Linked by Thom Holwerda on Fri 30th Nov 2012 21:54 UTC
"I was prepared to write that the Windows 8 interface was forcing unnecessary touchscreen controls on people who wouldn't appreciate them, particularly if they were simply grafted onto a traditional laptop. But the more I've used Windows 8, despite its faults, the more I've become convinced that touchscreens are the future - even vertical ones." I can see his point. I, too, have often felt the desire to touch regular and laptop displays, especially when doing things like photo and video.
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Member since:2009-11-30
The keyboard has the letters specially arranged so people don't suffer from RSI, and when they know how to use it, they generally have to move their fingers very little.
I thought, the keyboard has letters arranged to slow down typing on old mechanical typewriters to avoid proficient typists jamming the things when the arms collided if you typed too fast. Nothing to do with RSI (which hadn't been invented in those days
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Member since:2005-07-06
I thought, the keyboard has letters arranged to slow down typing on old mechanical typewriters to avoid proficient typists jamming the things when the arms collided if you typed too fast.
That's largely a myth (by the time QWERTY took its ~final form, started getting popular, there were no technical reasons... http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/QWERTY#Contemporary_alternatives ), promulgated by the proponents of some alternatives (while http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dvorak_Simplified_Keyboard#Controversy )
Plus, QWERTY/Z was used internationally in old mechanical typewriters, in many different languages - you'd think it would make a difference, jam easily in some languages; but it didn't do that.
Member since:2005-07-06
Touchscreens have no purpose after a certain size. [...] after, say 10 inch displays, any movement is very difficult, time consuming and tiring.
That's like saying big drawings are awkward ...drafting tables are often quite large. Big touchscreen could be awesome for manipulating media, or as a proper evolution of the drafting table.
Features
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/21/13 21:38 UTC
At an event earlier today, Microsoft unveiled the next Xbox - the third model, but confusingly named Xbox One. The big focus was TV, integrated Kinect, and all the other stuff we all expected to be forced down our throats. I think it took them 25 minutes to actually come to what should be the core of the story: gaming. Nothing groundbreaking in the gaming department, except for how Microsoft intends to handle the used games market and borrowing games from friends: pay up, buddy!
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/20/13 11:29 UTC
The day has finally come! Jolla has finally announced the launch device for its Sailfish operating system - and by god this is a looker. It's decidedly different from other phones out there, but it has good specifications and carries a relatively reasonably price tag - EUR 399, and it's up for pre-order today, shipping in the fourth quarter of this year.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/18/13 21:33 UTC
Why does Google get so much credit in the technology industry? Why, despite the company's many obvious failings, do many geeks and enthusiasts still hold a somewhat positive view on the all-knowing technology giant? A specific talk at Google I/O this week provides the answer.
Linked by David Adams on 05/16/13 4:23 UTC
OSNews is a sponsor of this year's O'Reilly OSCON in Portland, Oregon, USA. A lucky OSNews reader will win a free three-day pass, including two tutorials days. To win the pass, post a comment on this story saying something about Open Source Software or OSCON. We'll pick a winner at random next week. If you don't have an OSNews account, you may email us your entry. Part of the conference is the 9th annual Open Source Awards, and today the 16th is the deadline for nominations. If you'd like to nominate an outstanding open source contributor, do it here. Read on for more information about OSCON. Update: The 20% discount code for OSNews readers is "OSN."
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/11/13 21:41 UTC
"Windows is indeed slower than other operating systems in many scenarios, and the gap is worsening." That's one way to start an insider explanation of why Windows' performance isn't up to snuff. Written by someone who actually contributes code to the Windows NT kernel, the comment on Hacker News, later deleted but reposted with permission on Marc Bevand's blog, paints a very dreary picture of the state of Windows development. The root issue? Think of how Linux is developed, and you'll know the answer.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/08/13 14:22 UTC
This is one of those news items that's fun to write, fun to read, fun to comment on, and where no one will be able to say anything unkind. It's all just one big ball of awesome fluffiness. TuneTracker, the BeOS radio automation software, has just released something very special: TuneTracker System 5, the first version designed entirely and specifically for Haiku. In fact, it actually includes Haiku in the software package. Better yet, TuneTracker also unveiled several system-in-a-box products - which have Haiku and TuneTracker pre-installed.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 05/02/13 15:28 UTC
Exactly twenty years ago, a document was published that played a huge role in establishing the web as we know it today. Twenty years later, and this simple and straightforward document is proof of an irrefutable fact: while closed technologies can change markets, open technologies can change the world.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/29/13 21:06 UTC
Oh multitasking. That staple of computing that got thrown out the window with many modern smartphones. We got some rudimentary thing in its place - but even as multitasking on phone and tablets improves, its user-visible side remains cumbersome. Windows 8 has a neat implementation, and now it's time Android follows in it footsteps.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/24/13 22:24 UTC
They're here! Whether that excites you or not remains to be seen, but the Galaxy S4, which will most likely become the best selling Android smartphone of the year by a huge margin, has been reviewed by all the major sites, and there's lots of interesting conclusions in there - although I think most of you will get the gist.
Linked by Thom Holwerda on 04/18/13 11:21 UTC
Nokia has posted its quarterly results for the first quarter of 2013, and just like the quarters that came before, there's not a whole lot of good news in there. The rise in Lumia sales still can't even dream of making up for the sales drop in Symbian phones, and when broken down in versions, the sales figures for Windows Phone 8 Lumias in particular are very disappointing. In North America, Nokia is getting slaughtered.More Features »
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Member since:
2012-08-01
Touchscreens have no purpose after a certain size. For a phone or tablet, sure, they're supposed to be small, slim and lightweight.
But after, say 10 inch displays, any movement is very difficult, time consuming and tiring.
The mouse evolved over the years to a certain shape to fit your palm, and generally, you don't need to move more than a few centimetres to reach anywhere on the screen.
The keyboard has the letters specially arranged so people don't suffer from RSI, and when they know how to use it, they generally have to move their fingers very little.
Buttons will always be here. Look at Sony, they had this dilemma with PSVita, and now it has a "touchscreen" which is actually a well placed touchpad.