Obsession with touch screens

[JonathanYoung]

Lately it seems like the whole world is going gaga over touch screens (iphone, MS Surface, BlackBerry, etc.). I do not own any touch devices but I have used an iphone and touch screens at the movie theater for buying tickets and I do not find them very efficient to use.

I'm an old school command line dude and I tend to use mostly the keyboard, even in Windows, but the trend is towards "dumbing down" the interface and I fear where we may be headed in terms of user interfaces.

I would say that touch screens are definitely not ergonomic, i.e. on a touch screen keyboard you're basically typing on a flat surface.

Imagine having to sort hundreds of photos on MS Surface with your hands.

I admit, it's cool using the touch screen on the iphone, but that's just a gimmick and IMHO isn't enough for long term use.

Anyone else agree?

 

[Vehemence]

Then don't use them

 

[yinan]

I disagree touch screens can make things more efficient. It all depends on the application. I really like the iPhone and its interface.

Also, on most sci-fi shows what type of screens do you see, touch screen or some sorta holographic thing.

 

[hiromizu]

Originally posted by: JonathanYoung
Lately it seems like the whole world is going gaga over touch screens (iphone, MS Surface, BlackBerry, etc.). I do not own any touch devices but I have used an iphone and touch screens at the movie theater for buying tickets and I do not find them very efficient to use.

I'm an old school command line dude and I tend to use mostly the keyboard, even in Windows, but the trend is towards "dumbing down" the interface and I fear where we may be headed in terms of user interfaces.

I would say that touch screens are definitely not ergonomic, i.e. on a touch screen keyboard you're basically typing on a flat surface.

Imagine having to sort hundreds of photos on MS Surface with your hands.

I admit, it's cool using the touch screen on the iphone, but that's just a gimmick and IMHO isn't enough for long term use.

Anyone else agree?

There good because mostly people touch in natural. Since is natural, it is more flowing thus better for ergonomics and less polution for greener environment. Not sure if this makes sense!

 

[vi edit]

Application specific. If the app was designed from the ground up with touch screen in mind, then it can be incredibly user friendly. Backwards engineered or tacked on half assed and it can suck.

 

[ConstipatedVigilante]

I think touch screens are only the beginning of this new trend. Hologram technology will become more available in the next few years, so I'm thinking we'll actually be manipulating things in 3D with our hands at some point. It would be pretty cool to have a Rubix cube pop out of your phone when you're bored, no? I can really see this sort of tech being useful for video editing, 3D modeling, etc., though.

 

[Kev]

I hate them, basically because I obsess about having greasy fingerprints on the screen.

 

[ultimatebob]

Try using an iPhone for a few days, and you'll understand. The finger gestures are amazingly useful, and are a great time saver!

 

[Vehemence]

Originally posted by: ultimatebob
The finger gestures are amazingly useful, and are a great time saver!

That's what she said.

 

[NikolaeVarius]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZyErkPjOR8

I would prefer this over any touch screen. But I still like buttons the best

 

[Reckoner]

No, I don't agree.

 

[Fritzo]

It's a fad because of the wow factor. They ARE the future, but it'll be a while before they can replace tactile buttons. My smartphone is a lot harder to use because of the touch screen because you have to look at what you're pressing, but on the other hand it's a less complicated design because there's fewer physical parts.

 

[Atheus]

Originally posted by: JonathanYoung
I'm an old school command line dude and I tend to use mostly the keyboard, even in Windows, but the trend is towards "dumbing down" the interface and I fear where we may be headed in terms of user interfaces.

...

I admit, it's cool using the touch screen on the iphone, but that's just a gimmick and IMHO isn't enough for long term use.

...

My Ipod has a command line including a ssh client, which is made possible only by the touch screen keyboard - it works extremely well and I hardly ever miss a key. Touch just makes things more flexible.

 

[JonathanYoung]

Originally posted by: vi edit
Application specific. If the app was designed from the ground up with touch screen in mind, then it can be incredibly user friendly. Backwards engineered or tacked on half assed and it can suck.

That's a very good point.

