Will earthlings follow Star Trek Scotty's lead?

You remember the scene from Star Trek IV where Scotty tries to communicate with a Macintosh computer by speaking purposefully into the mouse? What do you want from a guy from the 23rd century?

Hopefully, we won't have to wait another couple of hundred years until the technology world invents a better interface between computers and human beings than the standard mouse and keyboard. We'll get a good idea of the progress this week in Monterey, Calif., where a conclave of computer scientists will be comparing notes at the ACM Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology.

The big question is whether the research is anywhere near breaking out of the theoretical stage to the realm of real-world implementation. The company registering the most progress--to date--is Microsoft. Bill Gates has hinted broadly about speech and handwriting recognition and touch-based gestures getting built into Windows 7. Also, check out this very cool video of a multi-touch interactive spherical display. Microsoft still considers this to be an ongoing research project, but it's connected to the company's tabletop product (Microsoft Surface). The larger idea here is that some day in the future, many (most, all?) surfaces will become computer displays.

To get a better sense of where this may be heading, I spoke with CNET News' Ina Fried, who covers Microsoft, about the latest thinking among computer scientists and commercial computer makers. Check out the video we shot together on the CNET News Daily Debrief.

[psmith05harvard]

The future interface with the pc is audio! Why stare when you can speak. This leaves you free to concentrate on what's going on. The train engineer was staring at his little screenwhen it crashed. The crew on the Enterprise didn't rush to their screens when a Red Alert was sounded. Audio is more efficient and affordable.

Peter Alan Smith
Boston

[Dr_Zinj]

THE future interface with the pc is NOT audio.

Audio interface works fine in an single user environment where no others are working; which is such a miniscule part of the information world that it is literally below the radar.

You can NOT efficiently operate in an open office environment where everyone is using speech controlled computer. And the majority of businesses use an open office, or semi-open cubical concept.

Besides, you want to be verbalizing commands and dictating e-mail about how you caught herpes from your mistress and anal gonnorhea from your down low buddy?

[MMcCubbing]

Although audio can be an effective method it is hard to implement due to differences in dialects and pronunciations, and it is less than ideal in many situations such as busy or noisy areas that would reduce the effectiveness, and areas where privacy is desired. Voice also can be an extremely limited input method.

Although I am a fan of using as many input methods as possible, and voice being one of them, I don't think voice will become the main input for a long time if ever. My prediction is that touch will continue to dominate for the foreseeable future and that the keyboard and mouse, although they will continue to evolve, will still be a primary input in most situations for the vast majority of users.