Touch screen technology has the potential to connect with those who completely missed the Qwerty phase

I discovered this Christmas that my 84 year old Nanna has, for the past few months, been the owner of an iPad. When it comes to technology I thought she peaked when she learned how to set the oven timer.

She never used a laptop, I don't think she'd ever been online before she got this iPad. In one magnificent leap she's cleared the two generations after hers as they toil away on laptops. Whenever I tell people my Nanna has an iPad they're shocked. But, iPads aren't just for cool adland types on their way to another meeting in Lantana. They're also perfect for the elderly of Wolverhampton. Anyone who has ever tried to show an older relative how to do anything on a keyboard computer will have had to put up with a tirade of questions. Questions (quite reasonably) triggered by the computer demanding the user do something counter-intuitive. From the moment you look at a keyboard you have to learn to play by it's rules. You have to accept the alphabet starts with a Q! The generation my grandmother belongs to didn't live through war and rations to be told what to do by a machine. They're not going to wait to be connected and then tediously enter the letter w three times for anyone. (as they were told they had to when they first tried to get online) Touchscreen doesn't demand any such nonsense. If Nanna wants to look at the BBC she taps it with her finger. If she wants to play Scrabble she taps the Scrabble icon. She tap a photo and it appears, she can even simply send the photo to her friends.

Generations after ours will know nothing but the touchscreen either. Like the landline (remember them) it will go down as a technological stepping-stone. Obviously they'll have to type (and probably accept the alphabet can start with Q) but the idea of clicking on things or typing in commands will seem very strange.

It's only us poor few, born in the 60's, 70's or 80's who'll remember how tough it used to be having to hold down CTRL, ALT and DELETE all at the same time.

Andy