The only Steve Jobs patent that hasn't become a reality...yet

Seth Weintraub
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May 29, 2009
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Harry McCracken breaks down the wide range of patents that Steve Jobs has been a part of.  Interestingly, most of them were published as new products came to market.  All except one:

Jobs mentioned to the NYTimes that at one time Apple had been working on a "Safari pad" but it just didn't make sense to bring it to the market (at that time). The work they did on that product eventually ended up being the basis for the iPhone.  Jobs was obviously very emotionally tied to that project and the idea of a Safari Pad.

We still like the idea of this little guy being released later this year.

Comments (7)

Mark (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 9:39am

I can't wait for a tablet, would love to replace my laptop for a smaller tablet for basic functions

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 10:32am

pertaining to electronic devices capable of dynamically changing their ornamental or decorative appearance?

fishbert (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 11:01am

isn't the iPhone a "touch tablet computer of some sort"?

Olternaut (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 11:09am

But its marketed and treated like a cell phone. The MacTouch fans here are looking for a producted actually marketed treated and designed as a tablet computer by apple.

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 1:31pm

How about the ipod touch then?

9to5Mac Noob (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 4:17pm

The iPad had big promise on Shop Floors.

Say you are a nurse and want the latest charts on the patient because there is a medication question that several are you are trying to straighten out. iPad would have enough acreage to let folks simultaniously see the issue and get down to brass tacks. It would let the problem be taken to where the decision makers are, rather than trying to corral them around a monitor on a desk at the other end of the shop floor.

Jim (not verified) | May 29, 2009 - 5:13pm

Consistent with the NYT article mentioning that the work on a Safari Tablet led to the iphone...

I heard a similar story that Apple was developing a tablet with a Steve Jobs overriding requirement that it be finger/touch oriented. The whole concept of widgets (single function mini-apps, specific website access) was developed to support accessing many, many common functions and websites with finger-touches not typing. When the tablet prototype was presented to Steve he basically responded: sic "that.. is a phone interface." And the project turned into the iPhone with the tablet being suspended.

Now it's time to go back to the tablet... so I can buy one.

Jim