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General discussion

The Multi Touch Future?

Mar 18, 2007 6:27AM PDT

Hi everyone this isn't a technical question, more of an opinion post. Ever since Macworld and the introduction to the iPhone, the web has exploded with rumors that Apple is planning to ultimately destroy the keyboard and the mouse and move computing hinto a touch screen future. The rumors suggest that Apple will begin to make an Intel like transistion from keyboards and mice to touch screen only interfaces. Along with this rumor comes the video of Jeff Hawkin and his company Perspective Pixel who has developed a Multi Touch computer interface.

I have to ask to all CNET members who are willing to give their opinion, what do you think here? Are we truly ready to give up the keyboard and mouse in favor of touch. If so how is this going to change the face of computing as we know it. What will desktop computers look like if this is truly what Apple is going to pursue, what are laptops going to look like? Is this just rumors, and are you doubtful that Apple or any other company would ever make such a radical shift, in the way we interact with our PCs? Is this going to just stay limited to small devices such as the iPhone?

Other questions to consider, obviously many of people out there support this and many don't, some believe that it will imporve some area's of interaction I have to ask as technical people how does this aid people in a technology field some one who supports computer systems? What will data centers and work desks look like? what will this mean for those who like buttons, or those who are typist and type with tactile senses? When giving your opinion please do so in what we know about Apple and their products. Remember Apple and Steve Jobs personally don't like PDA's or tablet pcs. I also realize that this is a broader post but I placed it in the Mac section, because it is Apple's Multi Touch technology and they do deserve credit for.

Thansk to all who take part in this.

Discussion is locked

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Personally...
Mar 18, 2007 10:02AM PDT

I believe there has to be a major enhancement in the user interface for something like this to be successful. I am one who will always use a keyboard so I have a tactile set of buttons.

Another downside is you have to be looking at the screen in order to type. Touching a screen gives you almost no feedback (whether it was pressed) and makes me weary if I pressed the right button. Right now I am watching the TV while typing; if I was typing on a touchscreen, I couldn't be doing it, I would have no clue what I'm pressing.

There also has to be an advancement in predicting what the user is going to do. Auto correcting mistakes?(Already in some devices but needs to be more widespread,a nd improved.) Typing on screen is just horrible. I use a Palm T|E2 PDA and it's on screen keyboard is small and I make many errors. A Treo however has a much easier layout with a tactile keyboard so typing is much easier.

I personally don't think it is ready yet. I do have to give credit to Apple on their new Multi Touch interface though. It looks to be a lot more intuitive than I would have expected. Kudos to Apple on this.

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Depends on usage
Mar 23, 2007 10:48AM PDT

You have to ask to what purpose you would be using multi-touch technology versus the conventional keyboard + pointing device (not necessarily a mouse, there are graphics tablets, trackballs, etc.). For some purposes (especially portable devices) this might be optimal. Especially where space is at a premium (PDAs or phones for example) the touch screen has a place since it is infinetly variable (just repaint with different controls). The downside of course it the lack of haptic (tactile) reference. It is rather nice to be able to click a button without having to look at it on a phone. I have a phone now with both a touchscreen and buttons and I find that the buttons get far more usage. Once you get used to a hardware (versus software on a touchscreen) interface you can do things very quickly and by feel.

If you're talking about a desktop, I really don't see much of an advantage. You can touch type with a mechanical keyboard much faster than with a virtual keyboard if only because of the relative ergonomics. I have a touchscreen computer, but I invariably will plug in a keyboard if I have to type in anything bigger than an address. This in some ways is a "back to future" phenomenon. All screens were supposed to be touch screens long ago (just like we were supposed to have picture phones). The only place you commonly see touch screens are kiosks like bank ATMs. The reason that is commonly given is that you get "gorilla arm" by trying to use a vertically mounted touch screen (the muscles in your arm have to hold it out horizontally for an extended period). The solution is a horizontal or slant mounting, but this is not ergonomically optimal for your neck and back muscles.

The bottom line is iPhone/PDA YES, desktop...probably NO.

