- Nothing remains impossible in the fact that we can simulate a virtual pointer that would be directed by the finger on the screen. That pointer can even remain at the actual mouse size.

CHRIS SAID : “- Try tapping your finger on the table 1000 times a day for a year. A mouse button provides a cushioned click. A hard display screen does not. ”
Well i must have done that a lot since i had my iphone and can assure that it is not a problem…

CHRIS SAID : “- It’s not going to be comfortable in the long run and is probably more likely to result in repetitive stress injuries. If you only use a computer for a couple of minutes a day then the idea of a touchscreen is probably appealing. If you spend hours per day using a computer then you are likely to think the ergonomics of using a touchscreen are terrible. Tired arms and fingers will result from extended use.”

- I can assure you that i must use the computer more than 10H a/day and can (too) easylly imagine the same time spent on a tactile surface… esp for musical apps. And mone more time : it would certainly not be a problem to build apps compatibles touch & mouse+key.

CHRIS SAID : “- The mouse : Quicker - I can scroll through a long stack of albums in coverflow view faster and with less effort with the scroll wheel than I could with a finger on the screen. Trust me on this.”

Oula i would certainly not trut you on this. A simple tap on the “elevator” the way we do it with the mouse and the scrolling will be exactly the same. Actually it is already…

xxdesmus said,
March 1, 2007 @ 2:44 pm

“I think touch screens are a gigantic waste of time for 99% of cases. Ignoring the fact that they are significantly more expensive than standard LCDs and the fact that they smudge, scratch, and generally get mucked up easily …I think touch screens would be a huge mistake.

Granted, this sounds remarkably similar to Windows Tablet Edition *cough* (Copy Machine who?)”

haha ! i really do not think that that type of screen is “unaffordable”, look at the iphone, we mostly pay for the concept & idea than the building cost itself - esp. regarding the screen
I have an iphone and can assure you that the scratch thing you’ve been mentioning is no problem at all. And surely wont get scratched the way do say nor as fast.

Alain Azzam said,
March 1, 2007 @ 2:56 pm

I would not want multi-touch on my screen, but I would LOVE to have it on a mousepad. The reason is simple: on all these videos of multitouch I’ve seen, you see a user working on a vertical monitor. That is INSANE”

Okay there is some of the video that you don’t have seen then…
One more time (i say it evruwhere), i don’t think this is an argumentation because it is easy to built a work space around “a tablet” (no matter how big it is), and have it on a table as the ones used by the architectes, drawers… and remember the times where you could have the CRT screen built in the desktop at your office ?

a double screen notebook… yeah, it should be nice…
what ?… no keyboard & mouse ? - i don’t care : i have ‘em at home and still can plug ‘em in USB… the screen will get dirty ? …. neeeee, i don’t mind, i see what it is like with an iphone, i don’t see the traces because of the screen luminosity.

Apple will realese something this year… it’s about time…
have you noticed ? … (regarding the computer bizness), some good things are happening since a few years… SSD HDD, multi touch interfaces…

you have noticed : i’m with the ones who can’t wait to see apple realese something real when multitouch speaking ;) ;)