Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!clyde!att!osu-cis!killer!ames!pasteur!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcuhb!hpindda!kmont
From: kmont@hpindda.HP.COM (Kevin Montgomery)
Newsgroups: comp.cog-eng
Subject: Re: Re: Human Factors: Paper-Like Interface
Message-ID: <3500002@hpindda.HP.COM>
Date: 9 Jan 89 20:54:26 GMT
References: <316@cui.UUCP>
Organization: HP Information Networks, Cupertino, CA
Lines: 36

/ hpindda:comp.cog-eng / rfarris@serene.UUCP (Rick Farris) /  7:39 pm  Jan  5, 1989 /
> Yes, yes, YES.  Both Tektronix and Hewlett Packard have burdened
> users of their test instruments with touch screens.  And yes, your
> arm gets darn tired.  Also, after a couple of hours of use, the
> screen is so dirty and greasy from all those finger presses, that you

Rick- 
	how about using a closed pen (or other such device) to point 
instead of your fingers if they're dirty?  Agreed, having one keep
one's arm raised, Tai-Chi style, is no fun, but I still think color
flat touch screens are the way to go.  Color, because of the obvious
advantages of multiple highlighting and the like.  Flat, because with
the current environments (read: windows) no matter how big your screen
is, it ain't big enough, and CRT displays have an exponential cost to
size ratio, whereas flat (LCD) screens have a more linear function (not
to mention the fact that flat screens take up MUCH less space).  Touch
(or stylus) sensitive for the reasons discussed- namely a direct mapping
from tactile work area to abstract work area (whereas with mice/keyboards
the tactile area is different from the abstract area (window) and can cause
confusion).  And definitely adjustable for comfortability.  Such projects 
are in research stages now, with development probably in the early 90s.  
My guess would be that some startup will hit the PC market with a color 
LCD touchdisplay sometime in the next couple of years, with the larger 
companies following.  After some time, workstation interfaces will also
be available (probably with the same speed that the windowing/big screen
environment took control in the last 5 years or so).  (generalized 
prediction/opinion)

	What does everyone think of having a touchscreen keyboard if the
application isn't very typing-intense?  Seems that a color, flat, horizontal,
touch display could quite easily pop up a keyboard window for some short
typing when necessary, then make it go away when not needed.  Surely  there's
been discussions of the agonies of touch-typing in this group in the past-
could someone post the issues and verdicts?

						kevin