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84-539: Touchpads operate in several ways, including capacitive sensing or resistive touchscreen . The most common technology used in the 2010s senses the change of capacitance where a finger touches the pad. Capacitance-based touchpads will not sense the tip of a pencil or other similar ungrounded or non-conducting implements. Fingers insulated by a glove may also be problematic, and capacitive touchpads are rarely used as pointing devices for medical hardware. Like touchscreens, touchpads sense absolute position but their resolution

168-511: A digital signal processor (DSP). Capacitive sensing is commonly used for mobile multi-touch displays, popularized by Apple 's iPhone in 2007. Capacitive sensors are constructed from many different media, such as copper, indium tin oxide (ITO) and printed ink. Copper capacitive sensors can be implemented on standard FR4 PCBs as well as on flexible material. ITO allows the capacitive sensor to be up to 90% transparent (for one layer solutions, such as touch phone screens). Size and spacing of

252-446: A square wave ). For an example capacitive sense IC, Texas Instruments 's FDC1004 applies a 25-kHz step waveform to charge up an electrode, and after a defined amount of time, converts the analog voltage representing that charge into a digital value of capacitance using a built-in analog-to-digital converter (ADC). The design of a simple capacitance meter is often based on a relaxation oscillator . The capacitance to be sensed forms

336-532: A "trackpad"; it replaced the trackball of previous PowerBook models. Since 2008, Apple's revisions of the MacBook and MacBook Pro incorporated a "Tactile Touchpad" design with a button integrated into the tracking surface (the lower part of the touchpad surface acts as a clickable button). Another early adopter of the GlidePoint pointing device was Sharp. Later, Synaptics introduced their touchpad into

420-512: A 117 MHz PPC, 32 MB of onboard RAM , and a hot-swappable drive bay . With all of these features, though, the 5300ce was quite ahead of other laptop models at the time. Multiple problems with reliability, stability and safety (by some, the model was referred as the "HindenBook" because the lithium ion batteries used actually burst into flame in Apple tests, necessitating a recall and downgrade to nickel metal hydride batteries ) were present in

504-561: A capacitance bridge configuration , similar to a Wheatstone bridge . The capacitance bridge helps to compensate for any variability that may exist in the applied signal. While not specific to capacitive sensing, charge transfer uses a switched capacitor network to accumulate charge onto an integrating capacitor over a series of discrete steps, to produce an accurate sum of all the individual charge contributors. Delta-sigma modulation can also measure capacitance instead of voltage. The primary source of error in capacitance measurements

588-399: A capacitance sensing system requires first picking the type of sensing material (FR4, Flex, ITO, etc.). One also needs to understand the environment the device will operate in, such as the full operating temperature range, what radio frequencies are present and how the user will interact with the interface. There are two types of capacitive sensing systems: In both cases, the difference of

672-469: A capacitive divider (a voltage divider that uses capacitors instead of resistors). This consists of two capacitors in series, one of a known value and the other of an unknown value. An output signal is then taken from across one of the capacitors. The value of the unknown capacitor can be found from the ratio of capacitances, which equals the ratio of the output/input signal amplitudes, as could be measured by an AC voltmeter. More accurate instruments may use

756-462: A fire hazard. Approximately 128,000 defective units were sold. Though the problems first appeared to be solved, they continued for many users. In early August 2006, Engadget reported that a PowerBook had "violently exploded" because of faulty battery. On August 24, 2006, Apple and the CPSC announced an additional recall of more batteries for the same PowerBook models. About 1.1 million battery packs in

840-446: A flat surface near the machine. The touchpad is close to the keyboard, and relatively short finger movements are required to move the cursor across the display screen; while advantageous, this also makes it possible for a user's palm or wrist to move the mouse cursor accidentally while typing. Laptops today feature multitouch touchpads that can sense in some cases up to five fingers simultaneously, providing more options for input, such as

924-410: A future upgrade was promised from the start. This came in 1995, as an Apple Motherboard containing a 100 MHz 603e processor and 8 MB of RAM (which snapped into a slot containing the previous 25 or 33 MHz 68040 processor and the 4 MB of RAM on the previous daughterboard). At the same time Newer Technology offered an Apple-authorized 117 MHz Motherboard, which was more popular than

