Touchscreen iMac Coming in 2010?

[Paul Daniel Ash]

With all the hype surrounding the still-unannounced Apple tablet over the past year, there have been a number of revelations about the company working on touch technology. Now, a report in the China Times, passed along by post on MacRumors, says Apple will launch a 22-inch touchscreen iMac this year. The China Times story relies on leaks from the Taiwan supply chain - which has been a hit-and-miss source for rumors - with companies such as Quanta, which would be the lead manufacturer for the computer, and Sintek Photronic, who would make the screens coming forward with details.

Apple has already begun making touch a part of its product lineup, with products like the Magic Mouse as well as the multitouch trackpads in MacBooks and the iPhone and iPod touch. The long-rumored tablet is said to use a new, complex multitouch vocabulary that was developed based on technology from FingerWorks, a company Apple acquired back in the beginning of 2005. Recent rumors have suggested enhanced multi-touch interfaces for the next-generation iPhone, here have also been a number of patents revealed over the last year that show Apple has been working on advanced touch technology for some time. And a recent report in the New York Times indicated that a multi-touch enabled version of Apple's iWork suite may be forthcoming soon, possibly in conjunction with the release of the tablet.

PCWorld notes a comment made by Apple CEO Steve Jobs in 2007 that may give some sense of the direction Apple may be moving in. In a talk with Bill Gates and The Wall Street Journal's personal technology columnist Walt Mossberg at the AllThingsD Conference in 2007, Jobs said:

This general purpose device is going to continue to be with us and morph with us, whether it's a tablet or a notebook or, you know, a big curved desktop that you have at your house or whatever it might be.

Could the "big curved desktop" be this new rumored iMac? It would be just like Jobs to take an already-hyped announcement like the tablet debut supposedly coming later this month, and top it with his usual "oh, and one more thing..." tagline.

image via MyService

[spazturtle]

Yay touchscreens just stick them on everything (exept tables wich is what microsoft did)

[ShadowDXDragon]

interesting.

And to spazturtle, that table is sick.

[Devilish4eveR]

I don't see myself having "use" for a touch screen iMac.

The 27" iMac would do just fine. Would be fun and interesting to c and interact with a 22" touch screen iMac though. Whether it comes or not, I'll certainly try it out, but won't buy one...

What's next? 3D holographic laser projected TOUCH computers? hahaha.... I wouldn't be surprised...

[computid]

Hmm, ive got a friend who played at an iTunes event a way back and even then he was shown G5 iMacs with touch screens at Cupertino labs so its certainly been in the works. I think it would be a bad move by Apple though, It would certainly cause RSI and if not that then at least severe arm ache. They would be better with a touch screen table top surface, But that's just me.

[Melech518]

I just wish Apple would dive into merchant solutions already. I would love to have a few of those mobile terminals they are using in the Apple stores, and even iMac Registers....

[ty22]

I don't see how this would make sense.

[deedeedee]

"3D holographic laser projected TOUCH computers"
I think I will use it to watch porn. Hahaa...

[tudtran]

Yeah. It's about time cause Sony and HP got the touchscreen pc for coupe of years.

[rhekt]

i think i'd soil my pants in both directions

[tudtran]

The new CTU is using Apple computer.

[steve-z17]

A story made from "leaks".....hmmm. I'd be constantly cleaning the screen if I were touching it all day, it would bug me too much.

[rwin84]

I have a hard enough time keepin my daughters jam hands off my $h!t now... if she saw me pokin my own comp it would be all downhill

[rhekt]

The new CTU is using Apple computer.

24? they've been using apple since last season and the season before, im pretty sure.