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Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

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Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#41

Post by forgottenpaswrd »

edanm wrote: post #32

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…

I agree.

I only use the Apple magic trackpad for input in my Apple and Ubuntu computers.

It is an amazing device, all other trackpads I had tested(and I do it with every computer I see on the store) is shit compared with it, on laptops and stand alone.

But it takes some time getting used to it, specially for doing things like right clicking(15-30min in my experience with other people), so I don't see most of the people using it, unless you could make people to climb that learning curve.

About touching the screen, I remember the Windows users talking about how touching the ipad "will never work" because the screen gets dirty, like the people from Linux that hated what iOS did until Android copied it, and instantly became the best thing since sliced bread.

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#42

Post by jonah »

s_henry_paulson wrote: post #40
jonah wrote: post #34

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…

Scaling that up to laptop or desktop screen size is a completely different set of motions. Why do you assume the motions are different? Apple has already proven this with the Magic Trackpad for desktops.

[edit] I think I wasn't clear. Scaling the direct on-screen manipulation up to laptop/desktop fundamentally changes the physical motions required.

The Magic Trackpad is indirect scaled motion like the inbuilt trackpad on a laptop. It's size is still within the range of easy and quick wrist motion unlike touching the desktop screen itself.

There's even push back against ever increasing phone screen sizes. They've gone beyond a finger's range of motion.

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#43

Post by hirenj »

jonah wrote: post #34
edanm wrote: post #32

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…

What would be great is if you could use the trackpad a lot like a loupe. Imagine a small touchscreen device that shows a certain magnification of the screen. Zoom out on the loupe, and it acts like a standard trackpad. Zoom in on the loupe, and it acts like a precision touchscreen.

There would be some subtle feedback on the main screen indicating where the loupe is currently focussed I'd guess.

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#44

Post by forgottenpaswrd »

eupharis wrote: post #13
pm90 wrote: post #7

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I think a lot of the people saying that Windows 8 is the most terrible mistake are forgetting precisely this. Dell has just released a series of laptop/tablet hybrids running win8, and also has Desktops with touchscreen. I think Microsoft has done a great job by facilitating this transition(to "all computers with touchscreen") with win8. Now that a major Software has a touch-based paradigm, hardware vendors will have…

Wow. This is mindblowing. I just went through the thought/body experiment: On your desktop/laptop, assume you already have a touchscreen and everything works perfectly. Assume every swipe interaction you have ever used works perfectly. Interact with the computer. Navigate around the computer. Drag and drop files. Surf around the internet. Click tabs and hyperlinks and whatever with the mouse, with touch, even with ta…

Obviously you will be navigating a world designed with another paradigm in mind, the mouse, or the pointer.

This is what iOS did: Create a new world designed for being touched. Instead of the Windows CE or the Palms around the pointer.

You have to redesign the entire software stack for being touched, and it will happen.

Ubuntu Unity, Windows 8, and Mac OS new versions are races against time for being the first bringing professional creative tools "touch-ready".

It is very hard to do it, and current users are getting angry the same way people got mad when they removed the numeric keys from the macs(so command line software got redesigned around mouse).

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#45

Post by forgottenpaswrd »

jonah wrote: post #33

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…

"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."

It will never do. Typing is just so much faster than touching. But it does not matter because: TALKING is much better than typing for textual data.

On the other hand, touching is so much better for edition of already introduced data, the only problem is that software is designed around keyboards, for example moving letters instead of words.

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#47

Post by Snapps »

adriand wrote: post #3

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.

It might be one anecdote, but it's a great one. It just seems natural and intuitive to touch the screen.

Thanks for all of the great commentary everyone!

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#48

Post by eupharis »

pm90 wrote: post #22
Radix_ wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

'Mindblowing' is nearly always a positive thing. I think your comment really made an impression. I did as he said, lounging here with my laptop, and it really was a nice feeling to have the option to reach up and scroll the page with my thumb. I'd like to put three fingers down and tap my left most finger to shuffle tabs but that's impossible now. I'm looking forward to future hardware.

Oh, I wasn't sure whether eupharis was being sarcastic. Thanks for clarifying that!

Yep, no sarcasm meant. :) Now I just can't wait to actually have a touchscreen and have all my software work flawlessly with it!

Re: Is Microsoft Right About Touchscreen Computers?

#49

Post by CrankyPants »

vvhn wrote: post #30
CrankyPants wrote: post #25

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I always figured it was to match iOS.

I agree. Most people's first Apple device these days is an iDevice and if they go on to get a Mac as well, they get greeted by familiar things like launchpad, scrolling etc. .

Yeah, the Gateway Drug factor here is huge.
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