Apple Wins Patent For Solar-Powered MacBook

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While not as bad as some of its recent patents, I'm thoroughly convinced that the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office just rubber stamp anything Apple submits.

Apple's U.S. Patent No. 8,638,549 for an "Electronic device display module" describes a two-sided glass laptop display housing which carries the usual screen on its front face. On the rear, however, the module holds photovoltaic cells for solar charging, a secondary display and sensors for touch input.
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I'm sure Samsung will be thrilled about this patent:

1390924413KYBubxGV1m_1_1.jpg
 
Idiotic idea anyway, as there isn't enough surface area to be useful, and it wouldn't be angled at the sun properly most of the time... besides, working on glossy Apple displays in sunlight is as pleasurable an experience as seeing how many fists you can fit in your mouth.

The better solar setups are ones you can unfurl.
 
Apple: pulling the bloggers out of Starbucks' everywhere and having them sunbathe in the middle of the streets while they drink their coffee and blog.

Maybe I'll actually find a plug and a seat there now.
 
450 said:
this could be cool
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Cool? Quite the opposite.
The idea of letting my computer be exposed to sunlight, or using it while in direct sunlight to keep it charged strikes me as a little ridiculous.

That, and I can't see this being efficient with the lack of proper surface space required to make a solar panel worthwhile.
 
The idea of letting your laptop get some sunlight is as smart as sitting out in the sun all day naked waiting for melanoma. But instead of giving it cancer you will be killing your components with the heat.
 
so slapping solar panels on anything gives you some "new innovative" idea? So leave your tablet upside down in the Sun all day long and you'll get enough charge to play around with it for 30 minutes... way to go Apple!
 
sfsuphysics said:
so slapping solar panels on anything gives you some "new innovative" idea? So leave your tablet upside down in the Sun all day long and you'll get enough charge to play around with it for 30 minutes... way to go Apple!
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Only on a sunny day near the equator ;)
 
Maybe the thought is that once you're done using it, you can place it in your clear windowed laptop bag so it gets a little bit of charging while you walk around with it? I'm not an expert on solar panels but would this provide even a little bit of bonus battery life? I don't see it being worth the extra cost of the device, so probably not.
 
TheOrangeJuicer said:
Maybe the thought is that once you're done using it, you can place it in your clear windowed laptop bag so it gets a little bit of charging while you walk around with it? I'm not an expert on solar panels but would this provide even a little bit of bonus battery life? I don't see it being worth the extra cost of the device, so probably not.
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Versus just using a laptop bag that has a solar panel and battery on it so that:

1) You have extra battery capacity on the go
2) It can charge its internal battery even when the laptop is out of the bag
3) The laptop can stay out of the UV rays/heat inside the bag charging
4) The bag can charge a variety of different devices

And naturally, since its a practical design, such systems have been out for ages.
 
This could actually make sense for the the Macbook Air. That thing uses 11 watts idling and like 12 watts while surfing the web. While charging, the charger supplies 17 watts. A 10 watt panel on the back of the screen could make a difference and up the "exclusivity" amongst the green/hipster set.
 
This will almost make up for the power draw for the brightness increase required to view the screen outside.
 
You do not have to be in "sunshine" to get solar energy. Fluorescents work too. I have actually see tans on equipment that is exposed to fluorescent lights 24/7.
 
I have a better idea. Stop making the products pointlessly thin and put a bigger battery into the device so you won't need stupid shit like this.
 
westrock2000 said:
You do not have to be in "sunshine" to get solar energy. Fluorescents work too. I have actually see tans on equipment that is exposed to fluorescent lights 24/7.
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You just have to be in sunshine to be EFFECTIVE at getting energy out of solar panels, something like a calculator, yeah that uses all of about 10-50 microwatts (that 0.00001 watts).
 
The Avalon said:
Apple: pulling the bloggers out of Starbucks' everywhere and having them sunbathe in the middle of the streets while they drink their coffee and blog.

Maybe I'll actually find a plug and a seat there now.
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That's a good thing!
Now I can just run their asses over and spare the world.
 
Megalith said:
I have a better idea. Stop making the products pointlessly thin and put a bigger battery into the device so you won't need stupid shit like this.
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The MacBook Air smacks every other Ultrabook in battery life. Also, not everyone is interested in lugging 10lb+ around everywhere, you know some people actually travel and need a laptop while moving.
 
