I can’t remember the first time I used a computer mouse. I was switching between an Amiga and PCjr (the one with the chicklet keyboard). They both had mice and when I used it I thought “there is no way this will work”. I pushed it aside and started typing.
The first time I really started to use the mouse was with a Mac Classic. I could move around the GUI with the keyboard but the mouse made it more useful. The keyboard, after that point, took a back seat.
One button to two – ball mouse to optical. Scrolling mouse, trackball, trackpoint, joystick and everything in between.
Now the new idea is a multi-touch screen. A picture of a future OLPC laptop a few weeks ago suggested not only the screen was multi-touch, but the keyboard side was also going to be turned into a touch-screen. The idea would be to turn your laptop into one big multi-touch for pictures, programs, music and games.
So it turns to the question, is this the final days of the mouse? Is this the final days of the raised button keyboard? Most important, with these touchscreens, how will that change your desk?
Laptops gave us portability. Heck, as I’m writing now, I am on the laptop instead of my desktop. I can sit in my living room, outside, at the coffee shop, in the car or a whole host of other places and get work done. My laptop is an important part in my production. Yes, I have even been in a bathroom with a laptop – although I wasn’t doing what you might think.
My main desk is big. It’s a corner desk – 6 foot long by 3 foot wide. The side desk is 4×3. I wanted a desk that could handle my computer and still have room for more than a keyboard and mouse.
The first thing that gave me more desk surface was the switch from a 19 inch and 17 inch CRTs to a 20 and 15 inch LCDs. I could put both my computers behind the monitors. The addition of a USB KVM switch gave me the opportunity to connect 4 machines without seperate keyboards and mice.
With multi-drive storage devices like Drobo and Iomega USB to Ethernet devices, I could easily stuff all my computer gear in another room and get rid of that big desk for something smaller. So who really wants a keyboard and mouse? Who needs a desk?
Even your work desk could possibly change without those extra input devices. You would need to be closer to the screen to move items around. If you need to type, bring up the screenboard and start typing.
Working with pictures and photoshopping would be much easier. I believe I’d use a stylus more than my finger, but I could carefully erase, mask or paint the lines I need. I could also do it in half the time than with a mouse.
The only downside is if there’s a problem with the screen. You might loose those devices because the screen or touchscreen isn’t working right. Try plugging in a mouse or keyboard AFTER the fact.
All in all we are seeing the machine condense and become more functional. There are some that will oppose the technology. I will even have to change some of my ideals. I like raised buttons and I never touch my LCD screen. Some people will not change. But how cool would it be if you open up the laptop, turn it 90 degrees and put it on a stand to use as a dual monitor? Just plug in a mouse and keyboard and work. And if you need the functionality of the touchscreen, then just use it.
Note to self: Better buy some stock in screen cleaner.