The iPad will have a digital TV tuner/recorder. It will not display the image full screen ever. People might be surprised by this decision. This is because there will always be onscreen touch controls no matter what the application, and they will be visible at all times. The touch control will be an evolution of the OSX dock, adding extra dimensionality. In other words it will look like an ipod, in 3D, on the side of the display at all times. On this touch controller will be all the most needed controls as well as documents and apps that have recently been used. The finder will be replaced by an app launcher, similar to iPhone.
When I say this btw, I mean that this is going to be starting on the iPad and then going system wide with OSX. The iPad will have full OSX. Everyone who is speculating on it being somehow an "enhanced iPhone" have not really taken into account the large 9" screen space and the practicalities of displaying seperate windowed content simultaneously.
It can be held either vertically or horizontally but turning it to a vertical position automatically opens the app launcher/switcher and configures windows into an expose grid where you can then select a window to go fullsize. The vertical screen is easier to type on with your thumbs as a touch keyboard and one easy way to do this is to rest it against your knees. The screen will have a wide enough viewing angle to see it clearly from this position.
Expose as well as window usage will be greatly simplified. Applications will run at a virtual resolution of 480x320 in horizontal application or 600x800 in vertical full screen. The touch keyboard will be rendered below the app, freeing up more space to display more content than on iPhone. The apps will not need to be re-written beyond the added code of the new touch keyboard interface. A full screen version of the app will simply display more content than the horizontal app: it will not be functionally any different at all as the display needs to quickly switch windows between two modes by "morphing" them.
The touch keyboard will have haptic response. This is possible because the haptic zone is used as a full keyboard when in the vertical mode and is then only partly used for the media selectors when in the horizontal mode. During gaming the haptic touch area becomes a controller. The screen will be slightly sensitive to touch (not as sensitive as wacom but able to distinctly judge different degrees of finger pressure) and by pressing harder on the pad you will cause the controls to input a higher amount, ie analog control. Since the pad is being rendered on the screen you can get it to change colours slightly with pressure change in order to provide more responsiveness. Because the display can be rotated, this controller can be used with any hand. Controls can be interactive by incorporating shaking and tilting to further add complexity: for instance, a game in which the controller pad controls directionally movement while shaking the screen jumps and tilting it fires a weapon in the direction being tilted.
Because the iPad will have a camera and microphone system built into the screen it allows for a strong degree of online immersion in videogames. Players will be able to photograph their faces to use as a character mask as well as to communicate with other players easily in real time. All the player data will be managed by an application called, I **** you not, Asteroid. The iPad will come preloaded with five visually updated classic arcade games designed for the graphical capabilities of the system and all current iPhone games will be available if the developer updates them to work. Iphone games will run in either horizontal or vertical full screen mode with the graphics enlarged and anti-aliased. Games designed for iPad will run in full screen vertical or horizontal modes, depending on whether they are text heavy adventure games that need a full keyboard, or more cinematic fare. Because there is less physical response from the screen and haptics than from buttons, games will have less physical strain on the hands and this will compensate for the lack of or directional control. Two player games will be possible due to the larger screen size, including the classic Pong.
I would put up a pic but you'll see it soon enough anyways. Any specific questions about it?
When I say this btw, I mean that this is going to be starting on the iPad and then going system wide with OSX. The iPad will have full OSX. Everyone who is speculating on it being somehow an "enhanced iPhone" have not really taken into account the large 9" screen space and the practicalities of displaying seperate windowed content simultaneously.
It can be held either vertically or horizontally but turning it to a vertical position automatically opens the app launcher/switcher and configures windows into an expose grid where you can then select a window to go fullsize. The vertical screen is easier to type on with your thumbs as a touch keyboard and one easy way to do this is to rest it against your knees. The screen will have a wide enough viewing angle to see it clearly from this position.
Expose as well as window usage will be greatly simplified. Applications will run at a virtual resolution of 480x320 in horizontal application or 600x800 in vertical full screen. The touch keyboard will be rendered below the app, freeing up more space to display more content than on iPhone. The apps will not need to be re-written beyond the added code of the new touch keyboard interface. A full screen version of the app will simply display more content than the horizontal app: it will not be functionally any different at all as the display needs to quickly switch windows between two modes by "morphing" them.
The touch keyboard will have haptic response. This is possible because the haptic zone is used as a full keyboard when in the vertical mode and is then only partly used for the media selectors when in the horizontal mode. During gaming the haptic touch area becomes a controller. The screen will be slightly sensitive to touch (not as sensitive as wacom but able to distinctly judge different degrees of finger pressure) and by pressing harder on the pad you will cause the controls to input a higher amount, ie analog control. Since the pad is being rendered on the screen you can get it to change colours slightly with pressure change in order to provide more responsiveness. Because the display can be rotated, this controller can be used with any hand. Controls can be interactive by incorporating shaking and tilting to further add complexity: for instance, a game in which the controller pad controls directionally movement while shaking the screen jumps and tilting it fires a weapon in the direction being tilted.
Because the iPad will have a camera and microphone system built into the screen it allows for a strong degree of online immersion in videogames. Players will be able to photograph their faces to use as a character mask as well as to communicate with other players easily in real time. All the player data will be managed by an application called, I **** you not, Asteroid. The iPad will come preloaded with five visually updated classic arcade games designed for the graphical capabilities of the system and all current iPhone games will be available if the developer updates them to work. Iphone games will run in either horizontal or vertical full screen mode with the graphics enlarged and anti-aliased. Games designed for iPad will run in full screen vertical or horizontal modes, depending on whether they are text heavy adventure games that need a full keyboard, or more cinematic fare. Because there is less physical response from the screen and haptics than from buttons, games will have less physical strain on the hands and this will compensate for the lack of or directional control. Two player games will be possible due to the larger screen size, including the classic Pong.
I would put up a pic but you'll see it soon enough anyways. Any specific questions about it?
