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Touchscreen Laptops, Whether You Like Them Or Not

Posted by Soulskill on from the give-the-people-what-they-may-or-may-not-want dept.

An anonymous reader writes "With CES all wrapped up, an article at CNET discusses a definite trend in the laptops on display from various manufacturers this year: touchscreens. Intel and Microsoft are leading the way, and attempting to grab the industry's reins as well: '... just to make sure the touch message was crystal clear, Intel issued an edict to PC partners during its CES keynote: all next-generation ultrabooks based on its "Haswell" chip must be touch.' With tablets and detachable/convertible computers coming into the mainstream, it seems the manufacturers have something to gain by condensing their production options. The article says, 'What does that mean to consumers? Your next laptop will likely be touch, whether you like it or not.'"

5 of 398 comments (clear)

  1. What's the big deal? by innocence18 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    It's nice to have there as an option if you want it, if you don't care for it, don't use it.

    --
    Anonymity of the internet is responsible for the views expressed in my post.
    1. Re:What's the big deal? by mupuf · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Oh, it is a big deal.

      There are two technologies for touch screens:
      - Resistive: It means adding an extra layer on top of the screen, reducing the brightness of the screen or increasing the backlight resulting in a lower battery life.
      - Capacitive: As far I know, it is only possible on current screen's surface. It would need some sort of glass like on smartphones. This increases the price of the laptop and makes it more susceptible to breaking if the glass is of poor quality.

      The end result in both cases is a higher price ... for no purpose at all. But I guess the average joe would like to have a detachable keyboard and get a tablet.

    2. Re:What's the big deal? by pepty · · Score: 5, Insightful

      Could we get Intel to issue an edict to PC partners that they quit using crap trackpads on their laptops, ultra or not?

  2. Re:Laptops are the wrong form factor for touch by drinkypoo · · Score: 5, Insightful

    From experience I haven't found anything worse than a desktop or laptop with a touch screen.

    From experience I know you are spouting wild hyperbole.

    They are ergonomically bad, after 10 minutes I get pain in my wrists and elbows.

    OK, so use the touchpad. Oh, you're complaining about laptops with only touch for pointing input? Why didn't you say so?

    My lady has a Fujitsu Lifebook T900 with the combo digitizer. When I am demonstrating something to her I can lean over her shoulder and touch the screen, which is fantastic. And the system folds over into a tablet, which is great for art since it has a Wacom/multitouch digitizer.

    Don't make the mistake of thinking that touch is bad, because it isn't. Exclusive touch is bad on a device with room for another input device.

    --
    "You're right," Fisheye says. "I should have set it on 'whip' or 'chop.'"
  3. Try it, you'll like it by jamesl · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The anti-touch commenters here echo the comments of anti-mousers decades ago -- "Not for me." We know how that worked out.

    1. Until you work with a touch enabled laptop, you have no basis for comment about touch enabled laptops.
    2. Until you work with a touch enabled desktop, you have no basis for comment about touch enabled laptops.
    3. After experiencing touch enabled laptops and desktops, different people will have different opinions but nobody should feel obligated to force their opinions on others.
    4. I have two months experience using a touch enabled laptop computer and I love it. Your mileage may vary.
    5. I have no experience with using a touch enabled desktop computer so I have no comment.

    People are different and different people use computers in different ways. Some are amenable to touch and some are not.