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    <title><![CDATA[Discussion on Poll: Will your computer respond to a natural user interface? ]]></title>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Touch screens]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3236231]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[One of the problems with touch screens is that they're quite tiring, particularly if the screen is raised somewhat. This was discovered by research in the 70s and 80s and reduced the takeup of lightpens and touch screens. The original PC had a lightpen interface.Touch is fine for casual use (kiosks) and hand held (phones and readers), but not for hours on the job.Also if you don't use a stylus, the pointing resolution is much coarser than a mouse pointer. If you use a styler it's less natural.]]></description>
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        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Gabby22]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 01 Feb 2010 17:29:53 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Almost a &quot;This is the Year of the Linux Desktop&quot; story]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3235153]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Now, let's see in reality how it might work or not.  As a Canadian living in coastal British Columbia I use words every day that puzzle the daylights out of folks who live on the eastern side of the Rocky Mountains.  Perhaps Ballmer does too, cause I'm perfectly understood in the Puget Sound area of Washington State (or Warshington, as they pronounce it) while people in Spokane look at me as if I've suddenly taken leave of my senses.Of course there are the dialects in the southern United States, accents and dialects all over the British Isles, Jamacian english, different african english expressions, Indian english and need I go on?Gestures?  Will some PLEASE tell me what the hell a gesture is and why in heaven I ought to use one?  To me they all seem like wave the mouse madly and pray.Handwriting?  Is the McLean Elementary school course in handwriting about to reappear along with the ruler to ensure you held the pencil or pen in exactly the right fashion in exactly and only the right hand and copied beautiful soulless script?  Just exactly how?  Scanners have enough problems as it is with printed text!Touch? So many fingerprints that I can't see the screen for them?Vision?  New goggles or pointers attached to the forehead?  Oh, please!  I'm sure I'm supposed to use that while driving 110 km/h (70 mph) down the freeway, right?At some point maybe.  Soon?  Nope.As it stands right now with some apps I'm faster with keyboard and shortcuts along with a little mousing than I am any other way.  With others, say Photoshop, where it makes sense to use an alternate pointing device I use it.The last thing I need is the big computer god in the sky to tell me how to speak my languag&amp;#281;, how to do cursive writing on those increasingly rare times I use it, how to wiggle my fingertip at a screen or other silliness.The research will come up with things that are worthwhile and useful.  As far as a general purpose UI, not yet.  Perhaps, given all the variables, not ever.ttfnJohnBeam me outa here, Scotty!]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3235153]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[TtfnJohn]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 19:06:14 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: Poll: Will your computer respond to a natural user interface?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3235097]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I have been typing for 28 years.  I am good at it. Maybe for those to lazy to learn to type, they will look for some new device to save them from the chore. It may be ok for reading content.  But I just can't see alternate content creation methods becoming better than keyboards for those who know what they are doing.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3235097]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[thomas@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 17:34:02 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[&quot;Touch Screens abound&quot;]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3234612]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[for specialized or single-purpose systems.  You don't find them on many general purpose Windows / Mac / Linux systems.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3234612]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[CharlieSpencer_Palmetto]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 04:40:22 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Gonna Be Interesting..]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3234520]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[To see how an IDE is driven by &quot;natural interfaces&quot;, or Photoshop or Autocad, or Access in design mode, or....Once again we get categorical statements that don't mean anything.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3234520]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[dogknees]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Fri, 29 Jan 2010 00:28:10 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Change Will Occur and Has!]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3234363]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[When your pointer finger wears out from mousing, you will happy to have other options. Handicap people already use VOICE.Touch Screens abound, no mouse at my ATM or Notebook.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3234363]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[wesley.johnson@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 14:45:25 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Natural User Interface is actually a step backwards]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3233879]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[1.  Natural user interfaces that rely on gesturing for command input are far more physically intensive than mouse and keyboard.2.  Eye tracking doesn't work well because it induces twitching.3.  Verbal input and open office are mutually exclusive.4.  Using a natural user interface instead of a mouse &amp; keyboard is like trying to make blueprints with fingerpainting instead of straight edges and sharp pencils.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3233879]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Dr_Zinj]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 04:44:32 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Translators?