Virtual Scribe: Or More Than You Ever Wanted to Know About Digital Script Supervising: Apple Patents touchscreen convertible design

The First 5 Things You'll Want to Know About Tablet Computers

The First 5 Things You'll Want to Know About Tablet Computers

If you're new here, or to Tablet PC's, there's a few things you should know. A few bits of information we should get out of the way first...

1. The Tablet I use is a PC, Not a Mac
Everything but the iPad is Windows based. Mac's tablet the iPad is more like a giant iPod Touch, it wasn't designed to have a stylus/pen input, but there are several apps for that now, but you can either type (using the virtual keyboard) or use your finger to write. Also, the only way you can get anything on the computer is through email, there are no input ports, but i understand on the iPad 3 that might have changed. But don't dispare, this is only the third version of the Mac tablet, and only the first since Steve Jobs passed, so there's bound to be a bit of a shake down cruise since he's gone, and they'll probably come out with one that has a few more input choices. In the mean time, there is an after market/third party 'upgrade' you can get that will turn a MacBookPro into a tablet computer, but I'm not sure of the cost. (If you're interested in that, leave a message here, or better yet email me at tmoodyca@roadrunner.com and I'll hook you up with people in the know about such things), i will tell you that from what i have seen it partitions the harddrive so that you can run both Mac & Windows. So you'd still be running Windows programs just on a Mac machine.

2. What Kind of Tablet is Right for Me?
There's two different types of Tablet PC's. A slate tablet, and a convertible. The slate does NOT come with a keyboard but is usually lighter in weight, but a bit more expensive. The convertible allows the screen to swivel all the way around and lay flat on top of the keyboard. These are a bit heavier (although not by an enormous amount), but they cost less. Poke about in this blog to find some of the manufactures of both types of computer, or contact me via email at the above address.

3. Using Tablet PC's On-Set
Every Tablet PC comes with the program - Windows Journal, Journal Note Writer, or something like that, in it. The name varies, but it's exactly the same program & Script Supervisor's can use this program to take their notes AND line their pages. It does NOT turn your handwriting into text. You can enter text in this program, it just takes a few more menu scrolls and pen clicks, but it can be done. You'll have to decide if it's worth the effort. Other programs I know Script Supers to use are Excel, Filemaker Pro, Access, Adobe Acrobat, & Bluebeam Revu (more about those last two in section 4.)

4. PDF Readers & Printers
You may not know what it is, but you're going to need it. It's a program (or programs) that will allow you to read and print your pages and forms into PDF. PDF is a universal format that every computer, both PC and Mac, can view. There's a couple of different ways to achieve this, some more expensive than others, but all viable ways to go. The Acrobat Reader is free and easy to download, but that's just about all it does. And there are several programs out there that are just PDF printer drivers and those are either free or at a nominal cost. Or you can go with a couple of different PDF Editors. These allow you to read, print and manipulate PDF files. The two most well known are Adobe Acrobat, and Bluebeam Revu. I believe both have a 30 day free trial that can be downloaded from their websites. (There are other PDF Editors out there, just Google for a list.) These can be used to take your notes and to line your pages as well. However there is a little bit more of a learning curve involved with all of them.

5. eBay - A cheaper way to shop
Ok, you've decided to jump in and do the deed, but you're a little tight on cash. Or you're still a bit skittish about the whole thing because you're a Mac and it's a PC. Here's my recommendation: go eBay. First you're gonna want to do a bit of research. Find the make and model of computer you like (HP, Lenovo, Motion Computing, Dell, Tablet Kiosk, etc.), then I suggest going to Fry's or Best Buy, or Sears, and basically fondling the merchandise. Find something that you like the feel of, the weight of. You like the way the pen writes on the screen. See what software it comes with (Microsoft Word, or Excel, etc.), what hardware (external hard drive, or keyboard, etc.). Find the one that's right for you. Do NOT skip this step, I know the research is often the boring part, but in this case it's important. You are going to have to spend at least 12 1/2 hours a day with this machine, and a fairly large chunk of money, so it should be something you like. After you've researched it and found the machine of your dreams, then head to eBay. First just see what they have to offer in tablets, you might find something you didn't know about. Then get down to business, and look for that one computer that will make your life complete. Now you might have to settle for last years model (so make sure you get the name and numbers correct), but if it comes at a significant discount (on the order of one half the price or so) you'll have a decision to make.

So there you are, the first five things you need to know. Go forth and compute.

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Apple Patents touchscreen convertible design

RePosted from GottabeMobile.com

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Apple patents touchscreen convertible designs for Macs

Posted: 24 Aug 2010 10:54 AM PDT

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Patently Apple has put together an analysis of a patent Apple filed in Europe that describes a system for Macs to convert between their standard configurations and touch-centric configurations. PA believes it will switch automatically between Mac OS X and iOS. I’m not so sure.

iMacTouchPatent The patent was published a while ago in January by the World Intellectual Property Organization under the patent name “Transitioning between Modes of Input”. True to its name, the patent does describe and demonstrate how an iMac and Macbook would switch between their usual configurations and more horizontal configurations better suited for touch input.

To switch to touch mode, the iMac screen would pivot upward and forward to bring it closer to the user. The Macbook description lists, as an example not as the design to be patented, a system identical to convertible notebooks/Tablet PCs. In both cases, the conversion is described as changing from a high-resolution user interface, like the current Mac OS X, to a zoomed-in, low-resolution one suitable for touch input.

MacbookTouchPatent While the idea of a convertible notebook is hardly novel, the conversion described for the iMac appears to offer a wide range of screen angles, addressing an issue we regularly bring up when looking at touchscreen all-in-ones. If Apple gets these designs to market, it would be a big boost for touchscreen input and could get people to stop looking weirdly at our convertible notebooks and Tablet PCs (though we should be ready to cringe at the words “Oh, just like the new Macbook”).

iMacTouchPatent9b However, I cannot find any mention in the patent of the switching between operating systems that Patently Apple believes is in here. The description primarily points to a system that zooms in on the focus window and drops elements that are not suitable for a touch-centric UI when converted to touch mode. The ability to pull down the menu bar in touch mode (shown at right), an element that does not normally exist in iOS, is specifically mentioned. While it is possible that Apple could release a Mac that can run Mac OS X and iOS, that is not what is described in the patent.

Regardless, commenters in the past have brought up the notion of a dual-mode OS that can switch between a desktop-based UI and a tablet-based one, and the idea was met mostly with enthusiasm (I’m all for it). The patent also mentions external access to the system that can trigger the UI switch, which would make it easier to remote control your Mac via an iOS device or vice versa. What’s in the patent appears to be worth pursuing, but I don’t believe a dual-OS Mac is in there.