Comments on: Microsoft to add multitouch interface to Windows 7

Microsoft says the new technology, which is expected to arrive in late 2009, will work with existing touch screens.

[hutchitl]

how original

[hutchitl]

how original

[DavyBoyWonder]

If anyone from Microsoft is reading this, please learn from your previous mistake, the tablet PC.

Multitouch will die if Windows is not redisgned from the ground up to rely on the technology. When DOS was around, people did not buy mice enmass. People didn't buy tablet PCs for the same reason. If atleast a sizeable chunk of Windows can't be operated in a better way with the new technology, then the new technology will be ignored.

[paulsecic]

It might help disabled people who type with mouth sticks and such. I'm disabled & can't use an Iphone. Hopefully keyboards still will be an option.

[Mr. Dee]

Not impressed. I guess the excitement and nostalgia for Touch technology has been taken away by Surface. But, I just don't see how this will replace my proven experience with the mouse, keyboard and or laptop touch pad. How will this increase a users productivity, ad value and agility to my work flow. All I'm seeing here is a frenzied response to the iPhone and possible me first before Apple comes to market with something more revolutionary and in fact Apple will always come with something better. If this is the direction Microsoft is taking I see it as another small niche like the Tablet is right now.

[shai-tan]

I have a similar opinion. I didn't see much that can't already be done with a standard mouse that has a scroll wheel. Cursor relative zoom is just as good as smudging a screen on the map or photos and the rotation was mostly silly. Useful for a tablet or portable device without a mouse, maybe.

[ewelch]

Me? I'm gonna invest in companies that create screen cleaning products.

And Apple.

[aforslund]

You think that this is new?? It seems like Gates/Ballmer are once again:

1) Behind the curve

2) Pretending to set the curve

3) Taking their eye off their most important asset.

If they could simply look at what they have and how to truly make their market happy they can and will stay on top of their mountain. But they will take their eye off the ball and chase irrelevant things and **** up.

Sorry Monkey-Boy. It isn't about "algorithms". You have the "Scale". But you will **** yourself because you are chasing something for the sake of chasing and not perfecting.

[rplat]

Good lord!

Is Microsoft even capable of generating an original or timely idea?

[Empoor]

Hopefully Windows 7 will be a success for Microsoft. I mean, in hell I'm ever going to switch back to Windows, but still.

[Commander_Spock]

That the Microsoft Corporation plans to roll out Windows 7 in late 2009; and, given the debacles surrounding such releases and involving Anti-Virus OEMs... What plans do the Microsoft Corporation have to address possible competitive threat actions that can be taken to the European Competition Competition, the Korean Government et al? LOL!

[Commander_Spock]

Ooops, that should have been "European Competition Commission" instead of "European Competition Competition" Oh, Oh!

[Commander_Spock]

Hey CNET NEWS! When will an "Edit/Modify" functionality be added to this site?

[RompStar_420]

So, what I think is happening here is that either Bill or Steve seen one too many movies where they use screen touch technology in the future, sometimes the whole walls.

The thing is that the OS that Microsoft has can't get the basics right, like the true-multitasking isn't even working right, when an application fails, I have a hard to killing it and it spills over into the OS and crashes it.

Fix this first. I will stick with Apple and Linux, thank you very much. I like Excel, that's about it.

[imbored2]

I thought you have not used a pc in 4 years? If that is the case what do you know about multi tasking? It has come a long ways in 4 years. Applications rarely fail. Blue screen... what about kernel panic error? Please dude. Linux has it's share of problems too. Kernel Panic I loved to see that one on the Linux servers. Time to call in the guy they pay a rediculous salary to come in and fix the thing. No one else cares to touch it. Windows error... fixed in a few minutes...

[alleyg]

Screens are going to be looking pretty messy with users finger marks all over them. Say goodbye to the glossy finish!

[Commander_Spock]

Re: "Screens are going to be looking pretty messy with users finger marks all over them. Say goodbye to the glossy finish!" So, what ever happened with the "Voice Type Dictation and Navigation Technologies"!!!

