iPad keyboard dock上的不明空白按鈕？iPad將支援Dashboard Widget？

目前無論是官方公布的照片，或是在發表會會場的iPad keyboard dock實機，在功能鍵列上都有一個完全空白的按鈕。

1. Home


2. Search


3. Brightness-down


4. Brightness-up


5. Photo album


6. Keyboard toggle


7. ？


8. Skip-back


9. Play/pause


10. Skip-forward


11. Mute


12. Volume-up


13. Volume-down


14. Lock screen

目前還不清楚這個空白鍵到底有何作用，不過如果比較一下目前iPhone、iPod touch與iPad內建的程式的話，就可以發現iPad少了一些東西。

	3GS	Touch	iPad
Messages	✔
Calendar	✔	✔	✔
Photos	✔	✔	✔
Camera	✔
YouTube	✔	✔	✔
Stocks	✔	✔
Maps	✔	✔	✔
Weather	✔	✔
Voice Memos	✔	✔
Notes	✔	✔	✔
Clock	✔	✔
Calculator	✔	✔
Settings	✔	✔	✔
iTunes Store	✔	✔	✔
App Store	✔	✔	✔
Compass	✔
Phone	✔
Mail	✔	✔	✔
Web	✔	✔	✔
iPod	✔	✔*	✔*
Contacts	✔	✔	✔
iBooks			?
*The Touch splits iPod into two apps: ‘Music’ and ‘Video’. The iPad splits it into ‘iPod’ and ‘Video’

iPad與iPhone、iPod touch相比，除了電話與相機之外，還少了｢Stocks｣、｢Weather｣、｢Voice Memo｣、｢Clock｣、｢Calculator｣。如果是Mac用戶的話，因該就會發現這些大部分都是屬於Mac OSX上的Dashboard Widget標準工具。



單純就UI的角度來看，這些工具其實並沒有必要非得全畫面執行，再加上iPad keyboard dock上的空白按鍵。也許這些功能會以Dashboard Widget的方式在iPad上出現，畢竟這些雖然不是最重要的軟體，不過也不太可能就這樣消失在iPad上。



不過這又引發另一個問題，iPad上如果支援Dashboard Widget，Apple是否也會同時開放第三方的Widget在背景執行呢？



【via】 Do the iPad’s missing apps point to a multitasking dashboard  « fox @ fury and iPad Keyboard Dock's Secret Button - Mac Forums