Apple has been toying with the idea more and more in recent years MacBooku, whose base will not be just an ordinary place for a keyboard and trackpad, but with a much smarter control surface. And the latest patent that the Californian giant has had approved takes this vision a little further. The good news is that this time it is not a completely crazy concept with a virtual keyboard or a removable module, but a solution that looks much more realistic. The classic keyboard would remain, while the space around it could be transformed into a dynamic touch surface.
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The main role in the patent is played by trackpad, which would no longer have to be a fixed rectangle under the keyboard. Apple describes the base MacBooku formed by light-transmitting glass, under which secondary displays, touch sensors, pressure sensors and haptic feedback would be located. Thanks to this, the active area would be trackpadYou could enlarge, reduce, move, or change its appearance as needed depending on the application you are using.
In practice, this could work quite interestingly. When writing text, trackpad could be reduced to avoid accidental palm touches. Conversely, when editing photos, working with video, playing games or 3D modeling, it could expand to cover a larger part of the palm rest, offering a much more spacious control surface. So it would not only be a larger trackpad, but about a software-driven interface that would adapt to what you are doing.
It is also interesting that Apple The patent addresses details that could be crucial for a similar device. If part of the glass surface had a different texture for a better feel under the fingers, the image displayed under it could look different than under smooth glass. Apple Therefore, it describes a system that would adjust the graphics so that the entire interface looks unified. It would also include haptic feedback, thanks to which the user would feel the boundaries of the active area or confirmation of a press, similar to today's Force Touch trackpadat.
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The whole solution is a bit reminiscent of the Touch Bar idea, only in a much wider and potentially more useful design. Instead of a narrow strip above the keyboard, Apple he used the space around it, which today largely serves only as a hand rest. Of course, a patent does not automatically mean a finished product. Apple There are many similar ideas registered, and many of them never go on sale. However, if a similar MacBook If ever actually discovered, it could be one of the biggest changes to Apple's laptop controls in years.
