There's a reason the first thing in Windows 7 that Microsoft chose to show publicly was its support for touch input.
That built-in ability to use two fingers to rotate, scroll, and zoom offers tangible proof that the operating system is different from its predecessor, not to mention being something not found on a Mac.
However, many say that comparatively few Windows 7 PC owners will actually be reaching out to touch their screen. That's because, to use one's fingers in such a manner requires a screen that can support the technology--something that often adds $100 or more to the cost of a PC.
As a result, many expect touch-capable computers to be just a tiny fraction of the market for desktop and notebook computers, even after Windows 7 arrives on store shelves on October 22.
"We're thinking like 5 percent to 10 percent of shipments for 2010," said IDC analyst Richard Shim. And Shim said that, unless circumstances change, the rate isn't likely to climb significantly in the coming years.
Part of the problem is that there really isn't a killer application for touch on the PC, despite the fact that putting ones fingers on the screen has become the de facto measure of cool in the cell phone market.
It's not that there isn't interest in selling touchscreen devices. Hewlett-Packard introduced its TouchSmart all-in-one in 2007. The company now has several touch models, including both desktop and notebook machines. Dell has a Latitude notebook aimed at businesses and has also added an all-in-one with a touchscreen option.
And once Windows 7 hits the market, others will no doubt follow suit, particularly since Microsoft has done a lot of the work. Shim said he expects nearly all the major PC makers to have at least one touchscreen model when Windows 7 launches in the fall. Monitor makers are also expected to offer touchscreen displays that can plug into standard PCs.
"Touch will roll out," Microsoft Senior Vice President Bill Veghte said in an interview last week. "We'll see it in all-in-ones and we'll see it in some laptops and you will see it across the different PC markets."
But just how many of these models will actually get sold is another matter. Some reports suggest that the low-cost Netbook market could actually see things pick up fastest, given their smaller (and therefore cheaper to touch-enable) screens and the fact that people are often using them on the go, without a mouse.
Although Microsoft offers a standard interface for gestures in Windows 7, there are actually several different technologies that computer makers can use to build a touch-capable computer.
New Zealand-based NextWindow uses an optical technology in which tiny sensors are mounted on the top corners of the display and allow the fingers' positions to be captured. It is the company behind the technology used in the all-in-ones from HP and Dell.
Israel's N-Trig, meanwhile, uses capacitive resistance, the type of technology used on the iPhone to read finger input. It combines this with a second technology to also allow input from a stylus. Its technology is employed in HP and Dell laptops, and N-Trig has also received funding from Microsoft.
N-trig's dual-mode digitizer allows for both pen and touch input and is used in laptops from HP and Dell.
(Credit: N-trig)NextWindow's technology doesn't require a special coating or film on the glass, so its screens can look as bright as non-touch displays. However, because it adds a certain depth to the screen, it isn't as suited today to the notebook market.
Touch is actually not entirely new notion for Windows, although Windows 7 is the first to support using two fingers at the same time. In the early days of Vista's development, when it was still code-named Longhorn, Microsoft envisioned the tablet PC market expanding to include touch-enabled devices.
"I'm not sure that it ever delivered on that promise," said NextWindow CEO Al Monro. "There really weren't any of the (software makers) that got behind it."
Although that continues to be a challenge, Monro notes that the market has changed considerably--most notably with the introduction of Apple's iPhone.
"That really brought touch into the mainstream," Monro said.
It also broke down a psychological barrier, Monro said, the notion that computer screens were something to avoid getting one's fingers on. NextWindow has its origins making large touchscreen displays for things like retail kiosks. Not too long ago, he said, the company had to put signs near its installations that said "I'm a touch screen. Touch me."
"You had to really scream it out," he said. "Now people just expect it."
The question now is whether software makers on the PC side will embrace touch interfaces in the way that those who design software for the iPhone have done.
As is often the case with new technology, it's sort of a chicken-and-egg problem, Monro acknowledges. Software makers don't take the time to adopt touch interfaces because not enough touchscreen PCs are sold, while the PCs are a tough sell because there is not enough software.
Monro said he still doesn't have a good feel when that cycle will break. "People aren't going to buy touch screen unless there are a range of things (they can do)."
For its part, Microsoft has done a couple things. By supporting touch at the operating system level, most applications should allow touch control of at least basic functions such as resizing windows, scrolling, and moving the cursor.
The company has also created a "touch pack" that computer makers can include on their systems. The software collection includes some casual games as well as small applications that have proved popular in Microsoft's other multitouch computer--its tabletop Surface machine for restaurants, hotels, and attractions.
Monro also disputes the idea that there needs to be one killer application. Rather, he said, what the industry needs is for a variety of software makers to take the plunge. Mapping, painting, and even social networking can all be better, he said.
"There are just going to be a variety of things that are easier to do with touch," he said.
While we've heard a lot about Windows 7, we haven't heard too much about the software and hardware that will take advantage of the new operating system.
That's starting to change.
This week, touch-screen maker N-trig is showing off a variety of third-party software programs that take advantage of the multitouch features of Windows 7. Meanwhile, Microsoft's hardware unit said it is also building support for Windows 7's new taskbar and thumbnail previews into its line of keyboards and mice.
