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  3. Do developers really need a touch screen?

Do developers really need a touch screen?

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  • A Abhinav S

    Nope.

    Windows Apps - Sound Meter | Color Analyzer | Wallpaper Selector | Football Doodles

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    Tomz_KV
    wrote on last edited by
    #34

    My laptop has a touchscreen and I have not found a way to really utilize it in dev.

    TOMZ_KV

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    • T Tomz_KV

      Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

      TOMZ_KV

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      kmoorevs
      wrote on last edited by
      #35

      My newest laptop has a touchscreen. The only time I've ever used it was when developing a web application for POS terminals, and a few times since when demoing the same application at trade shows. Honestly, I'd like to find an easy way to disable it as I have a colleague who has problems with depth perception and will occasionally tap the screen accidently! :)

      "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse

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      • T Tomz_KV

        Jeremy Falcon wrote:

        Not until programming becomes as simple as pointing and clicking

        The day may come sooner than we expect.

        TOMZ_KV

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        Jeremy Falcon
        wrote on last edited by
        #36

        True that.

        Jeremy Falcon

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        • K kmoorevs

          My newest laptop has a touchscreen. The only time I've ever used it was when developing a web application for POS terminals, and a few times since when demoing the same application at trade shows. Honestly, I'd like to find an easy way to disable it as I have a colleague who has problems with depth perception and will occasionally tap the screen accidently! :)

          "Go forth into the source" - Neal Morse

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          Tomz_KV
          wrote on last edited by
          #37

          A new project for touchscreen makers: the difference between intentional and accidental touches. :-D

          TOMZ_KV

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          • T Tomz_KV

            Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

            TOMZ_KV

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            Ravi Bhavnani
            wrote on last edited by
            #38

            I have no use for one.  It's (much) easier for me to use a mouse to click than tap on the screen.  Same for Ctrl/Mousewheel vs. pinch to zoom. /ravi

            My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

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            • T Tomz_KV

              Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

              TOMZ_KV

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              MacSpudster
              wrote on last edited by
              #39

              :suss: I had a touchscreen for development back in the late '80s. :cool: :omg: What took y'all so long? :wtf:

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              • R Ravi Bhavnani

                I have no use for one.  It's (much) easier for me to use a mouse to click than tap on the screen.  Same for Ctrl/Mousewheel vs. pinch to zoom. /ravi

                My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

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                Tomz_KV
                wrote on last edited by
                #40

                Keyboard shortcuts seem to be used more often than a touchscreen.

                TOMZ_KV

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                • M MacSpudster

                  :suss: I had a touchscreen for development back in the late '80s. :cool: :omg: What took y'all so long? :wtf:

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                  Tomz_KV
                  wrote on last edited by
                  #41

                  MacSpudster wrote:

                  I had a touchscreen for development back in the late '80s.

                  Must be very expensive then.

                  TOMZ_KV

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                  • T Tomz_KV

                    Keyboard shortcuts seem to be used more often than a touchscreen.

                    TOMZ_KV

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                    Ravi Bhavnani
                    wrote on last edited by
                    #42

                    :thumbsup: /ravi

                    My new year resolution: 2048 x 1536 Home | Articles | My .NET bits | Freeware ravib(at)ravib(dot)com

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                    • T Tomz_KV

                      MacSpudster wrote:

                      I had a touchscreen for development back in the late '80s.

                      Must be very expensive then.

                      TOMZ_KV

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                      MacSpudster
                      wrote on last edited by
                      #43

                      $400 for a 9" touchscreen for the then Mac Classic/Classic II. $815 in today's dollars ~ CPI Inflation Calculator[^]

                      The first person that replies to this comment gets $200. (Well, actually, anyone can get "$200" via copy/paste... :laugh: )

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                      • M MacSpudster

                        $400 for a 9" touchscreen for the then Mac Classic/Classic II. $815 in today's dollars ~ CPI Inflation Calculator[^]

                        The first person that replies to this comment gets $200. (Well, actually, anyone can get "$200" via copy/paste... :laugh: )

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                        Tomz_KV
                        wrote on last edited by
                        #44

                        That is the cost of an iPad today with a similar screen size. Not as expensive as I thought. :)

                        TOMZ_KV

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                        • T Tomz_KV

                          Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                          TOMZ_KV

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                          Gary Wheeler
                          wrote on last edited by
                          #45

                          Tomz_KV wrote:

                          Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                          Absolutely yes. I've been developing touch-screen apps since 2000, which obviously predates smartphones. I've used far too many phone apps that fail basic touch usability metrics: - Touch targets are too small - Targets are placed too closely together - Icons that indicate a target don't accurately delineate the target area - Text used as a touch target (finger obscures needed information, plus text is weak for positioning cues) - Target layout without regard to tasks I attribute a lot of this to the use of emulators and the mouse in place of testing on real devices with real fingers. I know a lot of app developers can't afford to buy several devices for testing purposes, but they could at least test on a representative of each class of device: small screen smartphone, large screen smartphone, small tablet (7"), large tablet (10"), laptop. For example: one of the apps I use on my phone every day requires that I rotate my index finger 90° in order to hit one target at the edge of the screen. A normal finger press does not work. A mouse is a high-precision pointing device. A finger is not.

