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Microsoft Surface, Meet Apple iSurface
theodp writes "Responding to Microsoft's Windows 8 efforts, Apple CEO Tim Cook insisted in late April that combining a tablet and a notebook would be like converging a toaster and a refrigerator. But a patent application submitted by Apple last year — and made public Tuesday morning — proposes marrying a tablet and a keyboard to create 'a true laptop alternative,' which GeekWire notes looks a lot like Microsoft Surface (comparison pic). In its patent filing, Apple describes various ways that a tablet's cover could be used as an I-O device — as a tactile-feedback keyboard ('word processing and email become much more efficient'), to display additional output, as a touchpad replacement, and even to receive stylus input. 'The experience,' claims Apple, 'is even better in some ways than the laptop experience.'"
Nothing new here. Move along.
Is this another case of Apple copying what Sony is doing, but publicising it better?
http://www.xperiablog.net/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Xperia-Tablet_13.jpg
Somebody please converge my microwave with my refrigerator/freezer. Put a keyboard on it and a handy "sue everyone" button and its an iAppliance (c).
The Russians have won. They have made the world a cesspool of distrust, greed, fear and hate.
They both look like clumsy versions of the Asus Transformer.
So the question is, who stole the idea from who?
For infringing on the patent for their new and innovative iSurface device. Tim Cook proclaims "Steve Jobs would want us to vigorously defend our innovations against those who would ride on Apples coat tails."
Apple tries to patent and monopolise all the awesome things, I was already sold on the surface pro being the first tablet I'd buy... strangely I'm now even more certain I'll buy one.
so basically they took a laptop and switched the positions of the LCD and keyboard? It's a fucking touchscreen laptop! they just moved the heavy stuff to to top!
How can they patent something that is clearly not new?
[...]would be like converging a toaster and a refrigerator
It seems that most household appliances exist to alter the temperature of something. It would be great if the heat from a cooling appliance could do something useful. It obviously wouldn't work to toast bread directly with the cooling ribs, but there may be room for some convergence between appliances, to increase efficiency
Glad to see Apple changed their minds about the convergence; they should have done it a long time ago, and the first time I heard about the Surface I actually thought about buying one (though after the information that's come out since, I've given up on that idea).
It's payback for all the abuse over the years that us Microsoft lovers had to put up with from the Apple Fanbois ...
Microsoft has a monopoly! The courts said so!
Microsoft controls the PC market and Apple can't get a break!
Microsoft is keeping us down!
Microsoft has cornered the market on clothes forcing us to wear black fake turtle necks!
Microsoft is hurting Jobs!
Microsoft stole everything from Apple!
Microsoft does this!
Microsoft does that!
Microsoft! Microsoft! Microsoft! Microsoft!
Do you know what kind of emotional scaring I have suffered from with all this Microsoft! Hate!! And you have the nerve - the audacity - to complain about Apple Hate?!?
I still cry myself to sleep on occasion after reading Slashdot on my Windows PC! And when I go to get my Windows 8 machine, I'll wear sunglasses, trench coat, and I'll have to fork Firefox so that it always reports that I'm using some sort of Apple OS! Do you realize that?!
Posting as AC because I can't deal with you Apple bullies!
*storms off sobbing*
Just like they implemented the "mouse with rotary control", the "color changing case" and "liquid cooled laptops". Those are just some of the Apple patents people on Slashdot took for granted would be implemented.
Really is this worth a patent? F this.
Funny how people seem to credit the "multitouch notebook that converts to a tablet" to Microsoft Surface, when intact, these designs were first seen in accessories for the iPad. So, while Apple didn't create the actual device, they did in fact created the market for this by having third partiers develop stuff for their products. Sorry, it's the truth.
WARNING: DO NOT LET DR. MARIO TOUCH YOUR GENITALS. HE IS NOT A REAL DOCTOR!
So basically what we have here is a company saying... "This is a horrible idea that can never be profitable, but just as insurance we're going to patent it, so that in case someone makes anything like it we can tie them up in courts until we can launch a competitor to take over the market they so kindly created for us."
