We are Getting More Touchy Feely With our Phones and PCs

Touch screen cell phones and now touch screen computer screens are seeing explosive growth.

HP has just released its new TouchSmart PC which uses the monitor as the primary input device. The release of the TouchSmart PC comes just as Apple announces record profits driven mostly by the sales of its iPhone.

We can expect to see more and more PDA, MP3 players and computers incorporating touch screen technology into there products.

Yeah they are the latest, coolest must have thing, but once you have one for awhile you may not fall head over heels for the technology.

I bought a Verizon Glide cell phone recently and I am beginning to realize I’m just not a very touchy feely person. The Glide is a sort of a hybrid with a touch pad and keypad input options.

But the problem I have with the phone is that the touch screen is not as responsive as would like or does not respond at all. In order to answer the phone you either need a Bluetooth ear piece or you must use the touch screen.

Here are my issues with touch screen technology:  For example with my Glide phone even when the phone has the screen lock turned on, the phone will answer itself when it is in my pants pocket. The heat of my leg through my pocket unlocks the phone from the screen's lock icon. The screen responds incorrectly to my touch because my fingers may be too sweaty or too cold.  The screen just won’t respond at all or my finger touch triggers delete voice mail when I wanted it saved, and on and on.

I just want to go back to my blackberry which has a screen but you don’t have to use it to launch applications like email or answer the phone. The Glide which is a hybrid type doesn’t allow you shut off the touch screen and use it in the same way as a blackberry.

Now I could use the bluetooth head set to allow me to answer the phone without the touch pad but I find that too uncomfortable.

We are starting to see a lot more competitors come into the market. T-mobile has release the new Google G1 phone.

Touch screen devices will hopefully improve over time to adjust to some of the issues with touch sensitivity, greasy fingers, ear prints and scratches that leave them looking pretty nasty.

But for now we should look at all the fun we can with this new TouchSmart PC. I can’t wait for the first YouTube video of someone’s dog sending emails with his nose.