Manufacturers as well as Microsoft really need to wake up and smell what they are shoveling.
Who in their right mind would want to use a touchenabled laptop in this form?
Despite Microsoft's apparent disregard for efficient interaction with a traditional computer I can't think of a single situation where having a touchscreen on a standard notebook would be a good idea from a usage point of view.
Given the technical merits of Windows 8 there's not a whole lot of reasons to upgrade from Windows 7 either. All in all I think Microsoft are forgetting what got them to where they are in the first place.
You have obviously never tried a touch enabled laptop. Since i got my Asus Transformer with the keyboard dock i can't go back. I'm not talking about the OS here, but when i try to use my old Win 7 laptop i keep trying to touch the screen. I can't wait to try Win 8 on a tablet/laptop.
I have a TF too and the only reason I reach across to the display when it's docked are because Android lends itself better to touch input or the touch pad is annoying me... When I have a mouse hooked up and the tablet docked (rare at home but more common on the road) I never really reach for the screen.
The idea is not that you use touch constantly as you would on a tablet, but use it in tandem with your existing keyboard and mouse.
Since I installed Windows 8 on my computers, there have been several times where I've instinctively reached for the screen instead of mousing to the control simply because it seems so natural to do so. You soon automatically start using the input device that is most appropriate for the scenario.
I have a win 7 convertable and I wont buy another laptop without a touch screen now. Yes it has it's flaws, but it works just like I thought a computer should work 15 years ago when I first used one.
Anand, not sure I agree with some of your comments in this article.
Here's a sample: "Ultrabooks got off to a very rough start. The initial designs failed to impress"
Not sure I agree. While sales could have been better for SB Ultrabooks, it's not like they were bad, at all. Dell reports that their UB sales were actually better than expected. Initial UB designs were pretty good, except for screen resolution. That much is certain.
Here's another gem: "These touches are really non-negotiable in the battle to keep users from migrating to Apple."
Not sure I agree with that either. In the recent March quarter, Apple has posted declining PC/tablet growth figures - ceding the crown of PC share market leader to HP.
I do agree Apple makes some nice looking and well engineered products. However, I value your site as providing objective and impartial reading.
Why contaminate that with seemingly unnecessary Mac fan rhetoric?
You know, I usually think this sort of complaint on AT is baseless, but here I agree. We're talking about a laptop with a touch screen, until Apple puts out a similar device I don't think there's any basis to bring them into the conversation.
Honestly, half of these new Win 8 devices are completely new form factors that go way beyond what Apple's doing right now... The rhetoric just goes a little too far here, maybe Anand is TOO submerged in the Apple ecosystem and it's time to come up for air (no pun intended).
I agree that Win RT devices, tablets specifically, should be compared straight up against Apple (and Android) devices... Anything else that breaks the mold and works off some hybrid concept with Win 8 is in it's own category and absolutely nobody is gonna be cross shopping it vs an iPad or an Air (particularly if we're talking x86 hardware).
I hope a lifetime supply of gloves and a convenient compartment for those (in the laptop) is included in the package.
I clean my screen at least once a week w/o touching it. I can't see myself dirtying it with my greasy fingers so I need to clean it every ten minutes. ;-)
I guess the next patent that deserves my royalty payments is one that makes a surface repellent of all we carry on our fingers.
Yeah I'm not sure I really see the point of this... In models that unhook from the keyboard and convert to a tablet it's obviously a boon, but on a traditional laptop it just seems gimmicky.
Some of the replies above mention using the touch screen on a docked Transformer... I have one too, and the only reasons I do that are because Android just lends itself better to touch input or the smallish touchpad on the keyboard dock is annoying me... When I have a mouse hooked up I NEVER reach up and touch the tablet (while docked).
I guess if the added cost is under $100 they might as well pitch it and see what the market says, that seems to be ASUS approach to every new form factor, but I just don't see the benefit.
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vectorm12 - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
Manufacturers as well as Microsoft really need to wake up and smell what they are shoveling.Who in their right mind would want to use a touchenabled laptop in this form?
