Should OS X be touch screen compatible?

[dazed]

I was playing around with windows 8 and although the touch screen is difficult to use on a vertical pc, one that can lay flat might be fun.

Would anyone use a Mac like this? It would need to be a full osx, not just a ios with a few bells and whistles.

[Schranke]

I am happy with it not being compatible.
Apple have an amazing system for that known as iOS.
I think that making OS X compatible would add unnecessary bag ground use and make the system heavier.
2 things i hate.

[DenBeke]

Please keep things separated!
I'm still nostalgic towards Mac OS X Tiger (or the pre-iOS time.)

[bandrews]

Tried out a few Win8 Laptops in Currys/PC World. Apart from hating fingerprints on a big screen (so much harder to clean than an iPhone/iPad and easier to scratch if not Gorilla Glass), the screen wobbles a bit every time you touch it. There's no escaping it with a laptop even with a super tough hinge, they all seemed to wobble.
However, the Win8 advert with the girl making loads of rubbish pictures did make a large tablet/desktop convertible look like a good idea.

[Skoopman]

If I want a touchscreen, I'll buy an iPad. I don't want to hold up my arms 12 hours a day on an iMac or anything bigger than an iPad, that's just silly and uncomfortable.

[Namtaro]

I've been using Windows 8 on my desktop since the launch (on and off for the first month) and I think a touchscreen is more of an add on. It's not needed and adds nothing beneficial, just kinda cool to use once in a while. What I noticed in Windows 8 is that they added a way for the touchscreen to do the same thing a mouse and keyboard does... it's not any better or worse, it's just... well, different. I'll be getting a touchscreen monitor once a decently priced one comes out. I've been wanting to get an Apple cinema display for a while cause of it's glass panel... easier to clean, no scratches and matte displays looks ugly. Only downside is the fingerprints!

What bandrews is true - the laptops I tried at the Windows Store were ALL wobbly. You just can't get rid of it with something that's light, thin and has a hinge. Most of the standalone touchscreen monitor's I've tried were HEAVY to avoid the monitor from flying backwards after a touch.

That being said, a touchscreen on OSX could be fun, but if it adds another 500 dollars and a ton of bugs, no thanks.

[spyguy10709]

I'll just leave this here.


Basically, if they keep OSX desktop friendly, without mucking up the KB+Mouse UI in desktop mode, and add a completely separate touch UI (unlike win8 which gave 10 year old desktops a tablet's UI....) that is triggered by a physical event (moving the display to a tablet) I'd be all for it!

[Spikeywan]

When planning my MacBook Pro purchase, it was something I thought about. Having an iPod Touch, iPhone and iPad, I like the touch interface.

The computers at work have touch screens, and it's handy to be able to poke the screen for an OK, etc, but then they have stupid touch stick mice, which don't work very well at all. Most people who use them become highly proficient in the keyboard commands.

I asked several people, including Apple shop employees, and they all thought that Apple would not go touch screen on the MacBooks. I said I thought that odd, but they all said that you don't need it on a MacBook.

After having my MacBook Pro for a few weeks I see what they mean. Firstly, you really don't want greasy finger marks all over a retina display. And it's a lot harder to clean than an iPad screen.

But the main reason is the track pad. It is so good, it's almost like it reads your mind. With a track pad this good, you simply have no need to want to poke the screen.

[Partron22]

I envision problems when Touchscreen OSX encounters a dual monitor setup; especially if a user decides to go w a 1-horizontal-w-touch, 1-vertical-w-mouse configuration. Apple has yet to give us decent dual monitor support without having an additional touch-variable thrown into the mix.

[Valkyre]

hell no, we got iOS for that and i don't want a computer that i have to transform every time i want to type a few words... thats just stupid and inconvenient.

[Namtaro]

Originally Posted by Spikeywan

But the main reason is the track pad. It is so good, it's almost like it reads your mind. With a track pad this good, you simply have no need to want to poke the screen.

That's a VERY good point. The trackpad on OS X is just amazing - especially the gestures. When I moved laptops from Windows to OS X, a large glass trackpad was one of the main reasons and I thought the gestures was just a gimmick. Almost a year later of using my Macbook I can't live without them!
Even trying out a couple of friend's new Windows laptops with large glass trackpads... it just isn't the same.

[Tech198]

No way in the world...

It makes no sense combing a keyboard and touch together.

Evertime i see reviews or podcasts, of peiple docking the Surface, and touching it in addtion to typing, i snarl......... ..

Its like they dunno which to use..... But its simple..

You have keyboard docked, use keyboard "It now a computer"

Its its a tablet, then its touch..


So, if this became a "Mac thing", then i wouldn't really care, coz i use it how it should be used, either way.

