Am I Alone In Hating Touch Screen Technology?

[Throne777]

Given that touch screen seems to be what every piece of technology now has to have, am I the only one who thinks this is a really terrible way to go?

I hate it more than any other technological innovation that has ever been made.

I've found it's less precise, annoying to use, and gimmicky rubbish. My girlfriend used to have a touch screen phone and I hated having to use the on screen keyboard to type things. It's like trying to draw fine art with a carrot instead of opting for a sharpened pencil (I make Jack Skellington look obese, it's not that I have fat fingers).

I've never once thought 'my experience of using this GUI would be much enhanced if I could prod it repeatedly'.

Is it just me?

[aysiu]

Is it just me? It's not just you. I'm sure a whole bunch of people will chime in about how much they hate touchscreens.

I love them, though, and it's so much easier for me to type on my Android touchscreen keyboard than on tiny "real" keyboards on other phones.

To each her own. If you don't want a touchscreen phone, don't get one.

[Sam White]

Yep ;)

But seriously, I'm sure you're not the only one, but I for one love touch screens

Have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7_mOdi3O5E

and tell me that doesn't look cool ;)

[Throne777]

It's not just you. I'm sure a whole bunch of people will chime in about how much they hate touchscreens.

I love them, though, and it's so much easier for me to type on my Android touchscreen keyboard than on tiny "real" keyboards on other phones.

To each her own. If you don't want a touchscreen phone, don't get one.

Well my main problem is that it's becoming harder to avoid. Many of the latest phones have touch screen, as if putting buttons on your phone is like forever holding up a huge sign saying 'All my games are on cassettes!'.

[sostentado]

no youre not!

[el_koraco]

To each her own. If you don't want a touchscreen phone, don't get one.

The man didn't start the thread because he respects or disrespects everyone's right to their own decision, but because he hates touch screens.

OP, I hate them too on phones.

[Throne777]

Yep ;)

But seriously, I'm sure you're not the only one, but I for one love touch screens

Have a look at this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g7_mOdi3O5E

and tell me that doesn't look cool ;)

It looks like Apple's world domination of hysterical-hipster land.
I don't want to have to touch my monitor; it involves more movement than a flick of the wrist with a mouse. It's less convenient.
And waving your hand across the phone to affect the alarm? I'm barely functioning when I wake up, I want to just mash a button to get it to shut up, not wave around like I'm trying to direct traffic from the comfort of my own bed.

[Johnsie]

I think a touch screen is a good solution for pointing.... However I absolutely despise typing with a touch screen. For me the perfect device has a touch screen and a mechanical keyboard.

[el_koraco]

and tell me that doesn't look cool ;)

Greasy fingerprints on everything!

[CharlesA]

I have been working with a touchscreen tablet at work, but it's the kind where you have to use the pen and not your finger.

I dislike working on it since the only thing you have is an onscreen keyboard and you have to use the pen to "type"

It could be that I'm not used to it, but I still think it's a royal pain in the butt.

[doas777]

touch is best for certian specific usecases. I saw a 4 yearold playing with an ipad the other day and realized it was a really good interface for a kid that age.

that said, when I imaging the work I do being done on a touchscreen, I realize that my PCs are not the right shape/size to make it work. additionally typing without tactile feedback is just not right. perhaps after years of mediocre (or worse) touch technology, I just dont believe it is working until I get the feedback, and i just treat it as untrusted.

I upgraded my Zen Vision W to an iPod a few months ago, and one of the first things i noticed, is that while I skip forward and back in my playlist on my zen, I could do so without taking my eyes off the road, just by feeling for the buttons. with a touchscreen, there is no way for me to skip forward without looking at the screen.

[sammiev]

A lot of touch screens on HMIs at work. I prefer a keyboard any day. GL :)

[aysiu]

I have been working with a touchscreen tablet at work, but it's the kind where you have to use the pen and not your finger.

I dislike working on it since the only thing you have is an onscreen keyboard and you have to use the pen to "type"

It could be that I'm not used to it, but I still think it's a royal pain in the butt.
It's actually easier for me to type on my 4" phone touchscreen keyboard than my 10" iPad touchscreen keyboard.

The Android keyboard is actually quite fast to type on if you don't try to type the whole word. I usually type the first two or three letters of a word, and then select from the five or six autocomplete suggestions that come up.

More details here:
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-android-keyboard/

[Grenage]

I find a good screen with a good GUI to be wonderful; a bad or resistive screen (stylus) is a personal hell.

[CharlesA]

It's actually easier for me to type on my 4" phone touchscreen keyboard than my 10" iPad touchscreen keyboard.

