S. Leopard for tablets?

Mac OS X Snow Leopard may be designed with a tablet computer in mind, a new report argues. The OS is for instance equipped with a new Expose feature, which allows users to click and hold a Dock icon to display all of an application's windows. Such a feature could be ideal for a tablet, which might not have easy key or gesture commands for triggering Expose.

A similar interface trope exists with Stacks, which pop up the contents of a Dock folder when one is clicked. File icons and an accompanying slider are large, which could make them easier targets for fingers. The most crucial new element in Snow Leopard though is said to be a revised virtual keyboard, visually similar to the one for the iPhone, but significantly bigger even than ones in previous editions of Mac OS X.

An oversized keyboard would be necessary for Apple's rumored tablet design, somewhat resembling an iPod touch but with a screen size at or nearing 10 inches. It is also expected to have a 3G broadband receiver, and some form of capable video processor like NVIDIA's Tegra. It is uncertain whether the tablet will run Mac OS X, or a more elaborate version of the iPhone OS.

by MacNN Staff