Despite Microsoft's apparent disregard for efficient interaction with a traditional computer I can't think of a single situation where having a touchscreen on a standard notebook would be a good idea from a usage point of view.
Given the technical merits of Windows 8 there's not a whole lot of reasons to upgrade from Windows 7 either. All in all I think Microsoft are forgetting what got them to where they are in the first place.
DV8_MKD - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
You have obviously never tried a touch enabled laptop. Since i got my Asus Transformer with the keyboard dock i can't go back. I'm not talking about the OS here, but when i try to use my old Win 7 laptop i keep trying to touch the screen. I can't wait to try Win 8 on a tablet/laptop.Impulses - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
I have a TF too and the only reason I reach across to the display when it's docked are because Android lends itself better to touch input or the touch pad is annoying me... When I have a mouse hooked up and the tablet docked (rare at home but more common on the road) I never really reach for the screen.r3loaded - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
The idea is not that you use touch constantly as you would on a tablet, but use it in tandem with your existing keyboard and mouse.Since I installed Windows 8 on my computers, there have been several times where I've instinctively reached for the screen instead of mousing to the control simply because it seems so natural to do so. You soon automatically start using the input device that is most appropriate for the scenario.
This Guy - Friday, June 8, 2012 - link
I have a win 7 convertable and I wont buy another laptop without a touch screen now. Yes it has it's flaws, but it works just like I thought a computer should work 15 years ago when I first used one.karlostomy - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
Anand, not sure I agree with some of your comments in this article.Here's a sample:
"Ultrabooks got off to a very rough start. The initial designs failed to impress"
Not sure I agree. While sales could have been better for SB Ultrabooks, it's not like they were bad, at all. Dell reports that their UB sales were actually better than expected.
Initial UB designs were pretty good, except for screen resolution.
That much is certain.
Here's another gem:
"These touches are really non-negotiable in the battle to keep users from migrating to Apple."
Not sure I agree with that either. In the recent March quarter, Apple has posted declining PC/tablet growth figures - ceding the crown of PC share market leader to HP.
I do agree Apple makes some nice looking and well engineered products.
However, I value your site as providing objective and impartial reading.
Why contaminate that with seemingly unnecessary Mac fan rhetoric?
Impulses - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
You know, I usually think this sort of complaint on AT is baseless, but here I agree. We're talking about a laptop with a touch screen, until Apple puts out a similar device I don't think there's any basis to bring them into the conversation.Honestly, half of these new Win 8 devices are completely new form factors that go way beyond what Apple's doing right now... The rhetoric just goes a little too far here, maybe Anand is TOO submerged in the Apple ecosystem and it's time to come up for air (no pun intended).
I agree that Win RT devices, tablets specifically, should be compared straight up against Apple (and Android) devices... Anything else that breaks the mold and works off some hybrid concept with Win 8 is in it's own category and absolutely nobody is gonna be cross shopping it vs an iPad or an Air (particularly if we're talking x86 hardware).
Conficio - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
I hope a lifetime supply of gloves and a convenient compartment for those (in the laptop) is included in the package.I clean my screen at least once a week w/o touching it. I can't see myself dirtying it with my greasy fingers so I need to clean it every ten minutes. ;-)
I guess the next patent that deserves my royalty payments is one that makes a surface repellent of all we carry on our fingers.
Impulses - Thursday, June 7, 2012 - link
Yeah I'm not sure I really see the point of this... In models that unhook from the keyboard and convert to a tablet it's obviously a boon, but on a traditional laptop it just seems gimmicky.Some of the replies above mention using the touch screen on a docked Transformer... I have one too, and the only reasons I do that are because Android just lends itself better to touch input or the smallish touchpad on the keyboard dock is annoying me... When I have a mouse hooked up I NEVER reach up and touch the tablet (while docked).
I guess if the added cost is under $100 they might as well pitch it and see what the market says, that seems to be ASUS approach to every new form factor, but I just don't see the benefit.