Rei, the Sony keyboard was just the first image I found of a keyboard with, as you put it, “chickley keys”.
The “blatent copy” consists of making a keyboard with those keys, out of brushed aluminum.
If you don’t think the chiclet aspect of the keys is what’s special, then what exactly makes the apple keyboard special? There’s just not that much going on there, dude.
FYI, it’s “chiclet” because they look like Chiclets:
I think your last sentence may be rei’s sticking point.
Apple products, especially those this post is accusing HP’s of aping, have a sort of aesthetic simplicity and industrial design that is very much “theirs.” I’d love to say that it’s also deeply generic, but a lot of keyboard/mouse/computer manufacturers have a bizarre love of adding “shit” to their designs.
It’s tough to find a keyboard that predates the Apple wireless model here that features absolute simplicity of design, white on metal coloration, a “rounded” look, no significant “extra parts” or logos or designs, etc.
I’m not saying it’s impossible to do so, although if Apple decides to sue I’m sure they will.
In essence, yeah, keyboards are pretty simple, but Apple does have a decent lock on making them look that way.
I’m not sure what you’re hoping to prove by showing the top of Apple’s trackpad and the bottom of HP’s.
I think this story has taken on a new life thanks to the feud it’s ignited between The Verge (Joshua Topolsky) and Daring Fireball (John Gruber) / Marco Arment. The latter call out the big gadget blogs for not pointing out the similarity, the former defend their “journalistic” practices (quotes provided for those who don’t consider blogging journalism).
Well, you can tell from that pic of HP’s touchpad that it’s profile from the side is nothing like Apple’s.
Which is Apple and which is HP?
In a universe where things can only be viewed from a single perspective in low resolution images, Apple would have quite a strong case!
That’s a really strange blog.
Chiclet keyboards go back at least to the Sinclair ZX Spectrum from 1982. The IBM PC Jr. is another famous use. Aluminum was first produced in 1825. Rectangles date back at least as far as 1975. But wait! Rei’s got insults. Now I’m convinced.
Seriously? Dates anyone first used a component disprove copying?
I’m someone that isn’t all that impressed by Apple’s industrial design, and I think their Samsung lawsuit was silly, but if you can’t see how Apple’s keyboard and pad HUGELY influenced the design of HP’s all-in-one accessories, I don’t know what else to say. HP is so obviously aping Apple’s look.
Either way, it’s not a big deal. I’m pretty sure Apple will change their design soon enough while HP’s Spectre One will be a long forgotten joke.
Sigh. Sometimes I really wish Qt3 had “likes”. You’d get one for that post Telefrog for saying what I was just about to.
@nixon66: Yup. +1.
I can’t say I’m sure that HP copied Apple, but either HP copied Apple or both HP and Apple copied someone else. Either way, there’s a whole lot of copying going on.
The perplexing thing here is that I have no idea why anyone would want to copy the iMac keyboard. It’s horrible. The keys feel terrible. The layout has lots of laptop-isms (half height cursor keys, no keypad, ugh) which are entirely unnecessary for a desktop machine.
form over function
Well, it is an apple so this goes without saying…
And yet it’s the best out of the bluetooth keyboards.
The best for an ipad keyboard. Not really the same use case.
Granted, the Apple keyboard is rated as “best for typing”, and does score 1/10 of a point higher.
This thread made me suddenly nostalgic for the 1999 eMachines eOne.