Rumors of a touchscreen iMac are not new, but they are persistent. Another report on Friday claims the technology could be closer to becoming reality.
Sintek Photronics has apparently sent samples of capacitive touch panels to Apple for what would be a new iMac, according to AppleInsider. The company is said to be working on screens 20-inches and larger.
“The new iMac is rumored to have a good vertical and horizontal viewing angle, and its projected capacitive touch panel will adopt a one-glass solution, which integrates the touch sensor and cover glass, to reduce thickness and weight,” according to the report.
Personally, I like the shape-sensing iMac touchscreen the best. This is a touchscreen that is designed to “allow users to hold objects onto a touchscreen to enable access, such as for security purposes. By holding an object on the screen, such as a ring or a key, the system would allow users to access certain data within the system.”
This is an interesting rumor, but it is not that new. I recall the patent underlying the drawing you posted was discussed sometime ago on one of the rumors sites.
I would be much more interesting now to hear some news on how this plays into Apple’s overall strategy. It seems to me that Apple’s strategy is obvious. They have a recognized top-of-the-line computer line with a well-regarded operating system. While it has many applications, however, it is stuck at 5% market share with a glacially growing market share, at best.
I can’t believe that somebody with Steve Jobs (or Bill Gates, or Eric Schmidt, for that matter) perspective would view there to be some artificial division between ‘computers’ and ‘mobile devices’ like the iPad. There is obviously a spectrum. In the latter end of the category, Apple has broken out and taken a major share of the market and brainshare. The number of ‘apps’ is impressive, considering where they probably want to be for Macs.
The iMac is, and has always been since the new Apple, the link in the chain. The simpler, somewhat sparing computer that hearkens back to the original 1-piece Macs. In the modern world where there is also a well-defined ‘mobile system’ category, the iMac is perhaps the top end of these systems. Consider the geometry of an iPad+keyboard with an iMac+keyboard. Ignoring the operating system differences, they structurally are similar.
And iOS has 200k+ apps that the Mac would love to have migrated to the next level for them, much as iPad is doing from iPhone apps. Once the iMac is produce with an OS that blends the OS X and iOS, the flow of development from the mobile world to the Mac will be possible. Is there any doubt this is the plan? Is there any doubt that Schmidt, Ballmer and others see this?