According to reports from Stuff.tv, following a recent visit to one of LG's display factories, it appears that LG is preparing to ship multi-touch screens. There are rumors arising that the displays are for Apple and a future multi-touch iMac.Apple has stated quite clearly that multi-touch will not be a feature available on their desktop or notebook line in the near future, yet the rumor mill still brewed and with the discovery of these LG screens, is brewing further.
It is also possible that these displays could be LCDs for the upcoming Windows 7 release or merely displays for manufacturers other than Apple.
Hewellet-Packard was the first company to release a multi-touch desktop with their TouchSmart series, which boast better hardware than current iMacs plus the touch capability at a better price/performance ratio.
Apple fans will have to wait until the upcoming MacWorld Expo in January to see if multi-touch will be included with Snow Leopard and Apple was just 'being mysterious'. Until then, it is not expected that the rumors of the multi-touch iMac will subside.
The cases where I think it might do better as a *primary* input mechanism are like kitchen PCs or other fixed but small footprint PCs, entirely new form factors, tablets, etc.
Agreed.
If it had wireless on board it could easily sync up with mice and keyboards - just have a latch on the back so it stays upright in either portrait or landscape mode.
Most improtantly it would look like the PADD's from Star Trek which would greatly please my inner geek!
If it had wireless on board it could easily sync up with mice and keyboards - just have a latch on the back so it stays upright in either portrait or landscape mode.
Most improtantly it would look like the PADD's from Star Trek which would greatly please my inner geek!
So a tablet PC then... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_PC
So a tablet PC then... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tablet_PC
Yup!
The "tiny" difference between a tabletpc and a touchscreen is in tabletpc you are not losing your mouse pointer, so you can move your mouse cursor without touching the screen, instead a touchscreen you are losing it, rendering impossible to do several task (for example to play fps games).
1. Microsoft is preparing, and has announced, a multi-touch OS for 2009/10.
2. LG is preparing multi-touch screens.
3. Apple has announced that it has no multi-touch plans.
From these facts, and these alone, the article-writer has concluded that the screens are for Macs. Personally, I can't see the logical leap here, though for those that make the errant assumption that Apple will always be first with new technology, I can imagine why they would get excited.
Huzzah!
I also felt that using a 20" touchscreen was rather fatigueing so there may be life still left in the ol' mouse&keyboard...
If we consider a touchscreen "wall" for example, to which you can dictate your distance and angle, that's a different story. We've seen that concept illustrated successfully on CNN and certain tech videos, etc.
It is, however, ideal for a tablet-like device or other device that can rest flat, or that can be positioned in such a manner.
There are already multi-touch Macs (notebooks), but the Multi-touch gestures aren't performed on the display.
To Apple saying they definitely won't be doing it, how many times have MS said they are definitely not doing something, when (secretly) they really are? Apple will be no different I suspect. Apple have proven (with the Touch/iPhone) they know how to make an OS work well with multi-touch, extending that to a desktop OS is not that much of a jump, not really. Just my 2 cents, take with a grain of salt.
Multi-Touch doesn't mean "touchscreen."
Touch-screens, for the most part, just sound like technology for technology's sake to me.
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