Sunday, February 24, 2013

TECH SPECIAL......THE TOUCH EVOLUTION


THE TOUCH EVOLUTION

    WITH the new Windows 8 operating system touting a ‘touch-ready’ interface, the computer and its accessories are getting a makeover. Apart from the new line of laptops, hybrids and touch-notebooks, desktops are getting touchscreens, keyboards are coming with touchpads and the mouse is losing its scroll wheel for a glass trackpad. But does all this innovation actually translate into a better experience for you? And more importantly, is an upgrade worth your money? 

LENOVO THINKCENTRE EDGE 92Z
    
Microsoft has gone on and on about Windows 8 being optimised for touch, and we’ve seen that holds true with the new breed of laptops with touchscreens (reviewed in Times Life on January 6, 2013). But does that experience spill over to desktops?
    The ThinkCentre 92z all-in-one PC definitely packs the hardware muscle to do any task you’d demand of it, but the question is whether its touch display is something you can actually use. We were a little sceptical at first, but to our surprise, we got used to touching the screen—which responds wonderfully to Win8 gestures—after a week of use.
    Every game was fantastic to play, and since it’s a 10-point multi-touch display, you can play a virtual piano too. Perhaps most astonishing was how, eventually, we instinctively started using the screen to browse through and manipulate photos.
    There is one caveat though: a large part of your experience depends on how your monitor is placed and where you sit. Initially, our seat was a little low (the top of the screen was above eye-level) and the screen was almost a full arm’s length away. And in this position, we barely used the screen, finding it cumbersome and not at all ergonomic.
    But once we moved the screen closer and adjusted the seat’s height such that the top of the screen was below eye-level, it suddenly became easier and convenient to use.
    Also, special note should be made of the great keyboard that the Lenovo packs – it’s the best we’ve used for typing.
    To sum it up: Given the great hardware it packs, the convenience of an all-in-one and the touchscreen experience it gives you, the Lenovo ThinkCentre Edge 92z is value for money even at its 80k+ price. Specs: 21.5-inch 10-point multi-touch IPS screen (1920x1080 px) | 2.9GHz quad-core Intel Core i5 CPU | 4GB DDR3 RAM 1600MHz | 1GB AMD Radeon HD 7650A graphics | 1TB HDD | DVD writer | 2xUSB 3.0, 4xUSB 2.0, Wi-Fi, Ethernet, HDMI-in, HDMI-out, Bluetooth, 6-in-1 memory card reader | FullHD 1080p webcam, 2x3W speakers, built-in mic | Wireless keyboard and mouse | Windows 8
Price: 87,600
LOGITECH ZONE TOUCH MOUSE T400
    
The Zone Touch Mouse replaces the traditional scroll wheel with a glass touchpad that lets you scroll horizontally and vertically. It might seem like a small change, but the difference it makes in actual use is astounding.
    The glass feels smooth against your finger, and the corresponding cursor response is fantastic.
    Besides, the touchpad is clickable, so you still have your usual middle-click to close tabs in browsers or open links in new tabs.
    Interestingly, the middle-click is restricted to the bottom 2/3rds of the glass button, which is where your finger usually lies. On the top 1/3rd of the button, you get a one-click shortcut to the Start screen in Windows 8 (or the Start button in Windows 7). It’s quite convenient and works well.
    As for the mouse itself, it performs without any hiccups and promises around 18 months of usage on two standard alkaline batteries, so no complaints. Also, the wireless range it boasts of is enough for even Home Theatre PCs. Plus, given that it has four buttons (counting the configurable middle one twice), gamers would be pleased with it too.
    It’s a good purchase for casual and power users, but we would have liked it better if it was priced closer to 2,000.
Price: 2,895
LOGITECH WIRELESS TOUCH KEYBOARD K400R
    
The K400R comes with a 3.5-inch trackpad so you can work on your PC without using a mouse or touchscreen. The pad supports multi-touch gestures – including pinch-and-zoom – and this functionality proves to be quite helpful when scrolling sideways on the Win 8 Start Screen as well as through the apps. Sadly, that’s where it stops being useful on the new OS. The K400R does not support gesture shortcuts such as sliding your fingers in from the sides to switch apps or bring up the Charms menu. Also, we would have preferred if the trackpad was placed below the keyboard instead of on its right; mostly because it would have lent for a less cramped-up keyboard and made it more ergonomic. Still, this isn’t a deal-breaker. As far as energy efficiency is concerned, the K400R promises up to one year of battery life on two standard alkaline batteries. So does this device make sense if you’re looking for a keyboard replacement? Not really. However, it’s a good accessory to buy if you’re looking for something that lets you sit at a distance from your PC (such as in your living room with a HTPC) because it offers the convenience of not needing a mouse.
Price: 2,995
LOGITECH WIRELESS TOUCHPAD T650
    
The T650 is a large touchpad with a glass top that could possibly replace the mouse. Besides, it could prove to be a boon to users who suffer from Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. In fact, if you have a Win 8 desktop and don’t use it for games or graphic design, you should get yourself a Touchpad T650.
    The device has a large surface that’s a delight to use: You can browse around and click with a single finger, use two fingers to scroll vertically or horizontally, tap the bottom-right part for right-click, and tap with three fingers for middle-click. Pinch-to-zoom works splendidly, and it even comes with a few custom gestures for the new OS. For example, swipe downwards with three fingers and it’ll show or hide the desktop; or swipe upwards to switch between applications.
    With casual games, the T650 worked splendidly, letting us use multi-finger actions. However, for ‘point-and-shoot’ games like Call Of Duty, it was a dud.
    Unlike the other two Logitech accessories in this review, the T650 packs a built-in rechargeable battery, which can be charged by hooking it up to your PC’s USB port. We like. The price, however, is a bit too steep right now. If it drops to around 3,000, pick one up without a second thought.
Price: 4,995
VIEWSONIC TD2220
    
If you’re in the market for a new monitor, it makes sense to go in for something like the ViewSonic TD2220, a touchscreen desktop LCD. As a monitor, it’s the standard fare – vibrant colours, decent black levels and good viewing angles, when connected via its DVI or D-SUB port.
    But hook it up with a USB port on your cabinet and it turns into a touchscreen. The acid test for most touchscreen is playing games. And whether it was Air Hockey, Angry Birds or Subway Surfers, everything worked perfectly. Even on Google Maps or while browsing photos, pinch-to-zoom was a go.
    The downside, though, is that the TD2220 is restricted to two-finger input only. Also, while the screen is hardened, it’s not a glass top so it doesn’t feel appealing to use.
    Finally, the screen isn’t flush with the bezel, so it’s not easy to activate Windows 8’s gesture shortcuts, such as swiping in from the sides to bring up the Charms bar or switch apps. It’s really quite annoying, and while there’s no desktop monitor with a flush bezel and a glass surface at the moment, such an offering would probably better the ViewSonic TD2220.
    But if you are considering a new monitor right now, it makes sense to go for this touch-compatible one. The kids will simply love the casual gaming experience it offers, and browsing photos becomes much more intuitive too.
Price: 16,999

Mihir Patkar  TL130210










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