Notice: Undefined index: canonical in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/includes/newsite/php/ee_redirect_article.php on line 20
Apple Awarded Patent for Mac OS X Dock
Apple Awarded Patent for Mac OS X Dock
by , 5:35 PM EDT, October 8th, 2008
It took almost nine years, but Apple Inc. was awarded a patent for the Mac OS X Dock Tuesday. Apple applied for the patent on December 20, 1999, and focused on the magnification feature in its abstract. The patent lists Bas Ording, Steve Jobs, and Donald Lindsay as the inventors.
From the patent's Abstract description: "To provide greater access and consolidation to frequently used items in the graphical user interface, a userbar is established which includes a plurality of item representations. To permit a greater number of items to reside in the userbar, a magnification function can be provided which magnifies items within the userbar when they are proximate the cursor associated with the graphical user interface."
It's that focus on the magnification feature that is likely key to Apple being granted a patent. Mac OS X's Dock was itself based on the NeXTSTEP Dock, which AppleInsider noted in its coverage of the patent was first introduced in 1989, well ahead of either the Taskbar of Windows and other docking metaphors used in various flavors of Unix and Linux.
The current dock in Mac OS X "Leopard" 10.5.5 includes a 3Dish perspective, a translucent tray, and other features that are different from the original Dock introduced with Mac OS X. It does, however, still include the magnification feature as demonstrated in the screenshot below.
The current Dock in Mac OS X "Leopard" 10.5.5.
Notice: Undefined variable: DOCUMENT_URI in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 78
Notice: Use of undefined constant path - assumed 'path' in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 84
Notice: Use of undefined constant query - assumed 'query' in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 86
Notice: Undefined index: query in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 86
Warning: include(/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/extension.inc): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 108
Warning: include(): Failed opening '/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/extension.inc' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 108
Notice: Undefined variable: phpEx in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 110
Warning: include(/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/common.): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 110
Warning: include(): Failed opening '/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/common.' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 110
Notice: Undefined variable: phpEx in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 112
Warning: include(/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/includes/bbcode.): failed to open stream: No such file or directory in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 112
Warning: include(): Failed opening '/usr/local/etc/httpd/sites/macobserver.com/htdocs/forums/includes/bbcode.' for inclusion (include_path='.:/usr/share/php5:/usr/share/php') in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 112
Notice: Undefined index: ppp in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 116
Notice: Use of undefined constant POST_POST_URL - assumed 'POST_POST_URL' in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 230
Notice: Undefined index: start in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 242
Notice: Use of undefined constant TOPICS_TABLE - assumed 'TOPICS_TABLE' in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 527
Notice: Use of undefined constant FORUMS_TABLE - assumed 'FORUMS_TABLE' in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 527
Notice: Undefined variable: db in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 532
Fatal error: Call to a member function sql_query() on a non-object in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/ee2/www/htdocs/comments/comments.php on line 532
Recent Headlines - Updated December 12th
- Thu, 2:15 PM
- FCC and Wireless Carriers Reach Agreement on Cellphone Unlocking
- 1:07 PM
- Former Googler Put In Charge of U.S. Patent Office
- 1:00 PM
- Instagram 5 for iOS Adds Personal Photo and Video Sharing
- 11:09 AM
- LEGO Star Wars: The Complete Saga Released for iPhone and iPad
- 9:20 AM
- Walmart Friday Sale: iPhone 5c for $27, $30 iTunes Gift Cards for $25
- 8:30 AM
- South Korean Court Says Apple Didn’t Violate Three Samsung Patents
- 7:50 AM
- Apple Fixes Preview Issue with iPhoto 9.5.1
- Wed, 8:45 PM
- ACM 234: Apple, Microsoft and Mergers that Just Won’t Happen
- 7:44 PM
- WorkFit Sit-Stand Workstations Designed for iMac and MacBook
- 7:19 PM
- Apple’s App Store Nears 1 Million Active Apps, Third Party Tracking
- 6:09 PM
- Google Brings Chrome Apps to Mac
- 3:10 PM
- A New Year’s Wish List for Apple
The Mac Observer Reader Specials
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Notice: Undefined variable: optcode in /var/www/bbm/macobserver.com/htdocs/includes/newsite/ads/php/ajeinclude.php on line 21
Support TMO, Buy from Amazon, MacMall and The Apple Store
