Sair wrote:
I don't get this reaction, and I keep seeing it all over the place: Durr, it's not a keyboard! How wills I manage my typering!
It is (or will be, if they ever get it working right) a slick piece of technology. Good for you, you want a fucking keyboard. You may not be aware, but there are other fucking input devices as well, and good use for them. Are you so damned stupid that you just can't see beyond anything you already know?
The fact remains that for text input with a limited character set like English, predefined keys are the most efficient way, and said keys rely heavily on tactile feedback. The only way I can see a touchpad being better for text input is with a very large character set where it's quicker to draw them, as in Chinese/Japanese.
As far as non-text uses, I wouldn’t call this a new input device, just an improved touchpad that can read more than one pressure point at a time. If you’re using your fingers to operate it, it’s going to have problems with smudging and screen occlusion from your hands. If you’re using a stylus, it’s going to be hard to use two at once anyway. It’s kind of neat and will probably find some limited use, but no, I don’t think it’s very exciting.
EDIT: Oh, and trying to have two people use it at once would be
annoying as fuck for most applications. Other than as, say, a really expensive twister mat.