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Preview of Synaptics's Next Generation Input Devices

Posted by Unknown on from the use-the-forcepad-bill dept.

crookedvulture writes "Next year, Synaptics's ForcePad will bring pressure sensitivity to touchpads. It can track five fingers independently, each with up to a kilogram of effective force in precise 15-gram increments. This look at Synaptics' next-gen input tech goes hands-on with with ForcePad, among other new PC inputs. The ultra-slim ThinTouch keyboard, recently acquired through the purchase of Pacinian, combines secretive switches with a side order of capacitive touch. And then there's the latest in touchscreens, the ClearPad Series 4, which purportedly cuts tracking latency by 70%. That's captured on high-speed camera at 240 frames per second."

7 of 54 comments (clear)

  1. Kilogram is not a unit of force by tepples · · Score: 4, Informative

    To preempt all the pedants: By "kilogram" they probably mean 9.8 newtons, which is the gravitational force exerted on one kilogram at sea level.

    1. Re:Kilogram is not a unit of force by negRo_slim · · Score: 3, Insightful

      To preempt all the pedants: By "kilogram" they probably mean 9.8 newtons, which is the gravitational force exerted on one kilogram at sea level.

      Sensitivity of any metric or value is kind of overshadowed by input delay, the article says it's responsive but so do the iPad commercials. And I have yet to find any kind of touch input that is even close to comparable to using a graphics tablet. Of course slow response is fine for general work UI nav, but we all know how cool it would be to "paint" or whatever with your fingers but this isn't viable with the current response times we are seeing in touch devices. Maybe this one is truly responsive and it certainly could be as it's a track pad. I'd just like to have some solid metrics on it before getting excited.

      --
      On the Oregon Cost born and raised, On the beach is where I spent most of my days
  2. Click harder by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    So "click harder" will be a valid solution, now, so that the computer can finally understand urgency. Great!

  3. Who need synaptic? by c0lo · · Score: 4, Funny

    ... isn't apt-get good enough?

    --
    Questions raise, answers kill. Raise questions to stay alive.
  4. Re:nice(1) by touch by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 4, Funny

    So "click harder" will be a valid solution, now, so that the computer can finally understand urgency.

    How long until someone makes a window manager that allows pressure to control the priority of a window's process?

    That sounds terrible. Call the GNOME developers!

    --
    Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
  5. Re:Touch sensitive space bar? by viperidaenz · · Score: 4, Funny

    I find not touching the touch pad when I don't want the cursor move a good solution.

  6. A 10kg dumbbell in the face sure feels forceful. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 3, Funny

    But your Honor! I wasn't applying unreasonable force when I bashed the perp's head with a 10kg dumbbell! I was merely applying unreasonable weight!