>>>I do have a dual monitor setup with HD screens. Do they really think that its easier for advanced users to use touchscreens? come on, that is nuts...
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>>not so sure in this specific point: we are habituated by now to work on big screens with mouse or trackball. On the plus side the ability to fine-tune position, but relatively poor set of choices after that: left-, right- and middle/scroll wheel click/action. With fingers on a 7' touch pad mirrored on one large screen I guess after initial relearnig done within 2 weeks faster input could be accomplished. Doubtful if "fast input" is the best dimension to weigh: If "mousable action" like file handling is needed often, almost all doing such tasks use a filemanager where they can use mouse *or* keyboard depending on the task, which obliterates the "finger action benefit" to a large extent.
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>The large number of exact mouse interactions we make every day makes a touchscreen out of the picture. most of us can locate a cursor and type text way quicker and with way less energy with a keyboard and mouse than what is possible through a touchscreen. I personally think that RSI will be even much of a problem with touchscreens than with keyboard and mouse.

100% ACK on RSI when touching the large screen repeatedly. But I can tell you that now I look for pad for some specific tasks like reading, looking up something in a map - and that is not (only) for convinient device holding, but actual program handling like scrolling and zooming. Consider an old style IBM keyboard with a touchpad added instead or to the right of numeric keypad - mapping input from there to the screen. I think mouse usage would drop by at least 50%. If the touchpad is not like the touchpad of a laptop, but a screen showing tiles might help you hit the area you want - after a few days you won't look at the small screen, but it would be there if you need it.
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>Not only to mention that I like to have a clean screen to look at, not one that I have to wipe every hour.

would be not as important in the setup I described ;-)