Windows 7 aims to interact with multi-touch

Release Date: 25 June 2008

From:http://www.halflifesource.com

By Penny Gottardi

keyword: Windows 7

Windows 7 would incorporate new forms of communication and interaction. Industry watchers say Microsoft is hoping that the new operating system can change the way people interact with PCs in the future.

Microsoft Corp said on Wednesday that its next operating system, Windows 7, will come with multi-touch features as an alternative to the standard mouse control.

Scheduled for release in 2010, the new fingertip interface lets users enlarge and shrink photos, trace routes on maps, paint pictures or play the piano.

"The way you interact with the system will change dramatically," said Microsoft chairman Bill Gates.

Speaking at the All Things Digital conference in San Diego, Gates said Windows 7 would incorporate new forms of communication and interaction.

Chief executive Steve Ballmer described the limited demo of the multi-touch screen at the conference as "a small snippet" of the next version of Windows after admitting he wants to do better than Vista.

Even though Vista has suffered from a poor public image and a lukewarm welcome from many firms and users, Ballmer said the company had shipped 150 million copies of the program.

During the conference, Ballmer also talked about the company's failure to buy Yahoo, following its offer of $47.5 billion.

"Look, we made a bid for Yahoo. It was out there for three months and there was a difference between bid and ask."