Will Touch Screens Kill the Keyboard?

CWmike writes "Next-generation touch-screen devices will embed more haptics, or touch-based feedback, into virtual keyboards. 'A lot of companies are really getting into haptics, [using] source feedback and a sense of touch to try to replicate a keyboard on a display,' says Bruce Gant, a mechanical engineer at Product Development Technologies, which integrates touch screens into cell phones and other devices for manufacturers. 'If people really get that down and nail that experience, [virtual keyboards] could replace mechanical keyboards on laptops.' Don't tell that to Motorola, which just introduced the Atrix 4G, and dual-core 4.3-inch smartphone that docks to a laptop with, you guessed it, a physical keyboard."

I think people forget touchscreen is old

[Sycraft-fu]

Touch screens have been around for a long, LONG time. There are various places where they are used quite a bit too. Point of sale terminals often use touch screens, and have for a long time. They are useful in some situations, but not generally useful. The reason is because having a touch screen involves having your hands on your screen. This means you occlude part of your view, and of course in a desk environment means that either you are stretching your arms up, which is uncomfortable, or you are hunched over a display.

The keyboard and mouse endure because for a sitting working environment, they are generally what you want. I want to be able to easily enter text while looking at a display that is in front of my face at a comfortable level.

Basically touchscreens will be used where they make sense. This can be in things like phones where space is a premium, and you want as big a screen as you can get, or in specialty applications. However they are not going to be the be-all, end-all.

Re:iPhone and iPad

[Anonymous Coward]

I vastly prefer the Apple-style keyboard. You do realize that the actual mechanics of the keys (underneath the caps) are identical to other style keyboards, right? It feels exactly like typing on any other laptop keyboard. They may be less concave than older keyboards, but how concave were laptop keyboards in the first place? Not very. I type a hell of a lot. I'm a professional writer. 115 WPM on my desktop's Model M... and 110 WPM on my Macbook. Such a small difference that I don't even notice.