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I somewhat agree...
Mar 23, 2007 11:17AM PDT

However, the future will not be in physical handheld devices. These devices have limitations on their size and cannot go much bigger without it being to big to carry around. (Those new roll-up screens are nice, but they will eventually take up too much space as well.) There have been many new headsets that you put on and the screen resembles a large TV screen (~40-50"). These soon could be made transparent so you it looks like you are actually wearing glasses when you are really seeing a large screen and what's in front of you at the same time.

Now about the keyboard/touchscreen. There could be a remote control that would function like a handheld presentation device. You could easily move the mouse and click on things without having to see the buttons on the remote. The possibilities are endless on this subject. One can think of a million different ideas and each has its own chance at actually being put into/onto the hands (and heads) of its consumers. I could predict that something like this will be on the market in less than three years. We'll see how it plays out though.

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Quality of data input is what matters.
Mar 23, 2007 11:31AM PDT

Flipping things around on a multi-touch screen is great, but if you want to enter bulk amounts of quality information, you are forced to go back to older methods.

It's all GUI without any accuracy. You can get it vague how you want it, but to get it "right" you still have to go back to the keyboard and input QUALITY information.

The single-touch screen should have long ago replaced the mouse, but it hasn't. I suspect the reasons for this will also apply to the multi-touch screen.

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Three words: Dual-screen laptop
Mar 23, 2007 1:22PM PDT

I think a dual screen laptop would be pretty sweet. The main screen stays normal except with touch functionality, and then replace the keyboard with a second screen and throw away the touchpad. The secondary screen acts generally as a keyboard and also as an extended workspace when you don't need to type. Or you could have a slate-style version with only one screen, the bottom portion of which you would have to sacrifice for the keyboard when you needed it. You can always plug in an external mouse and keyboard (and monitor, etc.) just like normal.
The main problem I can think of is not having the different mouse buttons, but there are already technologies out there to sense double-fingered taps, etc. Another problem is not having the tactile sensation of a keyboard under your fingers, but that's not hard to get used to, and they could even have the little home-key bumps on the surface of the screen.
As for desktops, I suppose you would just have a (single- or multi-)touch-monitor setup with the option of a normal mouse and/or keyboard for all you old-schoolers, pretty much the same as the laptop deal. Each monitor's base would have 90-degree tilt adjustment so you could lay it flat, stand it vertically like a normal monitor, or have it slanted like a drawing table.

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The Multi Touch Future
Mar 24, 2007 5:42AM PDT

Hi all ,I have had a look at the touch screens and I think well some clever Guy is now going to hack fingerprints . could they ? jw1ls5n0129.

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I don't like the idea.
Mar 24, 2007 8:19AM PDT

It would create many unwanted consequences. For example, how would the desktop computer be without a keyboard? The screen would have to accomodate the keyboard which will then reduced the available size of the desktop. Screens will get filthy quickly. No feedback like another member mentioned.

That's all I can come up for now, but I definitely will stick with a real keyboard and mouse.

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touch screen interface
Mar 25, 2007 12:36AM PDT

i can't see how this system could be applied to gaming. having to
touch the screen to control a game would ruin my mental immersion
into what is happening on the screen. [ fantasy blown ].

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Voice Recognition
Mar 25, 2007 12:46AM PDT

I do not think that touch screens could ever replace the keyboard. It could possibly replace the mouse. But, I think that voice recognition could replace the keyboard and mouse forever.

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Just a thought...
Mar 25, 2007 4:52AM PDT

Picture this: You're in a cubicle with many people around you. Do they want to hear you talking to the computer? Will the computer understand your voice with the others talking around you as well? I surely wouldn't want people around me to hear what I am "typing". Perhaps just thinking will be more productive? Silent yet doesn't require any movement.

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Voice commands.
Mar 25, 2007 5:00AM PDT

Have worked for accessibility issues and more. But look around you and of the thousands of Mac's/PCs you've seen ask how many times you've seen people use voice as the preferred means of input.

While the humor may be lost I can't resist that voice command in space is a dumb idea. You empty the airlock, now how to refill it?

Bob