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Assuming that this patent actually works out the problems you describe and you can actually type on such a keyboard, try looking at it this way:

In stead of a physical keyboard, how about a SECOND, touch-sensitive LCD panel instead. You wouldn’t need a high-res, true-color, ultra-bright display with a high end, 3D graphics card; an inexpensive model from yesteryear you suffice. While there are some significant problems to overcome, there are some intriguing benefits:

• No squinting through finger smudges! – your content display remains “untouched.”
• Thinner laptops (you wouldn’t need to have all that vertical space for the keys and their travel).
• From a manufacturing standpoint: one “keyboard”-all languages. Physical keyboards have their characters printed or molded into them, so a new one must be manufactured for every language; virtual keyboards only require some simple programming to change the key labels. Suddenly, ever language on Earth could be supported.
• No more shift-opt-command-letter nonsense. Running a graphics or music program or a game where text input is irrelevant? Get rid of the keyboard and replace it with virtual, dedicated controls. Think virtual sliders for sound levels in Garageband, dedicated controls for options in Photoshop dialog boxes, game controls actually labeled for what they do (no more “w” for forward, “space” jump, etc.) No more mousing around to individual controls, control more than one sound level at once, no more getting fragged because you forgot “[” cycles through your weapons in the heat of battle. Need a keyboard to enter text, it’s a button push away.
• Context sensitive controls. Excel: specialized keyboard for entering formulas, numeric keypad for entering numbers (laptop owners would love it).
• Add a stylus and you get a tablet for graphics.
• With the right hardware: one button, labeled, PRAM, NVRAM reset, safe mode or modified start-up.

Just a thought

More “cool” Apple products will lead to more Switchers.