They say bigger is better, so the 80-inch made by Sharp must be the best touch tablet ever.  Well, maybe the 80-inch by Steve Ballmer might be better.  Windows 8, in theory, should support a touch screen of any size if has the right graphics driver.  That could be a game changer.  Smart boards already exist in class rooms, but image if it could also connect to the internet and cloud hosting services.  A computer is something that you derive information from, but a touch screen is something you interact with.  Just by the nature of its use, a touch screen is more personal.

The major advantage of having such a large touch screen is connectivity, not with the internet, but with other people.  Last week, I was sitting in a meeting with my laptop outputting to an LCD screen.  We all had spreadsheets open, but I was going over the data specifically on mine.  My co-workers commented on the data, and wanted to offer perspective by using their own data.  It became a bit of a mess.  They wanted point out things and cross reference.  We had to pass the cable around so they could show what was on their computers.  With a large touch screen they could have just gotten up and drew away.

That whole situation may make an 80-inch touch screen an overpriced toy, but a little bit of play mixed in with work is a dynamite concoction.  With Windows 8 support this kind of innovation, it may help Microsoft gain the “cool” edge over its competitor Apple.  Even though Microsoft controls almost 90 percent of the OS market, there’s nothing quite like escaping the dullard preconception of yourself.