New details emerged Friday on Apple’s apparent plans to offer a touchscreen iMac. The Cupertino, Calif. company reportedly is testing samples of capacitive touch panels for a lighter and thinner desktop model with at least a 20-inch screen. The report that Apple is still considering touch panel designs may indicate a new iMac will not appear before 2011.
“The new iMac is rumored to have a good vertical and horizontal viewing angle, and its projected capacitive touch panel will adopt a one-glass solution, which integrates the touch sensor and cover glass, to reduce thickness and weight,” according to Taiwan-based industry publication DigiTimes. Apple’s tests involve samples from Sintek Photronics, which the report suggests “has a good chance” of becoming the supplier for the new iMac models.
Last week, we reported on a patent design for the iMac’s new ergonomic design, which includes the ability to swivel for better touchscreen access. An accelerometer would detect the screen’s orientation, permitting OS X when vertical and iOS when horizontal.
