Registered: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 5

I've been using Fingerworks' products for several years. In that time, I've been a huge fan of their products and technology and have personally purchased four of their keyboards and have recommended them to many of my friends and colleagues.

About a month ago, I accidently spilled water on my PowerBook and the MacNTouch keyboard it contained. Remarkably, the PowerBook survived completely unscathed. Sadly, the same could not be said for the keyboard.

To their credit, Fingerworks support offered to repair my keyboard. When I sent my keyboard in, it was completely non-functional. When it was returned, it worked but suffered intermittent failures.

Gradually, the failing region grew until it included two rows of sensors (see attached diagnostic results). I've tried contacting Fingerworks numerous times to see if there is something more that can be done but have received no response.

Furthering my dismay, I recently learned that Fingerworks has discontinued the MacNTouch line.

I still have two other MultiTouch keyboards but they don't come close to the integrated MacNTouch.

Although I'm currently a graduate student and don't have enough money to support my keyboard habit, when I graduate that will no longer be a problem and I was hoping to get a new MacNTouch with each new PowerBook I'd purchase.

I'm sure that the economics of the MacNTouch weren't adequate to justify its continued production. I hope, however, that there may be a way to change that. Perhaps making only a limited run for each PowerBook revision using interchangeable components from one of the other MultiTouch keyboards. Perhaps by only accepting preorders and not maintaining any stock.

Anyway, just sharing my situation and hoping that other fans of the MacNTouch will contribute their support.

Thanks,
Scott



Reading diagnostics...

Diagnostic Report for TouchStream MacNTouch ver 1.6:
ERROR: Found 144 bad sensors
ERROR: Run Diagnostics again, keeping surface free of hands and liquids.
ERROR: If sensor ERRORs persist, contact support@fingerworks.com
Sometimes cleaning fluids or hands on surface can temporarily
cause a few false-positive High/Low/Noisy sensor readings below.
However, blocks of 16 or more H/L/N sensors indicate
hardware failure that must be repaired at the factory.
|0 |8 |16 |24 |32 |40 |48 |56 |64
0 HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
1 HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH
2 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
3 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
4 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
5 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
6 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
7 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
8 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
9 ------------------------------------------------------------------------
a ------------------------------------------------------------------------
b ------------------------------------------------------------------------
c ------------------------------------------------------------------------
d ------------------------------------------------------------------------
e ------------------------------------------------------------------------
f ------------------------------------------------------------------------
Loaded 1207 Key/Gesture Mappings SUCCESFULLY
Testing Complete.

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Waco, TX
Posts: 461

I agree. I was seriously considering a future powerbook purchase based on the MacNTouch.

But maybe the MacNTouch could be adapted to serve as a non-split compact desktop keyboard. It would certainly be more portable than an LP - probably a bit sturdier too.

My guess is that Apple kept changing their keyboard design, so FW has taken the MacNTouch down for some more R&D. I hope this is the case..

__________________
- Jerry Knight
Get a free iPod and Visit my website.

Registered: Mar 2005
Location:
Posts: 2

The new PBs with the backlit keys MO longer have removeable keyboads

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Andover, MA
Posts: 219

Huh. I hadn't heard that that the 2005 PowerBooks (with the scrolling touchpad) didn't allow for keyboard removal.

I did know that the pre-2005 Albooks were a fair pain to get the keyboard out.

I also did know that the 2005 PowerBooks are using USB for the keyboard and the touchpad.

It sounded like the reason that the MacNTouch was discontinued was that Apple made a change to make it even more difficult to install a MacNTouch. If the keyboard can't be removed anymore, this would explain it.

Very annoying.

__________________
TouchStream Mini - February 26, 2002 - Sold
TouchStream Stealth - March 18, 2002 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (white) - July 23, 2003 - Mac OS X 10.3.8
TouchStream LP - March 31, 2004 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (silver) - December 1, 2004 - thanks dxtr!

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: DE
Posts: 22

How about non-backlit keyboards?

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Andover, MA
Posts: 219

Oh, and in it wasn't totally obvious from my previous post, I also support the plea for the reintroduction of the MacNTouch.

Even if the MacNTouch doesn't work with future PowerBooks, they will work in past PowerBooks and iBooks. I would think there would be a fairly decent sized market for MacNTouches for these older Apple notebooks. Even if it means that the keyboards would need to cost a bit more than they were originally going for.

