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Would You Like A Touchscreen iMac?


  • Total voters
    91

smoge

macrumors regular
Original poster
Jun 14, 2011
217
1
Ive been seeing more and more adds on TV displaying touchscreen pc and they look quite cool.
With apple at the forefront of touchscreen, how long will it be before we see a touch screen iMac; also I remember a rumor before the iPad 2 was released stating that the company that supply the screen for the iPad were supling more expensive screen for apple and everyone expected it to be a HD iPad screen.
The iMac is due a major update next year and with osx Lion taking more and more features from ios will the iMac go touchscreen?
 
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Another nope here. Ergonomically awkward, etc. The Magic Trackpad gives you a horizontal surface for gestures etc, but lifting you hand to the screen is not a good idea. Maybe eventually, as in within 5-10 years, but not in the next year or two. HPs touchscreen computers don't do all that well anyway. And iPads give us the large enough touch environment in a portable more ergo fashion that alleviates the need to rush into full size touch computers.
 
Another no. I played with a touchscreen pc when we got one into the shop, I was back using the keyboard and mouse within two minutes, literally. Touch screen works fine on something as big as the iPad (Nevermind the OS designed for the purpose) but it's completely counter-productive on large screens.
 
i understand touch screen is a bit silly on such a big device as a iMac but apple would not just do touchscreen instead of a mouse but as an extension of the keyboard.

e.g. you are typing away in pages and what to quickly want to look back at webpage you are using then you could use the touch screen instead of the mouse to use the dock that little bit quicker.

im sure if apple did a touch screen mac it would be like no pc
 
It's not something I'm aching to have. If fact, I think I would be aching after trying to use it! I just reached toward my screen and my fingers came up a few inches short of reaching it, so I would need to redesign my workspace to make use of a touch screen. I've seen some rumors about a tilt screen, where the iMac would slide toward you and become almost horizontal in touch mode. I guess that would be more usable, but still has some hair on it. Where would I put the pile of stuff that sits on my desk between me and the monitor?

I voted no, but I didn't think I wanted a tablet until I saw an iPad, so who knows what might happen?
 
The problem with touch screens is the ergonomics. I have had several convertible laptops. When using them as tablets, it would hurt your neck from having to look down, and when using it in laptop "form" it would be awkward to use the touch screen. Frankly touch screen computers are more for show but no something you would regularly utilize for any real production work.
 
Hell no. I doubt it will ever happen anyways. Apple prides themselves on doing things that make sense and not things that simply state "look at me, I am cool".

They just dismissed the testing of a black powder coated MBP due to its ability to display fingerprints. Don't you think they would feel the same way about a screen you have to stare at?
 
Hell no. I doubt it will ever happen anyways. Apple prides themselves on doing things that make sense and not things that simply state "look at me, I am cool".

They just dismissed the testing of a black powder coated MBP due to its ability to display fingerprints. Don't you think they would feel the same way about a screen you have to stare at?

"look at me, I am cool" was the selling strategy for the iPod:D
 
No_Thank_You.jpg
 
No, I don't want it and it's not going to happen.

I think it was one of the keynotes when Steve went through the reasons why it doesn't work. Your arms get tired, the screen gets smudged, yadda, yadda.

Steve dissing the idea on stage is a pretty good indicator that we won't see it.
 
I think Apple is paving the way with the iPad for something LARGER along the lines of a touchscreen computer. I have thought about this one for awhile...

Steve Jobs does not like the idea of a vertical touch surface (like most touchscreen PCs, he thinks it will wear out the wrists too easily).

BUT, imagine something lying flat on a desk, but larger than an iPad (think 24" on a desk, or slightly tilted, running some variant of iOS with multitouch). Something with resolution of 2560x1600 or larger that you could display multiple documents side-by-side, a HIGH RESOLUTION touch surface with multitouch capability...

I believe there is some future in technology like this, and Apple could lead the way in developing this. I would be very interested in having such a computer like this, a very large multitouch surface or something using proximity sensor detection to manipulate the screen (without having to physically touch the screen) --think, moving your hand above the screen to move a window or to touch a button or feature in the OS interface.

So, I think there is definitely a future in such technology, actually I am surprised a company like Apple has not taken touch displays to a larger realm than the 9.7" arena and 1024x768. We need HIGH RESOLUTION multitouch....
 
No, I don't want it and it's not going to happen.

I think it was one of the keynotes when Steve went through the reasons why it doesn't work. Your arms get tired, the screen gets smudged, yadda, yadda.

Steve dissing the idea on stage is a pretty good indicator that we won't see it.

Haha, I am reading that as being sarcastic, but perhaps I am wrong ;) .

Steve has a history of saying no, you will never see that, there is no market, and then releasing it in a later version. Gotta love him (or hate him) for it.

I think a Touchscreen iMac would be useful for specific situations, but not as a primary input for users. Sitting for extended periods of time with an arm extended would get old for many.
 
I don't see it happening. Apple seems focused on the trackpad for now.

What would be interesting, is seeing a larger iPad that would fill up a desk like a drafters table. Where in essence, it would be your table. Now could an iMac be updated as such. Who knows.
 
You'll get a neck strain if it's flat on the table.
Touch screens only work well if you hold it in your hand, and don't use it for hours.
 
No. I have a Gateway touchscreen PC and using the screen as an input gets old very fast along with the ergonomic and cleaning issues. It's an idea Apple wisely avoided for the iMac.
 
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