Has anyone tried these new touchscreen computers?

[sgreger1]

So I went to Best Buy the other day to browse around while my wife was shopping at TJ Max (Thank you, oh belevolent property managers who placed these stores together), and I noticed that apparently the new push is for touch screen desktop PC's.

Literally almost every computer was of this new touch screen variety, wherin it appears they have gone the way of Macs and made it so the CPU is actually build into the flatscreen and therefore it is only the touchscreen monitor and the keyboard/mouse.


I have to say, i was actually kind of impressed, both in the actual touch screen experience as well as the price. Some were as cheap as $500, but for $1,000 you could get one of these with an i7 processor, 6 gigs of Ram, 1Tb hard drive etc (which is pretty cheap considering how expensive a touchscreen, 1TB of HDD space, and 6 gigs of ram would have cost 5 years ago).

The touch interface worked surprisingly well with windows and I found it less gimmicky than i had previously imagined. I personally wouldn't gain any utility from such a setup, as I am more of a keyboard shortcuts kind of guy anyways, but my mom was looking to buy a new PC and I am thinking about recommending this to her, as the mouse always seems to be difficult for her to use a) because of her age and lack of computer skills, and b) she has carpal tunnel issues so even at work she can't use a mouse.

I am not sure if the touch screen would be more ergonomic than a mouse or trackpad, but it seemed pretty convenient at least when i played with it for 10 minutes or so.


So, has anyone actually purchased one of these, would you recommend them to others? For the price and performance, it seems like a great deal.

(On a sidenot, does Linux support any touchscreen type interfaces?)

HP - 20" Touch-Screen TouchSmart All-In-One Computer - 4GB Memory - 1TB Hard Drive

$699.99

[lxskllr]

Great. The joy of grimy finger smudges brought to the big screen :^/

Touch is supported by GNU/Linux, but I don't know ho well. That isn't something I've paid close attention to.

[Snusdog]

Great. The joy of grimy finger smudges brought to the big screen :^/

That..............and I see this more for hand helds and lap tops.

I like to sit back with my feet up, keyboard in my lap, and type.

I don't want to have to keep scooting up to my monitor every time I want to do something..........nor do I want to keep my monitor so close that I go crossed eyed just so I can reach it.

seems more gimmick on a desktop than real value (except in cases like Sgreger's mom)

[precious007]

For one reason I have to have my mouse and keyboard -

touchscreen devices are just fancy gadgets for entertainment IMO.

I had an iphone for more than a year and I'm still loving my qwerty blackberry phone

[sgreger1]

That's the thing, I thought the idea was gimmicky too but I was impressed with how well it worked to be honest. I think for the older generation who aren't very computer savy it eliminates one of the bottlenecks (controlling the computer).

I am close enough to the computer to where it would work, but I imagine my arm would get tired considering how much time I spend on the computer. I mean it has a mouse and keyboard too, it's just that it's also touchscreen. Mainly I was impressed with the price, it's amazing how cheap things have gotten.

Precious: touchscreen devices are just fancy gadgets for entertainment IMO.

Well 1) they are for entertainment, and 2) touchscreen technology allows more to be accomplished than on a non-touchscreen platform. Iphones/Android smartphones for example are wolrds ahead of blackberries in regards to functionality, but they are also good entertainment. Just not so sure if the idea would scale well into a desktop computer interface, unless you had a laptop maybe.

[precious007]

Mainly I was impressed with the price, it's amazing how cheap things have gotten.

new world order doesn't allow higher prices

;-)

I am damn amazed at so much stuff these days, I mean you see jeans sell for $4/pair these days....

you'd fall into thinking if it's real or not, however the big boys behind these brand have their gimmicks to make more people buy - and of course they have tons of back-end sales at much higher prices.

[Fazer]

For one reason I have to have my mouse and keyboard -

touchscreen devices are just fancy gadgets for entertainment IMO.

I had an iphone for more than a year and I'm still loving my qwerty blackberry phone

+1 qwerty keyboard blackberry phone = win

[devilock76]

I find the form factor intersting. As in a way to bring a more desktop like machine in different form factors. I would like to see one with rack ears for use in an SKB mixer case, but I digress.

The problem with the All-in-one form factor is that it is harder to upgrade and repair pieces of it. If you plan to keep a computer for a long time and upgrade it to keep it alive that will be an issue. Especially if you need to upgrade the monitor!. Also they don't seem as expandible as far as new connective interfaces. Can you even put a PCI card in most of them?

Also Linux has been hit or miss when it comes to touch screens in my experience. You gotta be real choosy about the hardware in play to set it up at the consumer level.

End of the day YMMV. I consider them overly expensive for a comparable machine that can do more without the TV wanna be look.

Ken

[sgreger1]

The problem with the All-in-one form factor is that it is harder to upgrade and repair pieces of it. If you plan to keep a computer for a long time and upgrade it to keep it alive that will be an issue. Especially if you need to upgrade the monitor!. Also they don't seem as expandible as far as new connective interfaces. Can you even put a PCI card in most of them?

You must realize these kinds of computers are not for the crowd who would do things like upgrade their PCI card. It's a throwaway computer that will last ~5 years and then will be replaced.

I find the form factor intersting. As in a way to bring a more desktop like machine in different form factors. I would like to see one with rack ears for use in an SKB mixer case, but I digress.

Yah I imagine a huge touchscreen like this would make for a sick DAW setup.

[devilock76]

You must realize these kinds of computers are not for the crowd who would do things like upgrade their PCI card. It's a throwaway computer that will last ~5 years and then will be replaced.



Yah I imagine a huge touchscreen like this would make for a sick DAW setup.

I try to diverge from the disposable society. Even still lack of those types of modifications affect setting i up with linux compatible hardware if needed, or for adding some audio interfaces for pro usage. But that is my though, mixing with a touch screen. I do that now with android controlling my daw workstation. It is still a bit novelty but handy for controlling the session from the booth. It works with midi over wifi which can b a trial by error thing to setup on linux but i does work.

Ken

[shikitohno]

I think touch can have its non-gimmick uses for things like input tablets that let you sketch more naturally for creating digital images compared to a mouse. I have no interested in them on my monitor though. Touchscreen monitors are for computers what 3D is for film. Little more than a gimmick that will likely get revived once every 10 years or so before every remembers they feel stupid being a part of it, it doesn't work that well, and gives some of them headaches.

[GoVegan]

I love my kindle.

[devilock76]

I try to diverge from the disposable society. Even still lack of those types of modifications affect setting i up with linux compatible hardware if needed, or for adding some audio interfaces for pro usage. But that is my though, mixing with a touch screen. I do that now with android controlling my daw workstation. It is still a bit novelty but handy for controlling the session from the booth. It works with midi over wifi which can b a trial by error thing to setup on linux but i does work.

Ken

Ughh, I look like the Nigerian guy sending you money to hide when I type responses from my tablet. Proof that a touch screen is not the end all be all, no matter what Star Trek would have one believe.

Ken

[Premium Parrots]

I'm not that technically diverse. But wouldn't porn be a tad more interesting with a touch screen?


just sayin

[devilock76]

I'm not that technically diverse. But wouldn't porn be a tad more interesting with a touch screen?


just sayin

Maybe, but the cleanup would definitely be worse...

Ken