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232961]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[What about the overhead of getting it to recognize all the quirky ways different groups use to express themselves...Think teen or redneck, take your pick...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232961]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[martian@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Tue, 26 Jan 2010 14:05:37 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Look at photo printing kiosks]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232102]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[at most big box retailers.  Options to scan or pull from assorted media.  Options to print in various sizes or save to CDs.  Options to create assorted 'hard' products like calendars, mouse pads, T-shirts, greeting cards.  All touch-driven.Ever check in at the airport?  The whole process is touch driven.The technology has it's place.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232102]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[CharlieSpencer_Palmetto]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:32:24 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Touch screens are at the center of some wildly successful technologies...]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232076]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Look at your friendly neighborhood Walmart or CVS and you'll see that pesky redbox that so successful hollywood went after it and it's low rental prices.Then there's Bill Nuti's tenure at NCR after Marc Hurd released the reigns.  Bill Nuti boosted NCR's growth and profit margins simply by expanding usage of touch screens and self service kiosks to turn the company into a self service giant.  They basically brainstormed ways to utilize touch screen tech in self service industries in a more widespread fashion.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232076]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Forum Surfer]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 13:05:28 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Actually?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232056]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I'm ready to give them up for the most part.I was hoping by this time, we'd have that Star Trek tech where just talk to it in plain language, and it understands.But instead, we virtually have what Scotty had...and we are still talking into the mouse.&quot;Oh computer????&quot;  ]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232056]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[jck]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:31:56 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA['NEVER' is a very long time, especially if you might be wrong.]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232025]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Touch screens work very well in kiosk, point of sale, and other public environments.As to cleaning, if you compare manually cleaning a mouse and keyboard to MANUALLY cleaning a screen, the screen wins every time.  No crevices for cookie-crumbs to fall into.  No keys to fall off.  In a public setting, no mouse or keyboard to get broken, stolen, or vandalized.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232025]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[CharlieSpencer_Palmetto]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 12:12:14 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Same old ... HP150]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232013]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Many years ago (20 or so?), in the pre-mouse days HP came out with the 150 which had a monitor overlay that intersecting beams of light.  When you 'touched' the monitor, breaking intersecting beams, it would respond.  Then the mouse came along and no more finger smudges on the screen.  Personally, I find the mouse a hassle as it forces you to remove your hands from the keyboard so I am a BIG keyboard shortcut fan.  Touching the screen is NOT the way to go, it will be intersting to see what develops but don't excpect the keyboard to disappear for a LONG time.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3232013]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[yakupm]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:49:19 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[RE: Poll: Will your computer respond to a natural user interface?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231997]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Are we stupid or just playing the part of an idiot. A touch screen is NEVER as good as a mouse or keyboard. Filthy hands and many people never washing their hands is the number one reason I never use touch screens.  I am not a germaphobe but it is so much easier to clean a keyboard and mouse than to be installing self cleaning devices on a touch screen device.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231997]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[rquance]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:46:08 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Thank you for mentioning fat fingers....]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231996]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Try using man sized fingers to write a text message on a tinier than average touch screen phone.  I could only imagine the frustration of me trying to click a single check box on my monitor while my finger continues to hit 3 check boxes at once.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231996]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Forum Surfer]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:41:54 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[I still remember IBM model M DVORAK keyboards....]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231994]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[That had been converted to DVORAK.  Very few people ever used them, but I remembered a few.  Back in those days, you didn't toss out a perfectly good keyboard.  If I had to relocate that thing, I had to move all the freakin keycaps.  I still have a handful of Model M's.  My kids learned to type on them.  I feel their tactile nature is beneficial to their learning to type.  Plus they think it just sounds cool as you learn to type faster.  But man, back in the day if you were in a room full of Model M's and data entry people...man what a commotion!I find it funny that one of the high end keyboards for gamers and uber geeks is essentially a rewired Model M:http://www.daskeyboard.com/]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231994]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Forum Surfer]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:37:16 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[speech is too slow, fingers are too fat, and tactile feedback works]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231982]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I will be tough to convince of the benefits of so a called 'natural interface' to the computer, given the current crop of alternatives.  