tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9968619.post3551652630675205831..comments2009-12-07T09:22:07.119+01:00Jasper (uselog.com)noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9968619.post-16254318496963176782009-10-26T14:29:14.521+01:002009-10-26T14:29:14.521+01:00Fascinating history and analysis. There is one factor that Atkinson didn’t mention that may account for a good portion of today’s disinterest in tablet computers. At the dawn of PCs back in the early 1980’s, the QWERTY keyboard was a major barrier to acceptance. Few people knew how to touchtype, it generally only being taught to those expecting to become secretaries or similar, where typing, just <i>typing</i> was a major portion of the job. A big appeal of tablet computers back then was that it would leverage an input method taught to all school children: handwriting. <br /><br />However, today touchtyping is a common skill, which negates the chief advantage of tablet computers. Many of us can touchtype faster than handwrite, at least if we want it to be legible to human or machine. There was a decade when the tablet computer really could’ve revolutionized computers, but the technology was not affordable and effective. So users were forced to adapt to the machine. Since then, the technology became available, but now users have changed. The stylus is just something to lose now.<br /><br />As for the problem of replicating the feel of pen on paper, that has always seem to me to be an unnecessarily difficult approach. Anyone who has used a Sharpie can attest that using it feels perfectly natural on a smooth glass-like surface. Why don’t they put felt tips on tablet computer styluses?Michael Zuschlaghttp://www.zuschlogin.com/noreply@blogger.com