31–40 of 49 posts
On the rare occasions when my five-year-old son gets his hands on my Macbook, he frequently tries to interact with it by tapping and swiping the screen. Growing up with tablets around, this is natural to him. I know that's just one anecdote, but it's enough to make me think that the OP is right that regular, non-tablet computers will commonly have touch screens.
I don't really know why, I just know that it makes me really happy to use the trackpad. It feels natural.
This, to me, is a sign that we are definitely heading towards something that involves Touch to a much larger degree.
I can't imagine touch being on every computer monitor, because my arm would get tired. I mean, I'm now leaning back on my chair with my keyboard on my lap, with my monitor pretty far away - I wouldn't be able to do that if I had to touch the monitor. Still, the world of computer interaction is going to be a very interesting one over the next few years, that's guaranteed.
These are really great times we're living in.
I have yet to see how touching the screen will help me write software (or a word document for that matter) better or that my finger is precise enough to design with.
Content consumption, web browsing, social sharing, all that stuff sure. I have modern smartphone and a couple tablets - they're pretty awesome. But bringing extending the touchscreen paradigm to the machine I use to do "work" - I'm just not seeing it yet.
The BEST thing about a MacBook laptop, in my opinion, is the trackpad. The ability, even if it's only partial, to scroll with gestures, move things around by "dragging them" with 3 fingers, and so on, is simply so much nicer than any use of a mouse. I don't really know why, I just know that it makes me really happy to use the trackpad. It feels natural. This, to me, is a sign that we are definitely heading towards so…
the touchpad on your laptop is around the size as the screen on your smartphone. They use hand/wrist-sized motions. This is fast and efficient.
Scaling a touchscreen up to laptop or desktop size is a completely different set of motions. Your whole arm gets involved and your fingers have to travel much further to achieve the same motion.
I think the mapped indirect manipulation of a trackpad makes a lot more sense from a human factors perspective.
[edit clarity]
There might be something to this. Despite Jobs' statements about the usefulness (or otherwise) of upright touch screens, accessory manufacturers have been catering to people who want to use their iPad upright literally since day one. Apple itself is doing this with the Smart Cover. So if that's OK, does adding a physical keyboard laid flat to the equation somehow turn it wrong? Seems like a stretch.
The BEST thing about a MacBook laptop, in my opinion, is the trackpad. The ability, even if it's only partial, to scroll with gestures, move things around by "dragging them" with 3 fingers, and so on, is simply so much nicer than any use of a mouse. I don't really know why, I just know that it makes me really happy to use the trackpad. It feels natural. This, to me, is a sign that we are definitely heading towards so…
This. the touchpad on your laptop is around the size as the screen on your smartphone. They use hand/wrist-sized motions. This is fast and efficient. Scaling a touchscreen up to laptop or desktop size is a completely different set of motions. Your whole arm gets involved and your fingers have to travel much further to achieve the same motion. I think the mapped indirect manipulation of a trackpad makes a lot more sen…
I'm still not convinced that "touchscreen computers" will help with general purpose content creation. I have yet to see how touching the screen will help me write software (or a word document for that matter) better or that my finger is precise enough to design with. Content consumption, web browsing, social sharing, all that stuff sure. I have modern smartphone and a couple tablets - they're pretty awesome. But brin…
So use a pen when you need precision. The designers I know that have Wacom cintiq screens love them to death.
I'm still not convinced that "touchscreen computers" will help with general purpose content creation. I have yet to see how touching the screen will help me write software (or a word document for that matter) better or that my finger is precise enough to design with. Content consumption, web browsing, social sharing, all that stuff sure. I have modern smartphone and a couple tablets - they're pretty awesome. But brin…
that my finger is precise enough to design with So use a pen when you need precision. The designers I know that have Wacom cintiq screens love them to death.
Pen is not suitable a general purpose pointing device to use in conjunction with any type of (onscreen or physical) keyboard.
* Tap on the screen to set carat * Put down pen * Type * Pick up pen * Click something else
Just no good.
For design / illustration pen is fantastic. You don't even need to have a Cintiq, a standard tablet works almost as well. I'll bet you money though, when most designers are doing other things, managing files, browsing the web, writing, etc. they put down the pen and pick up their mouse.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
This. the touchpad on your laptop is around the size as the screen on your smartphone. They use hand/wrist-sized motions. This is fast and efficient. Scaling a touchscreen up to laptop or desktop size is a completely different set of motions. Your whole arm gets involved and your fingers have to travel much further to achieve the same motion. I think the mapped indirect manipulation of a trackpad makes a lot more sen…
Why do you consider these to be mutually exclusive forms of input? Just because you can touch a screen doesn't mean that all other forms of input are no longer applicable.
I do think the ergonometrics of using touch on a large(ish) vertical display - "Gorilla Arm"[1] - is a deal breaker for extended interaction.
The BEST thing about a MacBook laptop, in my opinion, is the trackpad. The ability, even if it's only partial, to scroll with gestures, move things around by "dragging them" with 3 fingers, and so on, is simply so much nicer than any use of a mouse. I don't really know why, I just know that it makes me really happy to use the trackpad. It feels natural. This, to me, is a sign that we are definitely heading towards so…
This. the touchpad on your laptop is around the size as the screen on your smartphone. They use hand/wrist-sized motions. This is fast and efficient. Scaling a touchscreen up to laptop or desktop size is a completely different set of motions. Your whole arm gets involved and your fingers have to travel much further to achieve the same motion. I think the mapped indirect manipulation of a trackpad makes a lot more sen…
Why do you assume the motions are different? Apple has already proven this with the Magic Trackpad for desktops.