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Aug 28 2008 3:18PM EDT

Leaked Images: Touchscreen Tablet From Apple

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The prospect of a touchscreen Mac tablet is looking more like a reality, with purportedly leaked illustrations of Apple's patent filing demonstrating the technology.

AppleInsider claims it discovered the report, containing 52 pages describing how the tablet will detect simultaneous touches and motions. The tablet would take the existing touchscreen technology on the iPhone a step further: While the handset only detects two fingers, the tablet would detect contact from two hands.

According to AppleInsider, Apple highlighted a challenge in producing a touchscreen tablet, whereas certain application buttons are smaller than a fingertip, making it difficult to tap the correct button. To solve this problem, a set of buttons will enlarge when you place your thumb over it, allowing you to easily choose a button to tap. After making that selection, the button set would shrink to its normal size.

Another unprecedented feature on the tablet would be a virtual scroll wheel that resembles and works like the iPod click wheel -- which, I imagine, would allow you to smoothly scroll through application lists such as iTunes playlists.

Sounds pretty cool and definitely plausible, since it's essentially taking the popular touchscreen technology on the iPhone and blowing it up. One large question remains: Since it's a touch screen, would people have to look at the keyboard while they type? That'd take you back to grade school, wouldn't it? 

Apple details next-gen multi-touch techniques for tablet Macs [AppleInsider]

by Brian X. Chen for Wired.com

Photo credit: AppleInsider

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