Looking forward: 4 trends to Watch

As we count down to 31 December, here are some trends to ponder that either have already emerged, or might soon become more evident.

The rapid pace with which technology has been evolving means that for many of us, we are still grappling to understand and embrace what might be the current “in thing”. This post aims to highlight some important trends that might already be evident, but will continue to shape the tech/IT space, and some that might be emerging.

Do let us know what you think by sharing your thoughts in the Comments section below.
Touchscreens… to the world!

The global proliferation of smartphones and tablet PCs, which is expected to continue into the foreseeable future, has transformed how users interface with computing devices. Traditionally, the keyboard was only a means for engagement, and eventually it was supplemented with a cursor. However, those interfaces could be fiddly at best, and depending on the user’s skills and experience, could be frustrating and inefficient to use.

In an effort to make tablets and smartphones even more portable, manufacturers have overwhelmingly adopted touchscreen technology for the primary interface. The ease of use of touchscreens, which tend to more intuitive and user-friendly, along with the exploding use of mobile/portable devices, means that persons are becoming less tolerant when they are restricted to keyboard entry. Hence, computing devices, such as PCs and laptops, which initially had not been in focus for adoption of touchscreens, are increasingly being marketed as having “the best of both worlds”: a keyboard for intensive data entry and a touchscreen to improve overall ease of use.

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