Late last night, Bill Gates and Steve Ballmer were on hand at the Wall Street Journal’s D: All Things Digital conference to demonstrate one of Windows 7's key features; multi-touch.
The technology, developed by Microsoft's Surface team, could be key to harnessing widespread consumer enthusiasm, something Microsoft's current flagship OS, Vista, has failed to do.
Continuing his vision of one day finding a successor to the globally-used keyboard and mouse, Microsoft's Gates said:
"The way you interact with the system will change dramatically. Today almost all the interaction is keyboard-mouse. Over years to come, the role of speech, vision, ink - all of those things - will be huge."
Here's a video demonstration of what Surface and Windows could deliver. Microsoft states, however, that the applications on display are for demonstration purposes only, but we're assured it's all Windows 7 underneath.
Touch-screen technology is being pushed by industry leaders Microsoft and Apple. It should be noted, however, that Apple's touch-capable iPhone continues to grow in sales and consumer interest, whilst Microsoft's Surface is still stumbling out the gate.
When asked who would win the desktop touch-screen race, Microsoft's Ballmer bullishly stated "we'll sell 290 million PCs and Apple will sell 10 million PCs."
Windows 7 is scheduled for an early 2010 release, but will the desktop user be ready for a touch-orientated OS? Share your thoughts in the HEXUS forums.
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