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1008-761: A general-purpose PowerBook; the PowerBook 2400 , intended as a slim, sleek sub-notebook to replace the PowerBook Duo; and the luxury model PowerBook 3400 . The PowerBook 1400 and 3400 were the first PowerBooks ever to include an internal CD drive. Late in 1997, the PowerBook 3400 was adapted into the first PowerBook G3, codenamed the Kanga. This series was the last PowerBook model to employ a "real" keyboard with 1 cm high keys; all later models have flat keys. The first PowerBook G3 Series (completely redesigned from

1092-399: A human finger, touches the uncoated surface, a capacitor is dynamically formed. Because of the sheet resistance of the surface, each corner is measured to have a different effective capacitance. The sensor's controller can determine the location of the touch indirectly from the change in the capacitance as measured from the four corners of the panel: the larger the change in capacitance,

1176-451: A human finger. PowerBook The PowerBook (known as Macintosh PowerBook before 1997) is a family of Macintosh laptop computers designed, manufactured and sold by Apple Computer from 1991 to 2006. It was targeted at the professional market; in 1999, the line was supplemented by the home and education-focused iBook family. During its lifetime, the PowerBook went through several major revisions and redesigns, often being

1260-651: A longer battery life and had both USB and SCSI built in and was a New World ROM Mac, and then the "Pismo" in 2000, which replaced the single SCSI port with two FireWire ports, updated the PowerBook line to AGP graphics, a 100 MHz bus speed, and DVD-ROM optical drives standard, in addition to dropping the "G3" from the PowerBook name. The Pismo revision also brought AirPort wireless networking capability (802.11b), which had debuted in Apple's iBook in July 1999. CPU upgrade cards are available for both Lombard and Pismo models. Interim CEO Steve Jobs turned his eye to

1344-513: A longer battery life. On May 20, 2005, Apple and the Consumer Product Safety Commission announced the recall of some Apple PowerBook G4 batteries. These batteries were manufactured by Sony ; Dell , Toshiba , Lenovo , HP , Fujitsu and Acer laptops were also affected by the defective batteries. The joint Apple/CPSC press release stated that an internal short could cause the battery cells to overheat, posing

1428-462: A new feature that parks the drive heads when sudden motion is detected by an internal sensor. Support for the 30-inch Apple Cinema display was also introduced in the new 17-inch model and was optional in the 15-inch model via a build-to-order upgrade to the computer's video hardware. The SuperDrive now included DVD+R capability. In October 2005, the two higher-end PowerBooks were upgraded once again, with higher-resolution displays (1440 × 960 pixels on

1512-481: A portion of the oscillator's RC circuit or LC circuit . The capacitance can be calculated by measuring the charging time required to reach the threshold voltage (of the relaxation oscillator), or equivalently, by measuring the oscillator's frequency. Both of these are proportional to the RC (or LC) time constant of the oscillator circuit. Another measurement technique is to apply a fixed-frequency AC-voltage signal across

1596-403: A preceding absolute position from the present absolute position yields the relative motion of the object or finger during that time. The technologies are elaborated in the following section. In this basic technology, only one side of the insulator is coated with conductive material. A small voltage is applied to this layer, resulting in a uniform electrostatic field. When a conductor , such as

1680-423: A simple example of the above equation, if the charging current is constant and the starting voltage V ( t 0 ) {\displaystyle V(t_{0})} is 0 V, then the capacitance is simply the value of that constant current multiplied by the charging time duration ( t 1 − t 0 ) {\displaystyle (t_{1}-t_{0})} and divided by

1764-426: A small amount of water on the screen. Mutual capacitive sensors can provide a two-dimensional image of the changes in the electric field. Using this image, a range of applications have been proposed. Authenticating users, estimating the orientation of fingers touching the screen and differentiating between fingers and palms become possible. While capacitive sensors are used for the touchscreens of most smartphones,

