Apple might not unveil a radically redesigned MacBook Pro at WWDC next week, but thanks to artist Martin Hajek we’ve got the next best thing: concept images.
Cult of Mac’s favorite concept artist has created a series of mockups that show just how awesome it will be when Apple adds an OLED touchpad to the MacBook Pro. While last week’s spy photos gave us an early look at the new MacBook Pro’s frame, Hajek’s images show how the OLED touchpad could automatically change based on the apps you’re using.
Take a closer look at the rumored MacBook Pro OLED touchpad:
Photo: Martin Hajek
The OLED bar blends in so seamlessly with the MacBook Pro’s keyboard that you can hardly tell it’s not just a long-ass key. The best part of having it would be the ability to view the status of certain apps and control them without leaving the current window in which you’re working.
Photo: Martin Hajek
Aspects of the OS X menu bar could find their way to the OLED pad, including the date, a quick Spotlight search button, a Notification Center slider and a battery meter.
Photo: Martin Hajek
Interacting with Siri on the OLED touchpad could be a much better experience than using an on-screen popup as well. Apple is expected to bring its digital assistant to the Mac this year, and the new MacBook Pro’s possible OLED touchpad might be the best way to gain quick access.
Drooling yet? Unfortunately, Apple may not ship the new notebook until August. Start saving now.
Source: Martin Hajek
Buster Hein is a freelance writer who lives in Phoenix, Arizona. Twitter: @bst3r.
17 responses to “MacBook Pro concept shows how useful an OLED touchpad will be”
I guess, now there’s no need for the menubar on the screen. In 10 years, Apple will reinvent the menubar and move it back to the screen. Wow!
Oh god, you’re so funny!
Yes, that’s normal. I will present another example: automobile ignition switches
The first cars with starter motors used a button to start the car. You’d press the button and then the car would start up. This was fine, but there must’ve been some concern about auto theft. So Chrysler (I think it was them) invented the ignition lock cylinder, so everyone could have a lock on their car. This was in the 1920’s or 1930’s. Now, however, with the advent of computers and RF communication, new cars are back to using buttons.
I’m the type of person who thinks “Why not leave it on the screen?”
Because I’m the type of person who always want maximum working screen space. :)
Because who said the one on the screen is going away ? I think the concept imagines additional ‘panels’ for apps, not really a menu-bar replacement.
They wouldn’t put part of the menu bar on the OLED display. The menu bar is on the screen, and would have to stay there for consistency with the OS, since many other machines will not have an OLED display on their keyboard (yet). Plus, it makes no sense to put information that many users would want to glance at while they’re already looking at the display. Nobody would want to relocate their gaze down to the keyboard constantly just to see the time, battery levels, etc. The OLED display will be used as “buttons” and probably other neat features that we can’t even fathom right now. I saw a visual Siri indicator (like on an iPhone) on a photoshopped image once. That seems pretty feasible.
The repairing cost
If people were thinking like this we would still use floppy disks etc.
I actually love this concept – could be a really useful feature if ebmraced by developers and integrated properly into OS. Looking forward to WWDC with my fingers crossed that they will at least preview the new MacBook Pro if they’re not going to release it.
gimmicky… they just moved content from the screen to the keyboard. Will consume more battery at the same time.
“The slender OLED touchpad could put useful commands at your fingertip.”
Um, Function keys.
When I type I don’t look at the keyboard, only at the screen, so that’s not so good for people like me. But I guess without trying you can’t really judge.
I can’t see Apple moving or copying some menu bar items to this OLED strip. As others have commented, it’s inefficient to have to look down for information instead of it being right there. Since it makes even less sense to move all menu bar functions to that strip, the argument that moving not some functions there to reclaim screen real estate also doesn’t hold water.
I don’t even get the article’s claim that the Siri experience could be better with that strip. How would it be better than a popup? The article doesn’t say. I think Siri is best invoked with a keyboard combination – like Spotlight. This way, you can ask Siri questions without ever taking your hands off the keyboard or the screen – invoking it from that OLED strip would preclude that since it’s pretty hard to develop muscle memory using a flat surface.
I think the best use for this display would be application-specific functionality. That would seem to imply the need for app developer support. I guess many apps already supply keyboard shortcuts for important functions – perhaps those can be made buttons on the OLED display without app developers having to do anything? What to show on those button faces though – just the menu label for the shortcut? Seems boring
The only caveat that comes to mind is the possibilty of the oled burning traces of what it shows on the screen, to the screen. OLED tends to do that after extended periods of screen time. So always-on oled touch pad should be out of the question.
This touchpad could be very useful but wouldn’t this increase the already high price tag?.
I was comparing prices between US and Euro and the cheapest MacBook Pro costs 1156 euros in the US and the same model in Europe costs 1500 euros.
The difference almost makes it cheaper to buy a plane ticket and go to the US to buy it.
Im afraid I won’t be able to by another MacBook Pro or any other Apple computer soon.
It’s a laptop. Everything’s already at your fingertips.
I will reserve final judgment until I see it working, but I don’t see the benefit right now.