Turns out the OLPC foundation isn’t done innovating. Not only does the group plan to include 2 touch panels in the next generation XO Laptop due out in 2010, but the XO 2 will feature some of the latest touchscreen innovations, including support for multi-touch and haptic feedback.
What that means is that you’ll receive actual tactile feedback when you perform actions like pressing a key on a virtual on-screen keyboard. And you’ll be able to hit two keys at once, which comes in handy when you want to hit the Shift, Ctrl, or other keys.
Honestly, now that trackpads and touchscreens are starting to incorporate multi-touch capabilities, it seems pretty obvious that most, if not all future laptops will include multi-touch. While I’m not 100% convinced it’s necessary on devices like the iPhone where you can use two fingers to make pictures larger and smaller, multi-touch will be a killer feature for applications like on-screen keyboards or musical applications.
I wondered about whether this was going to be an incorporated feature as well because manufacturers have begun including haptic feedback in cell-phone buttons as well. I can’t wait for the future of touch-screen laptop keyboards. I thought that the future of laptops would be projection-screen laser-based monitors and those infra-red keyboards. When that tech becomes readily available, laptops will be some of the most malleable electronics in the world. 🙂