Microsoft at CES: Zune Mobile, no; Win 7 Beta 1, yes

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I think touch is going to be huge!

What stuck in my mind from the presentation, was the brief touch demonstration a lady gave on an HP Touchsmart with Windows 7. I think Windows 7 with its multi-touch capabilities and onscreen keyboard, can actually disrupt how we use computers today, and give new life to tablet computing. If the onscreen keyboard in Windows 7 comes with an array of features such as being able to adjust its translucency; being able to overlay it over a portion of the screen; being able to customize what buttons are shown, their arrangement, their characters, etc.; and allowing developers to do all of the above programmatically, this could significantly skew computer design towards the tablet format.

It seems as if the above would be irresistible to Asian markets. Multi-touch / tablet PCs could be easily turned into kiosks allowing customers of businesses (banks, retail stores, hotels, restaurants, etc.) to access services. Multi-touch / tablet PCs could be easily used in control panels for specialized machinery such as cash registers, ship systems, submarine systems, etc. Kids (and adults) could use tablets in tablet mode most of the time, switching easily between touch typing to doing pen input when they do things like take notes in class. Kids could optionally use a regular keyboard when they want to do heavy typing and free up screen real estate. Large displays on desktops could be pivoted; touch typed on; used to quickly and casually mark up documents in ink and take notes; used as virtual instruments from a piano to a super phone; used to collaborate, etc. I believe the possibilities that touch provides are huge!

Posted by: P. Douglas   Posted on: 01/07/09  (Edited: 01/07/2009 @ 11:24) You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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