On multiple occasions, Apple has denied developing a touchscreen MacBook. However, a new patent has surfaced which arrives with a description that details a touchscreen laptop.
The patent was applied for in the US and falls under the collective title of “Cross Device Interaction.” It is likely an upcoming feature for the future generations in the Apple ecosystem that includes iPhone, iPads, and Macs. In the patent, the Cupertino based tech giant described a smartphone and a laptop computer’s display with respective labels and descriptions for both.
As seen in the description, it states that the screen “is also a touch sensitive display,” and the user can choose to perform “a variety of finger inputs over display” for various different functions and commands. Previously, Craig Federighi, the senior Vice President of Apple said that the company has decided to not produce a touchscreen Mac. The main reason for this was due to its laborious method of input of raising a hand across the screen which apparently goes against the more accessible “ergonomic” of a Mac.
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Notably, the patent also reveals a new cross platform functionality. As seen in the designs, a user can use two or more Apple devices at the same time. This will allow user to display particular contents of one screen on another gadget. In other words, one can simply look at an image at a MacBook but choose to transfer it to the iPhone as well. This will allow multiple devices to gain access to data stored in any one of the respective gadgets.
Apple seems to cover all possible bases with this patent. It reveals a potential touchscreen MacBook, a new display mirroring feature which can be accessed by voice command, touch input or even when a device is held in front of another (an iPhone in front of a MacBook). However, it also states that the technology is still not intuitive enough in the current generation as it can either be time consuming or inefficient with power consumption.
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(Via)
