Preview of MS Office 15

[Detonate]

I like Gnome Commander in my Mint install, it is I believe, built on MC.

[SteveRiley]

I would loathe having to do any real document editing or email creation on a tablet computer without a physical keyboard.

OK, questions for y'all... will the disappearance of keyboards have any effect on the amount of text-based content created for the Internet? Will it affect the balance of power between creators and consumers? What might happen to sites like SlashDot, Reddit, and anything (like blogs) that rely on comments to and feedback about articles posted hither and yon?

[dequire]

I would loathe having to do any real document editing or email creation on a tablet computer without a physical keyboard.

OK, questions for y'all... will the disappearance of keyboards have any effect on the amount of text-based content created for the Internet? Will it affect the balance of power between creators and consumers? What might happen to sites like SlashDot, Reddit, and anything (like blogs) that rely on comments to and feedback about articles posted hither and yon?

Contrary to popular belief, the desktop PC is not going anywhere. It's usage may change, but it will still be the go-to device for getting things done. Most things I do on a PC I wouldn't want to try and replicate on a tablet (gaming, text editing, graphics, etc). Tablets have a place, and I am very much looking forward to the new Plasma Active tablet. I think that most people will use their desktop less (It's easier to read an eBook or fire up Youtube from the sofa than going to my desk), but all this talk of the desktop's demise is greatly over-exaggerated IMHO.

[SteveRiley]

Oh, I don't mean to be implying that I think the desktop is going away.

I was thinking more like this. You're lounging on the sofa with your $DEVICE. You check an email, it has a link to a blog post, which contains a link to a YouTube video. If $DEVICE=laptop, you're probably more likely to comment on the video, comment on the blog post, or reply to the email. If $DEVICE=tablet, whatever interesting thoughts are in your head are less likely to make themselves known to the rest of us.

Desktops/laptops won't disappear completely, but I think the proliferation of keyboardless devices will result in a net overall reduction of Internet serendipity. Or maybe I'm just analyzing this too much!

[Detonate]

Or maybe it's just wishful thinking

[GreyGeek]

I would loathe having to do any real document editing or email creation on a tablet computer without a physical keyboard.

That makes AT LEAST two of us! Virtual keyboards as the primary mode of typing is the main reason why I decided not to buy a tablet, after carefully considering ALL of the major brands and a few of the minor ones. (I am buying Spark, but because I want to show support for a FOSS device, not because I need one.) I also looked into the practicality of adding keyboard docks to tablets, but once you do that all you have is a clumsy, multi-part Netbook, instead of a single component netbook like the Acer Aspire One, which my wife loves. It gives her 5 hours on battery, has a great keyboard, and a 10" screen. It folds nicely into her purse or a little spandex carrying case she has.

OK, questions for y'all... will the disappearance of keyboards have any effect on the amount of text-based content created for the Internet? Will it affect the balance of power between creators and consumers? What might happen to sites like SlashDot, Reddit, and anything (like blogs) that rely on comments to and feedback about articles posted hither and yon?

Txt wont disaper but qual wht typ will dgrd to std abbrv n pgon eng.

[SteveRiley]

Txt wont disaper but qual wht typ will dgrd to std abbrv n pgon eng.

lolwut?

[Snowhog]

Txt wont disaper but qual wht typ will dgrd to std abbrv n pgon eng.

Translated to L33t:

7x7 w0n7 Ð1$4p3r bµ7 qµ4£ wh7 7¥p w1££ Ð9rÐ 70 $7Ð 4bbrv n p90n 3n9.

[dequire]

Oh, I don't mean to be implying that I think the desktop is going away.

I was thinking more like this. You're lounging on the sofa with your $DEVICE. You check an email, it has a link to a blog post, which contains a link to a YouTube video. If $DEVICE=laptop, you're probably more likely to comment on the video, comment on the blog post, or reply to the email. If $DEVICE=tablet, whatever interesting thoughts are in your head are less likely to make themselves known to the rest of us.

Desktops/laptops won't disappear completely, but I think the proliferation of keyboardless devices will result in a net overall reduction of Internet serendipity. Or maybe I'm just analyzing this too much!

Reading through 95% of Youtube comments, I can hardly think that less commenting would be considered a loss

But seriously, you may have a point. OTOH, my Android has pretty decent voice recognition. Maybe all these keyboard-less devices will spur more work in that area, which would be a good thing.

[Teunis]

Slashdot was mentioned and these days you can often pick out comments made on a (small) touch screen, if only by the lack of capitalisation and missing line breaks.
I hardly ever do any typing on my N900 but that has a lot to do with the combination of my eyesight en the size of the screen, when I do type I often prefer using the on screen keyboard as it doesn't need more than one finger to operate.

[Detonate]

I can say from personal observation that young people are communicating these days with text messages more than they actually speak to each other. The other day, my granddaughter sent me a message on Facebook while she was sitting in the same room with me on another computer.

[SecretCode]

OTOH, my Android has pretty decent voice recognition. Maybe all these keyboard-less devices will spur more work in that area, which would be a good thing.

Oh no. You may have a point. Everyone (of the generations that post those kinds of Youtube comments) will be chilling in their lounges and public hangouts with their tablets, feet in the area, commenting verbally on videos! And all their peers will be fine with it because they'll all be wearing headphones listening to their own music or videos!

The rest of us will be forced to have headphones/earphones and play music just to drown out the monkey chatter.

[SteveRiley]

Somehow, these conversations usually veer into an old-vs-young thing

[GreyGeek]

....
The rest of us will be forced to have headphones/earphones and play music just to drown out the monkey chatter.

I watch videos and movies, talk on Skype, Blink and Hangout. I always wear headphones. If I didn't my wife would put them on for me. It works for both of us. She doesn't have to listen to the zombies growl when I run Minecraft, or the bullets fly when I spectate Enemy Territory.