Cat operating an iPad

Silly though it is, it's also a neat (if unintentional) proof-of-concept for the viability of tablets in psychology experiments with higher vertebrate animals and small children.

I've noticed that studies of animal intelligence that employ computers seem to feature equipment that is either very expensive or very primitive (not through any especial fault of the researchers, I hasten to add - it was technology which had not yet caught up to their ideas and needs). The iPad and its forthcoming competitors offer a pretty robust and capable device at a very low price, which suggests enormous scientific potential since many new research tools are now no more difficult to produce than a fairly modest webapp.

And yet, I for one found it very pertinent to HN. After all the discussion as to whether the iPad really is a revolution or not, I personally find this as convincing a demonstration as possible that a very intuitive interface has been created. It's a useful data point to have in mind when discussing iPad ergonomy.

I'm guessing it was flagged by a bunch of curmudgeons thinking "too much iPad!" I do not like the trend of flagging things for reasons of frequency rather than appropriateness, and I'm happy this made it onto the front page.

This must be why international release has been delayed...

Especially if cat is not declawed.

Glass is pretty scratch-resistant. You can take your keys to an iPhone or iPad as vigorously as you'd like with no ill effects. I've demonstrated it to several people, to usually shocked responses. Cat claws don't do anything to windows, they're not going to hurt an iPad.

This is also part of the reason why Apple's stopped selling screen protectors - they're as useless as Monster cables. They don't actually help anything, and they get scratched easier than the screen does.

As long as the cat's nails have a lower Mohs hardness [1], they won't scratch the screen. In this case, glass has a mohs hardness of about 5.5, and karatin (what nails are made out of) is about 2.5.

[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mohs_scale_of_mineral_hardness

Metals can't scratch glass. Cat claws have even less chance.

"Q. Do metal scrapers or razor blades scratch glass. A. No. Metal scrapers and razor blades alone will not scratch glass. However, abrasive materials, such as sand or fabricating debris from the tempering process, trapped by a metal scraper or razor blade, can scratch glass."

The glass on iPhones, iPod touches and iPads is quite scratch resistant (it is, after all, real glass). Scratches are possible but unlikely. Small sharp stones (sand!) are probably the likeliest thing to scratch your iPad and I think cat claws don’t have quite the same properties.