Goodbye mouse, hello touch

Goodbye mouse, hello touch
30 May, 2008
The Straits Times

NEW YORK - MICROSOFT is signalling the end of the mouse with its latest operating system, which aims to build on the success of its rival Apple's iPhone touch screen.

Windows 7 will allow PC users to touch, rather than point and click, in a move which indicates the world's most influential software company believes the days of the keyboard-mouse combination are coming to an end.

But critics claim Microsoft is a long way from replacing what has been the dominant human-computer interface since its invention by Xerox researchers in the 1970s.

According to the Times of London, it is unclear how willing office workers or home users will be to abandon hard-won typing skills and start leaning forward to manipulate images on a large computer screen.

The system was unveiled at a conference on Wednesday night, with Microsoft officials showing off a way for users to move files, zoom in on images and search maps with their fingertips.

Microsoft chairman Bill Gates framed the new feature as an evolution away from the mouse. 'Today, almost all the interaction is keyboard-mouse,' he said.

'Over years to come, the role of speech, vision, ink - all of those - will be huge.'

A key feature of Windows 7 will be interaction with the screen - much as on the iPhone - meaning photos can be made smaller by touching the corners with two fingers and pinching them together, or you can turn a page by brushing the screen, the Daily Mail said.

A video of the new system on Microsoft's website shows the technology - which the company calls 'Multi-touch' - being used for tasks such as manipulating photos, spinning a globe and playing a virtual piano.

Microsoft has divulged little about its Windows 7 operating system - even after introducing the touch-screen feature - a contrast to the much-hyped release of Vista.

Mr Chris Flores, a director on Microsoft's Windows client communications team, has said on a company blog that the more circumspect tack was deliberate and intended to avoid announcing plans that may change.

Windows 7 - which is not due to be released until 2010 - represents the latest in a long line of efforts by Microsoft to catch up with the technical lead set by Apple.

But Gartner analyst Roberta Cozza said: 'With mobiles, which you hold in your hand, touch can make things easier - you get to the phone's functions faster, whereas with a PC you'd have to lift your arm every time and, with a screen that's 17 inches wide, that's going to become more difficult.'

Microsoft is clearly worried about the popularity of the touch-screen interface on a string of hand-held devices, from satellite navigators to iPhones, the Times of London said. A touch-screen BlackBerry is expected this year.

But despite the slick demonstration, it is not clear that computer makers are clamouring to follow the Windows 7 ideal. Dell, the second-largest PC manufacturer, said 'Multi-touch' was 'interesting'.

It declined to say whether it would release a touch- screen laptop in time for January 2010, when Microsoft expects Windows 7 to be introduced.