The Android keyboard is actually quite fast to type on if you don't try to type the whole word. I usually type the first two or three letters of a word, and then select from the five or six autocomplete suggestions that come up.

More details here:
http://www.psychocats.net/ubuntucat/the-pros-and-cons-of-the-android-keyboard/
That's actually not that bad.

The tablet I am doing testing on is actually pretty nice, runs windows 7 and all that, but the on screen keyboard is a bit awkward, but that could just be cuz I am used to a "normal" keyboard.

[Joe of loath]

It depends on the screen and the device. For example, I have both an HP hw6915 (touchscreen phone with a qwerty keyboard), and a samsung omnia b7330 (non-touchscreen phone with a qwerty keypad). The HP is SO much easier to use, especially for web browsing and such. I switch between the n screen and the physical keyboard all the time on the HP, and don't prefer either, but navigating with the buttons is a huge chore.

[Fedz]

If my Nokia 5800 (which I've had 2 yrs) is anything to go by then I love touch screen technology.

It's weird at first but, you soon get used to it as normal & think nothing of it.

My mates who have keypad phones find it difficult but, they're not used to it but, now when I rarely use their keypad phones I find it strange lol

Cashpoints I automatically goto to touch the screen then soon realise it's keypad - it gives my mates a laugh when they see me try it in error :D

[scouser73]

I don't hate touch screen technology on mobile devices, but for computers then that would be silly, that's what a mouse is for in my opinion.

[heartbeatz]

I love them on handhelds and tablets. :)

Not convinced it works on a full desktop enviroment.

[insane_alien]

I think its great, but only in certain applications, such as phones.

maybe tablets too.

generally anywhere a keyboard would be too impractical.

my favourite use for it is industrial machinery however. configurable operator interfaces mmmmm....

[doas777]

until the interface is LCARS (https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/LCARS), I don't think touchscreen can take the place of my keyboard.

[pricetech]

Me personally; I hate them, but I can deal with them. I just want a more "conventional" input device to be there just in case.

My Granddaughter, on the other hand, loves a touchscreen and can text rings around us all using one.

I'm sure they'll get better as time goes by. Technology is that way. Who knows, maybe some day even old farts like me will learn to like them.

[Fedz]

I don't hate touch screen technology on mobile devices, but for computers then that would be silly, that's what a mouse is for in my opinion.
Where would likely to need a mouse within touch screen? (not a joke lol)


I love them on handhelds and tablets. :)

Not convinced it works on a full desktop enviroment.
It'd be no different to using an iPad?

A wifi touch screen for the pc would be wicked with optional power supply so you could sit anywhere with your screen using the desktop ... I think it'd work well :)

Btw don't Windows have a touchscreen OS?

[Bandit]

Is it just me?

Well its a love & hate relationship for me.

On one hand I love the options to have touchscreens where multiple interfaces are needed on one device and a mouse or scroll ball is not an option. For example in the automotive industry with the new console systems that integrate GPS, Radio and AC/Heat into one simple clean interface.

Also I see touchscreens as a must in the Aerospace industry where a mouse just isnt even an option and a possibility a keyboard may not be needed full time on that system as well.

Then on the hate side, I have OCD and cant stand fingerprints on anything.. :D



Btw don't Windows have a touchscreen OS?
I have seen windows in use with touchscreens as well, but not sure if its more directed toward windows or a combination of driver and software application on the touchscreen manufactures end.
You can setup multiple pointers in Linux as well just by editing your xorg configuration.

[BrokenKingpin]

I hate them. I suppose they are fine on phones, but I still prefer a physical keypad. As for tablets, I can't stand them... I much prefer a netbook. A netnook is almost as light as a tablet, and far more functional. And touchscreen monitors are just pointless for your laptop or desktop.

[Joe of loath]

Then on the hate side, I have OCD and cant stand fingerprints on anything.. :D

Oh gods, the fingerprints... I remember when the iPhone 4 came out, everyone raved about how it had a 'fingerprint resistant' coating. Then after everyone having one for 48 hours, they realised it didn't work.

My choice of laptop may also have been swayed had I known how my Dell would attract fingerprints.

[wojox]

I love touch screens at first, but you need to be super careful with them. If you drop them or sit on them the calibration gets all wonky and the screen starts turning different colors.

That why I've given up on smart phones and I don't know if I'm big boy enough yet to handle a tablet of any sort. :P

[beew]

It is bad especially if you have greasy fingers.

[heartbeatz]

It'd be no different to using an iPad?


