Touch computing: is it the business?

<P>A new way of creating and consuming information and data.</P>

The recent release of Windows 7 has signalled a wave of new devices that support the concept of multi-touch: the ability to physically touch the screen of a device, and control and manipulate data and images onscreen using one’s fingers. Both laptop and desktop PCs are being provided with these.

While popularised by Apple’s iPhone, the concept of touch-based computing has been around for many years; in fact, Microsoft, through its tablet PC initiatives, has long trumpeted the usefulness of touch computing, albeit using a stylus instead of a finger.

With multi-touch capabilities built into the core capabilities of the operating system, and major PC and notebook manufacturers, including HP, Dell and Acer, delivering these devices to the market, the reality is that many information workers could be contemplating using a touch-screen device in the near future. Whilst the hardware manufacturers are hopeful the arrival of Windows 7 and its new capabilities will spark a new round of PC upgrades, the question being asked by many observers relates to the benefits these multi-touch devices will deliver to the wider market.

No doubt consumers are a key target market for these solutions, and there are numerous ways in which end users can take advantage of the multi-touch user interface – if not for productivity reasons, definitely for entertainment. The ability to flick through music, videos and documents, zoom into and manipulate photos, and “flick” though music album covers are all made more enjoyable through a touch-based user interface – as has been proven by the widespread adoption of Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch devices.

For business users the value is less clear. For what uses will we replace the keyboard or mouse with a touch-driven interface? Those of us who are information workers are unlikely to replace our trusty keyboards with an on-screen version – we simply won’t be productive enough. And while “flipping” through files and pictures is no doubt fun – it’s hardly going to increase anyone’s productivity.

For basic tasks, then, touch could be seen as a novelty more than anything else. That said, there are opportunities to rethink how we interact with complex information, such as data and volumes of information, touching the screen to sweep, zoom and dive into data – bringing to life some of the concepts first demonstrated in movies such as Minority Report. Right now, scenarios such as these are still fictional, but it’s only a matter of time – and probably not much time – before software vendors start to leverage touch to showcase a new range of capabilities.

For user experience designers and software developers such as Intergen, we need to become cognisant of how these technologies affect what we do. How do people interact with pages and content now, and how could this change if they are using a touch-based user interface? What other new usage scenarios arise when using this kind of technology? To what extent will this type of technology take off, or will it remain a bit player amongst the numerous other ways to interact with applications and the web?

Regardless of the answers to these questions, the multi-touch capabilities of Windows 7 create new opportunities for developers and users alike, giving us all another way of creating and consuming information and data.