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An Angled Touchscreen Desktop is a Great Idea! Thanks HP!

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TouchsmartvsDraftingTableMichael Arrington shared some incredible insight at TechCrunch about what it will take for desktop touchscreen computing to be a hit.

So what does the future of desktop touch computing look like?

Most experts I’ve spoken with agree that the problem was actually solved centuries ago. The proper layout for a desktop touch screen machine is the architect’s desk – a slightly inclined desktop that is a touch screen for your computer.

Totally agree. The proper layout for touchscreen computing is at an angle, much like a drafting table. Couldn’t agree more. Working on a Tablet PC on a flat desk is terrible for viewing. Angling the screen straight up is a hassle for pen input. Somewhere in-between, however, works very good for me with the angle depending on how I’m seated relative to the surface. Thus, I am so glad that HP had the foresight to include in their TouchSmart desktop “an adjustable screen with 40-degree tilt.”

For comparison, I found the drafting table Arrington showed in his post on eBay and discovered it can tilt up to 50 degrees from the horizontal. Hmm… one can tilt back 40 degrees. The other can tilt upward 50 degrees. According to my high school geometry, those angles are the same. So that means the TouchSmart desktop can be tilted to a sufficiently workable angle for touchscreen computing, right? Good job, HP! And thanks to Arrington for finding experts to confirm the validity of their design.

Edit: Credit where it’s due – The Sony VAIO L also features an adjustable tilt screen. Exact angle is not stated, but earlier concept designs showed at least 45 degrees. Can’t tell if the new Gateway One can tilt.

4 Comments

4 Comments

  1. turn.self.off

    10/13/2009 at 10:27 am

    well no shit, sherlock.

    this is what i have been commenting each time topics like gorilla arm have been brought up in relation to touch screens…

  2. Paul Harrigan

    10/13/2009 at 10:57 am

    Rather than an all-in-one, why not just use a tablet and turn the screen around?

  3. CLC

    10/13/2009 at 11:29 am

    Cintiq?

  4. Scoobie

    10/13/2009 at 6:56 pm

    I would be suprised if the Sony goes back that much as an architects table but it would be great if it did

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