it was released...

No, it's like saying "What makes an iMac successful?" then answering; "It can be used to do pretty much all computer tasks, but not necessarily to do any one specialist task well enough for a commercial application (hence the MacPro). It can be viewed from across the room on the bed or couch to watch movies, or using FrontRow to listen to iTunes. When not in use it doesn't take up desk space where I want to be reading or writing. And of course it's relatively inexpensive."

Would your touch-screen iMac proposal do all of those things? Probably/maybe, no, no, no and unlikely.

You also say that touch-screens can be used to type on, yes they can, but not comfortably IMO. You need a certain mechanical resistance in a keyboard to type effectively I think. Of course a really innovative interface would probably not use a traditional layout anyway.

 

[GodBless]

Here's a quick little idea for the model I described above, showing it in both positions.

I think that is a pretty good design but using that design you'd have to lock it into place for using it as a multi-touch screen (otherwise the slightest movement of your hand would push it back up) and that would be a hassle. I don't see why you'd want to put it up as something that we think of as a monitor today when you are going to use it as a multi-touch screen most of the time. It would be a major hassle to move it back and fourth and it would be useless to put it up most of the time and you could buy an extra LCD screen for that if you had to (which would be rare in most cases).

The main thing that I like about your design is that the screen can be adjusted at a viewing angle that can be seen across the room--but you could always display what is on the computer on a TV with the video out port. The other thing that I liked about your design is that it saves desk space--other than that I like my design better.

 

[mrthieme]

I think that is a pretty good design but using that design you'd have to lock it into place for using it as a multi-touch screen (otherwise the slightest movement of your hand would push it back up) and that would be a hassle. I don't see why you'd want to put it up as something that we think of as a monitor today when you are going to use it as a multi-touch screen most of the time. It would be a major hassle to move it back and fourth and it would be useless to put it up most of the time and you could buy an extra LCD screen for that if you had to (which would be rare in most cases).

The main thing that I like about your design is that the screen can be adjusted at a viewing angle that can be seen across the room--but you could always display what is on the computer on a TV with the video out port. The other thing that I liked about your design is that it saves desk space--other than that I like my design better.

My thought was that it has to serve as both a tablet and a regular imac, because I just don't think expecting touch to be the only input is viable yet. People will still want to have a physical keyboard and mouse quite often, so it would have to be a quick transformation back and forth to meet Apple's standards for ease of use. You would simply pull the screen down over the keyboard to reach the correct angle, the bottom edge could rest on the desktop and be pretty stable I would think.

 

[GodBless]

No, it's like saying "What makes an iMac successful?" then answering; "It can be used to do pretty much all computer tasks, but not necessarily to do any one specialist task well enough for a commercial application (hence the MacPro). It can be viewed from across the room on the bed or couch to watch movies, or using FrontRow to listen to iTunes. When not in use it doesn't take up desk space where I want to be reading or writing. And of course it's relatively inexpensive."

Would your touch-screen iMac proposal do all of those things? Probably/maybe, no, no, no and unlikely.

Well you do have some good points there but what is a video out cable for anyway? As for taking up desk space I see how you can be disappointed there but it won't take up as much space as you might think and plus it will act like a table for sorting pictures and other things (as displayed in the video that I linked to previously). It's almost like you are saying you'd take this:


Instead of this:



And you'd take the worse one because you aren't ready for something different even if it is better. Sure one's a convertible and the other one isn't but who would take the convertible over the other car? Seriously--if Apple has an awesome design that is better in most ways than its current iMac it will dissatisfy the lazy grandmas who don't like change and it will awe the people who are waiting for something better.

You also say that touch-screens can be used to type on, yes they can, but not comfortably IMO. You need a certain mechanical resistance in a keyboard to type effectively I think. Of course a really innovative interface would probably not use a traditional layout anyway.

Yes an onscreen keyboard would be worse than a regular one but not including it as part of the all-in-one system (like my models show) would save desk space by moving it when necessary. An innovative multi-touch interface will change the world in many ways.

My thought was that it has to serve as both a tablet and a regular imac, because I just don't think expecting touch to be the only input is viable yet. People will still want to have a physical keyboard and mouse quite often, so it would have to be a quick transformation back and forth to meet Apple's standards for ease of use. You would simply pull the screen down over the keyboard to reach the correct angle, the bottom edge could rest on the desktop and be pretty stable I would think.

I think that is very limited. I think the best use is to be able to use the multi-touch technology, the mouse and the keyboard all at once.

 

[localoid]

...You also say that touch-screens can be used to type on, yes they can, but not comfortably IMO. You need a certain mechanical resistance in a keyboard to type effectively I think. Of course a really innovative interface would probably not use a traditional layout anyway.

