Re:The Chair
by blub on Friday March 04, 2011 @06:10AM
(#2287685)
First of all, the modern desktop OS is patterned after the work of Xerox PARC.
Second of all, that form factor was used before Apple introduced the Powerbook.
Last but not least, best phone doesn't equal slab of touch-sensitive glass that drops calls when you hold it wrong. Touch screens in general aren't a great fit when it comes to phone use. If we're talking phones, models like the Nokia E52 beat the pants off of any touch model.
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Can you find an example of a pre-PowerBook laptop that has a form factor with these traits?
* Clamshell with hinge at the back of the case, not in the middle.
* Keyboard at the back of the case.
* Blank area in front of the keyboard to rest your wrists.
* Pointing device centered in this blank area, with mouse buttons below pointer.
The items you have enumerated are not essential to the form factor in my opinion.
Depending on how deep you go into details you certanily can't find any other laptops because you're describing an exact copy of the PowerBook.
In this case I believe that crediting Apple for setting the bar on what a graphical user interface for a personal computer should look like is accurate. While they did borrow heavily from Xerox PARC and certainly didn't invent the dekstop, Apple put a compelling product in front of the masses.