The technological advancements of the last decade have brought about many changes to the lifestyle and the use of everyday items. Technology is now an inseparable part of everyday life, which makes it faster and easier. Not only has it become possible to have smaller mobile devices, but it is also now manipulated by the sense of touch. There are several advantages, as well as disadvantages in such ability to give commands to the devices.
The invention and use of multitouch technology have solved several problems. It has given a chance to people with disabilities or certain conditions to communicate. Before it would require the use of a mouse or keyboard to use the devices and not everyone has the same ability in using such physical objects. The easiness of the sensor pads resolved this issue. The easy manipulation using fingers makes the control of on-screen information practical and accessible by a great number of people. Another benefit that touch technology offers is the quickness of access. Several actions can be performed simultaneously with a low number of steps. The use of sensor screens has made it possible for children to use for educational purposes. It is very useful for tourism, in the sense that it gives a chance for people to navigate through unknown places faster and easier. Airports, banks, and payment kiosks use touch technology to provide products and services to customers. But there are also possible disadvantages that exist with the use of multitouch technology. Some people might find it harder to use. Those who are used to the functions of the mouse or buttons will not have a chance to use the payment terminals or kiosks. It could take more time to get acquainted with such a system (Laudon, 2012). Also as the screen becomes the keyboard, it would decrease the amount of visible space on the screen, so the image would be smaller than usual. Any malfunction in the sensor pad could lose the ability to recognize the point of touch and become very frustrating to use.
There are many instances of life where such technology can be used and business is one of them. Companies that offer products will make browsing through the catalog very easy. The ability to flip pages, as in a regular book, will lower the wait and increase the number of products seen. The kiosks at the airports and hotels make the pre-registration easier, faster and create an opportunity to avoid line-ups and long waits. As it is visual, more people will be able to use the technology and thus, increase the number of customers for the business. In a business meeting, a large screen with a multitouch option will allow for all members to use it at the same time, contributing and sharing the ideas. And of course, there are some issues that the business could encounter with said technology. If a member has some information that is stored on the device, which is necessary for the job, a malfunction would make all the information inaccessible. The complete breakdown of the screen or damage to the pad will be set back in time and finances. The management would have to create a database where all the useful information is stored, which is crucial for the business in case one of the devices goes out of service. The structure of the business would have to be organized in such a way that everyone has access to the devices and this could be rather costly to provide. Overall there are many uses for such technology but there is much time needed to get used to it and make it failproof.
Reference
Laudon, K. (2012). Management information systems: Managing the digital firm. Newmarket, Canada: Pearson Education Canada.