The trackpads on our laptops haven’t exactly changed that much over the years. For the most part, they still do what they do, although some models now support gestures, but otherwise, how we use it is still more or less the same. However, according to a patent discovered by Patently Apple, Apple could have a pretty radical idea.
According to the patent, it seems that Apple might be looking at ways to ditch the fixed positioning of the trackpad. Instead, Apple could actually be looking to turn the entire wrist rest portion of the laptop into a trackpad surface. This means that users could just touch, swipe, or tap anywhere along the wrist rest and it could potentially register as a touch.
The patent suggests that users will be able to change the position of the trackpad, so if you prefer not having it front and center, you could then move it to the left or right of the laptop’s wrist rest. It is quite a radical move by Apple, and we have to wonder if this could somehow interfere with the way users type, unless there is some kind of palm or wrist rejection tech built into it.
That being said, with this being a patent, it’s hard to say if this is simply Apple toying with the idea or if it could be a sign of things to come. Either way, it’s pretty out there as far as ideas are concerned, but what do you think?
Filed in . Read more about Laptops, Macbook, Macbook Pro and Patent. Source: patentlyapple