Apple has updated their patent for a multi-touch surface that can discriminate between different parts of the hand when touched. This would allow the technology to be integrated into the hand rest of a notebook or desktop keyboard, intuitively sensing when multi-touch should become active, and providing sophisticated recognition for various hand gestures. 

With Dell leading the charge for multi-touch laptops in 2008, how soon can we expect Apple to bring an extension of what we’ve seen in the iPhone to the rest of their product line? With the exception of a few notable devices, Apple has not been known to rush new technologies to the market; they would rather refine new features and release them when they feel the time is right.

Dell’s multi-touch Latitude XT tablet looked anything but polished and ready for the masses at its recent debut. One thing that was painfully obvious was Dell’s lack of software to demonstrate the technology. They used the now tiresome photo manipulation app that we’ve seen every other multi-touch use. How exciting is it to rotate and scale a pile of photos like you’re a three-year old? They also showed a paint program to prove that all five fingers were registered on the device. Breathtaking, I know!

Also, I was disappointed at the extremely bland casing Dell chose for their tablet–it looks straight out of the 90’s–why couldn’t they use something from the XPS design family?

Apple has already shown that they can design an intuitive and practical multi-touch interface. It is Apple’s direct control over OS X that will allow them to integrate multi-touch in a seamless and painless manner. It could allow them to bring the technology to the masses with immediate function and practicality.

However, with no official announcement, it’s all speculation of how and when Apple will release their next multi-touch device. Will it be for the desktop, laptop, or something smaller? Will it manifest in the surface around the palm rests, or will they integrate it tablet-style, within the screen?

Personally, I’m rooting for a multi-touch hand rest. Touching the screen may seem intuitive to some, but obscuring the screen with your hands could end up being quite a pain in the ass. In addition, this implementation leaves the function of the display and keyboard as they traditionally were, presenting multi-touch as an optional tool for use. Lessons learnt from Lair?.

Will Apple’s slick engineering champion their brand of multi-touch over all others? Or will new gadgets steal the show in 2008?

Let me know what you think.