bitwix

Tangential comments about Software Development

Wednesday, July 31, 2013

Do swipe my laptop

I've just done a good morning's work with my graphic designer, looking at the new website. He uses a Mac Mini and a 2560x1440 pixel Dell screen. I brought in my new Toshiba 840t laptop. We looked at the page, which he could see in full, but needed me to scroll down. Which I did by a quick stroke on the browser window.

"Ah, you have a touch screen!" he said.

I had upgraded my laptop because it was taking longer and longer to boot, because the F5 key was broken, because every now and then I got a "could not find hard drive" message. I did not upgrade because I wanted Windows 8 or a touchscreen.

But in the context of discussing a web page, the touch screen is a revelation. I can gesture to an element, and click it with my finger. It is much more communicative than using a mouse. I'm used to frantically waving the mouse over an element, hoping that my audience is looking in the right direction. With a finger, you can be much more certain where their attention is.

I'm in Australia and New Zealand next month to launch the website. And I shall be swiping away.