Originally posted by: tenshodo13
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FZyErkPjOR8

I would prefer this over any touch screen. But I still like buttons the best

Again, this seems really cool, but can we really hold our arms up like that for an extended period of time, say an hour? I used to play light gun games and holding the gun up for half an hour was already pushing it, and that was when I was lifting and playing basketball.

Holograms would be badass, but we're probably a ways away from having our own holosuites at home.

EDIT: And I may get an iphone just to see what it's like to use it for an extended period.

 

[speg]

On the ergonomics, I find typing on my iPhone to be much more ergonomic than a Blackberry (I used to test Blackberries). There is zero force required to hit a button on the iPhone-touchscreen this saves you hugely from repetitive stresses, and the health effects of them.

 

[JonathanYoung]

Originally posted by: speg
On the ergonomics, I find typing on my iPhone to be much more ergonomic than a Blackberry (I used to test Blackberries). There is zero force required to hit a button on the iPhone-touchscreen this saves you hugely from repetitive stresses, and the health effects of them.

Another good point! Man, I should visit these forums more often!

 

[Chryso]

Originally posted by: yinan
Also, on most sci-fi shows what type of screens do you see, touch screen or some sorta holographic thing.

You know those shows aren't actually from the future, right?

 

[BurnItDwn]

10-15 years ago they were something only an extreme geek or nerd would have. Now they are cool.
New tech from 10-15 years ago that used to be exclusively used by geeks or nerds are now cool.

 

[Vehemence]

Originally posted by: Chryso

Originally posted by: yinan
Also, on most sci-fi shows what type of screens do you see, touch screen or some sorta holographic thing.

You know those shows aren't actually from the future, right?

Shens

 

[imported_DocHolliday]

Originally posted by: JonathanYoung
Lately it seems like the whole world is going gaga over touch screens (iphone, MS Surface, BlackBerry, etc.). I do not own any touch devices but I have used an iphone and touch screens at the movie theater for buying tickets and I do not find them very efficient to use.

I'm an old school command line dude and I tend to use mostly the keyboard, even in Windows, but the trend is towards "dumbing down" the interface and I fear where we may be headed in terms of user interfaces.

I would say that touch screens are definitely not ergonomic, i.e. on a touch screen keyboard you're basically typing on a flat surface.

Imagine having to sort hundreds of photos on MS Surface with your hands.

I admit, it's cool using the touch screen on the iphone, but that's just a gimmick and IMHO isn't enough for long term use.

Anyone else agree?

They worked well on Star Trek: TNG therefore awesome!

 

[So]

Originally posted by: hiromizu

Originally posted by: JonathanYoung
Lately it seems like the whole world is going gaga over touch screens (iphone, MS Surface, BlackBerry, etc.). I do not own any touch devices but I have used an iphone and touch screens at the movie theater for buying tickets and I do not find them very efficient to use.

I'm an old school command line dude and I tend to use mostly the keyboard, even in Windows, but the trend is towards "dumbing down" the interface and I fear where we may be headed in terms of user interfaces.

I would say that touch screens are definitely not ergonomic, i.e. on a touch screen keyboard you're basically typing on a flat surface.

Imagine having to sort hundreds of photos on MS Surface with your hands.

I admit, it's cool using the touch screen on the iphone, but that's just a gimmick and IMHO isn't enough for long term use.

Anyone else agree?

There good because mostly people touch in natural. Since is natural, it is more flowing thus better for ergonomics and less polution for greener environment. Not sure if this makes sense!

Not at all, but I assume you're not a native English speaker, so you might try making your point again.

 

[BlahBlahYouToo]

so i guess you think a mouse is dumbing down the interface too eh?

 

[Vehemence]

Originally posted by: BlahBlahYouToo
so i guess you think a mouse is dumbing down the interface too eh?

Real men use punch cards

 

[Goosemaster]

I like them depending on their application.

What I really like is that they don't bind the creativity of the progammer with the limitations set forth by the hardware designer. This results in programs with drastically customizable interfaces. Most of the time the toucscreens apps don't take advantage of this but when they do it's fantastic.

 

[Chryso]

Can you keep it down? I am trying to remember how to use edlin to modify my config.sys file