__________________
TouchStream Mini - February 26, 2002 - Sold
TouchStream Stealth - March 18, 2002 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (white) - July 23, 2003 - Mac OS X 10.3.8
TouchStream LP - March 31, 2004 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (silver) - December 1, 2004 - thanks dxtr!

Registered: May 2003
Location:
Posts: 536

We have some good news on this. One of our partners bought a bunch of MacNTouch boards for an OEM application that they haven't used, and they're now interested in unloading them. We just have to get coordinated with them whether to send you guys to their website or do it through ours. Don't hold your breath though as it may take a couple weeks to get this worked out.

Also, to answer the inferences above, the unremovable keyboards in the latest Al Powerbooks were sorta the last straw causing phaseout of MacNTouch production.

__________________
FingerWorks Support

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Andover, MA
Posts: 219

quote:

---

Originally posted by fingerworks
We have some good news on this. One of our partners bought a bunch of MacNTouch boards for an OEM application that they haven't used, and they're now interested in unloading them. We just have to get coordinated with them whether to send you guys to their website or do it through ours. Don't hold your breath though as it may take a couple weeks to get this worked out.

---

Please keep us updated. I may not buy another one, but I know some people who would be very interested in buying one.

__________________
TouchStream Mini - February 26, 2002 - Sold
TouchStream Stealth - March 18, 2002 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (white) - July 23, 2003 - Mac OS X 10.3.8
TouchStream LP - March 31, 2004 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (silver) - December 1, 2004 - thanks dxtr!

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Waco, TX
Posts: 461

"Don't hold your breath though as it may take a couple weeks to get this worked out."

Hopefully by then I'll have my hands on an iBook, so the prospect of a last sale of MacNTouches is tantalizing.

Hopefully they won't be marked up as high as a certain website has the LP price...

"Please keep us updated."

Ditto.

__________________
- Jerry Knight
Get a free iPod and Visit my website.

Registered: Feb 2004
Location:
Posts: 5

I didn't realize that Apple modified the PowerBooks to make keyboards irremovable. Sounds like it won't be possible to have a MacNTouch in any future PowerBook iterations :-(

I'll send feedback to Apple but can't imagine that they'd make a major design change to allow an after market mod.

Registered: Jun 2004
Location: DE
Posts: 22

Hi,

I will buy my new PB as soon as Tiger comes with it. I was planning to use my MacNTouch with it. Unfortunately that option has gone.

Now I want to put the MacNTouch into a purpose-build case and use it as external keyboard. Has anybody thought about the design of such a case? Prefered material and such? I think I saw some discussion around a similar topic but cannot find it.

Thanks,
/Markus.

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Waco, TX
Posts: 461

Since I now have a 12" iBook G4, I'm hoping that the MacNTouch surplus thing goes through, assuming that it works with a 12" iBook (pretty sure it does).

Sure is hard to type with the fingers constantly crossed.

__________________
- Jerry Knight
Get a free iPod and Visit my website.

Registered: Jun 2003
Location: Andover, MA
Posts: 219

quote:

---

Originally posted by JerryKnight
Since I now have a 12" iBook G4, I'm hoping that the MacNTouch surplus thing goes through, assuming that it works with a 12" iBook (pretty sure it does).

Sure is hard to type with the fingers constantly crossed.

---

I have a silver MacNTouch with an extra long USB cable that fits well in my GF's 12" iBook G4 (1st gen). I bought it from dxtr, so I don't know if the extra long USB cable is normal for the silver MacNTouches - it definitely wasn't with the white MacNTouches.

The silver MacNTouch had some 3M double-sided film attached to it; I removed a small amount of the backing to expose the sticky film (just in case it didn't fit well with the iBook) and "glued" it down to the inside of the keyboard well. I pulled in the extra slack on the USB cable and left it under the keyboard, so that there's just enough to connect to one of the USB ports on the side.

I'll probably try to get one of the surplus MacNTouches, when they become available, just in case.

__________________
TouchStream Mini - February 26, 2002 - Sold
TouchStream Stealth - March 18, 2002 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (white) - July 23, 2003 - Mac OS X 10.3.8
TouchStream LP - March 31, 2004 - Windows XP Professional SP1
TouchStream MacNTouch (silver) - December 1, 2004 - thanks dxtr!