Nobody wants a touchscreen?

Since Nokia’s saying that touchscreens aren’t really their thang, Palm is drifting away from what was once a hallmark feature of their products, and RIM is showing no particular interest in switching away from their trackball now that it just got rolling, is the iPhone going to be the only one playing the touchscreen card this summer?

The overall consensus is that BlackBerry was a-o-k with the thumbwheel, and the trackball is an interesting (if less efficient) change. Why are so many companies shying from touchscreens? Is the interface that bad? Maybe it would be just plain dumb to step onto what will be the iPhone’s turf? Sure, Microsoft has Shift, but it’s not at all in a position to be competitive right now, let alone implemented. Will they even bother once the iPhone gets entrenched as the standard in mobile touchscreens?

While right now this is of little consequence to folks who have their BlackBerrys and aren’t inclined to switch, you never know what the future holds – maybe RIM will feel a little frisky, and someday decide to make a one-off touchscreen device, just to see how it does. Would it mostly sell to the BlackBerry faithful, or would it have a chance to take a bite out of the larger mobile touchscreen pie?

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Jake

Maybe because Apple patented multi touch.
Jake

Maybe because Apple patented multi touch.
Bryan

Touchscreen are so inefficient!
Bryan

Touchscreen are so inefficient!
Tom Peng

About this multi-touch technology – within days (if not already!) it will become very clear that Apple got it right. This next generation touch screen is here to stay and can only get better. Apple has a patent but don’t be surprised if RIM manages another strategic alliance or produces a handheld with a comparable screen within the next year.
Tom Peng

About this multi-touch technology – within days (if not already!) it will become very clear that Apple got it right. This next generation touch screen is here to stay and can only get better. Apple has a patent but don’t be surprised if RIM manages another strategic alliance or produces a handheld with a comparable screen within the next year.
John Scott

Touch screens are not as accurate as we would like to think. The iPhone will have many unhappy customers who fail to understand how to learn to use a touch screen. This is by no means a strike against Apple technology. It just a failure of tech people to realize that just because touch screens look cool does not make them useful. Especially when they are very small. Some forums already have people who are saying the touch screen is hard to get use too. It will not get any better!. People need feedback when they type. Our touch sensors in our own bodies want some feedback. That’s why we can type better on a Blackberry than on a iPhone. If the iPhones touch pad was so easy to use it would not require software to correct mistakes from typing. At the most touchscreens in small form factors such as the iPhone will not become the standard in the cell phone industry. Just look at the Tablet Laptop, it too has not been widely accepted. Some of this has been due to flaws in software but mostly people just want to push a button. It creates action, which we see as completing the task. Not the same as pressing your finger to glass.
John Scott

Touch screens are not as accurate as we would like to think. The iPhone will have many unhappy customers who fail to understand how to learn to use a touch screen. This is by no means a strike against Apple technology. It just a failure of tech people to realize that just because touch screens look cool does not make them useful. Especially when they are very small. Some forums already have people who are saying the touch screen is hard to get use too. It will not get any better!. People need feedback when they type. Our touch sensors in our own bodies want some feedback. That’s why we can type better on a Blackberry than on a iPhone. If the iPhones touch pad was so easy to use it would not require software to correct mistakes from typing. At the most touchscreens in small form factors such as the iPhone will not become the standard in the cell phone industry. Just look at the Tablet Laptop, it too has not been widely accepted. Some of this has been due to flaws in software but mostly people just want to push a button. It creates action, which we see as completing the task. Not the same as pressing your finger to glass.

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