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1848-401: A specific point on the pad, instead of moving it in the direction of a stroke. Laptops with touchpads were launched by Olivetti and Triumph-Adler in 1992. Cirque introduced the first widely available touchpad, branded as GlidePoint, in 1994. Apple introduced touchpads with modern placing in the PowerBook 500 series in 1994, using Cirque's GlidePoint technology, which Apple refers to as

1932-409: A stir in the industry with their compact dark grey cases, built-in trackball , and the innovative positioning of the keyboard that left room for palmrests on either side of the pointing device . Portable PC computers at the time were still oriented toward DOS, and tended to have the keyboard forward towards the user, with empty space behind it that was often used for function key reference cards . In

2016-408: A tap will execute a function, for example, pausing a media player or launching an application . All of these functions are implemented in the touchpad device driver software, and can be disabled. In 1980, Xerox offered one of the first, if not the first, touchpads on a computer system with their Xerox 860 , a word processing workstation aimed at medium- and large-sized businesses. Embedded on

2100-468: A year later, in 1983, the first battery-powered clamshell laptop, the Gavilan SC included a touchpad, which was mounted above its keyboard, rather than below, which became the norm. Psion 's MC 200/400/600/WORD Series , introduced in 1989, came with a new mouse-replacing input device similar to a touchpad, although more closely resembling a graphics tablet, as the cursor was positioned by clicking on

2184-400: Is stray capacitance , which if not guarded against, may fluctuate between roughly 10 pF and 10 nF. The stray capacitance can be held relatively constant by shielding the (high impedance) capacitance signal and then connecting the shield to (a low impedance) ground reference. Also, to minimize the unwanted effects of stray capacitance, it is good practice to locate the sensing electronics as near

2268-440: Is a technology, based on capacitive coupling , that can detect and measure anything that is conductive or has a dielectric constant different from air. Many types of sensors use capacitive sensing, including sensors to detect and measure proximity , pressure, position and displacement , force , humidity , fluid level , and acceleration . Human interface devices based on capacitive sensing, such as touchpads , can replace

2352-457: Is applied to the rows or columns. Bringing a finger or conductive stylus near the surface of the sensor changes the local electric field which reduces the mutual capacitance. The capacitance change at every individual point on the grid can be measured to accurately determine the touch location by measuring the voltage in the other axis. Mutual capacitance allows multi-touch operation where multiple fingers, palms or styli can be accurately tracked at

2436-490: Is limited by their size. For common use as a pointer device, the dragging motion of a finger is translated into a finer, relative motion of the cursor on the output to the display on the operating system, analogous to the handling of a mouse that is lifted and put back on a surface. Hardware buttons equivalent to a standard mouse's left and right buttons are sometimes positioned adjacent to the touchpad. Some touchpads and associated device driver software may interpret tapping

2520-520: Is typically measured indirectly, by using it to control the frequency of an oscillator, or to vary the level of coupling (or attenuation) of an AC signal. Basically the technique works by charging the unknown capacitance with a known current, since rearranging the current–voltage relation for a capacitor , I ( t ) = C d V ( t ) d t , {\displaystyle I(t)=C{\frac {\mathrm {d} V(t)}{\mathrm {d} t}}\,,} allows determining

2604-1043: Is wrapped around like a wheel. Creative Labs also uses a touchpad for their Zen line of MP3 players , beginning with the Zen Touch. The second-generation Microsoft Zune product line (the Zune 80/120 and Zune 4/8 ) uses touch for the Zune Pad . Touchpads also exist for desktop computers as an external peripheral, albeit rarely seen. But touchpad layer can be integrated with graphics tablet as additional input option. External computer keyboards can be equipped with integrated touchpads (particularly keyboards oriented for HTPC use), and some keyboards can have only touch input surface instead of hardware buttons (a typical solution for clean rooms). Optical trackpads primary can be used as part of ultraportable electronics; some handheld laptops and early smartphones can be equipped with optical trackpads. On September 9, 2024, Apple unveiled