I can see huge benefits to the disabled, but otherwise only limited applications.  Throwing out my mouse and keyboard will only slow my work down and make me less efficient.  Text to speech vs readinga. I can read email and documents much faster than a computer can read them to me.  b. The computer can't read or describe pictures or videoc. Environmental noise, like radio, TV, kids, coworkers and other applications using text to speech will interfere with my ability to hear what my computer is telling me. Speech to text vs typing:a. I can type a document almost as fast as I can speak it.  But corrections, revisions, insertions and formatting by speech are very complicated and take much longer by voice.  b. Multitasking: With a keyboard, I can switch to background programs, do something and switch back to the first one in a flash.  With speech to text, I have to exit document input, use voice commands to call up the other program, tell it what I want to do, correct errors, switch back and re-enter speech to text mode.  c. Speech to text is ruined by environmental noise like radio, TV, phone, kids, coworker conversations.  It requires a quiet environment, tries to type coughs, sneezes and interjections, and doesn't let you think out loud.d. Text to speech for scripting, coding and SQL queries would be a nightmare.Touchscreen vs keyboard &amp; mouse:a. Cursor movement -  a mouse can move the cursor across my 23&quot; monitor in a few inches.  Similarly, keyboard shortcuts allow me to select and format with only a few keystrokes and only a couple of inches of movement.  On a touchscreen, my finger has to cross the actual width and height to move the cursor.  b. Precision - a mouse has pixel precision.  Fingers are too fat for many buttons, links and checkboxes and precision tasks like picture editing and even text selection on a touchscreen.c. Multitasking - a mouse has multiple buttons for programmable tasks and can incorporate gestures.  Fingers can also use gestures, pinching and zones but a tap is still just a tap (not programmable).d. Ergonomics - There is risk of repetitive stress injury.  But I can still create an ergonomic workspace with a mouse and keyboard.  With a touchscreen, I have to hold my arm in the air.  Installing it into a table will strain my neck and back leaning over it.e. Speed - touchscreen keyboards will never be as fast or accurate as a real keyboard or 10-key interface because of dropped characters, calibration issues, parallax and lack of tactile feedback. Glove sensors:Tracking finger and hand movement is cool, but I can't see a speed or accuracy improvement when you remove tactile feedback.  Tactile feedback is an important part of a human being's 'natural' interface with the world.  'Traditional interfaces', like mouse, trackball, trackpad and keyboard, give us natural feedback that our muscles and senses can learn.  Any so-called 'natural' user interface that removes tactile feedback is 'unnatural'.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231982]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[detours]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:35:45 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[Wow, Palm]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231938]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[That is a way to solve the problem I would have never tried.  Glad it works for you though.  For me, the switch to a hyper sensitive, DPI overkill, fingertip style laser mouse did the trick.  For typical work tasks my arm stays stationary and I don't move outside of a 2-3 inch square on the mousepad.  Gaming is different, but very seldom do I need to &quot;reset&quot; the mouse back to center of the pad.  On a side note a member of Risk Management once asked for recommendations for ergonomic mice.  All of these unique differences are just  further backing up what i told her.  My response is that every user has different needs and there is no one size fits all solution.  I have one coworker that is in absolute pain if she uses an &quot;ergonomic&quot; split keyboard for more than 30 minutes due to a weird rotator cup issue.  I have yet another coworker that swears her carpal tunnel lessened after using the exact same keyboard.  To each his own...]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231938]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[Forum Surfer]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 11:23:31 -0800</pubDate>
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    <item>
        <title><![CDATA[As the 'previous poster' in question,]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231947]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[I was not referring to all natural interfaces.  I was responding to only to Forum Surfer's comments on visual interfaces.  'Hunt and peck' users look at the keyboard more than the screen.  If one is not looking at the screen or other visual interface, how does one use it as an input?Light bulbs are grossly inefficient in converting electricity to light, expending over 70% of the energy as heat.Yes, the conventional QWERTY layout is clumsy (deliberately; it slowed early typists so they wouldn't jam the hammers), but the Dvorak layout is far more efficient.  A single 12 to 16 week typing class in high school can make users of either layout more efficient than 'hunt and peck', and would benefit students more in the long run than another PowerPoint class.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231947]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[CharlieSpencer_Palmetto]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:56:28 -0800</pubDate>
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        <title><![CDATA[Inefficiency?]]></title>
        <link><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231931]]></link>
        <description><![CDATA[Light bulbs are &quot;grossly inefficient&quot; as compared to what? Luminoso!Also a previous poster says natural interface would reek havoc with hunt and peck users. I believe that is who such devices are geared toward. If you don't type, a keyboard is quite clumsy. The letters aren't even in alphabetical order, hence the need to hunt before the peck.]]></description>
        <guid><![CDATA[http://www.techrepublic.com/forum/discussions/102-324551-3231931]]></guid>
        <dc:creator><![CDATA[boggs@...]]></dc:creator>
        <pubDate>Mon, 25 Jan 2010 10:41:53 -0800</pubDate>
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