Filed under: Tablet PCs

Trying to divine what Apple’s up to from patent applications is never easy, but every now and again the diagrams actually make it obvious — and it looks like Steve and his elves are hard at work on large-format touch interfaces, possibly for a tablet Mac of some kind. The latest touch-related filing is some 52 pages long and details everything from working with multiple finger inputs to onscreen keyboards how window controls would work, but we’re mostly transfixed by the claw-like demon-hands that seem to be operating all this kit — apparently Apple engineers have the same nightmares as the rest of us. If we had to bet, we’d say that a tablet Mac is still a long ways off, but we’ve been wrong before — and there’s always a chance Steve’s got something wild in store for next month.

[Via AppleInsider]

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Filed under: Tablet PCs

Trying to divine what Apple’s up to from patent applications is never easy, but every now and again the diagrams actually make it obvious — and it looks like Steve and his elves are hard at work on large-format touch interfaces, possibly for a tablet Mac of some kind. The latest touch-related filing is some 52 pages long and details everything from working with multiple finger inputs to onscreen keyboards how window controls would work, but we’re mostly transfixed by the claw-like demon-hands that seem to be operating all this kit — apparently Apple engineers have the same nightmares as the rest of us. If we had to bet, we’d say that a tablet Mac is still a long ways off, but we’ve been wrong before — and there’s always a chance Steve’s got something wild in store for next month.

[Via AppleInsider]

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Filed under: Features, Handhelds

Live from the heart-pounding, pulse-racing showfloor of Macworld 2008, we bring you a full frontal hands-on of Axiotron’s long-awaited Modbook — the MacBook tablet conversion. After all the waiting and wondering, we’re not totally blown away by the end result, though if you’re an artist or designer, this could be a real boon to your productivity. The build is sturdy, and the screen feels solid beneath your stylus (stylus only that is — no touchscreen here), though the pressure sensitivity seemed to give out at really soft touches… of which there were many. Check the gallery and see for yourself.

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For a device which has lived solely in the hearts and minds of hopeful buyers for such a long time, the ModBook has certainly seen its fair share of news. The latest dispatch comes in the form of a letter from the “Other World Computing Team,” marketers for the Axiotron-made tablet Mac, detailing expected shipment dates and new configuration options which are being made available. If you believe what you read, actual ModBook hardware will be shipping to buyers starting Janurary 11th — of course, they’ve been claiming a ship date for about a year, so we recommend you take this one with a hefty grain of you-know-what.

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