Why Did Touch Take 4 Decades to Catch On?

theodp writes "You probably saw media coverage of Bill Gates showing off touch-screen technology to his CEO play group last week. With the introduction of the iPhone and iPod Touch, touch (and multi-touch) technology — which folks like Ray Ozzie enjoyed as undergrads way back in the early '70s — has finally gone mainstream. The only question is: Why did it take four decades for its overnight success? Some suggest the expiration of significant patents filed during '70s and '80s may have had something to do with it — anything else?"

Re:For the same reason as the Wiimote.

[Daimanta]

think that the same reason why touchscreen technology never caught on until recently is the same reason why motion controllers like the Wiimote never caught on until the Wii,

You mean until the p-p-p-powerglove!

Greasy..

[brxndxn]

The greasy 70's and sweaty 80's rendered touch screens intolerable after any sort of use. Now, people are much less greasy and sweaty.

I swear no one had AC in the 80's.

Re:Not effective (at least to date)

[Smallpond]

I built the first touchscreen system for mainline railroad control in 1977. We knew then that you had to give immediate feedback, by blinking, that the operator had succeeded in activating a change. The reason that it didn't catch on is that the keyboard was something you could pound on in frustration when the trains didn't do what you wanted. Nothing as satisfying as keycaps flying all over the room. We sold a lot of replacement keyboards.

Re:it didn't. touch never caught on.

[theurge14]

Hello Ballmer.

KFC. Mucky, not clumsy.

[refactored]

THAT CHICKEN MAY BE FINGER'LICKING GOOD, BUT KEEP YOUR GREASY MITS OFF MY SCREEN!

Now you know why. this lower caps random characters are here merely to get around /.'s lame lameness filter that doesn't understand i used all the caps above to look like yelling because that is what anybody would be doing with a high priced bleeding edge touch screen and an umfriend with greasy kfc. what fools these admin mortals be.

Re:Because haptics is important.

[mr_matticus]

Both the TV and the aquarium are visible from the viewing area...commercial breaks if not in DVR mode are brought to us by fish :)

I love the Poweglove...

[Anonymatt]

...it's so bad.