![\"PJ](\"http:\/\/mybroadband.co.za\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/07\/PJ-Hough.jpg\" "\\"PJ")
PJ Hough,\u00a0corporate vice president of the Microsoft Office division<\/p><\/div>\n
The new version of Microsoft Outlook includes a \u201ctouch mode\u201d option that increases the spacing between menu items and buttons on the ribbon. On a touch screen it is quite difficult to enable however.<\/p>\n
Asked about this strange occurance, Braun said tha in future it shouldn\u2019t be necessary to turn on Outlook\u2019s \u201ctouch mode\u201d on a touch screen device.<\/p>\n
He explained that Windows 8 provides a flag the device can set to indicate that it is a touch device. The \u201ctouch mode\u201d option was included for devices with both touch as well as keyboard and mouse input, Braun said.<\/p>\n
Braun explained the rationale behind the inclusion of the option by way of example: What mode should the interface of an application be in if a wireless keyboard and mouse are connected, and the user picks up their device and sits back in their chair?<\/p>\n
A similar design challenge exists around the Windows 8 software keyboard: if a wireless keyboard is connected (with or without a mouse) but a user touches an input area, should the software keyboard pop up?<\/p>\n
Where the iPad elects not to display the keyboard, the Windows 8 Release Preview does. Microsoft explained that this is a conscious decision to respond based on the context provided by the input of the user.<\/p>\n
Though these issues are relatively small, they can have a tremendous impact on the usability of an application on a touch device, and it is interesting to see how Microsoft approaches touch interface design problems.<\/p>\n
Related articles<\/h3>\n
Office 2013 customer preview launched<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Microsoft Office 2013 announced<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n Windows 8 computers here in October<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n