What do you get when you marry a notebook and a tablet? A touchscreen laptop!
This innovative device looks like a regular notebook, but it can act as a tablet whenever you need one. The question is: does a touchscreen really belong on a laptop?
Steve Jobs certainly didn’t think so. When asked why Apple notebooks won’t feature the touchscreen technology, he said: “Touch surfaces don’t want to be vertical.” This quote is often cited by those decrying touchscreen laptops.
Touchscreen researchers have known for a long time that using a touchscreen for a prolonged period of time can get arduous. If you hold out your arm extended in front of you, waiting to touch a screen, you’re going to be uncomfortable, to say the least. On the contrary, when using a mouse, your hand is resting comfortably on the desk.
However, the touchscreen enthusiasts claim that the researchers have been looking at the touchscreen use the wrong way. A touchscreen is not a replacement for your mouse and keyboard – it’s a complement, they say. This argument doesn’t convince experts who warn that using touch surfaces in vertical position is risky ergonomically.
Steve Jobs famously referred to “gorilla arm” when explaining why he would never launch a touchscreen laptop. “Gorilla arm syndrome” is the touchscreen equivalent of the carpal tunnel syndrome, a painful condition that many mouse users are familiar with.
Some claim that touching the screen to select icons, for example, is actually more convenient than using a mouse. Others claim that their fingers are too big to use on the elements that were originally designed for a tiny arrow cursor. The larger the screen and the lower the resolution, obviously, the easier it is to use your fingers on the screen – but how does that translate to our laptop use?
Another problem with touch-enabled devices is that pressing the screen could make a lighter device tip over. On tablets, smartphones and e-readers, there is not such a danger because you hold the screen in your hands, and can manipulate the orientation of the screen in any way you see fit. Seen in this light, laptops are decidedly less touch-friendly.
Touchscreen capabilities on a laptop make for a shorter battery life. Additionally, touchscreen panels are thicker than normal screens. Finally, let us not forget that the touch-display is almost synonymous with the smears on the screen of your device.
However, Microsoft has obviously embraced a contrarian stand, equipping their Windows 7 with a touch mode for the first time. Apple, surprisingly (or not), soon followed suit.
Why would you want to replace your keyword and a mouse – when it works just fine? Besides, let us not forget that there is probably a touch pad on your laptop already. So, why are we not using it? According to those tech giants, we were only waiting for their touchscreen laptops.
