1) What problems does multitouch technology solve?
Helps people with disabilities - Helps autistic students to speak to and communicate with others.
Replace the use of mouse and keyboard - For users who cannot grasp a mouse and want the functionality of a PC. (e.g the Dell Latitude XT tablet.)
Minimize clutter with portable device - Such as the Android operating systems for smartphones has support for multi-touch. Users can manage emails, contacts, calendars and hold virtual meetings through a built-in webcam and microphone.
2) What are the advantages and disadvantages of a multitouch interface? How useful is it? Explain.
Extremely good for object manipulations - Touch, drag, “pinch” to zoom in and out, slide finger up and down or sideways as if they were physical objects without moving a mouse, pressing buttons or striking keys. For example, Perceptive Pixel offers pressure-sensitive multi-touch displays that can sense an unlimited number of simultaneous touches with accuracy and precision. Their displays come bundled with the right software and have applications in broadcasting, medical imaging, data exploration, digital storyboarding, industrial design and more.
More versatile than single-touch interfaces - as opposed to the single-touch screen, which recognizes only one touch point. Multitouch interface allows one or more fingers to perform gestures to manipulate objects.
Multi touch gestures are easier to remember than commands - Based on ingrained human movement that do not have to be learned. touch is ideal for consuming/presenting information. Because it is a more natural interface, it increases user productivity.
Collaborative use - before the multitouch technology was invented, even with computer display connected to an external projector and another mouse, it was impossible for more than one person to make edits when pulling together a PowerPoint presentation. There is now an operating system that would support