Are Touch Screen Computers Worth it?

[pokeplayer984]

I recently looked in the latest Curcuit City Magazine for my Sunday Newspaper and saw a Touch-Screen Laptop.  I don't have the picture, but it has some nice perks going for it.  250 GB Hard Drive, 3 GB of RAM, 180 Degree rotation screen... With Vista being the only bad thing on it. (Expect maybe the fact it's a 12.1" screen.  That's freaking small. ) I mean, I just got my own Laptop and I get my eye on this beauty?

However, if anyone here has had experience with something like this before, just answer me one quesiton, is it worth it?  Because, seriously, Touch-Screen is quite the temptation for me. :

[aabicus (LettuceBacon&Tomato)]

Frankly, a touch-screen would piss me off. I have problems enough with just a touchpad, thinking I clicked every time I brush it, never going where my finger does, and the little arrow never moving fast enough. If the whole computer worked that way, I'd probably last about a week before introducing it to my friend the sidewalk from three floors up.

[Malte279]

As for the thinking you clicked every time you touch it, I'm quite sure that there are ways to decrease the sensitivity setting of the touch-pad. Personally, I can work well with a touch-pad, but I fail to see any benefit from a touchscreen computer that would make up for the disadvantages. Clicking on the screen means that you will always have your hands blocking part of the screen when you want to use the cursor and also it is difficult enough to keep a screen clean when you don't have to touch it with your fingers all the time. I know very little about computers in general, but what are the advantages that are expected from touch-screens?

[Lillefot]

Though I fancy touch-screens, have a Samsung P2 which works wonders with it, I couldn't handle it on a computer or a TV...
I think it works better on smaller units, such as MP3 players or Cell-phones.
Untill they make it better, that is.  

And what Malte says, your screen would get dirty alot, often and fast.
A pointer pen? Yeah, imagine sitting in front of a laptop with that... I would go nuts!  :blink:

[Kor]

With a touchscreen expect many fingerprints.  if you do get it best to get some sort of screen protector to help protect the screen.

[landbeforetimelover]

DON'T EVEN THINK OF BUYING SOMETHING LIKE THIS YET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Windows7 is going to have a new type of touch screen technology, which allows up to 10 simultaneous touches for enhanced ability.  This will totally revolutionize every monitor we have today.  By 2010, ALL monitors will have multi-touch technology.  Buying a single touch screened laptop right now would be just about the dumbest thing you can do.

I really don't like MS's approach.  They're trying to totally get rid of the keyboard and mouse.  It will never work.  Who the hell wants to dirty up their screen and use two fingers on the screen constantly to do anything?  You can watch a video about that technology here:


http://youtube.com/watch?v=CkdFpzD5TYU

Quite frankly, this technology is just plain stupid. -_-

[pokeplayer984]

Okay, I'll do my best to stay away for the time being.

It's just that I know how great touch-technology can be when it's done right.  I have a Nintendo DS, and I can tell you that the games on it are pretty dang good when done the right way.

So, when they do start getting it right, it may not be such a bad thing to get one at that point.

[landbeforetimelover]

Touch may be good for an option, but there's a BIG difference between a little 3" DS that you PLAY on and a 22" computer monitor that you have to WORK on.  You need to do a lot more with the computer than you do with the DS.  Touch is just stupid on computers.  Pocket computers and portable players are fine, but not computer systems. -_-

[Malte279]

By 2010, ALL monitors will have multi-touch technology.

Are you sure? It sounds like a very, very short time frame unless there was an extreme and sudden increase of demand for this technology many people don't seem to feel comfortable about. What are the advantages of it?

[landbeforetimelover]

I don't see any advantages to it, however it will be standard by 2010.  Whether it will totally replace the mouse and keyboard or not I'm not sure, but I do know that every new computer will come with this technology.

[Kor]

I assume it'll be a gradual thing and many will continue to use mouse and keyboard, with some dispensing with the mouse but keeping the keyboard.

[Littlefoot505]

Well, I really like having a touch-screen computer. The last two main computers I've had have been those neat little "convertible" laptops that have the 360-degree hinges that let them fold into tablets. I mainly use the keyboard and trackpad the way someone who has a non-touch computer would, but I like having the touchscreen and the ability to fold it into a tablet for the times I do use those features. The one I currently have actually has a neat little pen too.

Mind you, touchscreen computers have become WAY more mainstream since this thread was posted (at my college, almost everyone who doesn't have a MacBook seems to have a touch screen laptop), and Windows has become FAR more touch-friendly, even getting too touch friendly there with Windows 8. I probably would've passed on a touchscreen computer back then (ESPECIALLY with Vista).

My main annoyances with having the touchscreen (and they're pretty minor) are the screen getting all smudged, and classmates touching the screen when I'm working on a group project not knowing I have a touchscreen laptop.

[Hypno]

I don't see any advantages to it, however it will be standard by 2010.  Whether it will totally replace the mouse and keyboard or not I'm not sure, but I do know that every new computer will come with this technology.

Now it's 2018, and I think keyboard/mouse is still way more popular.