Yeah, patents are great y'all, no way anyone would ever use them for evil.
...using that fancy patent they have. We need more players in the tablet space to keep things competitive and innovative. PS I think a fridge that could toast break would be genius. It would really clean up the cluttered kitchen countertop.
da Vinci would be proud.
Sorry, but gray text on gray background is making my eyes bleed.
Apple has never said anything which remotely reflects anything it might do. So why do people even bother?
I've got a Transformer Prime and it really does the tablet + keyboard well. The dock actually adds things besideds a keyboard and trackpad - like extra battery, USB port, and SD card reader. And the latest version, the Infinity, has a 1080p screen, too. Can't see what Surface would add to that.
PHEM - party like it's 1997-2003!
Apple is going to die a slow death. Steve was a visionary who set the standards that others have failed to match till now. He prized innovation and was a trailblazer, to hell with wallstreet and others. Now, Apple is being led by the B-class bureacrats that he hated SO far. These morons don't have fuckin clue. They are just paper pushers with an IQ of less than 70. These guys hate innovation as it disturbs their sedate lifestyle. Am sure we would see an exodus of engineers from Apple. That's when i will start dumping Apple stock.
"Doing what i can, with what i have." ~ Burt Gummer
This computer is almost indestructible, unless dropped or hit. It also has 'Predictive Sentence Technology' and everything is just a few hundred clicks away.
Not only isn't it the first touchscreen with a keyboard, it's not even the first with a wireless keyboard, or a standalone that can add a keyboard, or a tablet-keyboard combination that can be separated, or a tablet running a mobile operating system which can have an optional keyboard. Or even a tablet with rounded corners running a mobile operating system which connects to an optional, integrated keyboard that adds functionality other than just a keyboard.
Is it just my observation, or are there way too many stupid people in the world?
So can I get a patent on divorcing/separating a laptop screen and a keyboard into a fantastic happy little accident which gives the user true dual purpose experience? Maybe I'll call it the Asus Transformer?
by TheSpoom (715771) Uncaring Linux user here. I have nothing to add to this but please continue. *munches popcorn*
Finally! Apple invented a true physical keyboard to attach to iPads... Now watch the rest of the world try and catch up by coming up with their own, lame, copycat keyboards so they can cash in. Once again, Apple invents something totally new and the world marvels.
I see no reason why, when connected to a keyboard and mouse, my tablet shouldn't behave like a regular PC. Actually, I want that. My guess is Apple doesn't want to compromise on the UI at all, and doesn't want a $500 alternative to the $1000 MacBook Air.
There are UI issues. Motorola actually had both Android (touch) and regular Linux (docked) for his Atrix. I do think there are ways to tack rworkable "docked" features to a touch OS: we only need keyboard shortcuts, mouse integration (including replacing touches with the mouse), and better multitasking control (maybe not windowing, though Win8's split screen sounds great; but at least the ability to choose which apps keep running, and to switch quickly).
I think that's one of the areas where Android can score big and easily.
The Cloud - because you don't care if your apps and data are up in the air.
How can this even be patentable? Microsoft's patent application doubtless predates Apple's by at least a year.
And isn't it ironic that Apple is always accusing Microsoft of copying it?
And how about you go type that statement you just gave out on an ipad's touch keyboard, Tim Cook. You might change your mind halfway through.
The Acer Iconia has already done this so I think we can get this patent killed before it's even issued.
Mod me up/Mod me down: I wont frown as I've no crown
1972 PLATO IV Touch-Screen Terminal: The University of Illinois' PLATO IV terminal, part of the PLATO educational computer systems the school started developing in the '60s, had an infrared touch plasma panel that allowed students to answer questions by touching the screen.
Wasn't IBM there first? This: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/3/3f/Thinkpad-x61-tablet.jpg/548px-Thinkpad-x61-tablet.jpg Transformed into this: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/42/Lenovo-X61-Tablet-Mode.jpg/800px-Lenovo-X61-Tablet-Mode.jpg Im not sure if all models required the stylus. A friend of mine used his finger to use the touchscreen.
