Michael is at the D6 conference in Carlsbad, California where Steve Ballmer and Bill Gates are set to take the stage this opening night and preview the user interface of Microsoft’s next operating system, known as Windows 7. It is expected to be released in 2010 and to replace Vista.
During the keynote, Corporate VP Julie Larson-Green demoed new multi-touch functionality based on the same principles as Surface. Microsoft is working with OEMs to get the multi-touch feature on at least some new machines once Windows 7 is released in 18 months or so. See a demo below and more info here.
For more coverage of Microsoft’s efforts in touch computing, see our recent coverage of TouchWall.
Video: Multi-Touch in Windows 7
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The demo is a copy of the iPhone UI. Microsoft is doing this mainly for Windows Mobile. They’ve even copied the cover-flow scrolling menu. Doesn’t Apple have a patent on this? What is shown here would enable Microsoft to duplicate 90% of the iPhone UI. Makes me wonder what Apple gave Microsoft for the Exchange Server license.
@ 51. Zato
Do me a favour…
Steve Jobs - “Good Artists Copy, Great Artists Steal”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AxatrXaHExU
a good read.
It is nice demonstration but end of the video displays poor virtual piano onscreen. It is better to display great virtual musical organ with many keys to show importance of using of many fingers in the same time. In addition, I hope to find musical handwriting recognizer in Windows 7 but it is other story which is different from multi-touch onscreen.