I think the difference is this

When using an ipod/handhelds the screen is at a perfect angle where the hand has a natural postion in relation to the screen, like writting or drawing. On a desktop the position is vertical and you would have to sit close to the screen, to close some would say so not good for the eyes.

[heartbeatz]

The other thing is when watching people use touch on a desktop it looks like hard work, like making a sandwich or something, not relaxing or/and easy.

[doas777]

I think the difference is this

When using an ipod/handhelds the screen is at a perfect angle where the hand has a natural postion in relation to the screen, like writting or drawing. On a desktop the position is vertical and you would have to sit close to the screen, to close some would say so not good for the eyes.

yep, but the handholding is also the key reason these will never be able to replace a device made for typing. you need something you can put down to be able to use both hands with.
heck, i'm bothered by having to take my hand off the keyboard to use the mouse.

[JRV]

I had a Fujitsu netbook sized laptop with a touchscreen from 2003-2007.
At first the touch screen was a nice novelty, but I quickly tired of it and started using a USB mouse. When I switched to Linux I didn't even bother looking for a driver for the touchscreen.

[bouncingwilf]

Yup Hate 'em! thought putting one on the boat where using a mouse is difficult would be a good way to go but it turned out a disaster. Now back to a wireless thumb-ball mouse.

Bouncingwilf

[linuxforartists]

I think a touch screen is a good solution for pointing.... However I absolutely despise typing with a touch screen. For me the perfect device has a touch screen and a mechanical keyboard.

I agree with that! I hate typing on a touchscreen. Like having that tactile feedback. Drawing, on the other hand, is perfect for touchscreens.

On a related note, the last time I bought a digital camera, I got one that was one generation behind. Mainly because it still had physical buttons. The current version of that camera was all touchscreen, which I didn't like. I also thought it was more likely to break.



I upgraded my Zen Vision W to an iPod a few months ago, and one of the first things i noticed, is that while I skip forward and back in my playlist on my zen, I could do so without taking my eyes off the road, just by feeling for the buttons. with a touchscreen, there is no way for me to skip forward without looking at the screen.

I hadn't thought of that, but it's a good point!

As a sign of where things are going, here's a video: Apple introduces revolutionary new laptop--with no keyboard (http://www.theonion.com/video/apple-introduces-revolutionary-new-laptop-with-no,14299/).

[Macskeeball]

I upgraded my Zen Vision W to an iPod a few months ago, and one of the first things i noticed, is that while I skip forward and back in my playlist on my zen, I could do so without taking my eyes off the road, just by feeling for the buttons. with a touchscreen, there is no way for me to skip forward without looking at the screen.

This is off-topic, but I have some advice for that.

I have an iPod touch as well, and I use an iTrip DualConnect (https://store.griffintechnology.com/itrip-dualconnect) which gives me basic controls (prev/rewind, play/pause, next/FF) on the cigarette lighter just below my stereo. It also charges the iPod and takes the audio from the Dock connector, which means that volume is independent of headphone volume and that the iPod pauses when I turn off my car.

I like it, but it's really best for cars that have AUX in and a cigarette lighter in easy reach. For FM (lower quality sound), there are other accessories with physical controls to change the transmitter's station. If your cigarette lighter is hard to reach like in my mom's car, there are accessories with remotes on the steering wheel, on a gooseneck mount, etc.

Back on topic, I'm okay with the touchscreen on my iPod for the most part. It's nice getting a larger screen because there aren't buttons consuming half of the device. There's a lot flexibility which comes from that. I like doing multitouch gestures on my laptop's trackpad, but I would not want it on the screen because that would be vertical. The resistive touch screens I occasionally have to sign with a stylus are the worst. My signature always come out barely legible on those compared to pen and paper.

[Onoku]

I don't really like touchscreen phones either. The Terrible-Mobile sidekick is probably one of the best layouts I have used. My Droid isn't toooo bad to type on though.

[nothingspecial]

I chucked my stupid touch screen phone, with all it's apps and nonsense in the bin, and bought a propper one with buttons on it, that you can phone people with.

I mean the thing cost hundreds of pounds and it was a right royal pain in the but to use....... I could never answer the thing in time, trying to text on the thing was a nightmare. So I was in the supermarket one day and ripped the sim out, and chucked the piece of junk in the bin.

And bought a new one for under £10.

And I don't regret it one bit. It would be nice to think someone who enjoys touch screens found it and it made their day.

[NormanFLinux]

I like new technology. I've taken to Unity like a duck to water. But I agree with you, I can't see the point of doing with greasy human fingers what the mouse can do more precisely.

I'm not a Luddite - I just think if it ain't broke and it works - don't fix it.