"The more I find out, the less I know."
|
Weather at the Frozen North
This is my personal blog. My professional blog is The Customer Service Survey I've written a book called Gourmet Customer Service. You can buy it on Amazon. (in)Frequently Asked Questions AIM Screen Name: DFNfrozenNorth
Categories
Statistics
Last Updated: Aug 07, 2008 03:29 PM
|
Wednesday - May 11, 2005 at 09:54 AM inOh, the irony!
The Mac rumor sites are all abuzz today with the news that Apple has filed a design patent for a tablet computer. Of course this might not mean anything, since Apple has filed design patents for nonexistent products in the past.
In fact, the simple fact that this became public information might be seen as a sign that Apple has no intention of ever releasing such a product, given the company's obsession with keeping new products secret.
But suppose it is true, and that Apple releases a tablet computer which becomes a smash success. Just as the iPod wasn't the first MP3 player, merely the first one to go mainstream, a tablet Mac wouldn't be the first tablet computer. Microsoft has been pushing the idea for years, and it landed on the marketplace with a dull thud. Wouldn't it be ironic if Apple became the company which takes others' good ideas, tweaks them into commercially viable products, and turns them into huge commercial successes? Doubly ironic if the good idea Apple made successful turned out to be Microsoft's. [Aside: This is a design patent, not a technology patent. A design patent basically protects the physical look and feel of a product, as opposed to the functionality or underlying technology. A design patent is really more like a copyright for physical objects than a traditional patent.] Posted at 09:54 AM | Permalink | | | |