On Jan 15, 2008, at 5:30 PM, pauric wrote:

> I'm not so sure, nor that they are even innovating technology.
> Stunningly thinner is not innovation, its natural progress.  The
> multitouch pad is innovative, but thats not why people are going to
> buy this product imho.

Stunningly thinner is innovation. If it weren't everyone else would  
be doing it as well all of the time.

On the other hand, the multi-touch trackpad is not quite that  
innovative as implemented in Air. It's the same trackpad on the  
current laptop from what I can tell but with new gestures added to  
map to more existing keyboard shortcuts in an attempt to create  
cohesion with the innovation of the multi-touch display interface on  
the iPhone. And it's a damn smart move and creates a product family  
feel to the Apple product line.

Notice how when "resizing fonts" in Safari in the Air demo using the  
trackpad pinch gesture, it's the equivalent of hitting Cmd + or Cmd -  
and it's not dynamically scaling the display like it does on the  
iPhone. The gesture also is not track in quite the same way as the  
iPhone either. They are just mapping more gesture interactions as  
defined with the iPhone with existing keyboard shortcuts for existing  
software, and that's a good idea because the MacBook Air is supposed  
to be best used without a bunch of stuff attached to it. The wireless  
on the go type of stuff.

Sure, the gestures are disconnected from the display on the Air,  
unlike the iPhone, but the gestures are incredibly helpful in making  
the laptop require less mouse interaction for all purpose actions.  
That's a good thing and furthers the goal of making the Air a  
wireless laptop that doesn't need a lot of stuff attached to it for  
on the go type of computing.

> To me, at a general level; UCD is about understanding needs, technical
> innovation is about creating new markets, mostly...

If UCD is about things other than the user, why on earth is the term  
called "user centered?"

-- 
Andrei Herasimchuk

Principal, Involution Studios
innovating the digital world

e. [EMAIL PROTECTED]
c. +1 408 306 6422


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