[WJeansonne]

Man, the jealousy of the people who posted on here! Typical Microsoft haters. Go run back to your ancient OS called Linux and Mac OS X. LOL!!

[imbored2]

Not jealousy just arrogance. There is no other technology then Linux and Mac. Competition is a bad thing. Linux users just think they are supreme beings.

[imbored2]

I apologize. Some Linux users think they are supreme beings because they can type commands. Not all Linux users. Some Linux users are good people but most the ones on this site make them look bad.

[Thomas, David]

Ahhhh .... jealousy. What flavor is that, and does it come on toast. The comments are neither jealous, nor truly hate-based. Microsoft would have served themselves better to not even mention touch screen in their new operating system, but at this point they are damned if they do, and damned if they don't. It is certainly nothing to be jealous of. Announcing plans for a new operating system, before the last one even has been potty trained is also nothing to be jealous of.

[RompStar_420]

Jealous ? HAHAHAHAHAHA

I can kick my Linux server, split at it, and it still works. It has never let me down, I can backup the whole thing with a single tar command and restore it even more easily. I left Windows 4 years ago, and I never looked back.

[JM_Brazil]

Spitting at your server is not recommendable.

[DrtyDogg]

Nor is splittin @ it.

[imbored2]

Lol.. and how long is that tar command and is the average end user interested in typing it out or remembering it? Not likely. End users need friendly. You fail to see that. And why would you want to type when based on the backup application backing up a whole Windows system is a couple mouse clicks away with an interface and no rediculous syntax. Or you could even automate it by setting a "scheduled backup". So hard. All you guys can do is get excited about how you can write a 100 character command and make a system do something. Backup.. thats amazing A+. Do something useful show me some sweet physics and graphics rendering that would blow me away. Like per say the next Call of Duty or the next Half Life. Lets see it. "Oh but I can right click my desktop and change my walpaper..." Impressive dude...

[tekwiz4u]

Hmmm...prime example on how there's no innovation in the organization. How pathetic. MS....stop copying Apple and develop YOUR OWN IDEAS.

[DrtyDogg]

I completely agree they totally stole the touch screen computer from Apple. It's pathetic how low they will go.

[imbored2]

I'm sure apple got the idea from somewhere to. If you consider it an idea. I don't. Some point in time someone is going to develop it. It is just obvious. What if I could touch my screen to make things work? You seriously think Apple came up with that "original" idea if you can call it that. Not likely. It was bound to happen. It is also bound to be widely supported and further developed by more than just Apple. Thank God at that or the technology might likely die in it's tracks if apple were to be the only company that develops it. It's not really an original idea to touch a screen and make it do something. Seriously. It has been around forever. The only difference now is "oh I can spin shrink and resize objects" it was just adding onto a long existing technology that was bound to happen some time....

[zmonster]

Oh gee, maybe Microsoft will have a touch-based feature set in two years that is equivalent to what Apple has had for the past two years. That is, of course, assuming Apple won't first sue the crap out of Microsoft for violating their toucn patents.

[paoconnell]

Ewelch has it almost right. Touch screens on PCs = fingerprints on the screen, and probably scratches. Is Microsoft buying stock in Windex or something? One thing he didn't consider is that Apple is more likely to have a touch screen before Microsoft, because Jobs likes new toys.

By the way, the only time I use the touch pad on my laptop is when I have no place to use a mouse (like on a plane). Awful interface...can you guess that I like my 5 button cordless mouse?

[yelocab]

Cool parlor trick--but not very practical in the real world. Try holding your hand and moving it around your 21+ inch screen for 5 minutes. Compare that to resting your arm on your desk and moving your mouse around all day.
Plus, don't some track pads already support multi-touch gestures?
And compare the size of your finger to the pixel-accuracy of the mouse and cursor. And, yes, the fingerprints and scratches.

[theponja]

Why they don't learn? The have to work in a "working" operating system. One small and fast operating system. They are working again on the interfaces. The work in the interfaces for Vista and what happened? They failed.