Apple Ipads will go on sale in Australia next month. The Ipad is a new type of device, its not a phone, not a laptop, not an ereader, but a better described as a portable media device, if you need to describe it at all. However it does not support Flash (which is how most multimedia on the internet is delivered) which leaves it open to competition from HP's Slate, which does support Flash. It will be interesting to see how this competition plays out. Steve Jobs and Apple have often been at the cutting edge of technology and brought us devices that we did not even know we needed (Mac and Ipod) but they have also failed (remember the Lisa and NeXT).
Whichever way it goes, it seems likely that the days of using the mouse as a major input device are numbered, and it can't come quickly enough. There are few current alternatives to using the mouse on computers. There are some newer desktops available like Bumptop and there has been the ability to use voice control for a long time, but none of these have threaten the use of the mouse.
Graphic artists have long ago thrown the mouse away in favour of a stylus, but this has not gained wide acceptance.
Now, with the ipad/slate and their touch screens we have the chance to develop real touch screen input techniques, not related to mouse type point and click but using real or two handed gestures. This demonstration shows what is possible using these techniques, while Sixth sense (See previous blog) also shows what is possible if we put away the mouse.
For me I can't wait. This opens up so many possiblities. It is always interesting looking into the future of computing to see what could be coming...
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