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2688-430: The PowerBook 5300 (and the last Macintosh model to utilize a Motorola 68k -family processor). Like the 190, however, the 150 also used the 5300 IDE -based logic-board architecture. From the 100's 68000 processor, to the 190's 68LC040 processor, the 100 series PowerBooks span the entire Apple 68K line, with the 190 even upgradable to a PowerPC processor. In 1992, Apple released a hybrid portable/desktop computer,

2772-647: The PowerBook Duo , continuing to streamline the subnotebook features introduced with the PowerBook 100. The Duos were a series of very thin and lightweight laptops with a minimum of features, which could be inserted into a docking station to provide the system with extra video memory , storage space , connectors , and could be connected to a monitor . 1994 saw the introduction of the Motorola 68LC040 -based PowerBook 500 series, code-named Blackbird. These models of PowerBooks were much sleeker and faster than

2856-511: The capacitance . When a virtual ground , such as a finger, is placed over one of the intersections between the conductive layer some of the electrical field is shunted to this ground point, resulting in a change in the apparent capacitance at that location. This method received U.S. patent 5,305,017 awarded to George Gerpheide in April 1994. The capacitive shunt method, described in an application note by manufacturer Analog Devices , senses

2940-466: The computer mouse . Digital audio players , mobile phones , and tablet computers will sometimes use capacitive sensing touchscreens as input devices. Capacitive sensors can also replace mechanical buttons. A capacitive touchscreen typically consists of a capacitive touch sensor along with at least two complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor ( CMOS ) integrated circuit (IC) chips, an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) controller and

3024-491: The iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus , iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max to feature the single one-dimensional trackpad next to the side button called "Camera Control" which allows the users to take an easier way to take a photos and videos, the force sensor to distinguish between the firm press and the light press and the capacitance touch sensor to distinguish sliding with finger for adjusting the zoom, exposure or depth-of-field. There are two principal means by which touchpads work:

3108-457: The " WallStreet/Mainstreet " series composed of models with varying features, such as different processing speeds (from 233 to 300 MHz) and the choice of 12-, 13-, or 14-inch screens. They all included dual drive bays capable of accommodating floppy drives, CD-ROM/ DVD -ROM drives, hard drives, or even extra batteries. A second PowerBook G3 Series code-named " PDQ " was introduced later in 1998, with minor changes in configuration options, notably

3192-475: The 100 series, which they replaced as the mid and high-end models. The 500 series featured DSTN (520) or active-matrix LCD displays (540 and 550), stereo speakers, and was the first computer to use a trackpad (although a similar technology had been included on the pioneering Gavilan SC 11 years earlier); it was also the first portable computer to offer built-in Ethernet networking. The PowerBook 500 series

3276-516: The 13-inch MacBook Pro, was introduced in mid 2009. Traditionally, the portable line trailed the desktops in the utilization of the latest processors, with the notable exception of the PowerBook G3, which was released simultaneously with the desktop Power Macintosh G3. PowerBooks would continue to trail behind the desktop Macs, however, never even adopting the G5 processor. This was due primarily to

3360-522: The 15-inch model, and 1680 × 1050 pixels on the 17-inch model) and faster 533 MHz DDR2 (PC2-4200) memory. The SuperDrive became standard equipment and included support for dual-layer DVDs on the 15- and 17-inch models. The 17-inch model was updated with a 120 GB standard hard drive, as well as a 7200 rpm, 100 GB build-to-order option. These drives were also options on the 15-inch PowerBook. The 12-inch model with SuperDrive remained unchanged in this respect, although each new PowerBook boasted

3444-420: The 17-inch PowerBook G4 was replaced by a 17-inch MacBook Pro variant. The 12-inch PowerBook G4 remained available until May 16, 2006, when the MacBook was introduced as a replacement for the iBook. Because of its availability in highly powerful configurations, it was also considered a replacement for the 12-inch PowerBook, ending the nearly 15-year production of PowerBook-branded computers. An indirect successor,

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3528-416: The Apple product, and optionally came without any RAM. The company later offered 167 MHz and 183 MHz upgrades containing more memory and onboard cache memory to improve performance. Nonetheless, the internal architecture of the 500 series meant that the speed increase provided by the 100 and 117 MHz upgrades was, for most users, relatively small. The 500 series was completely discontinued upon

