Living in the Future: Multitouch, or How I Learned to Love the Mac

You use your hands to give commands ? Yes of course and you also use your hands to hit buttons on a keyboard. When you sit at a desk and a have a keyboard and a mouse in the right position why would just use a touchpad instead ? It seems a nice way to control something but really you're the one who is assuming this is such a futuristic control method, I have used many touchpads including the new glass moutlitouch ones, I still prefer a mouse anyday.

I used to work for a company who specialized in Natural User Interfaces (NUI), User Experience (UX) and Multi-touch (desktop and automotive applications) environments and am familiar with being around this kind of technology. That being said, I agree with fourthletter assessment. A keyboard and mouse are still easier to use in most situations and are a preferred way of interacting with the desktop. They are just more practical, in my opinion.

Granted, there are some situations where touch is better, but this too is limited to specific actions without becoming overly complicated and difficult to learn. The purpose of NUI is to be natural and sometimes developers like to do too much with the same technology, going beyond the natural movement and gestures just to "use" a certain technology.

Give me a keyboard and mouse please. :)

While I do not question the utility of multi-touch commands, I do not belief this to make tools such as keyboards and mice obsolete for a great many applications. As an engineer I use many programs which require a level of precision that cannot be met with fingers and a mouse is a must. Likewise, I could see a not so distant future where typing is largely replaced by voice transcription, but still not used in an office environment due to the noise many people talking would make.

Also given the rapid pace of facial and gesture recognition improvements, I believe the concept of using a touch pad will prove to be short lived.

I personally love my Magic Mouse, it's a very nice combo of multi-touch gestures and the traditional mouse.

You see, MacTards have to have "Gadgets" to make them like their Macs, but REAL computer users are more than satisfied with a good keyboards and a good ergo mouse or trackball/trackpad device. This is why Macs have made NO GAINS in the world computer market in the last 20 years and is still only <4% world-wide and 5% in the USA. (Statistics from Neilsen Research Dec 2011).

There have long been the predictions of the demise of the keyboard and mouse, just like your publication predicting the "Flying Car in Every Household" since the 1950's! Neither has happened and won't for a very long time to come. The ONLY technology that will put a dent into the physicality of the mechanical keyboard and mouse is the Touch Screen, which still has problems with typing. Technologies like SIRI (and there are hundred) can't handle Dialects and Accents, as complaints from all around the US and other "English" speaking countries mount against the Apple iPhony.

I truly think this magazine should change their name to Popular Science Fantasies. It's an entertaining Comic Book.

My issue with gestural interfacing is the lack precision. As a game dev/artist, there is no way swiping my fingers across a surface could accommodate me and the demands of my job.

I think the examples provided: opening apps, switching tabs, closing windows, etc. would be nice for people like my parents (check email/web browse). However, if you're using a computer for any technical or precision oriented purpose (or gaming), the usefulness of such a tool drops off.

Sounds like a neat little toy, but I'll probably be using my keyboard/mouse until computers can just read my thoughts.

The mouse still has its uses, but I think that over time, more people will move to a trackpad. For me, it's very simple: Why look for a rotate button in my image editor when I can just rotate my fingers and be done. Why click on the magnifying glass to zoom when I can just move my fingers apart? Why tab between applications when I can just swipe my fingers across my trackpad? Those are just a few examples.

As for the keyboard, it's not going away for a long time. but many of the shortcuts people use are easier on a trackpad. No all, but many.

And yes, there are times when pixel level control is best done with a mouse. But there will come a time when people get irritated when they're required to use a mouse.

Everything is designed for mice right now. I'm sure if everything were designed for touch gestures then it would be fantastic. Until that happens, the mouse is going to rule because too many people are too scared of change.

God forbid we spend 10 minutes learning something new.

If the touchpad is multitouch and integrated with the OS, it's hard to beat. Especially in a notebook. As for graphics design and editing, I prefer a tablet with a stylus to a touchpad to a mouse. Touchpads just take some getting used to, and, as I said before, the touchpad is limited by the OS and gestures that are supported.

@websterphreaky

Stop flaming. Have a nice day.

Another thought, I love my touchpad for gaming. Everyone thinks it's weird, but I got started with it on my windows laptop and never changed back. Only a month ago did I get a mouse to dual wield in Skyrim and select targets in AC: R multiplayer. I got it mainly becuase I am running a windows partition and the gesture support is very unsatisfactory.

I think the final word is, computer users prefer customization. If multitouch strokes tooled to you feel most natural, you will prefer them. If you can do something similar with a mouse, or create a customized keyboard layout optimized for you, that will feel most natural.

"Holy ****. I can't believe this is" ... actually the way that an entity like Popular Science communicates. I recognize that this may have been the author's first thought, (apparently he is intelligent but inarticulate) and that both "freedom of speech" (what an absurd standard to promote - you are only free IF you obey certain laws, or you will learn what 'libel' and 'hate-mongering' mean) and poetic licence, (which "always" is enacted to serve a literary purpose) are the shields he would hide behind to justify the fact that; "this is what I actually said, so I guess I can put it to paper", but I would hope that a periodical that has such high standards with it's prose would also maintain that standard with it's editorial authority. Please do not succumb to the digression of modern diction. It is actually "highly commendable" to stand apart from those who would chose slang over skill, and say the intelligent thing intelligently. There have to be better words that can be used, regardless of what society says. You guys stand apart from the crowd because of your respect for science and your ability to explain it beautifully. Don't lose that stance for the sake of conformity. You are better than that - at least you used to be.

Dan's enthusiastic reaction to Apple's pad interface is understandable and shared by millions of people. Unfortunately, there are always going to be people who either "don't get it" or who are simply jealous. Just as you wouldn't use a car to mix bread dough, there are times that a pad isn't the best tool for the job. As difficult as computers can be, anything to make the interfacing easier is a major plus. Who among us would prefer that we were still using DOS and keyboard arrow keys for all software interactions? Okay, you CP/M and Unix people sit down!

Thank you Jajpaf for pointing out the inapproptriatness of the use of such language in a publication as timeless as Popular Science in whatever its form. Times change and common usage changes too, but some of it needs to resisted in the name of civility and decency. It's bad enough that everyday conversation has been reduced to what used to be called locker room standards; don't contaminate the pages of your magazine with the words of an author too lazy to develop a vocabulary that can express his ideas in a civilized manner.