Comments on: Netbooks and touch screens: A good marriage?

Pared-down, Internet-optimized notebooks are positioned to be outfitted with touch screens, according to some reports. Are consumers going to bite?

[robstak]

Also important: must be capacitive and must have multitouch.


-dr. karl

[dqkennard]

If I buy a netbook, it will have touchscreen. There is no chance I will buy a keyboard-only netbook.

Such a touchscreen netbook also needs a keyboard, but it should have a tablet mode -- which is how I would generally use it, as a quick and convenient notebook, information and media retrieval and access device, and centralized communications device. People don't complain about carrying a steno notebook, day-timer or mid-sized trade paperback; I envision something that size only vastly more capable.

[cvaldes1831]

One problem right now is that netbook users are trying to use their machines as notebook/desktop replacements, hence the high dissatisfaction rate and customer returns. Touchscreens aren't going to help with tasks that require heavy typing/text editing (word processing, spreadsheets, etc.).

The applications really need to be designed to take advantage of capacitive touchscreens and multi-touch input. Simply recognizing the fingertip as a mouse cursor isn't good enough. The classic example would be image resizing on the iPhone/iPod touch by squishing/unsquishing your fingers, or swiping pages.

The fingerprint issue is not a showstopper these days, plus the iPhone 3GS has an oleophobic display. Have you tried it? I have (at a nearby Apple Store) and it does an excellent job at resisting smudging. I expect future screens to do an even better job.

[Slick1of2]

I am very glad that the touch screen is starting to catch on. For years I was complaining how this technology should be more developed and widespread among all of our devices. Touch screens make navigation so much smoother and slick. However, I'm not buying into the whole netbook thing. These things are severely underpowered. When they first came out I thought they were really cool, but I wanted a small portable computer that can do all the things my desktop could do. Netbook's I think are great for students who do not do much with their computer for school. It's basically an overpriced paper notebook that gives students more opportunity to procrastinate (watch movies/YouTube, chat on Facebook), and a way to skip out on lectures. For the business world I have a hard time understanding how a netbook would be more desirable than a 13 inch laptop that has way more horsepower (plus the keyboards on these suckers are SO cramped). The touch screen on the netbook certainly adds better usability, but the darn thing is still way too underpowered. Just wait for them to start shipping with 3D glasses.

I do however really like the detachable screen from the keyboard idea. Not only can this be convenient, but if companies start incorporating that whole e-ink/LCD hybrid thing, you then have the opportunity to use your notebook as an e-reader! If I developed products like this, my goal would be to make multipurpose devices. Notebook + E-reader + Mobile Phone + 13inch touch screen = the He-Man of devices (awesomeness).

Someone needs to make a touch screen tricorder.

[forever4now]

I agree.

A smartbook/netbook with an eReader-capable touchscreen (Pixel Qi??) and a detachable keyboard would be a GREAT combination. The touchscreen would make content consumption convenient (books, magazines, work documents, movies, etc.), while the physical keyboard would make content creation efficient (if compared to a touchscreen keyboard).

A "thin" OS like Android would provide additional benefits such as fast boot & runtime, always on operation, super long battery life, touch-optimized UI, cell phone calls/SMS/MMS, LBS, etc.

[SebDavies]

Im after a cheap, normal laptop with Windows 7 on it! One day itll be available! Id guess that a netbook lacks the power to benfit from a touch screen! But could be wrong!

[cvaldes1831]

The problem isn't CPU cycles. Any netbook has more horsepower than the iPhone/iPod touch.

[SebDavies]

Oops I meant to say im after a cheap, normal laptop with Windows 7 on it and a touch screen!

[Inconnux]

Just what I need... fingerprints all over my screen. Personally I have nothing against touch screens as long as you use some kind of stylus. I love my old palm TX. A netbook? hmmm If it also had a keyboard I would consider it.