FlipTouch

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IBM FlipTouch Display

IBM FlipTouch Display

The FlipTouch display has four components that add together to one of the most interesting notebook display solutions ever:

  • FlipTouch Touchscreen
  • FlipTouch Buttons
  • FlipTouch display mechanics
  • FlipTouch support software

The Touchscreen enables one to do point-and-click operations on the display. The FlipTouch Buttons provide TouchScreen access to display related and other hardware related functions. The FlipTouch display mechanics enable the user to flexibly use the display in several positions:

  • covering the keyboard (like a TabletPC)
  • standing upright on the notebook base behind the keyboard (like on a normal notebook)
  • standing upright facing opposite the keyboard (being flipped over by 180 degrees)

The FlipTouch software provides the neccessary software support like the TouchScreen driver, the on screen button panel and the software to flip the screen by 180 degrees.

This display solution was introduced and shelved with the TransNote.


Linux Support

The TouchScreen is a serial attached TouchBase TouchScreen. It holds IO-Ports 3F8 to 3FF and IRQ 7.

Information about the TouchScreens serial communications protocol can be found on Ben "netjunki" Moores TransNote Development Notes. Also, you can find Xfree86 Version 4 driver there.

The ThinkPad and Mute buttons on the right sight of the display work with tpb as on every other ThinkPad featuring those buttons.
The TouchPanel button in the middle triggers neither tpb nor xev nor showkey. At least not with default configurations.

TODO
find out how to make the TouchPanel button usable

Models featuring this Technology