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The Secret Behind the iPod Scroll Wheel
Grump sent in a story saying "Ask any iPod user what they like the most about their device, and most will probably mention the scrollwheel. Here is the story behind the company that makes it (hint: it's not Apple). Great not just for the history, but insight as to both how Apple's design process works, and how the scroll wheel itself works."
The scroll wheel is just a round touchpad and is based on the same technology Synapsis has patents on. It even feels the same as the touchpad on my PowerBook.
Touchpads are the best thing that ever happened to this company. They're getting licensing fees and royalties on almost every notebook sold, or they make money directly as the component vendor for the touch pads.
It's good to use your head, but not as a battering ram.
Why should Apple make their own touchpad? Synaptics has much much more experience in the matter. "Let the pros handle it", so to speak.
I wish I could write clever and witty sigs.
It is a touchpas, and Synaptics makes practically all the touchpads for Laptops, PDAs and mice. I don't think a lot of people thought that Apple made the touchpad itself. AFAIK, most people know that the Apple genius behind the iPod is quality bought components from companies that make them better than you (Synaptics, PortablePlayer, Sony) combined with Apple design and user friendliness.
Transporter controls from Start Trek?
Thanks to the internet, we can now all die alone together! -SomeWoman
Oh I agree totally, you shouldn't waste time and money trying to reinvent the wheel. I just find it stupid that somebody would consider this news that apple doesn't make part of the ipod.
This just in apple doesn't make hard drives!
This sig has no nutritional value...
I read a couple articles elsewhere proclaiming "APPLE NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR TOUCHWHEEL!!!@" only to find that Apple is responsible for it.
They conceived it, they narrowly specified its behavior, they brought it to market. Just because a contractor was involved that means Apple's "not responsible" for its creation? Apple's responsible more than ever: the corralled the capabilities and efforts necessary to make it a reality.
iPod's ridiculously simple and intuitive, and that's what's making it superior to other products such as the iRiver and the Sonys (haha, the Sony issue still makes me laugh).
Tear yourself away from the computer screen, walk out of the house/office/dorm/classroom, and go to an electronics store and try them out. It's not some subtle difference that needs independant adjudication against a set of metrics. Using an iPod scroll wheel for the first time will make you grin from ear to ear.
They think Apple invented the GUI, 64 bit computing, Unix and portable digital music.
While I understand your need to troll, sir - I'd like to point you to two famous inventors: Thomas Newcomen and James Watt. The latter is much more famous, as he is often identified (incorrectly) as the inventor of steam engine. In fact, the first practical steam engine was built by Newcomen, but it was Watt who has improved it to the point of triggering industrial revolution. I think Apple is a bit like James Watt in history of personal computing. They didn't invent GUI, but they improved it to the point of triggering revolution in UI concepts. They didn't invent UNIX, but they improved it to the point that even Joe Sixpack can use. They didn't invent portable digital music, but they improved it to trigger a revolution in how we purchase and listen to our music.
On touchpads, I find the best way to do fine movements is to just pivot your thumb - not exactly moving it, but just roll your finger while maintaing contact with the pad. I've shown this technique to several people and they all agree that it does allow for a finer control - might want to try that. (It works somewhat better on laptop trackpads with the tip of the index finger but it does work with the iPod and your thumb).
My English teacher once told me that two positives don't make a negative. Two words for her: Yeah, right.
The scroll wheel is a clever big of engineering alright, and it's a good way to quickly navigate medium sized lists -- maybe three or four screenfuls of choices.
... would be quicker and easier than ...
However, the iPod UI designers seemed to take this as an excuse to present you with enormous lists to scroll through with the wheel. My MP3 collection is modest by the standards of most iPod owners (I've not filled 20GB yet) -- but "browse by artist" gives me a list of 209. Scrolling to somewhere near the beginning is OK. Scrolling to somewhere near the end is OK (because you can scroll right to the end, then back). Scrolling to somewhere around the middle of the alphabet is a real pain.
All they needed to do was make it heirarchical --
"Artists -> (easy scroll) -> S -> (easy scroll) -> Smiths"
"Artists -> (difficult scroll) -> Smiths
Their design team came up with a great concept, found people who could put it together relatively inexpensively (and in an extraordinarily quick amount of time). They have managed this project superbly. Everybody else (both in the MP3 player market and in computer field in general) had access to all of the elements that Apple did. None of them came close to putting together anyting remotely as functional, stylish, easy (and they still haven't)
Relax.
the source is cited.
jeez.
Jog dials are the ones on VCR's and the like that only turn up to a 1/4 turn in either direction to control the fast forward and rewind and then snap back into place.
Perhaps I am wrong, but in my world i never think of a jog wheel spinning all the way around, just back and forth. So I would have to say, "No, I do not remember when they called scroll wheels, jog wheels."