Comment by kenjackson | Hacker News Reader

Comment by kenjackson | Hacker News Reader

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What does Windows 8 bring over Windows 7 that justifies an upgrade?

Real touch screen support and an app store.

I know that it may seem like not much given that it's focused in the Metro UI, but I think it can be a lot bigger than many here suspect.

I've already had a friend ask me about the Sony Vaio Tap 20. A 20" all-in-one that has a battery so you can take it to the kitchen or coffee table. All for $900.

Windows 8 gives you the ability to have the desktop experience, which is at least as good as Win7. But also to have a first class touch experience on the same device.

It fixes the problem I have of taking a tablet and a laptop on travel. I need my laptop for work, but the tablet for everything else.

Right now it may seem like a contrived example. I think in a year Apple will be doing the same thing. And in 18 months we'll have trouble imagining why this was at all controversial.

So you don't buy into the argument that vertical touch screens are unergonomic and unpleasant to use over non-trivial amounts of time, because they require holding the hand up to the screen?

It depends on what kind of machine you are using. If you are using a desktop then yes a touch screen is not a very ergonomic way to use your computer but then the mouse is not going anywhere. You can use that to do everything a touch would do. In fact in that case the new metro UI is rarely used.

But when a laptop or a tablet is being used, a touch is very natural because the screen is at the right distance and more importantly at a "right" angle. In fact it is way more convenient to use a touch based laptop instead of a tablet because of the angle the screen is at and the arm rest that the keyboard provides. Try it out yourself. I have RC running on my old hp and it is pleasant to use

Mythbusters, I would love to try it myself, but then I don't consider the expense of buying a laptop with a touchscreen to be worth it just for this experiment. :)

Maybe. I don't know. Although I think one thing people will realize is how much time they used to spend finding the mouse cursor and positioning it versus just directly going to touch the location, even on a desktop.

I think we're in the same state we were in a month before the iPad shipped. Will we really like a giant sized iPhone (as it was positioned at the time)? No one really knew. I think it's fair to say that it was mischaracterized, and people really do like it.

Interestingly, even the Verge (who typically skew anti-MS, but fairly even) seem to really like the experience thus far (with some reservations).

Ask me this question in a month or two after I get some actual touch screens. :-)

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