The mouse is the pretty damn near perfect input device for computers. That's why nobody has come up with anything innovative other than the trackpad and other variations. Its pretty much stood the test of time since the wooden box Xerox Parc mouse some 40 years ago. Sure they look nicer now and have different sensors, but the overall purpose hasn't changed.
Anyone who's actually used touch knows that it has very little application outside of very specific applications. The iPhone is a good example, clean design, no pathetic keyboard, multitouch is used specifically to zoom a window on a device 1/4th the size that the web page was designed for.
Why would the average consumer use touch? Because its cool?
Its absolutely NO faster. Been there, done that. Actually quite the opposite.
Lets look at where it is useful:
Places where you can't fit a keyboard / mouse. Hmmmm, not your basic office or home environment. Think more along the lines of a shop floor in a manufacturing plant, a Store (best buy guy above) a kiosk (in a Mall) an ATM machine.
Mobile workforce; think handheld where screen real estate is pretty important. These are also used on shop floor environments with very specific uses. Most folks don't use their fingers either. They use a pen (stylus).
Table top applications - think virtual mixing boards for the music industry. Cool, but not any more useful than real sliders, knobs and switches.
Why its not useful for general computing:
A tablet forces you to look down if placed on a desk, even at an angle. The last 30+ years of ergonomics dictate very specific chair heights / positions, lighting conditions and monitor height / angles to avoid repetitive use injuries.
Sore necks and arms would be an insurance nightmare. Carpul Tunnel would be dwarfed by touch finger and tablet neck
. Try picking your hand up and pressing an icon or a button on the screen or try and move a window with your finger, your arm would be pretty sore after a while. Try doing that day after day for a number of years...
Touch isn't all that accurate. Its certainly no better than a mouse / keyboard for input.
The multi-touch demos are pretty cool. Manipulating a visual wall quickly is pretty wonderful, but not very useful for the general consumer.
Anyone who's actually used touch knows that it has very little application outside of very specific applications. The iPhone is a good example, clean design, no pathetic keyboard, multitouch is used specifically to zoom a window on a device 1/4th the size that the web page was designed for.
Why would the average consumer use touch? Because its cool?
Its absolutely NO faster. Been there, done that. Actually quite the opposite.
Lets look at where it is useful:
Places where you can't fit a keyboard / mouse. Hmmmm, not your basic office or home environment. Think more along the lines of a shop floor in a manufacturing plant, a Store (best buy guy above) a kiosk (in a Mall) an ATM machine.
Mobile workforce; think handheld where screen real estate is pretty important. These are also used on shop floor environments with very specific uses. Most folks don't use their fingers either. They use a pen (stylus).
Table top applications - think virtual mixing boards for the music industry. Cool, but not any more useful than real sliders, knobs and switches.
Why its not useful for general computing:
A tablet forces you to look down if placed on a desk, even at an angle. The last 30+ years of ergonomics dictate very specific chair heights / positions, lighting conditions and monitor height / angles to avoid repetitive use injuries.
Sore necks and arms would be an insurance nightmare. Carpul Tunnel would be dwarfed by touch finger and tablet neck
. Try picking your hand up and pressing an icon or a button on the screen or try and move a window with your finger, your arm would be pretty sore after a while. Try doing that day after day for a number of years...Touch isn't all that accurate. Its certainly no better than a mouse / keyboard for input.
The multi-touch demos are pretty cool. Manipulating a visual wall quickly is pretty wonderful, but not very useful for the general consumer.
