Gates and the New User Interface

I tend to disagree here with the stylus use on a tablet, but the big news is having the ability to use both, touch screen and digitizers...the new tablets on the market have this offering so one can have the best of both worlds...take a look at the Sahara Tablet from TabletKiosk to get a better idea...BD

Microsoft is no stranger to pioneering new user interfaces. The much-maligned Microsoft Bob and Clippy are examples of Microsoft attempts to simplify how end users interact with computers. Years ago—and for several of them—Gates stood on the CES stage, and also that of Comdex, touting Tablet PC.
Gates is a big Tablet PC supporter, but Microsoft's execution is too complex. A stylus is supposed to be like a pen or pencil, and so a more natural and familiar user interface than the keyboard and mouse. But the process of using a stylus on a Windows Tablet PC is more complicated than using a pencil or even keyboard and mouse.
Touch is the extension of the stylus, and it's a much more natural user interface. For the human tool user, hands, fingers and touch are especially important for experiencing and manipulating objects or surroundings. The shopping mall is a great laboratory for understanding how people interact with things. First buyers look, and then they touch. For retailers it's an irritating experience, all that touching. People examine as much with their hands as their eyes.