3612-562: The Kanga) was released in 1998, although it was still an Old World ROM Mac. These new PowerBooks took design cues from the 500 series PowerBook, sporting dramatic curves and a jet-black plastic case. They were so fashionable that various G3 models became the personal computer of Carrie Bradshaw in the long-running Sex and the City television show. Debuting at roughly the same time as the G3 iMac ,

3696-474: The Mac press. In 1993, the PowerBook 165c was the first PowerBook with a color screen, later followed by the 180c . In 1994, the last true member of the 100-series form factor introduced was the PowerBook 150 , targeted at value-minded consumers and students. The PowerBook 190 , released in 1995, bears no resemblance to the rest of the PowerBook 100 series, and is in fact simply a Motorola 68LC040 -based version of

3780-528: The United States were recalled; an additional 700,000 were sold outside the U.S. At the 2006 Macworld Conference & Expo , the MacBook Pro was introduced. The new notebooks, however, only came in 15.4-inch models and the 12-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks remained available for sale at Apple stores and retailers, as well as the 15-inch model, which was sold until supplies ran out. On April 24, 2006

3864-506: The Xerox 860's keyboard, to the right of the keys, is the circular touchpad, which Xerox dubbed the "Cat" (short for capacitance-activated transducer ). Xerox offered the Cat as an alternative input method for selecting strings of text to copy, delete, insert, or move around the document. By 1982, Apollo desktop computers were equipped with a touchpad on the right side of the keyboard. Introduced

3948-518: The ability to bring up the context menu by tapping two fingers, dragging two fingers for scrolling, or gestures for zoom in/out or rotate. The touchpads with physical buttons now are only hi-end business/professional laptops option. One-dimensional touchpads are the primary control interface for menu navigation on iPod Classic portable music players and additional input method on some Wacom digitizer tablets, where they are referred to as "click wheels", since they only sense motion along one axis, which

4032-452: The brightness of the backlit keyboard and the display according to the light level. The 12-inch PowerBook's screen did not use the same panel as that used on the 12-inch iBook , while the 17-inch PowerBook used the same screen as that used on the 17-inch flat-panel iMac , but with a thinner backlight. Later in 2003, the 15-inch PowerBooks were redesigned and featured the same aluminum body style as their smaller and larger siblings, and with

4116-870: The capacitance from the instantaneous current divided by the rate of change of voltage across the capacitor: C = I ( t ) d V ( t ) d t . {\displaystyle C={\frac {I(t)}{\frac {\mathrm {d} V(t)}{\mathrm {d} t}}}\,.} That can be integrated over a charging time period from t 0 {\displaystyle t_{0}} to t 1 {\displaystyle t_{1}} to be expressed in integral form as: C = ∫ t 0 t 1 I ( t ) d t V ( t 1 ) − V ( t 0 ) . {\displaystyle C={\frac {\int _{t_{0}}^{t_{1}}I(t)\,\mathrm {d} t}{V(t_{1})-V(t_{0})}}\,.} For

4200-415: The capacitive image is typically not exposed to the application layer. Power supplies with a high level of electronic noise can reduce accuracy. Many stylus designs for resistive touchscreens will not register on capacitive sensors because they are not conductive. Styluses that work on capacitive touchscreens primarily designed for fingers are required to simulate the difference in dielectric offered by

4284-456: The capacitive sensor are both very important to the sensor's performance. In addition to the size of the sensor, and its spacing relative to the ground plane , the type of ground plane used is very important. Since the parasitic capacitance of the sensor is related to the electric field 's (E-field) path to ground, it is important to choose a ground plane that limits the concentration of E-field lines with no conductive object present. Designing

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4368-611: The change in capacitance between a transmitter and receiver that are on opposite sides of the sensor. The transmitter creates an electric field which oscillates at 200–300 kHz. If a ground point, such as the finger, is placed between the transmitter and receiver, some of the field lines are shunted away, decreasing the apparent capacitance. Trackpads such as those found in some Blackberry smartphones work optically, like an optical computer mouse . Major manufacturers include: Capacitive sensing In electrical engineering , capacitive sensing (sometimes capacitance sensing )

