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You are here: MacNN Forums > News > Mac News > Apple patent suggests Force Touch keyboards in development

Apple patent suggests Force Touch keyboards in development
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Nov 4, 2015, 07:59 AM
 
Apple is looking into ways to use Force Touch to create new types of keyboard, according to a newly-granted patent. Published on Tuesday, patent number 9,178,509 for the "Ultra low travel keyboard" effectively replaces the mechanical switches used in traditional keyboards for what could be best described as a static key, one that can in theory take up less physical space and potentially lead to Apple using thinner keyboards in its MacBook range.

Rather than the scissor switches, which allows for contacts to press together, AppleInsider notes the patent as using a combination of force sensors and piezo actuators to measure how hard the user is pressing down to register a button press, as well as giving some haptic feedback for the press itself. This could be reminiscent of Force Touch trackpads, already a feature of MacBooks, with the keys also potentially allowing for new keyboard functions to be introduced, such as switching between upper and lower cases by holding the key down for a long period of time.



Since the keys have no need to physically move, these can shave off the space required for standard keys to "travel." This lack of travel space means a keyboard could be constructed as a much thinner component, allowing Apple to make that section of a MacBook slightly thinner, or potentially reusing the freed up space for other components or larger batteries.

Despite the patent's publication, there has yet to be any proof that Apple is considering adding such a technology to its devices. Since the patent application itself dates back to September 2012, it does indicate Apple has had a long time to think about implementing a Force Touch-based keyboard, and may still be working on it behind closed doors.
     
Ham Sandwich
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Nov 4, 2015, 09:35 AM
 
And how about keys that don't scratch the screen... I swear all I have to do is leave my laptop sitting by itself on my desk overnight with no weight on the lid at all, and by morning, the corners of the plastic keys have left marks on the screen.

Does Tim Cook even care about seeing stuff like this fixed, or is he just looking to sell a thinner keyboard just because Apple can?
     
Inkling
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Nov 4, 2015, 10:56 AM
 
Apple needs to take a realistic look at what matters in its products rather than obsess over any one trait, including thin. Illustrations:

iPhone: Neither thin nor light-weight matter. It's already more than thin enough and the weight of an iPhone is insignificant. What matters more to users is getting a longer battery life. Thicker but longer would be better.

iPad: Thin doesn't matter. They're already more than thin enough. What matters is what thin may or may not indicate, which is lightweight. My iPad 3 is too heavy. For my next iPad I want one that's easier to hold in my hand. With the exception of the iPad Pro, keep them light.

MacBooks of various sorts. Neither thinness nor lightweight matter. Laptops sit on a desk. All that needs to be done has been done with each and more. What is needed it to restore more hardware features to laptops, including more ports, adding RAM easily, changing out the storage, and perhaps hardware like cellular data and GPS. In its pursuit of thin, Apple has made its laptops so feature poor, that there's little reason to buy one instead of an iPad. In fact, Apple iPads have more useful hardware features than its MacBook Air.
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panjandrum
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Nov 4, 2015, 01:03 PM
 
Wow. Apple really seems intent on reducing the productivity of their users in their search for the ultimate thin. Eventually this stuff is all going to come back to bite them where the sun don't shine. Usability and productivity are more important than appearance. Yes, appearance is important to many of us Apple fans, but it has got to stop coming at the expense of usability.
     
daqman
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Nov 4, 2015, 04:56 PM
 
I work in front of an iMac all day and the only keyboard I will use is the Das Keyboard with full size full travel keys. Why? Because I do a lot of typing and my personal experience is that, after using a thin Apple keyboard all day my hands hurt. I suspect it is a thing that varies from one person to another but I "grew up" with full size clickety keys. When I use a thin keyboard my fingers hit the surface expecting some travel that they don't get. Zero travel keys are just not for me.
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