Touching Windows 7
LOS ANGELES--In addition to getting to spend a few minutes playing around with Windows 7's new desktop, I had a chance to play around with its multitouch gestures.
The brief look came on a machine running a later build than the one Microsoft handed out to developers last week. More similar to the version that was shown onstage Tuesday, the machine I used had the new desktop featuring the Aero Peek and other features.
I thought it might help to show some of the features in a short video. (It was me holding a Flip video camera, so apologies for the jitters and less-than-ideal sound.)
Along with the gestures themselves, Microsoft has tweaked the desktop to support touch, doing things like spreading out menu lists to make the operating system easier to navigate with just a finger.
To scroll through a Word document, for example, users can run their finger anywhere in the Word window (not just in a narrow scroll bar). It has also added some visual cues, such as making a window bounce when one has reached the end or beginning of a document. That helps, because it can be a little hard at first to figure out which way to flick to head down a window.
The key question is going to be how much software developers take advantage of touch and how many computer makers include the necessary hardware in their laptops and displays.
In general, Microsoft has aimed with Windows 7 to provide features that don't require third-party support to light up. But touch is an exception. If you don't have a machine that supports touch, you get none of the benefit.
Many programs will have support for basic gestures, such as scrolling, but what will also be interesting is seeing programs that truly take advantage of the technology.
Microsoft's approach with Windows 7 also highlights a key difference with Apple. The Mac maker has focused, at least thus far, on expanding the touch abilities of the laptop trackpad. Microsoft, meanwhile, seems aimed at touch on the screen itself--though trackpad makers such as Synaptics have added support for gestures that XP and even Vista laptops can take advantage of if their makers' wish.
One Windows PC maker, Hewlett-Packard, has been branching out on its own, adding its own line of touch-screen computers ahead of Windows 7. It has updated its TouchSmart PC a couple of times and is also targeting the technology for laptops. Last week, HP also opened up its TouchSmart interface to developers.
During her years at CNET News, Ina Fried has changed beats several times, changed genders once, and covered both of the Pirates of Silicon Valley. These days, most of her attention is focused on Microsoft. E-mail Ina. 
Hmmm, I wonder where they got the idea for that--iPhone?
it seems nice, but how about some REAL changes like to th core operating system, instead of the stuff users can hack in themselves.
Microsoft will do well if they take advantage of Apple sitting back on the sidelines this time.
The company that pounces first may very well control the touch-market.
(Or at least make everything else look like a copycat)
The iHype will be redered moot long term because of Apple's draconian practices. Android will invade the market and will sell more handsets then Apple could ever hope to sell simply due to mass scale. You get 8 manufacturers distributing android vs. Apple and have a huge developer community that can do pretty much anything they want on the thing and it will kick Apple touch loving butt to the curb.
And sorry but throughout known history Apple and more specifically Jobs loves to crap on any idea out there and his fanbois follow along until Steve thinks they finally have something cooked enough to release. Its Simple Apple BS. We saw this with pictures on the iPod. We saw this with video on the iPod. we are seeing this with ebooks (Remember the quote from Jobs that No one reads anymore?) and now we are seeing it with touch. Steve Jobs is full of complete and total crap.
You missed my point completely.... my point was not that iPhone is kicking booty, but rather the iPhone has an incredibly successful implementation of multi-touch technology. When Steve Jobs claims that multi-touch is not yet mature enough for a full-blown touch screen interface, it isn't gospel... however he has done his homework to merit making this claim. Windows 7 has a long ways away before it is publicly released, Apple could very well have their on multi-touch interface in the works to be released at about the same time.
On another note, comparing the iPhone and the gPhone (a.k.a. Android) is like comparing apples and oranges as they target two different, although not mutually exclusive, markets. The iPhone is marketed as a do-it-all pretty GUI'ed device, whereas the gPhone is targeted at the open-source/functionality market who don't care much for pretty interfaces as long as it's functional.
Pen based yes, but it's already showing that it's doable and painless. The screens won't be 90deg perpendicular to the table anymore and would have to be angled to support it yes, but that's also better on the eyes.
http://www.gearlog.com/2008/11/windows_7_on_a_macbook_pro.php
Really though, it looks like the UI controls are either a. not big enough or b. not spaced apart far enough (whichever you prefer). Too small and too close together and you can easily get frustrated pointing and hitting the wrong UI control. Some of the UI controls in Windows have always been a bit too small in my opinion anyway. Especially the systray icons, not a big problem with the mouse though, but when it comes to touch, even though I have my own complaints about the HP touchsmart, I do think they had the right idea with making everything bigger in the interface.
But seriously will someone put a lead weight in that thing so it won't get all wobbly on me?
However, we'll have to wait and see if their claim holds up.
When traveling for example, specially in airplanes, sometimes using the touchpad or "built-in mouse" (don't know how to call it) isn't practicall. Just touching the screen makes things simpler. That way of scrooling through the document may not be the most efficient, but its a matter of improving usability.
The way I see it: if the functionality exists, you may use it or not, your choice. And its a matter of finding the best way to take advantage of it. If on the other hand it doesn't exist, then you're stuck.
Apart the potencial bloating and memory issues of these features, I think its a good thing that they exist. Maybe you'll have the option to disable them, to save memory.
My point is: you can decide to use them or not, but innovation is always good.
Here's the deal: Everyone copies everyone - Apple copied Xerox, MS copied Apple, Apple copied MS, etc, etc, etc.
Here's the difference: MS do it better than practically everyone. That's why they're number one.
I jus hope that Windows 7 won't end up like vista. : /
- by seattlenorge January 9, 2009 11:10 PM PST
- The reason that Apple won't do touch screen functionality is that people who use Macs like to keep their equipment from getting all crocked up with fingerprints and the like. Windows/Microsoft users could care less whether their "machines" or "boxes" look good or kept clean. Anyways, touch screens are only useful on tablet referenced platforms like iphones, tabs, etc.
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