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"I killed the Newton because of the stylus. If you're holding a stylus, you can't use the other five that are attached to your wrist."
- Steve Jobs
Steve Jobs (2015) movie; I have no idea whether he really said that

Newton was killed in 1998 and this 1996 video from Star Trek: The First Contact may hint where visionary Steve Jobs get the idea from (Although, famous 1993 "You Will" commercial of AT&T also showed touchscreen used by finger).

While our Android/iOS smartphones are just a decade old, googling revealed that the first finger-driven touchscreen was invented by E.A. Johnson in 60s, when Star Trek was using colorful glass buttons.

First touchscreen Star Trek Panel

But, I don't believe that it didn't appear in Sci-Fi world first.

What is the first reference in Sci-Fi to a touch-screen computer interface?
This question has some earlier touchscreen references, but it's not clear that they are finger driven.

Which Sci-Fi work introduced the idea of "Touchscreen used by fingers"?

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  • What else would you touch it with? – TGnat Mar 09 '17 at 20:44
  • @TGnat Stylus... – user931 Mar 09 '17 at 20:45
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    @TGnat - Your elbow. – Valorum Mar 09 '17 at 20:51
  • @Valorum I believe that Steve Jobs killed that innovation too... – TGnat Mar 09 '17 at 20:54
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    The crew of the Enterprise were using touchscreen panels long before First Contact. The year you're looking for here is 1987 (when TNG began). – Lightness Races in Orbit Mar 09 '17 at 21:23
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    Sci-Fi work in media or print? I don't know that we had a good way to depict touchscreens in an interesting fashion before they were actually available, thus not very interesting unless you make them transparent, or something. (like some shows did) Books, however, suffered no such constraint; however, how do you make a touchscreen interesting? Why not go straight to voice commands or neural links/telepathy. Once you have those things what makes a touch screen interesting? – Seeds Mar 09 '17 at 21:25
  • Looking up touchscreen history - found this 1981 computer that used Infrared to detect finger movement. Clearly Star Trek was an inspiration. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Touchscreen#/media/File:Platovterm1981.jpg – Tim Mar 09 '17 at 21:27
  • Doctor Who doesn't show touchscreen in TARDIS even today because levers, buttons, orbs and steampunk designs are still way cool and futuristic if you show it right. – user931 Mar 09 '17 at 22:17
  • 2001: A Space Odyssey showed tablet-like tech. They seem to have buttons at the bottom, rather than being true touch screens. I think TNG might actually be the first. – Tim Mar 10 '17 at 02:00
  • Michael Crichton's The Andromeda Strain, 1969, has stylus-touch screens. "She turned on the computer. “This is how you order laboratory tests,” she said. “Use this light pen here, and check off the tests you want. Just touch the pen to the screen.” She handed him a small penlight, and pushed the START button." – Joe L. Mar 10 '17 at 02:33
  • According to this Wiki article the first paper on touchscreens was written in 1965. – Joe L. Mar 10 '17 at 02:40

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