Agreed. Touchscreen are great for a kiosks in a mall, or on small devices like the iPhone, but no one who can touch type wants to use a touchscreen for more than a few minutes, and no one who needs precession is going to want to use them as a pointing device vs. using a mouse.

Using a touchscreen vs. using a keyboard/mouse is like trying to use a Crayola to sign a check vs. using a pen.

 

[72930]

Agreed. Touchscreen are great for a kiosks in a mall, or on small devices like the iPhone, but no one who can touch type wants to use a touchscreen for more than a few minutes, and no one who needs precession is going to want to use them as a pointing device vs. using a mouse.

Using a touchscreen vs. using a keyboard/mouse is like trying to use a Crayola to sign a check vs. using a pen.

Have you watched the Jeff Han videos? He makes it look great...

 

[GodBless]

Agreed. Touchscreen are great for a kiosks in a mall, or on small devices like the iPhone, but no one who can touch type wants to use a touchscreen for more than a few minutes, and no one who needs precession is going to want to use them as a pointing device vs. using a mouse.

Using a touchscreen vs. using a keyboard/mouse is like trying to use a Crayola to sign a check vs. using a pen.

Where have you been when Steve Jobs revealed the iPhone with breakthrough touch screen technology that accurately detects exactly where a user touched the device? The new iMac could easily have the same technology. Plus some touch screen uses are faster and easier with a touch screen. Just like some things are faster with a mouse but other things are faster with the keyboard. A touch screen just gives you yet another set of options.

Have you watched the Jeff Han videos? He makes it look great...

Exactly.

 

[Max Payne]

YaaaaaaaaaaY,

I am ecstatic... I just got my hands on one of those. The 130" model. It's Awesome with quad core G5.

 

[Kashchei]

My model just arrived as well. It is only the 30" model, but it does have 10.6 ("Big P*ssy") pre-installed on it!

 

[GodBless]

Bump--now that it's not April fools day anymore. (I hope I get better feedback compared to what I got yesterday.)

 

[rdas7]

Here's a quick little idea for the model I described above, showing it in both positions.

That looks much more along the lines of what I think we'll see. After all, prior to the current "panel" design iMacs, the "dome" has an ingenious hinge that allowed smooth 1-finger motion, with no wiggle or flimsiness. I personally think they'll evolve that hinge mechanism to allow traditional vertical orientation, as well as an easy horizontal mode.

Of course, it'll be white or silver, the cpu will be nearly invisibile and everybody will go "oooh! aahhh!", which your model doesn't quite capture... but the idea is there

 

[Chaszmyr]

Bump--now that it's not April fools day anymore. (I hope I get better feedback compared to what I got yesterday.)

I don't think that the feedback you got yesterday had anything to do with it being April Fools Day...

I really just think it's a bad design, and most other people seem to have the same opinion. I'm not saying anything about what I think the upcoming iMac will be like, but I think if you were to imagine the current iMac with a touch screen that features multitouch, it would be considered very innovative, and way more likely than a design like yours. Sure, with such a computer, you woudlnt use the multi touch for typing... but really, who in their right mind wants to type on a touch screen for their desktop computer anyway? It would be absolute murder for the wpm of anyone who knows how to type. Moreover, your design would require looking down all the time which I can assure you most users wouldn't like to do, and your hands would be covering a large portion of the screen a large amount of the time. If the iMac gets multitouch (which i think is a possibility), I think it would be designed really just for relatively simple tasks like controlling iTunes or moving windows out of the way.

 

[Xyl]

GodBless, why are you even asking for opinions? All you do is keep putting every one of them down, and continuously defending your own with no holistic perspective at all.

I've seen all those Jeff Han videos, and had seen them a while ago, and yes it was fascinating, but no, its not gonna replace the current generation of computers.

First of all, your design - no matter how I look it at and imagine what could be on it, it looks ugly. And that is a very honest opinion, and I agree with everyone else - it looks more useful as a door stopper, a foot rest, and a fake wedge of cheese I can use as home decor (???).

Second, the average consumer does two things on their computer: Type Microsoft Word documents and type e-mails. I'm sorry, but a touch screen doesn't increase efficiency in these two major tasks.

Third, with regards to the second point, the expense of a touch screen machine will ensure that no one buys it.

Now, from those points, it is why mrthieme's design is better (even though it is relatively ugly, I could imagine something similar that is more beautiful). However, even mrthieme's design gets dinged on the third point (expense), but at least some consumers might consider, because the expense gives added functionality (maybe not very useful, but still, added functionality). On the other hand, your design gives reduced functionality (remember what the average consumer does on their computer?)

 

[Captain Planet]

Dear God, I hope is doesn't look like that...and doubt it will. But I guess you can never know.

 

[mattscott306]

Yeah... um... that looks awful. There's really no apple style to it at all.