Apple Rolls Out Shiny, Happy New iMacs - Yahoo! News
Apple Rolls Out Shiny, Happy New iMacs - Yahoo! News
Here’s a nice quote:
But the updates are modest, considering they were due to be delivered in June, observed Rob Enderle, principal analyst for the Enderle Group. “The iMacs were late and there’s no touch stuff,” he said, arguing that “the iMac is lagging behind the HP TouchSmart.”
Last time I checked, the keyboard and mouse required touching… :-) Talk about making a big deal over nothing. Do most people really need a touch screen? Seriously, when I am sitting at my desk with the keyboard tray out my screens are over an arm’s length away. I would suspect this is the case for most people, either that or you are sitting too close to your monitor anyway which is not good for your eyes.
OK, touch screen would be cool in a laptop or some other device (i.e. the iPhone) and it is nice at stores and kiosks, but for the home user, which the iMac is targeted at, no big deal. Most home users spend their computer time writing email and surfing the web. Using a touch screen, IMO, is not a long term task so it will receive minimal use. Sure it’s a nice feature, but it isn’t going to be the reason I buy a computer.
August 8th, 2007 at 10:31 am
I highly disagree with you. Firstly, no, a touch screen is not required, you are right. However, touch certainly seems to be the direction the industry is moving. Touch interface is not going to replace the keyboard/mouse anytime soon if ever, but it does bring a whole new element to computing, new abilities. The home market is a prime example. While more and more people are computer literate, there are still multitudes that are not. For some, a mouse is not intuitive. But having a pictures on a screen that you can tap to make bigger, not only is intuitive, but it also is engaging. When grandma/grandpa see how easy it is to work with photos, they will be more likely to do so.
Not only can touch make computing easier, it makes it more dynamic and social. With a keyboard or even a remote, one person is in control. With a touch screen, anyone within arms reach can interact with the screen.
August 8th, 2007 at 11:03 am
Good points, Drew. I think touch is good for quick interactions with the computer, like in a kitchen environment or for using it as a jukebox or video player. I guess I had forgotten about the whole push into the living room thing (and kitchen, and bathroom and bedroom, and garage, and car and on and on)
Still for long term interactions with a computer (i.e. sitting at a desk for 10+ minutes), I don’t think it is a big deal unless someone really comes out and rocks the interface (like Apple did with the iPhone).