Ten years ago Apple applied for a patent for a color-changing device case and the entire Internet was almost swept away in the ensuing geekgasm. However, in the decade since, we have never seen it in production. There have been many other "Apple has a patent on..." stories since then for plenty of products that have not been made.
See also the Apple Product Cycle which has been very accurate in the decade since it was first published.
Dear Slashdot: next time you want to mess with the site, add a rich-text editor for comments.
it's not actually a keyboard, it's a big touchpad, using it as a keyboard is just one of the functions, and that's the difference between Surface and the prior art. Apple is covering it's ass to stop the cloners from doing the same. The concept is nice, but I still like a real keyboard.
There was an unknown error in the submission.
they can sue the hell out of Microsoft for INFRINGING on their IP. They can also force an injunction on the sale of the MS Surface tablet which INFRINGES on Apple's patent. The apple fanbois will complain that MSFT should work on innovating instead of stealing Apple's IP, and that Apple will prevail in court!
The Compaq TC1000 and TC1100 were PCs running Windows XP Tablet Edition. They were just over a cm thick and had a nice tilt and swivel detachable keyboard. For the time, it was utterly astonishing and only really let down by its slow CPU and half-hearted support from Compaq/HP. Indeed I only switched back to laptops when HP discontinued the range. As far as form factors go though, it pretty much nailed how a hybrid tablet/laptop should function... ten years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compaq_TC1000
I'm a year long slashdot lurker and have posted 3 or 4 AC comments that didn't work out so much. I just created this account, and my first post is pro ms, so that means that I am being paid by MS to misinform. That out of the way, I do like the latest and greatest tech toys but have held off from tablets, because I want a tablet that extends my laptop into full mobile space. I don't consume entertainment so the current tablets do nothing for me. Mr. Cook's brazenly stupid 'toaster refridgerator' nonsense brought me out of hiding and prompted me to create an account, finally, and post. Most people want tablets to do what their laptop does. They settle for less, but that's what they want, even if they can't articulate it. Apple doesn't want to provide it to them. Apple would have deprived the iphone form MP3 playback capabilty if they could have gotten away with it, but they couldn't get away with it. And the ipod is dead/dying. Apple OS could provide a full fledge computing experience on the tablet, but they do not want to. They actually want not to. So they can sell 2 products. Android OS isn't robust enough to provide the full fledge computing experience. Microsoft, like Apple, can do it. And it doesn't contradict their MO to do so (thought they are so all over the place nowdays trying, I think, to copy Apple that it's hard to know what their MO really is). So now they are coming out with an i86 tablet with a fold up keyboard. Thank G-d, finally. Apple says 'toasters...' I hope Apple fails.
Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover anyone?
Steve Job's held the company's reigns solidly and stayed them on a course to his ultimate vision for the future technology, for good or bad. Yes there were blunders but there were few regrets.
Under Cook's "leadership", Apple is flip-flopping on ideas and policies trying to continue Job's vision yet increasingly pandering to consumer opinion amid obvious and growing fear of the competition.
If Job's was afraid of the competition, he never let it be known. Cook is showing sings of weak leadership through a series of compromising blunders:.
- Claims Apple is in the post-PC era, until it comes time to hype up their own line of PC's then Apple is pro-PC again.
- Recent stupid ad campaign.and then claiming recently they don't really need to advertise.
- Flip-flopping on EPEAT membership.
- Making statements about the stupidity of Tablet/Laptop hybrids while working to solidify Apple's ability to compete in that market.
- Absolutely NO corporate secrecy anymore. iPhone 5 is the worst kept secret in tech history.
- Drawn out legal patent battles with Apple's #1 supplier of their parts.
While I may not have admired Job's arrogant bullheadedness, I admire even less a company of two faces, one that claims overtly they are the best when at the same time they strive to protect themselves from competition through patent hording and ridiculous litigation.
Anyone who believes Cook is doing a good job at Apple is still drunk on Steve Job's Kool Aid.
I haven't thought of anything clever to put here, but then again most of you haven't either.