Apple's New Trackpad?

jamesoutlaw writes, "I came across this article on Go2Mac.com today. It has some interesting information on a trackpad that might make its appearance in the next PowerBook. Among its features are 'hot spots' and the use of a stylus for handwriting input. When the Newton was discontinued, Apple stated that they were not licensing the NewtonOS or opening the source for the OS, and that they were going to integrate some of the Newton technology into a future product. It looks like this trackpad may be a part of that." Of course, this would make a cool external device for desktop machines (Macs, PCs or newfangled Web pads) as well, if the handwriting recognition software were available. Apple?

Comments

handwriting recognition

[eries]

I spent a summer working on the Newton way back when that was still a real platform. The group I was working with at SAIC had a little challenge, which was to get the device to recognize the handwritten phrase "Four score and seven years ago." After about 2 months of "Flour snakes bend kevlar coors" I finally got it to work.

I'm sure they've done a lot of work on the handwriting heuristic, but it was the generally clunky nature of having to wait for the device to process each word that eventually led to the development of Graffiti, which of course is now so popular on PalmOS.

Unless they've had a really dramatic breakthrough, this technology is not really good for data entry, period. However, I think that it's _real_ utility could be in applications like digital signature recognition. Imagine that instead of having to remember you secret PGP key you just sign on your trackpad.... That would be cool.

Anyone know what kinds of apps they've got planned?

Want to work at Transmeta? Hedgefund.net? Priceline?

I think Apple..

[Rombuu]

..should "invent" the 2-button mouse first.. :)