Windows 7 To Incorporate Multitouch Elements

[NatCh]

Windows 7 to Implement Partial Multitouch Functionality Via Special Touchscreen Hardware

Source: PCMag, via AppScout.

It may not, strictly speaking, be "mobile," but I suspect it's of some interest to this community anyway:

Microsoft announced yesterday over at the Wall Street Journal's "All Things Digital D6" conference that Windows 7 will support some of the really cool stuff we heard them noising about a couple of years ago with the Surface Computing concept.

Unlike Surface, this one will use a special touchscreen (rather than cameras and projectors) to work its magic, but we may start seeing it as early as next year ... also unlike Surface, apparently, though they did hint that they're still working on that one.

[kovidgoyal]

I've never been able to come up with any real use for multi-touch though, apart from implementing a on-screen keyboard.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I've never been able to come up with any real use for multi-touch though, apart from implementing a on-screen keyboard.

pfff, for being AWESOME, obviously ! multi-touche (especially that demo i saw on youtube) makes me jump up and down clapping my hands together like a little kid. i love technology.

[DixieGal]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

pfff, for being AWESOME, obviously ! multi-touche (especially that demo i saw on youtube) makes me jump up and down clapping my hands together like a little kid. i love technology.

Groovy video, but I keep trying to visualize it in the workplace. It just seems sort of awkward to have the onscreen keyboard, unless there is a bendy elbow in it or something. The thought of typing straight ahead makes my carpal tunnels ache! Would it allow notebooks to be significantly lighter if they didn't have the physical keyboard? There would still have to be the CPU innards, and a cover of xome sort to protect it. I'm intrigued by the idea. It's less Jetsons and more Foundation, either of which would be cool.

Sorry, this is just my twisted thought process.

[kovidgoyal]

yeah the only real use for multitouch is in multi screen clamshell notebooks and single screen "slates"

[tribble]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

I've never been able to come up with any real use for multi-touch though, apart from implementing a on-screen keyboard.

Multi touch gestures are awesome. Swipe with one finger, flip a page, swipe with two fingers, flip 5 pages, swipe with 3 fingers, jump to next chapter.

And there are a lot more which i can come up with.

[kovidgoyal]

As opposed to pressing keys to flip pages? Why add smudges to you screen unnecessarily?

[NatCh]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

yeah the only real use for multitouch is in multi screen clamshell notebooks and single screen "slates"

You make it sound like those are bad things!

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by DixieGal

Groovy video, but I keep trying to visualize it in the workplace. It just seems sort of awkward to have the onscreen keyboard, unless there is a bendy elbow in it or something. The thought of typing straight ahead makes my carpal tunnels ache! Would it allow notebooks to be significantly lighter if they didn't have the physical keyboard? There would still have to be the CPU innards, and a cover of xome sort to protect it. I'm intrigued by the idea. It's less Jetsons and more Foundation, either of which would be cool.

actually it made me think of "Minority Report" when i first saw it.

Originally Posted by tribble

Multi touch gestures are awesome. Swipe with one finger, flip a page, swipe with two fingers, flip 5 pages, swipe with 3 fingers, jump to next chapter.

And there are a lot more which i can come up with.

there you go !!!

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

As opposed to pressing keys to flip pages? Why add smudges to you screen unnecessarily?

with a little luck, the people making the screens will also be smart enough to invent a screen which does not smudge (humor me).

Originally Posted by NatCh

You make it sound like those are bad things!

i know ! seriously.

[b0rsuk]

Late to the party, as usual.
Linux is getting multi-touch support this week already.

http://www.phoronix.com/scan.php?pag...x_master&num=1

(Multi-Pointer X Going Mainline - Phoronix.com)

[Dylrob]

Eh, unless they can offer some sort of non-tactical alternative, this is pretty much useless for those of us that sit outside the comfortable reach of our monitors.

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by NatCh

You make it sound like those are bad things!

To me having good touch screen technology (something that is light, transparent and works well with fingers rather than a dedicated stylus) is far more important than having multi-touch. If you have good single touch hardware, making it multi-touch is really just an extremely tractable software issue.

Though I still don't see much use for multi-touch other than onscreen keyboards.

[zelda_pinwheel]

Originally Posted by kovidgoyal

Though I still don't see much use for multi-touch other than onscreen keyboards.

but... but.. .but... did you watch the demo on youtube ?????

[Ervserver]

Things like this don't work for me, I have huge fingers

[kovidgoyal]

Originally Posted by zelda_pinwheel

but... but.. .but... did you watch the demo on youtube ?????

With peeled eyes...