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I find touch with the Windows desktop interface to be fine (with my Surface Pro, at least). I mainly use touch for scrolling, cursor positioning and app switchi

I find touch with the Windows desktop interface to be fine (with my Surface Pro, at least). I mainly use touch for scrolling, cursor positioning and app switching when in desktop mode. I find it's actually better than using a touchpad or mousing around. I'm primarily a Mac user (and more of a keyboard user than a "mouser"), but having a touchscreen on a laptop or desktop makes a lot of sense to me.

JoeAltmaier 12y ago
I'd dispute calling a Surface a 'desktop'. A development station wants several screens; a designer wants a mouse and keyboard etc.
- slantyyz 12y ago
  I have also tried touch on the 20" Sony all in one, and I thought it was fine. I am not saying it is suitable for all use cases, but if you are a single screen desktop user, it really isn't a horrible experience at all.. Provided that you look at touch as a supplementary interface as opposed to a primary one. I used to mock the idea of touch displays with Windows 8 myself. When I actually tried it, I found that my initial assumptions about how bad the experience would be were misguided. Of course, YMMV.
actsasbuffoon 12y ago
I don't think it would translate well to a desktop. I've got a Cintiq, and it's great for drawing. I can't stand web browsing with it, as my arm gets tired after a few minutes of poking the big screen. Touch works for phones and tablets because they're already in your hand. Holding your arm up to touch a 20+ inch monitor several feet away gets physically painful within 5 minutes. There's also a difference between the motions you make when drawing (hands spend 90% of the time in the same area, a few sweeping motions to change drawing tools) versus normal computer use where you're scrolling around, clicking buttons, and navigating menus. That's a lot of strain on shoulder sockets when the screen is large. I think multi touch trackpads are the closest we're going to get until someone has a breakthrough idea.
- slantyyz 12y ago
  If you are looking at touch as the primary method of interacting with a desktop, then sure, it doesn't work. As a supplementary method to a keyboard and mouse, however, it can work quite well.

JoeAltmaier 12y ago

I'd dispute calling a Surface a 'desktop'. A development station wants several screens; a designer wants a mouse and keyboard etc.

slantyyz 12y ago
I have also tried touch on the 20" Sony all in one, and I thought it was fine. I am not saying it is suitable for all use cases, but if you are a single screen desktop user, it really isn't a horrible experience at all.. Provided that you look at touch as a supplementary interface as opposed to a primary one. I used to mock the idea of touch displays with Windows 8 myself. When I actually tried it, I found that my initial assumptions about how bad the experience would be were misguided. Of course, YMMV.

actsasbuffoon 12y ago

I don't think it would translate well to a desktop. I've got a Cintiq, and it's great for drawing. I can't stand web browsing with it, as my arm gets tired after a few minutes of poking the big screen. Touch works for phones and tablets because they're already in your hand. Holding your arm up to touch a 20+ inch monitor several feet away gets physically painful within 5 minutes. There's also a difference between the motions you make when drawing (hands spend 90% of the time in the same area, a few sweeping motions to change drawing tools) versus normal computer use where you're scrolling around, clicking buttons, and navigating menus. That's a lot of strain on shoulder sockets when the screen is large. I think multi touch trackpads are the closest we're going to get until someone has a breakthrough idea.

slantyyz 12y ago
If you are looking at touch as the primary method of interacting with a desktop, then sure, it doesn't work. As a supplementary method to a keyboard and mouse, however, it can work quite well.