When Apple bought multitouch maestros FingerWorks for their talent (and patents, 'natch), they kept FingerWorks.com and all it's old product photos and pictures online and intact. No longer, according to MacRumors:
The removal seems to correspond with the impending announcement of an Apple tablet later this month. One possible explanation is that Apple will finally be implementing many of the same advanced multi-touch keyboard gestures that were originally pioneered by Fingerworks.
And, again to speculate widely, a possibly closely aligned iPhone 4.0, since Apple has proven over and over again that they're very good at leveraging technology developed for one platform to another.
Reader comments
Apple Offlines FingerWorks.com on Eve of iTablet and... iPhone 4.0?
First!!!
Things become clearer and clearer. The first full-featured portable computer designed to be used without a keyboard. Watch this space.
Maybe they just now got around to shutting down the website and it means nothing.
I hope your right about it being full featured Lady Kaede
Weren't there a few people on here last year pointing out that it couldn't possibly have enough power to be a full-featured Mac... plus the fact that a 10" interface would be too small and more difficult to use desktop software?
That should've read:
"... would be too small and more difficult to use desktop software with fingers?
@fastlane
"plus the fact that a 10" interface would be too small and more difficult to use desktop software?"
The is the whole point of the fingerworks acquisition -- a 10" interface is too small to use desktop software effectively...
...unless you have a new UI metaphor (say, complex, multilevel gestures) that fits that form factor better than a traditional keyboard-and-mouse would.
I really hope iPhone 4.0 is announced. I'm dying for some change!
4.0 want already
lets go 4.0!!!
I'm so excited, I think I pee'd a little.
How would this effect 4.0. What do people want with 4.0 anyway? I just want flash in my browser. Anything else would be a plus
Eh and people want stupid multitasking.
Hey fastlane, I thiink everyone should add with fingers to the end of their posts; it would make this thread a lot more interesting...with fingers!!!!
I think the removal has more to do with the fact that people kept linking to the website increasingly as the speculation about the tablet has been ramping up. Theoretically the website had been up because Fingerworks had sold a number of units requiring support before the company was purchased by Apple; however, that was years ago.
I want a MacBook Wheel - everything is only a few thousand clicks away
If they DO put Flash anywhere on these things, there better be a way to remove it!
I need my phone secure and functional. Not bogged down with security holes.
I don't understand why people want flash... With fingers
I agree with Elric, Flash would be a mistake. I used to want flash but realized it would cause more problems than it would solve. Security is A big issue. Also I like the iPhones clean smooth functional interface. The only flash I have seen is buggy and mediocre. Even sites that use it heavily suffer to some extent with lack of polish. with fingers
I must be showing my age here - I remember the days when people bought a device and they owned it. They could do what they wanted with their purchased products, and bear the consequences. I find it sad that now people now debate what levels Apple should allow them to do with their own private property, meekly accepting as a given that somebody else has the right to dictate what legal things we can do with our legal property. "Protect us from being able to make our own choices. It is just too hard to think -- please relieve me of the responsibility, Mr Corporation!"
How easily we trade freedom, consumer or otherwise, for shortcuts and conveniences.
Pathetic.
@Dev well put
And currently, not even 15 years later, we have a tendency to apprehend, soon enough, you¡¦ll carry around access to nearly each book ever created, nearly each bit of data generated by anyone else on a computer.