[Mal67]

Originally Posted by Tech198

No way in the world...

It makes no sense combing a keyboard and touch together.

Evertime i see reviews or podcasts, of peiple docking the Surface, and touching it in addtion to typing, i snarl......... ..

Its like they dunno which to use..... But its simple..

You have keyboard docked, use keyboard "It now a computer"

Its its a tablet, then its touch..


So, if this became a "Mac thing", then i wouldn't really care, coz i use it how it should be used, either way.

We used a touch enabled ultrabook for more than one meeting this week. I thought we made good use of the touch capability. I expect Apple to release at least one touch enabled computer this year. However not having a macbook with the newer trackpad on it I can't say whether it would have been as effective during these meetings as a touch enabled macbook if they
had released one.

[laudern]

Originally Posted by Namtaro

That's a VERY good point. The trackpad on OS X is just amazing - especially the gestures. When I moved laptops from Windows to OS X, a large glass trackpad was one of the main reasons and I thought the gestures was just a gimmick. Almost a year later of using my Macbook I can't live without them!
Even trying out a couple of friend's new Windows laptops with large glass trackpads... it just isn't the same.

Prior to buying me 09 macbook i put aside money for a mouse, as I always hated trackpads on every laptop I'd used before.

As soon as I used the macbook trackpad I knew i wouldn't need a mouse. The drag lock, easy 2 finger scrolling and expose (now MC) make it beautiful to use.

[Michael Goff]

No.

Contrary to popular belief, they'd have to completely remake the UI to make it work well with a touch screen. I really don't think they'd really do enough work to make a touch screen actually have a point.

Tim Cook hates his fridges and toasters being merged, after all.

[walkie]

No. Common desktop OS's are not prepared to tap on them, UI elements are too tiny to be handled for our fingertips, in the end the UI must be optimised for it, the way to go is make iOS more powerful and make bigger tablet computers with lots of RAM and CPU power and of course applications that take advantage of it, for example dragging a window on the screen with my fingers doesn't make much sense to me.

[Krazy Bill]

Originally Posted by walkie

for example dragging a window on the screen with my fingers doesn't make much sense to me.

Aren't you doing this already by dragging your fingers across a track pad?

And I don't understand your other points. whatever...

I think this is a half-assed poll. Why would anyone in their right minds want to fight gravity with their hands flapping in the air for extended periods of time? (Even jobs said as much at a keynote).

The concept of touching the screen only works if you changed the hardware so it can be held flat. All the Windows based hybrids do this now where the machine can double as a tablet.

So the question should be... should Apple come up with their own hybrid? I believe they should and I'll bet a dollar that somebody there is exploring this.

[Spikeywan]

Going back to 3 finger dragging, it's even easier than I first thought! You move the pointer with 1 finger, then start dragging with 3. But, if you take your hand off, it stays in drag mode, so as long as you put 3 fingers back on the pad, you can continue to drag - even if you've moved away from the correct drag 'handle'. If you put one or 2 fingers on the pad, it immediately switches to the correct mode.

Really, the Apple track pad is so awesome it makes touch screens totally unnecessary.

[walkie]

Originally Posted by Krazy Bill

Aren't you doing this already by dragging your fingers across a track pad?

And I don't understand your other points. whatever...

Yes, but on a track pad is different because:
1) You're moving your finger on a horizontal surface
2) Your finger travels a short distance when dragging across a track pad

You don't understand my other points??? there is no mistery on them.

[Drew017]

No, because of the simple fact that I like to keep screen clean

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I think that Apple needs to keep touch screens away from the Mac, because it just doesn't really make much sense with the OS X UI. At least for now…

I for one love the multitouch trackpad in my MBA. It's just as good as a touchscreen in my opinion, because it's almost as responsive and the gestures are very fluid and make a lot of sense with the OS.

[WhackyNinja]

Just saying...if they make OS X touch screen compatible with ANY Mac (iMac, Macbook) All I will have to say is this...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zdh_ISiBC-I

[Krazy Bill]

Originally Posted by walkie

Yes, but on a track pad is different because:
1) You're moving your finger on a horizontal surface

Which allows you to rest your palm instead of elevating your whole arm and subjecting it to fatigue. Which is better? (rhetorical: don't answer).

2) Your finger travels a short distance when dragging across a track pad

Yes. Another reason why the trackpad is better. Thank you.

[Spikeywan]

Originally Posted by Krazy Bill

Which allows you to rest your palm instead of elevating your whole arm and subjecting it to fatigue. Which is better?

There's only one way to find out. Fiiiiiiiiiiiiight!

http://youtu.be/Np6gyUb0E7o