New Delhi: Even before Microsoft released its ‘ultimate laptop’ - the Surface Book, Apple had already conceptualised the idea of a similar device that merged a touchscreen with the functionality of laptop.
In a patent filing, dated 2011, the Cupertino, California giant imagined what an iPad and MacBook combo would be like.
One of the elements of Microsoft’s latest machine is its detachability. A similar element has been described in the Apple Wireless Display for Hybrid Notebook patent that has now been awarded to Apple, PatentlyApple reports.
The patent further describes a laptop-like device with a keyboard dock and a display that with a retractable magnetic mechanism.
The purported device contains wireless chips that help the display communicate with the keyboard and a separate wireless chip connects to the power source.
Although the patent has been awarded only this week, it was filed at a time when Apple was successfully selling iPads.
A separate patent by Apple received this week describes a portable keyboard that would feature 3D Touch functionality- a feature introduced in the latest iPhone 6s and 6s Plus.
While patents denote a company’s interest in a particular technology, it doesn’t necessarily result in a final product. Nonetheless, the idea of a Microsoft Surface Book-like Apple device with wireless display and a possible 3D Touch-enabled keyboard does seem enticing.
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