Filing for a patent is not trolling. The trolling comes later when they try to enforce their patent. I think it is pretty obvious that the patent should never have been granted.
 
xIronCrossx said:
Also, not everyone is interested in lugging 10lb+ around everywhere, you know some people actually travel and need a laptop while moving.
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Average weight an American soldier carries on extended foot patrols: 87 - 127lbs
Average weight an Apple fanboi can carry walking from the parking lot to line at Starbucks: 10lbs.

BTW, isn't just about every ultrabook under 5lbs? Even a simple Lenovo Flex ($450) does 9hrs battery life.
 
Ozymandias said:
This could actually make sense for the the Macbook Air. That thing uses 11 watts idling and like 12 watts while surfing the web. While charging, the charger supplies 17 watts. A 10 watt panel on the back of the screen could make a difference and up the "exclusivity" amongst the green/hipster set.
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Just no. We are close, but not that close yet. A e-ink Kindle with a solar panel makes WAY more sense then this.
 
Ozymandias said:
This could actually make sense for the the Macbook Air. That thing uses 11 watts idling and like 12 watts while surfing the web. While charging, the charger supplies 17 watts. A 10 watt panel on the back of the screen could make a difference and up the "exclusivity" amongst the green/hipster set.
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Spire3660 said:
Just no. We are close, but not that close yet. A e-ink Kindle with a solar panel makes WAY more sense then this.
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We are not that close.

A "10 Watt" panel is only "10 Watt" when in direct sunshine...at the equator...on the equinox...at high noon....with the panel angled for maximum efficiency. At any other time or place or configuration it gets a lot less than 10W.
 
Ducman69 said:
Average weight an American soldier carries on extended foot patrols: 87 - 127lbs
Average weight an Apple fanboi can carry walking from the parking lot to line at Starbucks: 10lbs.

BTW, isn't just about every ultrabook under 5lbs? Even a simple Lenovo Flex ($450) does 9hrs battery life.
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Seriously, that's your argument? You must just sit around at home, since you obviously have never traveled much, with an airplane that is. Same thing with college, you don't want to be lugging around some heavy laptop. It's more of a convenience than a need. I can carry around a 10lb laptop, but it's just cumbersome and pointless.

Oh and that flex you talk about for $450 has some shitty Celeron and some slow HDD.
 
I'm sorry to post like this after being away for so long but this patent got my dander up. Now apple will be telling me next that I cannot use a solar panel to charge anything without paying them royalty.
Next they will be telling me they have applied for a patent on the proper way to wipe my bottom.
Even Steve Jobs is probably turning in his grave.
 
xIronCrossx said:
Seriously, that's your argument? .
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I just pointed out that just about every ultrabook is under 5lbs, so not sure why you're stuck on 10lbs... although my dual-harddrive, massive GPU, 17" laptop is actually 10lbs, and I guess I'm just built extra beefy as I haven't thrown my shoulder out yet, heh!

Cmon, you have to admit how silly the weight/thinness obsession has become with Apple fanbois at least a liiiittle bit; you know when it comes to saying you can't even walk around with anything over 0.5cm thick or over 2.5lbs as if you had less muslce mass than Steve Jobs on 9/11. :p
 
Did anyone read the patent? Specifically the claims, don't bother yourself reading the rest of a patent. Read the claims FIRST and then go back and read other things if you need clarification. The claims are the only legally relevant part.

1. A portable computer, comprising: upper and lower housings, wherein the upper housing has a front surface and a rear surface; a hinge connecting the upper and lower housings; a display mounted that forms a portion of the front surface of the upper housing, wherein the display has four edges; a peripheral housing member that surrounds the four edges of the display; and a rectangular plate that is mounted within the peripheral housing member, wherein the rectangular plate at least partially forms the rear surface of the upper housing.
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The rest of the claims are all dependent claims so I won't waste my time with them. But read this as this is the meat and potatoes of the patent is and is not.

For example, this does not grant protection against, say,

  • a tablet form factor (this patent only protects a device that has an upper and lower housing)
  • a non-rectangular plate used to house the screen
  • a display with greater than or less than for edges
  • an upper housing wherein the rectangular plate does not at least partially form the rear surface.

Patents are very specific legal documents and, while IANAL, there is a lot of sensationalism in the linked article (especially the title) compared to what was actually granted.
 
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