HN Explorer

IPad effect

7 points by kimfuh ↗ HN
I've had my iPad for a little over a month. Just today, I was using my desktop and wanted to bookmark an article I was reading. Without thinking, I reach out and touch the monitor to tap the instapaper link. My mind suddenly flashes forward a couple of years and the computer I know and love so much is obsolete. And my iPad is sitting beside me, smiling.

6 comments

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J3L2404
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pedalpete
I had always thought touch-screen didn't make sense in a desktop environment.

Then my mom got one of those HP desktops with the touch interface. I figured she'd never touch it, just use the keyboard and mouse.

When I was showing her how to do a few things, I found myself using the touch screen WAY more than I expected.

I would be very surprised if your next desktop/laptop wasn't touch enabled as well.

drivebyacct
I think you're looking for a self post in /r/Apple.

I could write a bunch of crap about the different pieces of functionality that are lacking in touch applications or the wasted screen real estate or touch interfaces in general.

But these types of articles are around the internet everywhere and this post simply isn't worth the effort to discuss.

kimfuh
Build something better and easier to use and i'll dump Apple, buy your product, and be your number one cheerleader. I was simply trying to convey my surprise that an action totally unrelated to everyday everyman computer use only took a month to become, for me, a reflex.
drivebyacct
"easier to use". I have absolutely no problems using Ubuntu 10.04. It's better in almost every way in terms of openness and functionality and I can be much more effective in terms of getting things done quickly and efficiently than you ever could on a touch screen device lacking a dedicated keyboard and mouse.

My only point is that the desktop space and mobile space are very different and I don't see them converging.

fjabre
The fact of the matter is that your eyes look directly in front of you and your fingers are typing at 90 degrees to that.

I don't know from experience but I can only guess how uncomfortable it would be to have to lift my arm up to have manipulate on screen objects as opposed to using a mouse and/or keyboard. Maybe I'm just lazy..

I don't think the iPad will displace this traditional method of input unfortunately. The mouse and keyboard will be around for a long time to come.