4452-469: The closer the touch is to that corner. With no moving parts, it is moderately durable, but has low resolution, is prone to false signals from parasitic capacitive coupling , and needs calibration during manufacture. Therefore, it is most often used in simple applications such as industrial controls and interactive kiosks . Projected capacitance touch (PCT) technology is a capacitive technology which allows more accurate and flexible operation, by etching

4536-566: The conductive layer. An X-Y grid is formed either by etching one layer to form a grid pattern of electrodes , or by etching two separate, parallel layers of conductive material with perpendicular lines or tracks to form the grid; comparable to the pixel grid found in many liquid crystal displays (LCD). The greater resolution of PCT allows operation with no direct contact, such that the conducting layers can be coated with further protective insulating layers, and operate even under screen protectors, or behind weather and vandal-proof glass. Because

4620-399: The early 5300s. After Apple offered an Extended Repair Program, the series turned into a remarkably attractive machine, but never lost its bad reputation. The bad publicity of 5300 series added to the woes of "beleaguered Apple" during the mid-1990s. Apple recovered from the 5300 debacle in 1996 and 1997 by introducing three new PowerBooks: the PowerBook 1400 , intended to replace the 5300 as

4704-415: The early days of Microsoft Windows , many notebook computers came with a clip on trackball that fit on the edge of the keyboard molding. As usage of DOS gave way to the graphical user interface , the PowerBook's arrangement became the standard layout all future notebooks would follow. The PowerBook 140 and 170 were the original PowerBook designs, while the PowerBook 100 was the result of Apple having sent

4788-531: The final voltage V ( t 1 ) . {\displaystyle V(t_{1})\,.} Either this charging time or voltage can be a predetermined constant. For instance, if measuring after a constant amount of time, then the capacitance can be determined using only the final voltage. Alternatively if using a fixed threshold voltage, then instead only need to measure the charging time duration to reach that voltage threshold. This step response measurement can be continually repeated (e.g. by using

4872-475: The first to incorporate features that would later become standard in competing laptops. The PowerBook was replaced by the MacBook Pro in 2006 as part of the Mac transition to Intel processors . In October 1991, Apple released the first three PowerBooks: the low-end PowerBook 100 , the more powerful PowerBook 140 , and the high end PowerBook 170 , the only one with an active matrix display. These machines caused

4956-420: The inclusion of L2 cache in even the lowest-priced 233 MHz model, which helped overall performance. Apple introduced two later G3 PowerBook models, similar in appearance (curved, black plastic case with black rubberized sections) but thinner, lighter and with revised internal systems. The "Lombard" appeared in 1999, (AKA: Bronze Keyboard) a thinner, lighter, and faster (333 or 400 MHz) PowerBook with

5040-480: The introduction of its replacement the PPC-based PowerBook 5300, with the PowerBook 190 replacing the 500 as the only 68LC040 PowerBook Apple offered. The PowerBook 5300 , while highly anticipated as one of the first PowerPC -based PowerBooks (along with the PowerBook Duo 2300c, both released on the same day), had numerous problems. In its 5300ce incarnation with a TFT of 800×600 pixels, Apple offered

5124-503: The largest-screen laptop in the world and Apple's smallest full-featured notebook computer. Both machines were made of anodized aluminum (coining the new nickname AlBook ), featured DVD-burning capabilities, AirPort Extreme networking, Bluetooth , and 12.1-inch or 17-inch LCD displays. The 17-inch model included a fiber optic -illuminated keyboard, which eventually became standard on all 15-inch and 17-inch PowerBooks. Two ambient light sensors, located under each speaker grille, adjusted

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5208-550: The low power consumption of the PowerPC it outlasted them by hours. The TiBooks , as they were nicknamed, became a fashion item. They were especially popular in the entertainment business, where they adorned many desks in Hollywood motion pictures. Because of their large screens and high performance, Titanium Powerbooks were the first laptops to be widely deployed as desktop replacement computers. The industrial design of

