Our first computer was an Apple IIe and did not have a mouse. The mouse came along with the Macintosh. Now, most people in this country may be familiar with how to hold and use a mouse with a computer. So, when I got my Mac Air a few months ago, I was quite surprised that there was no mouse with it. Then I read the booklet with it and found out that I could get a mouse but that the touch pad (trackpad), which was notably larger than what I had seen on most laptops, was actually made to allow various touches and finger maneuvers to enable control and communication without a mouse. That was my first clue to the emerging world of gestures.
Gestures is a common word used these days to mean things one can do with the fingers to communicate or control a computer or tablet. The most famous touch screen today is probably the one on a smart phone. I heard that a "smartphone" is one with no (or very few) buttons to press, since the phone is smart enough to offer you a keyboard with all sorts of keys and buttons and other, additional buttons when needed. A smart touchscreen can tell whether you stroked it right to left or left to right and whether you do so using one, two or three fingers in the stroke.
To get some idea of the complexity and richness that might someday be involved in communicating to a sensitive screen, put "iPad gestures" into Google and look over the first few results. You might want to pay special attention to the image results since several charts show the array of finger and hand maneuvers that Apple and others are getting into.
--
Bill
Main blog: Fear, Fun and Filoz
Main web site: Kirbyvariety
