If the radius is formulaic based on the overall dimensions, should it be patentable?
In my opinion, a lot of these claims for the design patent are obvious. The width of the bezel isn't so different than the width of the margins of of the wide ruled spiral bound notebook sitting next to me on my desk. The lab style notebook next to me, which also is almost the same dimensions of the iPad, has almost the exact radius of the corners of the iPad, which feels "right". Not because it's novel, but because humans like rounded corners and the radius is large enough to not be sharp but small enough to maintain a relatively constant distance from the corner of the screen, thus maintaining a feeling of continuity.
So, I'd argue that this form factor is obvious because it mimics the design of objects (notebooks) which humans use in a similar way. Seriously, they even took half the name of a notepad and put it in the name of the device!
A home button in the center is obvious too. If someone told me to draft a device that looked like a notepad and had exactly one button, I can't imagine a design much different than the iPad, or the touchpad, or the samsung. If they told me to put two buttons, they'd probably both be equidistant from the center.
In my opinion, a lot of these claims for the design patent are obvious. The width of the bezel isn't so different than the width of the margins of of the wide ruled spiral bound notebook sitting next to me on my desk. The lab style notebook next to me, which also is almost the same dimensions of the iPad, has almost the exact radius of the corners of the iPad, which feels "right". Not because it's novel, but because humans like rounded corners and the radius is large enough to not be sharp but small enough to maintain a relatively constant distance from the corner of the screen, thus maintaining a feeling of continuity.
So, I'd argue that this form factor is obvious because it mimics the design of objects (notebooks) which humans use in a similar way. Seriously, they even took half the name of a notepad and put it in the name of the device!
A home button in the center is obvious too. If someone told me to draft a device that looked like a notepad and had exactly one button, I can't imagine a design much different than the iPad, or the touchpad, or the samsung. If they told me to put two buttons, they'd probably both be equidistant from the center.