5292-441: The lower specification 15-inch model and the 12-inch unit saw an increase in speed to 1.5 GHz. Optical audio output was added to the 17-inch version. Memory and hard drive defaults were increased to 512 MB and 5400 rpm , respectively, with a new storage maximum of 100 GB on the 17-inch model. Each model also received an enhanced trackpad with scrolling capabilities, a revised Bluetooth module supporting BT 2.0+EDR, and

5376-456: The majority of the PowerBook's features. Apple was unable to ship a 68040-equipped PowerBook until the PowerBook 500 series in 1994. The original PowerBook 100, 140, and 170 were replaced by the 145 (updated to the 145B in 1993), 160 , and 180 in 1992. The 160 and 180 have video output, allowing them to drive an external monitor. In addition, the PowerBook 180 had a superb-for-the-time active-matrix grayscale display, making it popular with

5460-475: The marketplace, branded the TouchPad, and Epson was an early adopter of this product with their ActionNote . As touchpads began to be introduced in laptops in the 1990s, there was often confusion as to what the product should be called. No consistent term was used, and references varied, such as: glidepoint, touch sensitive input device, touchpad, trackpad, and pointing device. Users were often presented with

5544-406: The matrix approach and the capacitive shunt method. In the matrix approach, a series of conductors are arranged in an array of parallel lines in two layers, separated by an insulator and crossing each other at right angles to form a grid. A high frequency signal is applied sequentially between pairs in this two-dimensional grid array. The current that passes between the nodes is proportional to

5628-402: The notebooks quickly became a standard that others in the industry would follow, creating a new wave of wide-screened notebook computers. The Titanium PowerBooks were released in configurations of 400 MHz, 500 MHz, 550 MHz, 667 MHz, 800 MHz, 867 MHz, and 1 GHz. They are the last PowerBooks able to boot Mac OS 9 natively. In 2003, Apple Computer launched both

5712-438: The object, drags without releasing pressure, and lets go when done. Touchpad drivers can also allow the use of multiple fingers to emulate the other mouse buttons (commonly two-finger tapping for right click). Touchpads are called clickpads if they rely on software buttons rather than physical buttons. Physically the whole clickpad formed a button, logically the driver interprets a click as a left or right button click depending on

5796-484: The official corporate look, they also adopted a raised series of ridges mimicking the indented lines on the desktops. The innovative look not only unified their entire product line, but set Apple apart in the marketplace. These early series would be the last to utilize the aging Snow White look, with the 190 adopting a new look along with the introduction of the 500 series. The first series of PowerBooks were hugely successful, capturing 40% of all laptop sales. Despite this,

5880-470: The option to purchase a pointing stick , touchpad, or trackball . Combinations of the devices were common, though touchpads and trackballs were rarely included together. Since the early 2000s, touchpads have become the dominant laptop pointing device as most consumer laptops produced during this period and beyond includes only touchpads, displacing the pointing stick. Touchpads are primarily used in self-contained portable laptop computers and do not require

5964-567: The original team left to work at Compaq , setting back updated versions for some time. When attempting to increase processing power, Apple was hampered by the overheating problems of the 68040 ; this resulted in the 100-series PowerBook being stuck with the aging 68030 , which could not compete with newer-generation Intel 80486 -based PC laptops introduced in 1994. For several years, new PowerBook and PowerBook Duo computers were introduced that featured incremental improvements, including color screens, but by mid-decade, most other companies had copied

6048-424: The pad as a mouse click , and a tap followed by a continuous pointing motion (a "click-and-a-half") can indicate dragging. Tactile touchpads allow for clicking and dragging by incorporating button functionality into the surface of the touchpad itself. To select, one presses down on the touchpad instead of a physical button. To drag, instead of performing the "click-and-a-half" technique, the user presses down while on

6132-521: The panel surface can interfere with the performance. Such conductive smudges come mostly from sticky or sweaty finger tips, especially in high humidity environments. Collected dust, which adheres to the screen because of moisture from fingertips can also be a problem. There are two types of PCT: self capacitance, and mutual capacitance. Mutual capacitive sensors have a capacitor at each intersection of each row and each column. A 12-by-16 array, for example, would have 192 independent capacitors. A voltage