                          Software Zen: delete this;

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                          • J Jochen Arndt

                            No. They require shutting down the system to clean the screen.

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                            Gary Wheeler
                            wrote on last edited by
                            #46

                            Jochen Arndt wrote:

                            They require shutting down the system to clean the screen.

                            Not so. My touch-screen apps include a "clean" operation. It opens a full-screen window that displays a 30 second countdown and ignores mouse clicks (our touch screen hardware simulates a mouse).

                            Software Zen: delete this;

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                            • G Gary Wheeler

                              Tomz_KV wrote:

                              Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                              Absolutely yes. I've been developing touch-screen apps since 2000, which obviously predates smartphones. I've used far too many phone apps that fail basic touch usability metrics: - Touch targets are too small - Targets are placed too closely together - Icons that indicate a target don't accurately delineate the target area - Text used as a touch target (finger obscures needed information, plus text is weak for positioning cues) - Target layout without regard to tasks I attribute a lot of this to the use of emulators and the mouse in place of testing on real devices with real fingers. I know a lot of app developers can't afford to buy several devices for testing purposes, but they could at least test on a representative of each class of device: small screen smartphone, large screen smartphone, small tablet (7"), large tablet (10"), laptop. For example: one of the apps I use on my phone every day requires that I rotate my index finger 90° in order to hit one target at the edge of the screen. A normal finger press does not work. A mouse is a high-precision pointing device. A finger is not.

                              Software Zen: delete this;

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                              Tomz_KV
                              wrote on last edited by
                              #47

                              :thumbsup:Thanks for sharing your experience!

                              TOMZ_KV

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                              • T Tomz_KV

                                Do you think my boss would buy me an iPhone X? :-D

                                TOMZ_KV

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                                Lost User
                                wrote on last edited by
                                #48

                                If you need to write software for the iPhone X, then yes, I'd recommend getting one. Most people reacting here in this thread are reacting before they read the entire question. ..if you don't need to write software for it, then the question would be simple; are you worth that iPhone X?

                                Bastard Programmer from Hell :suss: If you can't read my code, try converting it here[^]

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                                • T Tomz_KV

                                  :thumbsup:Thanks for sharing your experience!

                                  TOMZ_KV

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                                  Gary Wheeler
                                  wrote on last edited by
                                  #49

                                  You're welcome.

                                  Software Zen: delete this;

                                  1 Reply Last reply
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                                  • T Tomz_KV

                                    Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                                    TOMZ_KV

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                                    Didier Aubin
                                    wrote on last edited by
                                    #50

                                    I think it is not necessary :) Developers only need good laptop/pc. Touch screen is suitable for designer :laugh:

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                                    • T Tomz_KV

                                      Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                                      TOMZ_KV

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                                      Paulo Morgado
                                      wrote on last edited by
                                      #51

                                      Only if they are human. Have you haver used a computer with a touch screen? Really used, not tried.

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                                      • T Tomz_KV

                                        Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                                        TOMZ_KV

                                        M Offline
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                                        mgornicki
                                        wrote on last edited by
                                        #52

                                        I'm using touch. I developed an App based on XNA and touchscreen on Win7 few years ago. Because it was commercial one so I never really update it to some latest tech. Now, sometimes I need to change the graphics elements inside and have to test it.

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                                        • T Tomz_KV

                                          Most touch applications are developed using an emulator. The "touch" test is generally conducted on a real phone or pad. Are there any good reasons that developers need a touch screen dev box?

                                          TOMZ_KV

                                          P Offline
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                                          Peter Shaw
                                          wrote on last edited by
                                          #53

                                          Nope most devs don't need them. Well Iv'e gotten by so far with not needing one, even when working on TS based projects. However... Most Devs DO NEED them, or at least the stake holders and project managers need devs to have them... Well at least if the amount of Stake Holders/Clients and Business folk that stab their fingers on my monitor when trying to "show me stuff" are anything to go by anyway :-)

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