INSUBCONTINENT EXCLUSIVE:
Three new patents that Apple has filed have been spotted, and these represent yet more evidence that the company is considering making a
keyboard, but adds a large touch sensitive surround (more on that later).This is nothing new, as we have previously seen patents that have
envisaged a MacBook using a touch display in place of a keyboard base, and a virtual keyboard with haptic feedback (or indeed a dual-screen
MacBook in a similar vein).This time around, one patent, as spotted by Apple Insider, describes a MacBook with a base that has a transparent
the Touch Bar does for MacBooks right now).The other patents cover different possible spins on a future notebook, such as a compromise
giant U-shaped trackpad, in a way
The keycaps would also be touch sensitive according to this concept, and that would allow for the user to swipe gestures over them to
can be placed on top of the virtual keyboard base, and the latter would still be used to detect key presses
Essentially giving you an option on a physical keyboard of sorts when required for, say, longer typing sessions on a sprawling
document.Haptic feedback is also likely to be incorporated in whatever route Apple decides to take, as has been mentioned in previous
patents.Growing evidenceDoes this mean that Apple is definitely working on some kind of virtual keyboard for future MacBook devices No, but
with the growing amount of material relating to this concept, it definitely seems this is a path Apple wants to take.On a final note, the
This would involve the addition of a protective membrane, as seen in the new MacBook Pro, except in this case it would be fully sealed and
reliability issues the hardware has been criticized for in recent times