Microsoft said beta versions of the drivers for its products are available now, with final versions set for release at the end of next month.
On the software front, N-trig is showing off a number of multitouch Windows 7 applications at a display conference in San Antonio, Texas, this week. Microsoft has also announced its own package of free touch programs for Windows 7, including three casual games and three programs ported over from Microsoft's Surface tabletop computer.
"There's lots of stuff going on," N-trig Vice President Lenny Engelhardt said in a telephone interview. Among the applications N-trig is showing is a photo browser from FingerTapps and a multitouch 3D design program from SpaceClaim. Corel also said it will have multitouch-enabled programs later this year, but didn't give specifics.
"Windows 7 and Windows Touch are giving Corel's software designers an incredible opportunity to enhance how consumers experience creative software," executive vice president Joe Roberts said in a statement.
Getting compelling software is key to transforming multitouch from a curiosity into something that consumers are willing to pay for. A touch screen adds on the order of $100 or more to the cost of a system, depending on screen size.
"In this current economic climate, to get people to buy new hardware is going to take some real nice, compelling applications," Engelhardt said.
HP and Dell have started shipping multitouch machines ahead of Windows 7, but Engelhardt said he expects all the major hardware and software makers to support touch at some level once the new operating system hits the market in October.
"None of these guys wants to be left out," Engelhardt said.
Although touch will remain a small part of the total PC market, Engelhardt said he sees it expanding from where it is today, with a few desktop models as well as a handful of convertible tablet laptops.
"A lot of those notebooks are going to be larger than what you have seen," he said. "There will be computers with 14- and 17-inch screens."
Multitouch will also reach the Netbook sector, though that market is harder to predict, he said.
Engelhardt said that multitouch has the opportunity to do the same thing for Windows PCs that the iPhone did for mobile phones--take a task that everyone was already doing and make it fun.
A video from N-trig shows some other possibilities for where touch can go in Windows 7. In the video (embedded below), N-trig shows a number of gaming scenarios, including the ability to play Guitar Hero using several fingers touching the screen. Although the makers of Guitar Hero haven't announced such plans, Engelhardt said the option is entirely technically feasible, with his engineering team having created a working demo.
Thus far, Engelhardt said, the consumer area appears to be ahead of the enterprise software market, but over time he expects more touch-enabled business applications as well.
For its part, Microsoft said it is happy with the level of touch support it is seeing from developers.
"We are pleased to see how quickly our partners are developing multitouch applications on Windows 7," principal group program manager Ian LeGrow said in a statement.
A rough economy isn't stopping Microsoft from spending in key areas. The software maker on Monday announced a new ad campaign aimed at wresting spending from cash-strapped companies as well as the company's own investment into a start-up focused on multitouch.
In the latter area, Microsoft is part of a $24 million financing round for N-trig, a Kfar Saba, Israel-based company that provides technology for sensing pen and touch input. The size of Microsoft's stake was not disclosed.
N-trig's technology is used in current multitouch computers from companies such as Dell and HP, a category Microsoft hopes to expand by building gesture support directly into Windows 7.
"With the introduction of multitouch in Windows 7, integrated with N-trig's DuoSense technology, our customers will have a new and natural way to interact with their PCs," Microsoft Group Program Manager Ian LeGrow said in N-Trig's press statement. "By simulating the way people write and touch naturally, N-trig is helping to make it easier to navigate your PC and enable a new class of Windows experiences."
An image of a print ad from Microsoft's "everybody's business" ad push.
(Credit: Microsoft)As for Microsoft's new ads, they started running during Sunday's NFL playoff coverage and carry the theme "Because it's everybody's business" and is part of the company's long-running "people-ready" campaign. They are designed to feature specific customers, such as Quicksilver and Coca-Cola talking about how they are using Microsoft products to ride the waves, quite literally in Quicksilver's case.
In a Q and A posted to Microsoft's press Web site, General Manager Gayle Troberman said that the time was right for Microsoft to tout what it has to offer businesses.
"We think software can provide one of the biggest competitive advantages, and that's especially critical now when a lot of companies are struggling just to keep the lights on," Troberman said. "Microsoft's view is that business leaders who maintain a long-term perspective--even as they take short-term steps to adjust to the current economic realities--have the chance to emerge from a downturn in a better position than they were in before.
Although the company is spending on ads, Troberman indicated the company may not be spending as much as it originally had planned.
"As for executing the campaign, we've taken a hard look at every advertising and marketing dollar we're spending, and there are areas where we're changing plans," Troberman said. "We also think we're getting a great deal on advertising 'real estate' right now, so we hope we can get a lot more value out of the dollars we are spending today."
In an interview last week, Microsoft CEO Steve Ballmer suggested that the company is taking a tough look at where it can cut spending but declined to offer specifics, noting that the company is in a quiet period before announcing its earnings later this month.
"The fact of the matter is, this is not a downturn, this is a bit of a reset," Ballmer said. "Those are quite different and we're trying to really suss through what we think that means for us."
Both the N-trig investment and the business ad push were reported on Sunday by The Wall Street Journal.
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