Editor’s note: Here is some really cool MS Surface news, straight from the SG Community blogs.
Posted Today at 09:12 AM by Youlikeyams
An article over on the BBC News website has some intriguing news on Microsoft’s latest announcements on the next version of Windows from the All Things Digital Conference in San Diego, not least relating to their attempt at touch-screen integration with their operating systems. Call it the evolution of the big-ass table that is Microsoft Surface, making the screen smaller and bringing it in line with the current range of MS products.
Bill Gates got up on stage at the All Things Digital conference in San Diego recently and did his thing, touting the next Windows OS as the future of human computer interfaces, replacing the keyboard and mouse at some point in future along with “speech, vision and ink”. Quite what that means, I’ve not quite figured out yet. Every Tom, Dick and Harry from Microsoft is quick to jump on Bill’s bandwagon and preach the miracle of touch screens – MS’ own system known as ‘Multi-touch’ because it can handle more than one input on the screen at once – meaning that this is quickly becoming the new vehicle for every major technology company to hop on, following Apple’s success with the iPhone.
Among the features demonstrated on the laptop-screen-sized display were the Surface features of organising and scaling photos (which still looks uncannily like the PS3’s own way of doing this), albeit with a Start bar now gracing the bottom of the screen, and a virtual on-screen piano, which the user could play simply by tapping the keys as if it were an actual keyboard in front of them. Also demonstrated was the slightly-everyday example of getting directions, using a Google Earth-style interface displaying a world map which could be dragged around, iPhone style.
It all looks pretty intriguing to me, but I’m wondering where the line between gimmickry and integration is placed, as I’d like to see some proper, everyday examples of how this would be used; for example, would you use an actual keyboard, or if Bill Gates is to be believed, would this be phased out in favour of speech recognition or an on-screen keyboard display? Either way, I want to see this technology being used in an everyday computing process before I can form a proper opinion on whether touch screen is the way forward for the operating system.
The next version of Windows, currently codenamed Windows 7, is slated for release in 2010.
Sources: Microsoft demos ‘touch Windows’ – BBC NEWS
Microsoft demonstrates Multi-touch – Vista Team Blog
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I agree that a demonstration on everyday computing processes would be nice. And if they are making windows 7, what is to become of Vista? Kill it before it can even get on its feet?
I’m guessing so, because even MS have been quick to accept that the public’s response to Vista has been lukewarm, despite selling millions of copies. I think they want to sweep it under the rug as quickly as possible, and I’m betting they hoped features such as this would act as a distraction.
vista seemed like a reskinned version of xp.
I’m still on xp hopefully windows 7 will be worth getting.
This is just further proof of how out of touch Microsoft are. First they release the POS Vista and expect us to get all giddy about it because it looks pretty, now they’re going for gimmicky controls.
If they want people to upgrade from XP and 2003 (which are relatively solid OS’s) then they need to stop arsing about with superficial features and give us something substantial.
Ever since I read about this this morning I keep thinking the same thing, in what way does this appeal to any institution, public or private, who has to buy hundreds and thousands of licenses?
What Microsoft don’t seem to realise is that we’ve had touch screen PCs in some shape or form for several years now and they’ve never made a big impact. Apple have had so much success with multi-touch because they found the ideal location for it (small, portable devices).
I’ll pretty much guarantee you that unless they get something significant in Windows 7 then when 2010 rolls around the life span of XP will get increased and we’ll be watching Microsoft trying to sweep 7 under the carpet along with Vista.