Apple Adam Prototype (1992/1993)
Work on the prototype started between 1990 and 1992. You can read all about the 'birth' and downfall of this prototype in the history page on this website. So in addition let me quote Eric Anderson here on what the prototype might have looked like:
"Think of two rectangles - one maybe 4" x 5" which has a 2" color LCD, 3 soft buttons right below the LCD (functions depend on programming, with functions shown on bottom of LCD) and a few more buttons below that, arranged in a semi-circle for easy access by your thumb. The second rectangle is the handle, projecting down from the part that holds the LCD. It was probably around 3" long and maybe 2" across. Both were approx 1" thick. Handle was on the left side for right-handed operation.
Both were rounded corners and edges. Finally, on the side away from the handle (left side of main body) was mounted a cylinder that pivoted at the center, which contained the video camera head. So, you could hold the unit at an angle facing your eyes and the camera could be pointed forward, down, up, etc. The whole prototype was built with dark plastic using a milling machine we had in ATG.
Several cables ran out the bottom of the handle to the Mac under the table. A video cable from the video camera (to a video capture card plugged into the NuBus slot), a video cable to the LCD panel (the video/graphic output from the Mac), and a keyboard cable to the Mac (the buttons were mapped to specific keys on the keyboard, and were encoded via a chip that we got out of an Apple keyboard). This arrangement allowed us to develop software on the Mac to test ideas and do user studies, tests, and evaluate various concepts and user interfaces.
No product was built with this form factor, however. The "brick" is still the most common form factor and yes, Adam was a prototype for the LCD-based digital camera with a GUI and API's for app development. This is exactly what iOS and Android are, although the foundation is a phone with a camera rather than a camera with a cellular and wi-fi connection (Adam). The primary difference (so far) is the zoom lens."
Specifications
- Marke: Apple
- Modell: Adam Prototype
- Zuerst erwähnt: 1992/1993
- Vermarktet: no
- UVP: -
- Bildsensortyp: -
- Auflösung: -
- Interner Speicher: -
- Externer Speicher: Tethered to a computer
- Objektiv: -
- Verschlusszeiten: -
- Blenden: -
- LCD Größe: 2" TFT
- Maße: -
- Gewicht: -
- Anmerkungen: -