Concept macbook keyboard?

[Enderman]

What if apple turned their keyboards into touch sensitive keys using the force-touch technology in their trackpad?

 

Do you think that would work well?

 

Personally I really like the force touch trackpad better than any other kind of trackpad, but if they could do the same for the keyboard it could possibly make the laptop even thinner.

 

Just curious of what people think of this idea, maybe a force touch keyboard would be as superior to regular (laptop) keyboards as the force touch trackpad is superior to regular trackpads

 

[pagani123]

im not sure its a good idea they would have to develop and test it extensively  i can just see a lot of tracking errors in the first releases. i think its good for a trackpad but bad for keyboards. unless i am reading it wrong and your saying that they would just use the force part with normal keys (w/o capacitive touch part). in which case ya might be a good idea 

[DaltonM]

Touch keyboards never worked in the past. If Apple pulls it off, it would be the first thing they invented in a long ass time. I would applaud them for it. But the trend of trading function for form is bad for business. When something looks like it's the best, but performs like a midrange dell laptop, it's going to confuse an offput consumers. 

 

I understand Apples place in the industry, but I hate them for it. 

[minibois]

So you want like force feedback touchpad for every key? Sounds interesting. Could work..

Hmm. I have never used the trackpad, but maybe it can be made so pressing the key harder does something else than press softly (like pressing normal makes them normal letters and pressing hard makes capitalized letters)

[Kobathor]

-snip-

Actually, the new Macbook with 1 port does throttle, as NCIX proved when they compared it to a $700 ZENBOOK with a less powerful Core M and it was beat. The macbook was beat, I mean. That's only because it throttles, unlike the Zenbook that's $500 cheaper.

 

The Zenbook also has more ports, and similar battery life. It's also thinner, though it's the same thickness throughout.

[Enderman]

So you want like force feedback touchpad for every key? Sounds interesting. Could work..

Hmm. I have never used the trackpad, but maybe it can be made so pressing the key harder does something else than press softly (like pressing normal makes them normal letters and pressing hard makes capitalized letters)

 

Yeah, like how doing a full press on the trackpad feels

 

if the keys typed by just resting your fingers on them that would be a problem but if they only trigger when doing a full press then I think it would feel very close to a real physical switch

[minibois]

Yeah, like how doing a full press on the trackpad feels

 

if the keys typed by just resting your fingers on them that would be a problem but if they only trigger when doing a full press then I think it would feel very close to a real physical switch

Well when I type I dont have my fingers on any of the other keys, so with a touchpad keyboard I  dont see how this could be a problem

[Enderman]

Well when I type I dont have my fingers on any of the other keys, so with a touchpad keyboard I  dont see how this could be a problem

you dont rest your hands on the keyboard at all? like ever?

[minibois]

you dont rest your hands on the keyboard at all? like ever?

Don't have a chicklet keyboard in range now, But with the 'normal' keyboard I have here now my fingers do sit on the keys, but that isn't enough force to click the keys I guess.

Assume you need to use at least a bit for to press these keys.

[Enderman]

Don't have a chicklet keyboard in range now, But with the 'normal' keyboard I have here now my fingers do sit on the keys, but that isn't enough force to click the keys I guess.

Assume you need to use at least a bit for to press these keys.

what i wonder about is how much power does the taptic engine use, and if it would decrease the battery life too much

because you could be typing for hours on the keyboard, and that would make it click thousands of times...

[Guest]

if they will i want to see how thin the laptop would be. It'll probably get to the point where the USB slot will be too large and they'll have to use some 3.1 alternative. 

[Soppro]

I could see that working out, although it would take a lot of getting used to. 

[ShadowCaptain]

Would be awesome in an iPad pro case!