All in One PC's?

Hey All,

Was thinking about picking up a new desktop - Will be a general use PC and some PS editing - Not heavy nor do I suspect to do much video editing at all. I am only considering a screen around 27-30 inches - ----- - ONLY!

Dell has a 27" touchscreen that is rated, believe it or not, just above the iMac (in some reviews) for all-in-one performance and features.

My Question is this: To those who own one - do you find the touchscreen useful with editing and/or PS? I have heard that dragging your fingers across a large somewhat sticky screen is difficult at times and causes the system to lose track if your finger jumps at all.

TO the REST of you: - What have you heard;/ what are your educated opinions?

I would not want to leave my finger smudges on the same screen I'm editing on. and isn't the screen upright? How to you effectively use touch on an upright device? This sounds cumbersome to me, just get a trackpad or a pen tablet with touch.

Whatever you go for, I wouldn't weigh in touch features as a purchase incentive.

Thanks. - In this particular PC's case, I'm not using it often, more like only when I have to or if I'm just quickly editing a family or pet image etc. It is not my main Image editing machine - but it begs the question at the same time - are these things ready for the "big time"?. I don't see why not. You can use them (as you said) with a Wacom tablet or any other peripheral as you would with a standard desktop. You would just let the respective PC stand on its own hardware performance features and specs.

Depends on how well the touch is implemented, if it's on the level of a smartphone/tablet or magic trackpad, then it'd be awesome. Otherwise it's just a fad, at least for now.

Kolor-Pikker wrote in post #16170641
Otherwise it's just a fad, at least for now.

Negative. Touch is here to stay.

I've seen some pretty sweet demos of all in one (AIO) touch PC's being angled flat with people on both sides of a table playing games on it together. Obviously that wouldn't work if you intend to put it on a desk against a wall though. But some of the AIO's have batteries so you can just pick them up and move them into another room, perhaps on a dining room table, for multiplayer games or even if you feel like working in another room.

I personally have a Windows 8 touch laptop (Lenovo Thinkpad X1 Carbon Touch) and I use the heck out of the touchscreen and it doesn't smudge, they've done a great job with their built-in screen protector. Touch on a laptop is one of those things that may not sound appealing at first, but actually use it for a week and you'll never want to go back. Especially if you're a frequent traveler and use your laptop a lot in airplanes or other scenarios where it's actually on your lap; touch completely changes how you interact with it. That said, I'm not sure how well that would translate over to a desktop scenario.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #16172781
Negative. Touch is here to stay.

I doubt it. Touch is really for hand-held devices. It's clunky for desktops and laptops.

I have a Sony Vaio 11 and I use the touchscreen only about 20% of the time. I use a mouse the other 80%. It requires MUCH less energy to move a mouse with your hand and click with your finger than it does to have to extend your arm and swipe/pinch/etc, especially if you are doing it for longer periods of time. If it isn't in your lap like a tablet, I don't find a touchscreen as simple to use ergonomically.

One really good thing about a touchscreen is if you have a touch pen. You can draw right on the screen which makes selecting areas or objects really simple. Try treating your current monitor as if it where a touchscreen for a couple of minutes. If you find that after 2 or 3 mins you are getting annoyed and the constant reaching and swiping is getting tiresome, a touchscreen monitor may not be a good choice.

The real issue you will have is that windows 8 is a horrible OS.

Tony-S wrote in post #16173285
I doubt it. Touch is really for hand-held devices. It's clunky for desktops and laptops.

Apparently the major PC makers didn't get that memo, because they're all saying that non-touch laptops won't even be available within a year or two.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #16173971
Apparently the major PC makers didn't get that memo, because they're all saying that non-touch laptops won't even be available within a year or two.

Aside from the occasional stabbing an "OK" button with my finger, I never use the touch screen on my laptop. What's the point when a mouse pointer is so much more precise?

Just get the iMac. I got the 27" one a month ago and couldnt be happier! I am so happy to kick the Win OS finally!

If the monitor is upright, then why would you want to constantly hold your arm up to touch the screen? Putting aside the smudging (I have to clean my phone everyday from smudges), wouldn't your arm get tired?

mike_d wrote in post #16173977
Aside from the occasional stabbing an "OK" button with my finger, I never use the touch screen on my laptop. What's the point when a mouse pointer is so much more precise?

Yes, when you're using your laptop on a desk and especially when a mouse is attached, you may not use touch much. But as I've said ealier in this thread, it's the mobile scenarios that really make touch shine. On a plane, in an airport terminal, on the couch watching TV, in a comfy chair at Starbucks, etc. I do travel a lot and use my laptop in tons of different scenarios, and when I'm mobile I'm far and away using the touchscreen predominantly. It's much more comfortable for me to hold each side of the screen and use my thumbs to manipulate the Windows 8 UI to switch apps, read email, browse the web, etc. Way more convenient than using the touchpad when my laptop is sitting in my lap on a weird angle.

If you personally don't use your laptop in those types of scenarios, no worries. But don't discount the significant benefits that touch offers to people that work differently than you do.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #16173971
Apparently the major PC makers didn't get that memo, because they're all saying that non-touch laptops won't even be available within a year or two.

Define "laptop". Netbooks for sure, I'm pretty sure they're dead already, but full-size laptops will stay quite around a while longer. Just try and tell Apple that touch devices are going to kill the MBP's.

lomenak wrote in post #16174208
Just get the iMac. I got the 27" one a month ago and couldnt be happier! I am so happy to kick the Win OS finally!

I have a 27" iMac too, and I approve, it's great computer. And you can always run Windows on it just in case there's that one program you really need, whether you use wine, emulation, or bootcamp.

goldboughtrue wrote in post #16174235
If the monitor is upright, then why would you want to constantly hold your arm up to touch the screen? Putting aside the smudging (I have to clean my phone everyday from smudges), wouldn't your arm get tired?

That's basically what I'm thinking.

CincyTriGuy wrote in post #16174403
Yes, when you're using your laptop on a desk and especially when a mouse is attached, you may not use touch much. But as I've said ealier in this thread, it's the mobile scenarios that really make touch shine.

But this discussion isn't about laptops or mobile devices, it's about a mains computer that'll remain on your desk 99% of the time, and that's the one area where it doesn't make too much sense. Let's talk about this then when most major applications have full gesture support.

I'm somewhat indifferent on the "having to move your arm around vs. a mouse" argument, since I've used L-size Wacom tablets for almost a decade now, and find mice rather uncomfortable to use overall. I just upgraded to an Intuos5 recently and it's been great so far. Edit: of course the key here is that a tablet lays flat, I don't have to lift my arm.

I will say that the sweet spot for gestures that aren't fatiguing to be around the 10" area currently employed by most tablets, since you can easily maneuver your hands for the best placement.