Apple wins patent on glass trackpad/metal unibody combo
updated 10:57 am EST, Tue January 15, 2013
Jobs, Ive listed among inventors
Apple has won a US patent on the combination of a glass trackpad and a metal unibody chassis, notes AppleInsider. The patent is simply titled Portable Computer, and comes out of a series of application continuations; Apple's filings date back to 2008. Over a dozen people are credited with the invention, including Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and lead designer Jonathan Ive.
The patented concept was originally put into practice in late 2008, when the first unibody MacBooks emerged. As a part of the upgrade Apple equipped them with a glass trackpad in which the entire surface acts as a button. The trackpad was also Apple's first to support multi-touch gestures; multi-touch is now standard not only MacBooks but on desktops as well, although the iMac, Mac mini, and Mac Pro require an optional Magic Trackpad for support.
