Touch Screen Computers

I keep hearing that computers in the future will be going touch screen only. I'm not sure that I would want to try and edit photos with a touch screen only system, what with my fat fingers and the constant fingerprints. Not sure how this is going to work for photographers, any thoughts?

I think touch screens are OK on things like the iPad or a smart phone, but for working on images, especially on a large screen, you would be too close for comfort. Also, one would have their arm in a raised position with the shoulder being rotated foward. This does not seem to be very ergonomic to me. I would not be comfortable with a touch-only system.

In the near term, I think most machines will be able to use either a touch screen or a pointing divice (mouse or pen).

I have a Wacom tablet and pen that I use for most everything. Using the pen is quite natural, once I got used to it.

--P

I also believe that a pointing device of some sort will always be an option in future computing.
Why make it obsolete when it is so simple to keep as an option? It is with an iPad, after all.
In fact, I believe that artists and designers will insist upon it should the manufacturers ever consider going 'all touchscreen all of the time'.

How would those who use words instead of images use a touchscreen computer? That doesn't make any sense to me. (Voice recognition isn't the answer. VR requires editing, which also couldn't be done with a touch screen.)

Barbara, you would use an on-screen keyboard. My Win-7 has a keyboard that appears when I use the pen on my Wacom tablet. My screen isn't touch-sensitive, but I can type on the pad on the on-screen keyboard using the pen. It's kinda cool, but slow.

This line was typed using my pen.

--P

Most likely a large touch-sensitive pad for your fingers will sit right next to your key board, so you won't have to smear your monitor screen with lunch. They exist today.
A marker of really good software will be how well they integrate this interface with the functionality of the software. Only now are intuitive and touch-oriented photo processing apps being released for the iPad. It's going to take a while longer for similar happenings to evolve for the forthcoming Mac and Windows operating systems.
I cannot imagine full keyboard and mouse support will be disappearing during the next five to ten years.

ME

Typing with pens and touch-sensitive pads may be okay for message board posting, website posting, etc., but it doesn't make sense to me for, for example, law offices, accountants, and pretty much the entirety of corporate America and corporate Canada and corporate anywhere. (I have a tablet, and I "type" as little on it as possible because it drives me crazy to do so.) But I could be wrong.

I have been using a touch screen computer for a number of years. It appears that there are two types of touch screens. One uses a stylus and the other uses finger motions. The stylus type which is what I have is easy to use in photo editing. It might be that there are some available that use both features. That would be the ideal. Either type can call up a keyboard on screen for typing. Things keeping getting better or more frustrating depending on your viewpoint.

I use a touchpad for PS editing on my iMac. It felt strange at first but after learning the moves, I find it very easy and intuitive now. I paint 'brush' with my fingers etc and can be fun like finger painting

I am, daily, amazed at the unexpected fine degree of control offered by several of the iPad apps for photograph processing and by the various draw/paint apps. And further, the options available utilizing integration of the graphic design and photography apps. With practice, the degree of fine control attainable with the stubby fingertip is amazing. For the the ultimate in fine control, however, I agree with Preston that the Wacom tablet ( I use he Bamboo Create) is the tool-of-choice at this current stage of technical refinement.

Dave Graham
East River, SD

I would dread the day when this were to become the only option. I sold the iPod my son once gave me for Christmas and I returned a touch-screen cell phone because they drove me nuts. (I did recently buy a Nook once I tried it out in the store and became convinced it was usable.) As for iPads, Tablets, etc., I can't afford these things and so don't have to worry about how usable they are or aren't.