Source: Tom's Guide | Keywords: touchscreens | Themes: Display Panels and Monitors, Digital Entertainment, Business
2. A Short History
PLATO: The Forerunner
Interacting with a machine in a more “human” way has always been a goal of IT interface design. When you look at how long we’ve held on to the prehistoric QWERTY keyboard, though, you get the feeling that the research hasn’t been all that successful. As far back as 1972, IBM shook up the interface world with the introduction of its PLATO IV. This computer, well ahead of its time, used a plasma display and an infrared touch recognition system. Derivatives of this system are still being used and sold today.
30-Year-Old Technologies
Okay, you say, but that was a single-point system, whereas today’s iPhone is multi-touch — capable of recognizing and responding to the action of several fingers simultaneously. But while that is true, multi-touch systems have also been around for a while. For example, in 1984, Bell laboratories had developed a CRT display that was (necessarily) covered with a capacitive tactile surface capable of sensing several fingers.
So if touchscreens are more or less ancient history, why don’t all PCs already have them? One reason is that the ideal technology — suited to all machines and without shortcomings — hasn’t been found yet. To better understand the issue, let’s review the existing technologies.
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If they want to get a cheap way to integrate "Dual Touch" for a computer, just write a driver that allows them to use dual mice.
Most likely it wouldn't be that hard, and it would allow you to do many things that you can't with a single mouse.
That was a great article and it would be great to have a touch screen for PC's but only if you can use it with voice as well, This way you can get rid of the keyboard and mouse...unless they find a good way to use brainwaves but thats just a dream till probably 20 years or so I'm guessing.
All that has to be done then is to make something better than a mouse and keyboard for gaming because I don't see first person shooters working well with a touch screen.
Not quite interested in leaving my finger prints on my monitor. There was a thing called "IBM Light Pen" a long time ago, and guess where it is now? We don't even need two mice to do the same thing. Just program it so that hitting both left and right mouse button enables dynamic zoom with mouse going up and down.
The real next invention on human interface would be mind controller or FPS game controller that doesn't suck any more.