6216-462: The placement of fingers. Some touchpads have "hotspots", locations on the touchpad used for functionality beyond a mouse. For example, on certain touchpads, moving the finger along an edge of the touch pad will act as a scroll wheel , controlling the scrollbar and scrolling the window that has the focus , vertically or horizontally. Many touchpads use two-finger dragging for scrolling . Also, some touchpad drivers support tap zones, regions where

6300-412: The purpose. One can even make a capacitive stylus by wrapping conductive material, such as anti-static conductive film, around a standard stylus or by rolling the film into a tube. Until recently, capacitive touchscreens were more expensive to manufacture than resistive touchscreens . Not any more (see touchscreen#Construction ). Some cannot be used with gloves and can fail to sense correctly with even

6384-532: The redesign of the PowerBook series in 2000. The result, introduced in January 2001, was a completely re-designed New World PowerBook with a titanium skin and a 15.2-inch wide-aspect screen suitable for watching widescreen movies. Built with the PowerPC G4 processor, it was billed as "the first supercomputer you can actually take with you on an airplane." It was lighter than most PC based laptops, and due to

6468-495: The rest of the Apple desktop products utilizing the corporate Snow White design language incorporated into all product designs since 1986. Unlike the Macintosh Portable, however, which was essentially a battery-powered desktop in weight and size, the light colors and decorative recessed lines did not seem appropriate for the scaled-down designs. In addition to adopting the darker grey colour scheme that coordinated with

6552-564: The same feature set as the 17-inch model (including the backlit keyboard). This basic design would carry through the transition to the Intel-based MacBook Pro, lasting until late 2008. In April 2004, the aluminum PowerBooks were upgraded. The SuperDrive was upgraded to 4× burning speed for DVDs, the fastest processor available was upgraded to 1.5 GHz, and the graphics cards were replaced with newer models, offering up to 128 MB of video memory. A third built-in speaker

6636-444: The same time. Self-capacitance sensors can have the same X-Y grid as mutual capacitance sensors, but the columns and rows operate independently. With self-capacitance, current senses the capacitive load of a finger on each column or row. This produces a stronger signal than mutual capacitance sensing, but it is unable to resolve accurately more than one finger, which results in "ghosting", or misplaced location sensing. Capacitance

6720-489: The schematics of the Mac Portable to Sony , who miniaturized the components. Hence the PowerBook 100's design does not match those of the rest of the series, as it was actually designed after the 140 and 170 and further benefited from improvements learned during their development. The PowerBook 100, however, did not sell well until Apple dropped the price substantially. The 100 series PowerBooks were intended to tie into

6804-441: The sensor electrodes as possible. Capacitive touchscreens are more responsive than resistive touchscreens (which react to any object since no capacitance is needed), but less accurate. However, projective capacitance improves a touchscreen's accuracy as it forms a triangulated grid around the point of touch. A standard stylus cannot be used for capacitive sensing, but special capacitive styluses, which are conductive, exist for

6888-417: The top layer of a PCT is glass, PCT is a more robust solution versus resistive touch technology. Depending on the implementation, an active or passive stylus can be used instead of or in addition to a finger. This is common with point of sale devices that require signature capture. Gloved fingers may not be sensed, depending on the implementation and gain settings. Conductive smudges and similar interference on

6972-424: Was added to the 12-inch model for improved midrange sound. In addition, AirPort Extreme cards became standard for all PowerBooks instead of being offered as an add-on option. In January 2005, the specifications of the aluminum PowerBooks were revised once more to accompany a price decrease. Processor speeds were increased to a maximum of 1.67 GHz on the higher specification 15-inch and all 17-inch versions, while

7056-510: Was the mainstay of the product line until the PowerBook 5300 . The 500 series was the first PowerBook to feature PCMCIA slots, although this was an optional feature that required the user to sacrifice one of the two available battery slots to house the PCMCIA expansion cage. The PowerBook 500 series was released as Apple was already moving its desktop machines to the PowerPC processor range, and

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