“Over the next decade it will become increasingly clear, as next-generation cell phone, laptop and desktop systems emerge, that the iPhone was breathtakingly ahead of its time,” Mike Elgan writes for Computerworld.
Beyond it’s revolutionary user interface, “the iPhone points toward the inevitable future of both mobile and desktop systems,” Elgan writes.
“Next-generation user interfaces will have no use for a mouse. All that dragging and dropping, pointing and clicking, resizing and moving will be done directly with fingers touching the screen. Mice will go the way of the floppy disk, never to be seen again,” Elgan writes. “Real keyboards will be optional, and on-screen keyboards, enhanced by haptic feedback, will replace the real thing.”
“PC monitors will continue to grow until the average screen is well over 50 inches,” Elgan writes. “And, finally, the boxy CPU will disappear and PC boards and other electronics will vanish into the back of the monitor, much like the Apple iMac.”
“Both desktops and laptops will go the way of the iPod touch — everything disappears into the screen, which you navigate with your fingers,” Elgan writes
Full article here.
Just used an MBA today. What a joy. Ttrackpad gesturing really is the way to go.
I really don´t care for peope posting just to say ; “First”
So immature…
From the friendly screen and “keyboard” of my iPhone, this makes perfect sense. I can easily see this as the future, and I like it.
-M
Omg. I thought I was first and tried to be funny…
Well, there you have it.
= )
Omg. I thought I was first and tried to be funny…
Well, there you have it.
= )
Omg. I thought I was first and tried to be funny…
Well, there you have it.
= )
Omg. I thought I was first and tried to be funny…
Well, there you have it.
= )
Omg. I thought I was first and tried to be funny…
Well, there you have it.
= )
Omg. I thought I was first and tried to be funny…
Well, there you have it.
= )
It’s okay using my iPod touch; small screen and easy to clean. I don’t want a 50″ touch screen that gets finger prints all over it. You need a input device like the touch pad.
I don’t see keyboards going away. Unless the screen is flat on the table it’s pretty hard to type on any screen whether it’s 50 inches or the current 21 when the screen is perpendicular to the horizontal plane.
Most desk tops are less than 30 inches deep and if you think that putting a 50 inch screen flat on the desk will work… …yeah right!
I foresee a new keyboard which is a touch screen pad and which allows you to change the key layout, add new functions, or have it change based on the application you’re using at the time. That makes perfect sense, more than having to reach across your desk to touch your monitor all day long.
At least that would be the first step, until people are weaned off of keyboards and mice.
The iPhone way ahead of its time? Definitely. Touch screens replacing the mouse? Not gonna happen or, if it does, physical therapists everywhere will find their services in great demand as legions of unsuspecting computer users start complaining of heretofore unknown repetitive stress injuries brought on by the unsupported hand and arm motions required to make use of this technolgy. I call it a spectacularly bad idea.
From an engineering standpoint, Apple products are real intelligent design.
Everything else is just junk.
Elgan should start his own hardware/software company and deliver all of his predictions…
I’ve seen better predictions within comments here.
When the floppy disk goes, what will our “Save Icons” look like? Will they be flash drives?
7over, I don’t either. There will always be tecnical reasons when a technician may need access to a machine before the monitor drivers kick in, then you’d need some other input device.
That said, I do see a future in which we will see a mix of verbal, touch and typed commands, depending upon the particular task and output required. I agree with the comment about placing 50 inch monitors flat on a desk – mine sure as heck isn’t that big! But we could see other manners of using touch – perhaps secondary screens for specific tasks? Perhaps a computer that can “see” our gestures in front of the screen and respond appropriately, negating the need to touch the screen at all? There are systems in development that can see your eyes and where they are looking that are intended for use in vehicles. These could undoubtedly be adapted for use where a computer could project a “heads up” type display that could match your gestures with the location of items in the heads up display.
Lotsa ways to work it.
I cant wait to be using a 50in on screen keyboard. That will be a nice workout.
Ahead if its time? That is kind of a slight to Apple. Leading the way into the future of computing would be more respectful. Ahead of its time implies the iPhone is just an oddity, and perhaps not a successful one, until others are doing the same thing. It is as if the “time” cannot be defined Apple. The expression belies a prejudice.
As for touch screens. I could see a tablet, configured like a Wacom tablet is today, wireless, from which one controls the computer. It could also be a touch screen, showing the same thing that is shown on the big screen. In fact it could be an iPhone like product that you could take with you. Processors and memory in both locations. Processors and memory available on the web as well. Hell, lets put them in peoples heads too! That last one could take a bit longer and be less popular; depending on who has access to the password key chain.
I like the way that Apple has quickly evolved this process. When the iMac came out the famous line was, “Where’s the computer?” Simplicity and functionality have marked Apple as the most influencial technology designer/implementer of our time. Perhaps by being an underdog for so many years, Apple has had to prove itself over and over and this has given them quite the advantage by realizing that in order to become relevant being that they were the weakest player in their markets, they had to think hard and leap frog the competition. They are an Amazing company and I hope they will continue to do well and make their offerings and their services as user friendly (pro and amateur) as possible.
More good news for Apple, can’t have that, panic panic panic, doom doom doom, sell the stock sell the stock sell the stock…a user interface like the one in the Movie Minority Report will come true.
This stuff could only work if we sat in front of these large screens as if they were drafting tables, and even then they might not work. But at least if we were sitting in front of a large screen, the ergonomics would be better than a standard desk/screen setup.
@alansky
RSI from using touchpads? Let me tell you something!!!!!!!
I right now am the owner of the original igesture touchpad from fingerworks which apple bought to own the multitouch technology. If anyone tried to take that away from me and tell me to use a regular mouse to avoid having pain I would procede to tell them that they have it in REVERSE….and that he is an imbecile. I M B E C I L E ! ! Then I would proceed to take a steak knife and stab him multiple times!
The floppy drive has gone away?
I work at a company with over 1000 desktop and I just turned around and they all still have floppy drives and they have something on it called Windows.
Of course, there are 20 machines that don’t and they are the one’s in front of me running OSX. Funny, in my department we only use those machines behind us for “testing” and taking up space. Of course, I never see the IT folks unless they need help or don’t understand something and it never fails, they still bring me stuff on floppy!? Poor bastards.