By Ina Fried, 2 July 2009 09:02
NEWS
There's a reason the first thing in Windows 7 that Microsoft chose to show publicly was its support for touch input.
That built-in ability to use two fingers to rotate, scroll and zoom offers tangible proof that the operating system is different from its predecessor, not to mention being something not found on a Mac.
However, many say that comparatively few Windows 7 PC owners will actually be reaching out to touch their screen. That's because it requires a screen that can support the technology - something that often adds $100 or more to the cost of a PC.
As a result, many expect touch-capable computers to be just a tiny fraction of the market for desktop and notebook computers, even after Windows 7 arrives on store shelves on 22 October.
"We're thinking like five per cent to 10 per cent of shipments for 2010," said IDC analyst Richard Shim. And Shim said that, unless circumstances change, the rate isn't likely to climb significantly in the coming years.
Part of the problem is that there really isn't a killer application for touch on the PC, despite the "cool" factor in the mobile phone market.
It's not that there isn't interest in selling touchscreen devices. HP introduced its TouchSmart all-in-one in 2007. The company now has several touch models, including both desktop and laptop machines. Dell has a Latitude notebook aimed at businesses and has also added an all-in-one with a touchscreen option.
And once Windows 7 hits the market, others will no doubt follow suit, particularly since Microsoft has done a lot of the work. Shim said he expects nearly all the major PC makers to have at least one touchscreen model when Windows 7 launches in the fall. Monitor makers are also expected to offer touchscreen displays that can plug into standard PCs.
Microsoft senior vice president, Bill Veghte, said in an interview last week: "Touch will roll out. We'll see it in all-in-ones and we'll see it in some laptops and you will see it across the different PC markets."
But just how many of these models will actually get sold is another matter. Some reports suggest that the low-cost netbook market could actually see things pick up fastest, given their smaller (and therefore cheaper to touch-enable) screens and the fact that people are often using them on the go, without a mouse.
Although Microsoft offers a standard interface for gestures in Windows 7, there are actually several different technologies that computer makers can use to build a touch-capable computer.
New Zealand-based NextWindow uses an optical technology in which tiny sensors are mounted on the top corners of the display and allow the fingers' positions to be captured. It is the company behind the technology used in the all-in-ones from HP and Dell.
Israel's N-Trig, meanwhile, uses capacitive resistance, the type of technology used on the iPhone to read finger input. It combines this with a second technology to also allow input from a stylus. Its technology is employed in HP and Dell laptops, and N-Trig has also received funding from Microsoft.
Touch is not...
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Comments
There are 5 comments. Join the discussion
1. Gy Reynolds
Touch just will not work in an ergonomicaly setup desktop environment. If you follow all the guidelines you will not be able to reach to touch the screen and certainly not for prolonged interaction. Thus I hate to say it but in an office environment where Health and Safety legislation applies, Touch will inevitably be turned off as it poses a helath and safety risk to users, with all that implies for RSI and insurance premiums.
The only place that I can see it working is in a kiosk type environment, such as digital photo printing terminals where it would allow customers to edit images withoyt the need for a keyboad, mouse or tracker ball.
2. anonymous
Re Mac multi-touch - I'm not an avid Mac user but I believe on the latest MacBooks, the user can user multi-touch on the new glide-pads to rotate and so on.
3. karen challinor
touch will take off when there are two things
1 - an application that uses touch and makes day to day use of the PC easier - the fabled and still elusive killer app
and
2 - a relatively cheap add on device that clips unobtrusively to an existing screen of any size, providing a multi point touch screen interface via usb, without obscuring the screen
otherwise it's just a rich kids toy at worst or a prop on tv programs at best
don't get me wrong I've seen Jeff Han's demonstrations of the technology and it's as impressive as hell but applications are lacking and people aren't going to throw away perfectly good equipment so we'll need a retrofittable interface that's cheap
otherwise a mouse is good enough for 99.9% of most peoples requirements and it's cheaper on screen cleaner too
4. drew stephenson
personally i would use a touchscreen on my laptop an awful lot. Probably a fair bit on my PC as well, particularly when using graphics and music packages. I currently have a bamboo tablet that i use as a mouse for a lot of these things.
Basically i really hate the mouse as an input tool and would use anything else if it's available!
I agree with Karen about the retro-fitting thing though, i'd buy one tomorrow and (whisper it) it might even be enough to tempt me to windows 7
5. anonymous
Now if the touch screen was moved to the desktop as a graphics tablet replacement it would be useful. It would need good resolution, be both a replacement for the mouse while still allowing the mouse when wanted, various sizes to fit crowded spaces up to enormous for drafting table use, then it would need to be much less expensive than the current graphic tablets. Still niche but a bigger niche.