Hand waving and finger flicking

[KG4NEL]

It depends on if you are producing or consuming content. Touch devices are handy for reading things and consuming content. By having the keyboard disapper when you aren't using it they save valuable space.

When actually 'working' and producing content, an real keyboard works much better.

This is exactly why I haven't gotten a tablet yet.

They make awesome remotes, but trying to put a spreadsheet together with one...

[WF7A]

They make awesome remotes, but trying to put a spreadsheet together with one...

Exactly, and even as remotes they're not necessarily the best tool. My software makes use of having its database open and a Web browser concurrently--there's simply not enough 'real estate' on any of the pads for it to work well for the user; too much image and data entry, too little screen to see it.

[KG6MZS]

And then there's the issue of having to hold power buttons down for two seconds to get something to turn on or off.

I hate, hate, hate soft controls! Having to wake a ting up before turning it off is just lame.

And what about prompts that interrupt a long process? I have some FTP software that has an "upload" button. You push that and a thermometer shows "Upload Progress" but it is actually only compressing the files. After they are compressed, it prompts (again) "Upload?" The compressing can take a long time. I have come in in the morning expecting that a hours long upload was done overnight only to see the stupid "Upload?"prompt.

[G0GQK]

The best thing is to say nothing, just give them that look, don't buy it, and they'll go away. Those reasons for needing a no button TV, radio, PC sound as plauible as the reasons why the European Union exists. Every bank in Europe with no money, five countries in meltdown and unemployment getting worse and industrial output just going through the cellar floor.

[4L4AGU]

I believe, touchscreens are making people dumb.

With button, you have tactile feedback when you press it, and also, while "seeking" for it, your brain and finger skin remembers the texture & layout of the cellphone (just as example), so you can type without looking at screen. With touchscreens, you have no idea where are you "clicking", so have to involve visual feedback channel, which dramatically slows down working speed.

[KB3LAZ]

I believe, touchscreens are making people dumb.

With button, you have tactile feedback when you press it, and also, while "seeking" for it, your brain and finger skin remembers the texture & layout of the cellphone (just as example), so you can type without looking at screen. With touchscreens, you have no idea where are you "clicking", so have to involve visual feedback channel, which dramatically slows down working speed.

Funny you should bring that up. I am currently typing on a Spanish keyboard. Instinctively my fingers go to keys that they have known for years only for my eyes to find out they are incorrect. Therefore I have to adapt to this new (to me) keyboard structure.

On top of that I still use my laptop, which uses an American/English(IDK if British keyboards differ) layout. Slowly but surely I am learning to use both keyboards at different times of the day with few setbacks.

Sorry for the random input but it just popped into my head after reading your post.

[KC9UDX]

And then there's the issue of having to hold power buttons down for two seconds to get something to turn on or off. It's getting more and more prevalent.

I keep thinking of this. I have a "Speak & Math" that for some reason I still find entertaining that sometimes I play with when I'm listening to my shortwave radio. It has an ON button and an OFF button, which seem to be read and acted upon by the microprocessor. I push the ON button and it instantly turns on. I push the OFF button and it instantly turns off. It's been working just fine since 1979; it has never turned on or off accidentally. Why can't my FT-2900 be this way? This is progress?

[KW4MW]

My iPhone uses a touch screen - I like it.

However my Mac came with a Bluetooth mouse that scrolled by my wiping my finger across the top surface of the mouse - I put it away and bought a wireless uSoft Mouse that works with buttons and a scroll wheel.

OTOH - about 27 years ago I made fun of an engineer who bought a mouse for his Amiga (remember them) - I thought that it was silly and a real computer user would use PgUp, PgDn, Home, End, the arrow keys, and a bunch of memorized key combinations to operate a computer.

I WUZ SO WRONG!

[AD7N]

This is exactly why I haven't gotten a tablet yet.

They make awesome remotes, but trying to put a spreadsheet together with one...

Have you tried a tablet with an accessory keyboard? they work awesomely well. Or try Asus' "transformer" tablets with attachable keyboard: http://www.asus.com/Tablet/

I have the Transformer Prime with the attatchable keyboard. Probably the best money I've spent on a portable computer.

[KC9UDX]

Amiga (remember them)

My main computer is an A3000UX. It's currently out of service, so I use my wife's A2000 for everything. I simply cannot afford a new Amiga. Fancy schmancy all-mode-all-band radios that I can't afford are cheaper.

27 years ago, why did someone buy a mouse for a computer that came with one? At that point, a replacement mouse probably cost more than a C64.

An interesting fact: An Amiga requires a mouse. You cannot use it without one. Yet, you can emulate a mouse with the keyboard, so you're never out of luck if you break your mouse (or burn up the mouse port's fuse). Of course, if you have no mouse and no keyboard, your input options are limited. But, you'll never get that annoying
Keyboard............................(20 sec delay)..........................not detected
KEYBOARD ERROR PRESS F1 TO CONTINUE