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10/gui. Intriguing multitouch/desktop reinvention concept (Thanks @richardvowles). [link to post]

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Ok, it is good to know that people are researching alternatives. And yes, I am glad others see the problems inherent in multi-touch displays that will definitely limit adoption (they forgot the plauge streaked screens health factor)

That said, I don’t even know where to start with the problems with that concept.

My first instinct is “fine, but where will I put my keyboard”. I see they found one of the most inconvenient solution possible by the end of the video. I thought they wanted to avoid arm and neck strain?

My second instinct is that they don’t quite get the whole touch part of touch interface. An arbirary square that is a 1:1 representation of the screen, only it isn’t? I smell trouble. Ok, track the finger pads and show them all the time. Ok, sounds good. How hard is hard enough to click and drag? How controllable is it? How good is the palm detection – enemy of the touch device everywhere (and your tie could be an interesting 11th point) We’ll leave this point as “fraught with technical difficulties that seem almost enough to make it impossible”

Finally, the window control. When someone tells me they are freeing me by limiting my alternatives, I call shenanigans. I frequently have non-overlapping windows on the screen simultaneously so that I can work between multiple apps simultaneously. I know everything is supposed to be magically integrated – but that never happened, probably won’t any time soon.

Then it strikes me. Someone misses the Amiga! I liked the amiga interface as well – true the app screens slid down instead of sideways but that was because it simplified hardware implemenations. It definitely keep things seperate, but in a way I would now find too limiting.

As for all the gestures. 2 figures do this, 3 figures do that. Some people still have troubles with 2 buttoned mice. You want to get all 5 fingers into play? Warn me – I want to get out of user suppport first.

Then I could nit pick about how the pad is bound to a single display format & aspect ratio, or how this is direction basically ignores the benefits of a second or third monitor.

Suffice it to say that while I am glad research is being conducted, on this particular project I am inclined to ring a gong and scream “NEXT!”.

I am, however, interested in seeing how the Microsoft research department mice turn out. I see some real potential there. I wonder if we’ll see any attempts at independant research on the concept from Logitech or if they are going to be content to follow and eventually fade away.

I agree this is far from release-ready, but hey, that’s what concepts are about surely?

I’m guessing the 1:1 representation thing will fall by the wayside. Assumign it does, then the location of the pad may not be such a big deal. I often have a midi controller placed in the same position for long periods at a time and don’t have any issues, however it’s an appropriate size and not the same size as my screen.

I’m reasonably sure you’d get used to the amount fo pressure required to trigger a press vs simply moving the points. I did however have the same feeling as you about the “1 finger does this, 2 fingers mean that, 3 fingers…” part.

And thanks for the Amiga reminder. It felt vaguely familiar but couldn’t place it 🙂 That was frankly the least likely part of it to succeed, for mine.

I’m impressed by the 10 fingers concept. My concern for this whole field of research and development is the poisonous and stifling effect of the US patent system. If the system presented in the video was commericalised, it would probably be in violation of a number of patents. From the video, I recognise gestures that are patented by BumpTop, for example.

3 references: http://krunchd.com/gesturepatents