iPod/iPhone Nano With Touch Panel?

Staska writes "A new Apple patent filing shows new directions for Apple's touch interface design. For smaller devices like iPod Nano, touchscreen interface may not be feasible — the screen is just too small for touch operation. According to the patent, Apple can still make full screen iPods and put a touch panel on the backside of the device with transparent controls on the front screen. In addition to iPod, patent filing also describes controls for the phone. ZDNet even thinks that this patent can hint about future touch interfaces for all Apple products."

Comments

How small do we need?

[identity0]

Really, how small do we need to make these things, anyways? Even in Japan, where mini=cool, there's a limit to how small phones get. Maybe it's the battery requirements, but I think that past a certain point, the "cool" factor gets outweighed by the fact that you can't show off a device you can't see. The current nano iPods are smaller than any phone I've seen, and I wonder just how many people actually want something that size.

Meh

[Judinous]

Touch screens are nice and all, but personally I like the current interface. I enjoy being able to reach into my pocket while jogging and change songs without having to stop, pull the thing out, and look at the screen.

Re:Prediction: All touch

[Tom]

Which is par for the course. Name a company that had more hits than misses.

Re:full screen nano?

[HTTP Error 403 403.9]

Hmm. I don't like the idea of a screen on the front while you manipulate a scroll wheel on the back, out of your sight. It's novel, but it breaks so many ergonomic principles I wouldn't know where to begin.

Do you look at hand when you move your mouse?

Re:full screen nano?

[Magneon]

Actually, on a screen that small, wouldn't it be helpful not to block 1/2 the screen with your finger? It's hard enough with an older palm pilot that only has a 3" screen. Imagine what it would be like with a nano?

Re:Prediction: All touch

[Jarjarthejedi]

Google...badam chish!

Don't get it? Hits? As in, 100,000,000 hits for 09 F9 11 02 9D 74 E3 5B D8 41 56 C5 63 56 88 C1...badam chish!

Re:ALL?

[mrchaotica]

A Wacom-style digitizer screen that you use with a special stylus (as seen on most Tablet PCs) is not the same thing as a touch screen that you use with your finger (as seen on most PDAs). The latter would be almost useless for Photoshop, especially compared to the former.

Re:Excellent ...

[Mooga]

I'm just worried that the full touch screen would make it much harder to use.
I often change songs and volume on mine by simply feeling where I am on the wheel. With the whole thing being a touch screen I would have to pull my iPod out publicly whenever I wanted to do anything as simple and turn down the volume.
As obvious as that is, it would be a real pain.

Re:Prediction: All touch

[rjmnz]

I'll bite
ADB, one of Woz's greatest successes, a bus on almost nothing that survived for >10yrs. USB is a functional superset of ADB.
NuBus, actually texas instruments baby
FireWire, marketing issues and now specialist but by no means a failure

Re:eSpace patent and the iPod Tartus

[Prune]

No, you cretinous imbecile. The problem with a touchscreen on the front is that the fingers cover part of the screen when you're touching it. When it's on the back, you can see the whole screen while using the touch interface. You didn't need to read the article to realize that, just basic thinking. Then again, obviously your type needs everything handed on a platter.