iMac May Go MultiTouch

It’s been talked about for a while. It’s been hypothesized, contemplated, dissected, discussed and dismissed, but it might actually see the light of day. Apple clearly feels pretty strongly that MultiTouch is the future of all computing, but the one area of desktop computing has so far remained “untouchable”. What has been clear from the start is that the model of fingertip computing where the user reaches out to the screen is simply not viable, the ergonomics being a huge nightmare. Sure, Apple is testing the waters with its MultiTouch magic pad. For most, this has turned out to be a peripheral to be used in addition to a mouse, not a replacement. This might change everything though. This patent shows how Apple’s iMac might get a second hinge on the stand, allowing it to pivot down into Star Trek console mode. This might have been obvious to some, but perhaps the future of touch computing is only occasional. Will some tasks always be easier with a mouse, or will touch eventually rule all?