I could’ve swore I remembered XP being nicknamed “Redmond”. Oh well.
Here’s something new and different about Windows 7: The Times & The Sunday Times: breaking news & today's latest headlines
That looks awkward. It’s probably fine on a large flat screen that’s laying on a desk, but it’d be really uncomfortable if it’s upright or on a laptop.
I was wondering when they would try to bring the Surface technology to mainstream. I think it’s a damn neat idea, and one step closer to the kickass computer tech in Minority Report and Iron Man.
Of course, the cynical part of me looks at how Vista required most people to get new computers to accomodate the greatly increased requirements, and now this new OS will require (or at least encourage) people to buy touchscreen monitors and laptops.
Uncomfortable is an understatement. Even a horizontal screen is going to be awkward to use after a few minutes. It makes no sense to use touch-screen technology in places where a standard mouse and keyboard will do. There are huge drawbacks and practically no advantages.
Did you notice in the screen shots that the About image shows that it is about Windows 7, but the details show that it is version 6.1? What’s up with that?
According to the BBC’s sneak peek, the big thing is the touch interface.
It has to be real. It’s too horribly ugly to be fake. MS would have to improve on something for it to be fake.
Microsoft is also dumping Windows 7 functionality. They originally said MinWin* was a go for 7, but now they’re saying 7 will be a lot more like Vista, which was a lot more like XP than they said originally, too. I expect them to dump a lot more stuff, given the experience with Vista. I’m just glad I’ve largely jumped to Linux at this point.
*(A stripped-down version of Windows, which was supposed to make things less bloated. Part of Microsoft’s fifteen-year effort to enter the brave new world of thirty years ago.)
Remember how the big thing in Longhorn was going to be the new file system?
The subhead on that article says, “By early 2010, people will be able to move objects on their PC by touching the screen with their fingers, Microsoft said.”
Hasn’t anybody noticed that we’ve been able to do this for well over a decade? Touchscreens aren’t exactly new.
And they even say, “A key feature of Windows 7 will allow people to touch the screen in multiple places simultaneously - much as on the iPhone - meaning that photos can be made smaller by ‘grabbing’ the corners with two fingers and pinching them together.” Wow. One of the key features of the OS Microsoft is releasing in 2010 is that it will be able to do what Apple has been doing since 2006.
(Yes, I realize the video shows functionality that isn’t in today’s mainstream touch screens, but it’s a natural extension, not some kind of innovation)
Has Microsoft not noticed that skin oil and flat screens don’t work very well? What is wrong with a mouse and keyboard anyway.
Old fogey checking in.
You know, I’d make a joke about Microsoft’s “Innovation” but it would be as stupid and derivative as everything Microsoft is doing with touch screens.
But the multi touch interface was around before the iphone(shudder).
If I remember correctly, the interface was designed for the Taiwan market to be able to touch multiple keys at the same time to input characters that used multiple keys.
Just to temper the cynicism for a moment…I can actually see situations in which a touchscreen could be a useful addition to the standard setup. I can’t imagine any quicker way of selecting a block of on-screen spreadsheet cells, for example. I’d prefer to be able to scroll through my iTunes library that way than with a mouse (although no doubt iTunes version X will ignore the touchscreen thing and do things its own way, as per usual).
Microsoft is apparently planning on releasing the multi-touch API in October. Great news for everyone who develops for the touchscreen.