Why We Won't Be Switching to Touchscreen PCs Anytime Soon
Touchscreens are all the rage when it comes to hand-held devices. People are getting excited about touchscreens on netbooks, and they're quickly becoming a must-have feature of cell phones, too. Yet, when it comes to desktop PCs, touchscreens have failed to make much of an impact. TechCrunch's Michael Arrington found himself wondering why even he ends up reverting to the mouse and keyboard when using a touchscreen device like HP's TouchSmart. The simple answer is that they're just not comfortable. When sitting at a desk, constantly raising your arms to touch a screen quickly brings discomfort. Experts told Arrington this has to do with the cardiovascular strain of lifting your hands above your heart. This is also why these devices tend to work well in a kitchen, where you're standing at a counter and above the level of the screen. For the same reason, the Microsoft Surface table-top computer is relatively comfortable for users.
Arrington suggests the solution is to, simply enough, angle the screen. His inspiration? The architect's desk -- a slightly angled desk that's set at a height lower than those of most computer stations. If HP were to angle such a computer at roughly 25 degrees, with the bottom of the screen almost at lap height, Arrington thinks consumers would love it and could toss their keyboards and mice (mouses?) in good conscience.
Of course, those of us who have tried to peck out more than just a few short sentences on a touchscreen keyboard know that, while touch might replace a mouse, those physical QWERTY keys won't be getting the heave-ho anytime soon. [From: TechCrunch]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
blazineric said 8:39AM on 10-15-2009
This has little to do with comfort, and MUCH more to do with SOFTWARE.....
The touch-smart PC has a nice touch-friendly media interface, but typing up those word documents?, navigate around the desktop? use excel, etc...etc...
the PC does not have a touch friendly interface. One of the reason's it is successful in the mobile market is the devices have already been designed for touch input. The finger is just a natural evolution from the stylus.
Touch is a gimmick right now on netbooks or laptops and PCs. Until the entire GUI is totatly remade Touch will never take off.
end of story.
PS: you guys need to block these moron spam comments like the idiot above me. Its been happening all over your network.
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wjdw1942 said 9:12AM on 10-15-2009
Peanut butter and jelly sandwichs. kids love them and make nice swatchs across screen..
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Wish Belkin said 10:02AM on 10-15-2009
What I don't like about HP's Touchsmart is that it's so freakin expencive.
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Telepro123 said 10:28AM on 10-15-2009
I use a Panasonic Toughbook tablet PC that is a touch screen for mobile video editing using a program called Vegas Video.
It works like a charm allowing me to drag and drop video clips into the timeline and drag them around, its very intuitive. I can cradle the unti on my left arm and use my right with the stylus pen, its just like using a clipboard and a pen.
This is especially good for mobile use when I don't have a desk to lay the laptop on.
I wouldn't consider a touchscreen desktop though unless its a standing workstation in an industrial factory or kitchen environment.
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