The end of the keyboard (update)

David Ainslie commented on my post about the end of the keyboard last week, that he can't see it happening in the trading room.  Keyboards being thrown out that is, of course (what did you think I meant?).

Anyways, I've noticed the gradual encroachment of touch technologies for some time now, from the iPhone to the HP PC's, most systems are going touchscreen.  This means that, for some, the keyboard is already dead.

Specifically, we can see that touch technologies, known as haptics, are about to go prime time, as demonstrated by the increasing use of the Microsoft Surface table technology.

Surface was one of the big draws at the BAI Retail Delivery show for retail bankers last November, and was definitely one of the coolest gadgets on the exhibit hall floor.

Now, it's also found its way into Barclays Bank's latest branch in Piccadilly, London, as blogged by Jeffry Pilcher in the Financial Brand last week and covered in-depth at Silicon.com.

This stuff definitely eliminates keyboards and bankers obviously like it.

Cool.

Mind you, do customers like it?

Not so sure. 

As Silicon.com point out, one customer stated: "when I keyed in my number all my account details were on the enlarged screen for everyone in the area to see."

We don't care though, as it's cool. 

What Barclays don't know is that this stuff is already so yesterday however, as the Computer Electronics Show (CES) saw the launch of the iTable last week:

Way cooler.

So, here's what the folks on the net really think about Surface: