The New York Times Bits column invents an imaginary “Touch-Screen Antagonist.” Everyone understands touch screens are not ideal for every situation. I don’t think you can imply this is an emerging movement.
Apple has claimed a number of innovations for the iPhone. Add this: the emergence of antagonists to the touch-screen display. At C.E.S., it was common to hear their refrain.
“I’m a power e-mail user,” goes the mantra. “I need a physical keyboard.”
In rough terms, these users are advocates of the BlackBerry and other devices that have a traditional Qwerty keypad. The “power user” mantra isn’t an overt attack, more of a passive-aggressive one with a slightly disparaging tone that tends to make it sound as though touch-screen users are lightweights who occasionally send an e-mail message or text to their mothers. Read more…
Of course, touch screen doesn’t suit to every context and situation. Its just a mode of interaction that looks cool and might be useful in some specific situations. That doesn’t mean that we start using touchscreen for everything we have been doing easily so far through other modes of interaction.
Hi Ananya
I’m not proposing we use touch screen for everything. It introduces some very tricky limitations. (In fact, although I am interested in the movement of laptops including touch screens, I am dubious to the usefulness of this.)
I’m only pointing out that the linked news article is pretending there is some kind of touch screen backlash – bordering on a movement. I don’t believe it.